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Chapter Text

She watched as her squad easily dismantled the droid army with a grin on her face. No matter how many times she’d watched them in action and had fought with them, their irregular tactics never failed to make her smile.

When they were finished she made her way over to Crosshair, who was nearby. “That was fast.” She said, as if she didn't know it would be. He tilted his helmet at her and she could tell he was smiling, even if he’d never admit it.

“You know, I'm glad I got stuck with you guys.” She told him, suppressing a smirk. “It’s way more interesting being in charge of you lot than any group of regs.” She said as she turned away from him, not needing to look behind her because she knew exactly how he would react to her words. She heard the click of his helmet being pulled off and grinned.

“You’re the one stuck with us?” He said slowly, the amusement clear in his tone. “And whoever said you’re in charge, Rominaria?”

Her face scrunched up at the use of her full first name. “That’s General Scara to you.” She said, a smile tugging at her lips.

“General,” He said in a low voice that stirred something in her stomach.

She gave him a genuine smile before turning away and beginning to walk into the woods, planning to head back to the Marauder. Wanting to be far away from the cold planet.

"Execute order 66." She heard an unfamiliar voice say behind her. She turned towards the familiar clone next to her. Her eyebrows knit together in confusion when she saw how rigid he had become. His fingers twitched where they laid over his blaster on his hip.

"Cross?" She said, her voice laced with confusion as she slowly moved her hands to hover over the lightsabers on her own hips. "Crosshair, what's going on?" He didn't answer, just looked at her with wide horrified eyes. It unnerved her, he had never looked at her like that before.

The Jedi knight slowly backed away from him, one hand up like she was trying to calm a frightened animal. She kept her eyes trained on him, his dark armor in stark contrast with the pale white snow that surrounded them. She sensed the tree behind her and slowly shifted to her right, dodging it and backing away further. Just as she was about to be fully out of his sight it happened.

It was as if something had snapped in him. His hand grabbed his blaster. He took aim and started to shoot at her. She ducked away from the first one but knew she wouldn't be so lucky again.

Igniting her lightsabers she started deflecting the blaster fire as she ran. She could hear his footsteps in the snow behind her as she tried to put distance between herself and the clone. Swerving in between trees, she risked a glance over her shoulder and flinched at the look of pure hatred on Crosshair's face. In her haste, she missed the root ahead and her boot slammed into it as she ran, causing her to stumble but not completely lose her balance.

Crosshair took his chance and she heard his rifle fire. She winced but didn't cry out when the all too familiar pain of a blaster bolt sinking into her side hit her. She kept running, thanking the Maker that the blaster fire had cauterized the wound.

"What the kriff are you doing?" She heard Hunter's voice yell as she ran. She quickly looked behind her and saw Hunter holding Crosshair's blaster arm down and yelling at him.

"Following orders." He responded slowly in his usual annoyed tone.

"You shot at family. We don't do that.”

She slowly crept away as they continued to argue. As soon as she was out of their sight she was running again. Using her training to move as quietly as possible. She was busy looking over her shoulder when she felt her body collide with another. Caleb. She recognized his presence almost immediately.

“Caleb, listen to me, you need to run right now.” She told him quickly.

“They, they killed her.” He said, his voice breaking. “They killed my master, she's gone”

“Who killed her?” He didn’t answer her, his eyes widening as he looked past her.

“Clones.” He said, quietly. “Clones did.”

She slowly turned around and was met with the sight of Hunter slowly approaching her, his arms raised as if trying to show her that he wasn’t a threat.

“General Scara, I promise I have no idea what's going on,” He said slowly, lowering his blaster and setting it in the snow at his feet to show that he had no intention to hurt her. She kept her lightsabers raised, shifting so that she was in front of Caleb. She guarded his body with her own and tried to steady her breathing. The pain was making her head spin but she couldn’t focus on that. Not now.

“Caleb, run.” She said in a calm voice, sensing another familiar presence approaching even if she couldn't see him yet. “Run, and don't look back.” He looked at her for a long moment, then nodded with tears in his eyes.

“May the force be with you.” She said softly, he nodded once and then ran. A rifle began to shoot from behind a nearby tree and she deflected the blaster fire as she felt the young Jedi's presence get further and further away from her.

Crosshair ran for another tree to get behind and she used the moment to rip the blaster from his hand with the Force. He immediately changed course and began running towards her. A knife now in his hand. She made the mistake of freezing for a moment and immediately regretted it when she felt the blade he had thrown sink into her shoulder. She cried out in pain. She looked away from her shoulder right before he reached her. Everything in her screamed to not harm him. But it was hurt or be hurt, and she had to give Caleb enough time to escape.

She pushed him as hard as she could with the force and winced as his body slammed into a tree, knocking him unconscious. She gave him one last lingering glance before turning her attention to Hunter, who had his blaster back in his hand. Holding eye contact with him, she ripped the knife out of her shoulder and forced herself not to scream at the pain. She threw it on the ground by his feet.

“Please General, you have to believe me. I won’t hurt you, I promise.” His voice was soft and everything in her wanted to let it embrace her. But as blood poured out of her shoulder she was reminded of what that trust had earned her.

“You know that I can’t do that Hunter.” She said with a defeated sigh. She began stumbling to the clearing that was just beyond the trees. There was a deep canyon that cut the space in half. She would have to jump over if she wanted to go that way, and she knew she didn’t have the strength to do that.

She looked over her shoulder and saw Hunter following her. She shook her head with a sad smile and then she stepped backwards and fell.

“No!” Hunter yelled, running forward but he wasn’t fast enough. He looked down but there was no way to see if she had landed safely. With the amount of blood that she had been losing, he doubted it.

Chapter Text

“No!” Hunter yelled, running forward but he wasn’t fast enough. He looked down but there was no way to see if she had landed safely. With the amount of blood that she had been losing, he doubted it.

Only a little further down from where Hunter stood, she clutched onto a rock. She put the majority of her weight onto her good arm and held herself up as she waited for him to leave. She faintly heard Crosshair's voice and held her breath, afraid that he might see her with his enhanced vision.

Her long black hair whipped in the wind as she waited and she regretted not tying it up because it would be a dead giveaway if they were to see it. She focused on the sounds of them retreating and stayed where she was for a few moments before slowly climbing back up to the surface. The pain in her shoulder was overwhelming but her will to live was stronger.

She pulled her cloak off, wincing as the cold air hit her, and took a look at her shoulder. She took a shaky breath inwards at the gruesome sight. The cut was deep and jagged. And spilling blood. So much blood. She knew what she had to do but her hands shook as she grabbed one of her lightsabers from her hip. She ignited it and shakily raised it to her injured shoulder. She closed her eyes before slowly sinking it into the wound.

She screamed before she could stop herself. The pain was overwhelming and she felt the contents of her stomach rise up into her throat. She put her lightsaber away and opened her eyes, whipping her head around to make sure no one had been close enough to hear her. She rose on shaky legs and began to wrap her cloak around her now cauterized wound.

Once her arm was wrapped, she slowly began stumbling to where the Marauder was. Hoping that she might be able to get there before the batch and stow away to get off world. She knew there was no way she’d survive much longer on this planet.

When she arrived at the ship, she let out a sigh of relief. The squad wasn’t there yet. She quickly boarded the ship and closed the ramp behind her. She made her way towards the pantry, remembering that there was a large ceiling vent in there. She quickly moved the panel and used what little strength she had left to jump up into the vent.

Just as she managed to squeeze into the vent in the ceiling, she heard the batch enter. She quickly put the panel back in place and held her breath, hoping none of them would come into the pantry. The pain in her shoulder was beginning to get so bad that she couldn’t ignore it. She breathed as quietly as she could when she heard them get further from her.

Just as she felt the ship take off, everything went black.

Hunter didn’t notice it at first. After what had happened at the canyon he was so upset he couldn’t think much of anything. But as they passed the pantry room he could have sworn that he had heard breathing. It was faint but he was almost certain that that's what he had heard.

He decided that it was probably nothing and to not mention it to the crew. But, as they took off, he heard the faintest thud and decided to check it out. “I’m gonna go use the refresher,” He excused himself from the cockpit and made his way in the direction of the noise. He looked over his shoulder before quietly opening the pantry door. He looked around once before stepping inside and silently shutting the door behind him.

He could hear the breathing much more clearly now that he was in this room and he followed the sound. Looking above him, he saw that one of the vent panels seemed to have been slightly shifted out of place. He slowly walked towards it, drawing out his blaster. He hesitated only for a moment before moving the panel.

His eyes widened at the sight of the unconscious Jedi. Her body shifted slightly, and then she fell. He caught her and slowly lowered her to the ground. Her eyes shot open and a horrified look came over her face. He quickly placed a hand over her mouth before she would be able to scream.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” He whispered to her slowly. “But I need you to be quiet, okay?” She looked at him with wide eyes, but slowly nodded. He removed his hand from her mouth.

“What are you doing here?” He asked her slowly. “I thought you were gone. When you fell I thought, I thought you died.” He said slowly.

“Well, clearly I didn’t. Now get out of here before one of your brothers finds me.” She said in a sharp voice. He flinched slightly at her tone and she frowned. “Please.” She added softly. As if on cue, the sound of boots passed the pantry door. She flinched and immediately started stumbling back to the vent. Right as she jumped in it and placed the cover back, the door opened.

She held her breath. “I figured we should all eat, so I came in here to get our rations.” Hunter quickly explained to his brother.

“Great idea!” She heard Wrecker say cheerfully. She smiled slightly before she could stop herself. “Who wants some food?” She heard him yell as he picked up a crate with rations and took it out of the room. Hunter followed quickly behind. She sighed a breath of relief and laid her head back. Closing her eyes.

“Master! I- I don’t want to die. I’m not ready.” The young twi’lek girl cried out, clutching her master's arm.

“You’ll be alright. Just a little longer.” Her master responded, her voice slightly shaking. “The medic is coming right now, okay?”

“Master, I don’t think I…” The young girl's voice trailed off as her eyes went unfocused.

“Aayla? Aayla, please answer me.” The Jedi’s voice grew louder as she shook the young girl's arm. No matter what she did, her padawan wouldn’t wake up. She heard a voice faintly, but only later would realize it was her own screaming for the girl to wake up.

As the medic arrived she screamed at him to help her. He checked her pulse and looked at the Jedi with sad eyes. “No! No, you need to help her. Please!” She cried. She felt two arms gently hook under her own and pull her away.

Rominaria shot up with a start, breathing heavily. She looked around, gathering where she was. She was still in the vent. She wasn’t on Umbara anymore.

She jumped at the sound of the pantry door. “It’s just me,” She heard Hunter say softly. “You were out for a while. We’ve been given a mission, but as soon as we’re done I’ll get you out of here, okay?”

“Okay,” She whispered shakily.

“Here, take this. You haven’t eaten for multiple rotations.” He said as he slid two ration bars through the vent panel. As if on cue, her stomach growled loudly.

“Thank you.” She whispered as she heard him leave. She quickly began eating the bars, the hunger overwhelming her senses.

After what seemed like ages, she felt the ship begin to land. She listened to the sounds of the batch leaving and waited as long as she could before slowly moving the vent panel and slipping out. She stretched her limbs and winced at the still-aching pain in her shoulder. She put the panel back in place before quietly exiting the room.

After a quick check of her surroundings, she quickly walked into the cockpit and found one of her spare cloaks. She grabbed a tie for her hair as well and quickly braided it back and away from her face. She pulled the cloak that was tied around her arm off and made her way to the infirmary.

Moving as fast as she could while still remaining quiet, she pulled out bandages and quickly wrapped her arm. She winced at the pressure but didn’t dare to make a sound.

As soon as her arm was wrapped she pulled the cloak over her and exited the ship, patting her hips to reassure her that her lightsabers were still there. She folded the cloak and put it inside one of her pockets.

When she stepped outside she was greeted by a jungle. At least it's not another snowy planet. She thought to herself as she began to slowly walk through the terrain, trying to figure out what planet she was on.

She sensed a large group of people near her and cautiously moved as close as she dared to the noise before scaling a nearby tree. From her position, she saw a large group of what seemed to be civilians gathered and when her eyes roamed the group, they fell upon the batch talking to one of the members.

She couldn’t make out who it was because the figure had their back turned to her. She remembered Crosshair’s enhanced vision and slowly shifted her position, moving so that the tree fully blocked her from view.

She closed her eyes and focused all her senses on the scene in front of her. After a few more moments, she felt the presence of the clones slowly moving further away. She opened her eyes and shifted so that she could see the group again.

The civilians seemed to be moving in the opposite direction that the batch was walking in. She quickly made her way down the tree and to the group of people.

They didn’t even seem to notice as she joined them, her midnight blue eyes searching through the crowd. She needed to speak with the person she had seen. Maybe they could help her get off this planet. And if they weren’t on her side, she thought as the pain in her shoulder panged again, then she had her lightsabers with her and years of training.

After what felt like ages of walking through the mucky swamp, she saw a large ship in the distance. She sped up to reach the front of the group, and saw the attire of the person who had spoken to her former squad.

“Excuse me,” She said slowly, tapping their shoulder gently. They spun around and her eyes widened with relief. “Saw?” She said, a small smile gracing her lips. “Thank the Maker, you're okay. What are you doing here?”

He stared at her for a long moment, the shock slowly leaving his face as he opened his mouth to speak. “Rominaria,” He said her name quietly, as if he only wanted her to hear what he was saying. “I thought all the Jedi were gone.” He said even quieter. “How are you still alive?”

“It’s a long story.” She told him.

“I have time.”

Chapter Text

“It’s a long story.” She told him.

“I have time.”

She smiled softly at Saw as she boarded the vessel with him. “So, what happened? Why are you here?” She asked him as she looked around at the large group of civilians.

“Here,” He said. “ Come with me.” He led her to a hall that branched off of the main part of the ship and opened the door to a small cramped room. “Ladies first.” He said with a humorous smile as she entered the small room. Saw followed her and shut the door behind them. “After you and Skywalker left Onderon, everything was good. For a while.” He told her, his smile turning grim. “And then we heard what had happened, what the clones had done, and some of us didn’t take lightly to that betrayal. Now, tell me, how are you alive?”

She quickly recounted the events on Kaller and then the Marauder to him. Only leaving out Caleb escaping, not wanting to put the young Jedi in any more danger than he was already in. And Saw was already in enough danger from just knowing she was alive.

"Can I see your shoulder?" He asked her. She pulled her cloak off and slowly unwrapped the bandage. She grimaced at the sight, it looked worse than when she had initially wrapped it. "Kriff," Saw exclaimed with a frown. "I'm gonna go get you some bacta spray and a patch. I'll be right back." He told her as he left the room.

She closed her eyes and rubbed her temple. Everything had changed so recently and yet it felt like she had been hiding for years. She opened her eyes and looked at her shoulder again. A reminder of the betrayal. A reminder of Crosshair's betrayal. She was trying to forget what had happened but the pain in her shoulder wouldn't let her.

After a few more moments, Saw returned. "Can I?" He asked and when she nodded, he began cleaning the wound. "So, you and Crosshair huh?" She furrowed her eyebrows at him as he continued to work on her arm.

“What?” She questioned.

“You just seemed pretty beat up about him, that’s all.” Saw finished with a smirk, and she realized by the look he was giving her that he was just messing with her.

“Yeah,” She said, playing along. “Maybe because one of my closest friends shot me, and then stabbed me. I think you forget that the Jedi don’t have those feelings.” She said as if it was the most obvious thing in the galaxy.

“Don't have or don’t want to have?” Is all Saw said in response, eliciting an eye roll from her.

“Both.” She said in a finite tone. She rotated her shoulder and winced slightly. It still ached but not nearly as bad as it had. “Do you think you could drop me off somewhere?” She asked him with a sigh, changing the topic to one she had been thinking about.

“After I drop these refugees off I can take you anywhere you’d like.” He told her with a grin. “Or you could stay with us and aid in the fight.” He added.

“I’m afraid that would only put you in more danger.” She told him with a frown. “If they knew a Jedi,” She stopped herself. The order was gone. “Or a former one I suppose, was with you. Maker knows what they would do to you.”

 “You’re probably right. But," he added. “If you ever change your mind, find me.”

She gave him a sad smile and nodded. “Okay,” She said slowly. “Do you know if any other Jedi survived?” She asked him, the hopefulness in her voice making her wince inwardly.

“If anyone you knew survived, I haven’t heard of it.” He told her with a frown, then added, “However, there is a child on board.” He whispered. 

Her head shot up to look at him. “What?’ She questioned. "What do you mean?"

"A kid. She wasn't on Coruscant when the clones turned on the Jedi. Some of my men found her stranded on Onderon not long after. Hiding. She told us that her master had died telling her to run." He told her.

"Where is she?" She asked him immediately after he was done talking. “I need to speak to her.”

“Stay here,” Saw said, opening the door and exiting the small room. He was gone only a few minutes and when he returned, a young twi'lek girl was following close behind him. “This is Koyi. Koyi, this is Rominaria. She would like to speak with you.” Saw introduced the two, before leaving them alone in the room to speak. Rominaria’s eyes were wide and she didn’t speak for a long moment. She looks so much like her. She thought sadly.

“Hello,” The young girl said nervously, fidgeting with her hands and examining her.

“Hello, young one.” Rominaria said as she crouched down to be at the girl's height. She watched as the young girl’s eyes moved down to her hips where her lightsabers were on display since her cloak had been removed. 

“You’re,” The young girl started with wide eyes. “You’re a Jedi too? Wait, Rominaria. As in General Rominaria Scara?” She asked her, a wide smile starting to form on her face.

She softly smiled at the young twi’lek in front of her. “The one and only.” She told her, chuckling slightly when the girl's eyes somehow got even wider.

“Wait,” She said, clearly getting more excited by the second. “The same one who fought alongside General Skywalker multiple times.” Rominaria nodded with a sad smile at the mention of her good friend, wondering what happened to him. The girl continued. “You guys are legendary. All of the kids at the temple talk about you guys all the time.” She paused for a moment, her smile turning to a small frown. “Or they did, at least.”

“Do you know what happened?” Rominaria asked softly, the atmosphere of the conversation shifting greatly. “At the temple, I mean.”

“Have you not listened to the message yet?” Koyi asked her, her face scrunched up in confusion.

“What message?” She asked. Instead of answering, Koyi pulled Rominaria’s communicator off of her belt. It had begun beeping quietly not long after she had left the Marauder but she hadn’t even thought to look at it yet, fearing it might be a trap. Koyi pushed one of the buttons on it and a familiar face was projected in front of her. “Obi-Wan,” She said softly as the recording of her old friend began to speak.

"This is Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. I regret to report that both our Jedi Order and the Republic have fallen, with the dark shadow of the Empire rising to take their place. This message is a warning and a reminder for any surviving Jedi: trust in the Force. Do not return to the Temple. That time has passed, and our future is uncertain. Avoid Coruscant. Avoid detection. Be secret... but be strong. We will each be challenged: our trust, our faith, our friendships. But we must persevere and, in time, I believe a new hope will emerge. May the Force be with you always."

When the recording finished and the image of Kenobi froze, she stared at it for a long moment before taking the comm back from Koyi’s hands and turning it off. It was silent for a long moment as thoughts ran through Rominaria’s head. If Obi-Wan was alive, did that mean Anakin might be as well? And what about Padme and the baby? She thought, remembering her last conversation with the senator. Rominaria was the only person close to her that she could tell. The only one who knew about her and Anakin. She had seemed so happy and excited when she had shared the news with her. Please let them be okay, She mentally prayed to the Force.

“Rominaria,” Saw’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts and her head shot up to meet his eyes. She hadn’t even sensed his return. “Are you alright?”

“I think you know the answer to that question.” She said dryly, the hint of a small smirk in her voice the only sign that she wasn’t upset at him.

He gave her a sad smile before turning to Koyi. “Why don’t you return to the other children? I need to speak with her for a moment.”

“Okay!” She said and shot one last smile Rominaria’s way before leaving the small room.

“There have been whispers,” He told her, back to his hushed tone. “That a certain clone has been helping rescue his brothers who are being punished for questioning the empire. A clone we both know well.”

Her eyes widened and hope filled her before she could stop it. “Rex?” She asked softly. Saw nodded and she sighed, glad to know at least two of her friends were okay. “Can you contact him? Can I see him?” She asked him quickly.

Saw chuckled at her enthusiasm. “After we drop off the refugees,” He said slowly. “I will find a way to get you to him.” She smiled at him softly.

“Thank you, Saw, for everything.” She said to the man in front of her, wanting him to know how grateful she was for him to be helping her at a time like this.

He just smiled. “I thought Jedi weren’t supposed to get all sentimental.”

“Shut up.” She said lightly, her smile betraying the annoyed tone of her voice

The rest of the trip was uneventful for the most part and Rominaria even found herself relaxing in the main hull of the ship, listening to Koyi tell her all about the games she and the other children had created. She smiled and nodded, struggling to focus on her words as Rominaria’s mind wandered back to the young girl that Koyi reminded her so much of. 

She even found herself drifting off for a few moments before the young twi’lek thought of another subject to tell her all about. A few moments before, one of Saw’s rebels(as they were calling themselves) had entered the main hull and announced that the ship would be landing in about an hour. Upon hearing this news, most of the people on the ship had begun gathering what little they had and murmuring ‘thank you’s’ to Saw’s people.

Eventually, the ship landed and people began to file out. Koyi hadn’t moved from Rominaria’s side though. “What are you still doing here?” She asked the young girl as the last few people began to make their way off of the ship.

“Oh, they’re dropping me off somewhere else. Their intel says that Saleucami is still not as controlled by the Empire yet so that’s where I’m going.” She told her. Rominaria thought of Cut and Suu and their two children, and smiled at the girl.

“I’m sure you will like it there.” She told her, as she felt the ship begin to take off again. “I think we should both get some rest, okay?” 

“Can I stay next to you?” Koyi asked her, a hopeful look in her eyes. “It’s just, I’ve heard stories about you since I was a youngling and I know you can protect me.” Rominaria's heart grew warm as she listened to the girl.

“Of course, young one.” She said softly.

When Rominaria woke back up, she jumped. Grabbing the hand on her shoulder immediately and yanking it away. “Woah, woah,” Saw said cautiously, raising his hands. “It’s just me. I just wanted to let you know that we’re close to Saleucami. I figured you would want to say goodbye.” He finished, nodding towards the girl who was still snoring softly with her head on Rominaria’s shoulder.

She smiled and lightly shook the young girl's shoulder. “Are we there yet?” The young girl questioned as she rubbed her eyes.

“Almost,” Saw told her with a soft smile before leaving the two to say their goodbyes.

“Are you going to be okay alone?” Koyi asked her, making Rominaria chuckle lightly.

“I think I should be asking you that question,” She said in response.

“Oh, well I’ll be okay.” The girl said cheerfully. “I always am.” Rominaria smiled at the girl as she felt the shuttle begin to land. Koyi got up and stretched, before grabbing her small pack and pulling on her cloak. She grabbed her lightsaber from her pack and slipped it into a pocket.

“Don’t use that in front of anyone,” Rominaria told her, her tone very serious. “Okay?”

“I won’t, don't worry.” The young girl reassured her as the shuttle landed and she ran over to the door. Saw explained to the girl that she would walk down a path in the woods to a point where one of his contacts would meet her.

The ramp opened and Koyi started to walk down it. “Bye, Rominaria!” She waved at her and the woman waved back.

“Goodbye, young one.” She called out with a smile, before it faded abruptly. Something was wrong. Rominaria could sense it in the Force. Something was terribly wrong. She looked around but couldn’t see any threat, but she wasn’t going to stop trusting her instincts now.

“Get back on the ship!” Rominaria yelled, causing the young girl to turn around where she stood on the edge of the ramp. “Koyi, get back on the ship right now!” And then the blaster fire began. Before Rominaria could yell at her not to, Koyi had pulled out her lightsaber to deflect it as she began backing up onto the ship. Her actions seemed to only aggravate the approaching troopers more. “Hurry!” Rominaria yelled, sighing in relief when Koyi made it back up the ramp and it began to close.

“See, I’m okay.” Koyi told her with a smile as she turned to face her, which quickly dropped as she looked down. She started to hyperventilate and Rominaria followed her eyes to where a knife was buried in the young girl’s stomach. In the haste of deflecting the blaster fire, she had failed to see the weapon being thrown at her.

“Koyi, Koyi can you hear me?” Rominaria asked her, her own voice beginning to shake. Not again, maker please not again.  

“Rominaria,” The young Jedi said in a soft and sad voice. “Please, I don’t wanna die.”

“Shh come here,” She said softly, kneeling down and pulling the young girl into her lap. She looked at the people around her, silently begging for help. But she knew that at the rate that the blood was pouring out of the young girl’s stomach, there wasn’t much that they could do without a bacta tank. “It’s alright young one. Trust in the Force.” She told her, forcing her own voice not to shake and the tears not to spill as she gently caressed the young girl's green skin.

Koyi forced a smile onto her face. “May the Force be with you,” She said softly to the woman holding her before her eyes slowly went unfocused. Only then did Rominaria let the tears spill. She felt like she couldn’t breathe. Like nothing would ever be okay again. You couldn’t save her just like you couldn’t save your padawan. She sobbed for what felt like hours. At some point, someone had pulled her away from Koyi and wrapped their arms around her. She couldn’t even remember when she had fallen asleep.

When she woke up again, hyperventilating from another nightmare, she found herself wrapped in a soft blanket on one of the benches in the ship’s hull. The blood had been cleaned off of the floor and Koyi’s body had been moved from the room.

She stood up, feeling numb and drained, and stumbled to the refresher. She keeled over the toilet when she got there, throwing up everything that she had eaten. She felt sick to her stomach. There was a knock at the door. But she didn’t respond, still gripping the edges of the toilet as she breathed heavily.

After a few more moments she stood back up and splashed water in her face. Finally, she opened the door. It was Saw. “I just came to tell you that I heard back from Rex.” He said softly.

Chapter Text

After a few more moments she stood back up and splashed water in her face. Finally, she opened the door. It was Saw. “I just came to tell you that I heard back from Rex.” He said softly.

She looked up at him then, the pity that his eyes held towards her making her shift uncomfortably. In that moment she wanted anything but to continue being looked at like one would an injured animal. It made her feel weak and helpless. She squeezed past him and through the door, exiting the refresher with a deep breath.

“I’m bringing us to the outskirts of Ryloth,” Saw finally said, causing her to turn around to face him. “I figured it’s as good a place as any to lay her to rest.” He finished and only then did she notice the deep circles under his eyes.

She nodded solemnly at him before placing a hand on his shoulder. “You should get some sleep, Saw. I’ll stay awake for the rest of the trip.” She told him, her voice taking on a maternal tone as she thought of how little rest he had probably gotten lately. He opened his mouth to argue but she shot him a look and he shut it.

“Sir yes sir.” He joked and she smiled, sitting back down on the bench and leaning her head against the wall behind her. When they arrived on Ryloth, Saw had the ship land in a small clearing in one of the planet's jungles. Without waiting to make a plan, Rominaria exited the ship and began to walk. The jungle was beautiful and she knew Koyi would have loved it here. Once she found what she determined to be a good final resting place she stopped walking and used the shovel that she had in hand to start digging. She knew it would be faster to use the Force to move the dirt but she didn’t care. She needed the distraction, needed the burn of her muscles aching after digging for hours. When the hole was finally deep enough that she wasn’t worried it might be dug up by an animal, she walked back to the ship. Saw was waiting there, what seemed at first glance to be a large mound of fabric held in his arms. Without a word, she took Koyi from him and carried her through the jungle, gently laying the young girl into the ground. She slipped a hand into her pocket and pulled out Koyi’s lightsaber, placing it in the girl's hands.

She used two fingers to close the girl's eyes, before slowly standing back up. “Goodbye, young one.” She said softly, laying the sheet over the girl. She began the process of slowly placing the dirt back into the hole. By the time that she was done, the sun was beginning to set. Rominaria ignored this and began to gather rocks, placing them on top of Koyi’s resting place. When she was finished, she sat down and closed her eyes. Feeling hopeless. Empty. And alone.

After another hour had passed, she slowly got up and said one last goodbye to the young girl before making her way back to the ship. Desperately needing a distraction of some form. “So,” She finally said to Saw as he followed her back to the main hull. “What did Rex say?” She asked, avoiding the topic that they were both thinking about.

“He told me that if you meet him on Alderaan at the coordinates he gave me, that he wouldn’t mind a little extra weight on his ship.” He told her with a smile. She sighed in relief knowing that she would soon be reunited with her old friend. She smiled softly at him before walking back to the bench that she had been using as a makeshift bed.

“I’m going to rest.” She stated simply as she wrapped the blanket around her. Thinking about her conversation with Saw, Rominaria’s thoughts drifted to a memory as she fell back asleep.

“There’s no way, we’ll stick out too much.” Rominaria said to Hunter when he explained the mission to her. She and Crosshair were to travel through a city in the outer rim and meet with a contact in the lower parts of the city. The only problem being that her partner for this mission had his namesake unmistakably tattooed onto his face. “He’ll stick out too much.” She corrected herself, shooting a grin towards the clone who just rolled his eyes at her words.

“That’s why we have this.” Tech said with a smirk, pulling a tube of what seemed to be human makeup out of one of the packs on the table. This caused Rominaria’s grin to widen even more.

“You’re gonna look so pretty all dolled up.” She said to Crosshair with a giggle, his brothers laughing lightly at her words as well. He just placed a toothpick in his mouth before crossing his arms over his chest with an annoyed look. After they had finished discussing the mission, the rest of the batch moved to the cockpit to prepare the landing sequences. “So,” She said, approaching Crosshair with the tube in her hand. “Is it makeup time, pretty boy?” She asked with a grin as she hopped up onto the crate next to him to use as a seat.

“You think I’m pretty, how flattering.” He said in his usual monotone. She just smirked in response, gesturing for him to come closer so that she could begin covering up his tattoo. He walked up to her until he was standing in between her legs, his eyes never leaving hers. She glanced away from him, the prolonged eye contact making her feel things in her stomach that she hadn’t felt before and couldn’t explain.

“Can I?” She asked him, finally finding her voice as she raised a hand towards his face. He just nodded, eyes never leaving hers. She gently cupped his face with one hand to steady his head as she began to apply the makeup, avoiding meeting his eyes. Neither of them dared to break the silence and she continued her work, not even noticing her thumb moving back and forth where it rested on his cheek.

She had just finished applying the makeup and was closing the tube when he finally broke the silence between them. “Rominaria,” He said, his voice sounding somewhat strained. She looked up at him and as she opened her mouth to respond the ship shook for a moment. It caught both of them off guard and she began to slide off the crate, grabbing his shoulders to steady herself at the same time that he grabbed the crate on either side of her. The shaking stopped and they both stared at each other, catching their breath. His eyes searched her face, glancing down at her lips before he backed away quickly. “I’m going to change.” Was all he said before leaving the room. She followed his exit with her eyes, feeling hurt and confused.

She woke up with a start, breathing heavily. Her face flushed as she recalled the contents of her dream. She shook her head as she sat up. No matter how fondly she might remember him, he had tried to kill her and that wasn’t exactly something she couldn’t easily forgive.

Giving up on sleep and needing to feel something, she walked back to the refresher with her utility scissors in hand. She looked at her reflection in the mirror for a moment as she unbraided her long hair before collecting some of her curls at the front of her face and raising the scissors. She inhaled shakily before cutting the hair, discarding the cut pieces into the disposal at her feet. She looked back up at her reflection and smiled slightly, liking the change and the way that the bangs covered her eyes slightly. 

Then, she leaned her head down into the sink and washed all of the grime from the past few days out of her hair the best that she could, hating how it had been feeling. When she was done, she squeezed as much water out of it as possible and then exited the refresher. Running directly into Saw. “Maker.” She exclaimed, backing up and catching her breath. She didn’t know what was going on with her lately. Usually, no one would have been able to sneak up on her like that.

Saw gave her a once-over before speaking. “I like it.” Is all he said with a smirk before passing her and walking through the door to the cockpit. She smiled slightly and followed him, enjoying the blur of stars that were on display while they were in hyperspace. “We should be landing in about an hour or so.” Saw told her as she took a seat on one of the vacant chairs.” She nodded at his words, still watching the stars streak by with a distant smile on her face. Looking out the window she could almost pretend that she was back on the Marauder before the war ended, the rest of the batch seated in the cockpit with her as they cracked jokes and told her stories about their training.

Her jaw tensed as her thoughts drifted from the group to the one clone she had never been able to keep her mind off of for long, though now it was for a different reason than it had been before. “Do you know why they did it?” She asked Saw, her smile fading. “The clones, I mean.” She elaborated, finally shifting her gaze from the stars to him.

He gave her a sad smile and shook his head. “No clue.” She sighed before turning back to the stars and closing her eyes.

“Did I do something wrong?” Rominaria asked the clone at her side as they walked through the city, both of them dressed in civilian attire so as to not attract any unwanted attention. He had been acting odd ever since he had left in a hurry to change. “Crosshair, I’m being serious. If I did something to upset you I would like for you to tell me so that I can make sure that it doesn’t happen again.” She said, grabbing his arm to stop him momentarily.

He finally met her eyes. “Nothing’s wrong General.” He said slowly, no emotion in his voice. She kept her eyes on him and didn’t let go of his arm, not accepting his answer. “Rominaria,” He said, “You didn’t do anything. I’m fine.” She still didn’t believe him but she let go of his arm and continued to walk.

“Hey pretty lady,” A man who leaned against the wall of what looked to be a bar hollered at Rominaria as they began to walk through the lower parts of the city. Clearly not picking up on the fact that she was not interested, he began following her and yelling. “Why don’t you ditch him and come back to my place with me.” Crosshair froze for a moment and when she looked up at him, she saw that his jaw was tense. The man caught up to them and approached Rominaria, completely ignoring the man beside her. “Hey, baby. Did you not hear me?” She backed up slightly and he followed. “Why don’t you and me go for a little walk?” He asked her, his eyes traveling over her body. She shuddered, trying not to cause a scene and draw attention to them. She glanced at Crosshair with pleading eyes, and the minute she met his he moved into action. 

Before she could tell him not to, Crosshair yanked the man back by the collar of his shirt. “Back off.” He said in a low, angry voice that she had never heard him use before. Without a word, Crosshair's hand found the small of her back and he began to quickly lead her away.

“Thank you.” She said, glancing up at him as they walked. He didn’t look at her but nodded, his hand not leaving her back until they arrived at the location that they had been told to meet their contact at.

When Rominaria woke up again, the ship was landing. She stretched in her seat and looked out the window to try and distract herself from thinking about her dream. “So, where will you be headed next?” She asked, turning to face Saw.

“I haven’t decided yet.” He told her with a grin. She smiled back at him.

When the ship landed, she pulled her cloak over her head before hesitantly walking down the ramp. “Goodbye, Saw.” She called out softly with a smile.

“I’ll see you around. May the Force be with you.” He said to her as she left. After walking through a forest for what felt like more than an hour, she arrived on the outskirts of what seemed to be a small town. She followed the coordinates that Rex had given to a small tavern and looked around before slowly walking inside.

The tavern was busy and she scanned the crowd with her eyes, not spotting the familiar clone. With a sigh, she approached the bar and took a seat. She gestured at the bartender and he approached her. "Hey, there." He said, his eyes traveling over her slowly with a smirk. "What can I get for you, beautiful."

She fought the urge to roll her eyes and responded. "Just a whiskey." She responded, reaching into her small pack and pulling out Republic credits. "Is this enough?" She asked, holding the handful of credits out to him.

He glanced at her hand before looking back up at her with an amused smile. "We don't take republic credits anymore, sorry sweetheart." His eyes scanned her again. "You know, this drink could be on me if you'd wanna come back to my place later." She scrunched her face up in disgust and was about to respond when an older woman sat down on the stool beside her.

"Oh can it Ronnie, can't you see the poor girl isn't interested?" She scolded. "Here, this should cover whatever drink she ordered." She said, tossing a small handful of credits onto the counter in front of her. Ronnie just nodded and moved to fill her drink, muttering a quiet apology to Rominaria as he did so.

"Thank you,” She said softly to the woman who just smiled back at her.

“Don’t worry about it, honey.” She said sweetly. “I could tell you were having a hard day, and if you can cheer up a stranger then why not do it.”

Rominaria smiled at her words and spoke as her whiskey was set in front of her. “Still, I appreciate it. How could you tell I was having a bad day?” She asked, genuinely curious.

“Sweetheart, anyone who really looks at you would be able to tell that.” She said softly and Rominaria tensed at her words.

“Oh,” Rominaria said softly, looking down at her drink and trying not to think of the bodies she had had to bury in her lifetime. The body she had buried not long ago.

“Oh, darling.” The woman said softly, looking at Rominaria with understanding eyes. “You’ve lost so much, haven’t you?” Rominaria didn’t answer the question, but felt tears start to build. She didn’t understand why the woman was being so kind to her. She didn’t even know her. “Though I don’t know what you have lost, and I won’t ask, I do know the feeling of thinking that you are all alone. And I know how it can make you feel as if all hope is lost.” Rominaria only nodded lightly, taking a sip of the alcohol in front of her and mentally cursing herself letting a stranger's words touch her like this. “But, we are never truly alone. There’s always someone. Maybe they’re on the other side of the galaxy. Or maybe they have joined the Force,” She said, the end quieter than the rest of the sentence, causing Rominaria to finally look up and meet her knowing eyes. “No matter where they are, they are thinking of you. They are rooting for you. So don’t give up just yet.” She finished.

Rominaria wasn’t even surprised when she raised her hand to her face and found tears there. “Thank you,” She said in a shaky voice, trying to keep more from spilling. “You’ve been so kind and you don’t even know me.” She felt like a child again, safe inside the walls of the Jedi Temple. She felt safe again, even if just for a moment.

“Oh sweetheart, I don’t need to know you to know that your heart is true and pure.” The woman responded with a kind smile. Gently resting her hand on top of Rominaria’s. “What’s your name, honey.”

Rominaria looked up at her. “Aria.” She said softly. “My name is Aria.”

“Well, that’s a beautiful name, Aria.” She told her with a smile. “Are you meeting someone here?” She asked, her words catching Rominaria off guard. “I just ask because that man over there has been watching you ever since he walked in.” She followed the woman’s eyes and saw a man in a cloak leaning against the wall near the entrance, his eyes trained on her. She smiled and slid out of her seat, quickly downing her drink.

“Yeah,” She told the woman. “Thank you again.” She said softly.

“Don’t be a stranger.” The woman said to her with a smile.

Rominaria made her way over to the cloaked man, following him out the door without a word. When they reached the edge of the town, she finally spoke. “So, Rex.” He finally turned back to face her. She grinned at him. “Where are we going?”

Chapter Text

Rominaria made her way over to the cloaked man, following him out the door without a word. When they reached the edge of the town, she finally spoke. “So, Rex.” He finally turned back to face her. She grinned at him. “Where are we going?”

He smiled at her. “Follow me.” They walked for a little over an hour, a pleasant silence over the two of them. Eventually, Rominaria broke the silence.

“Do you know what happened?” She asked him. “Why they, you know, killed everyone?” She finished with a grimace.

“It’s a very long story.” He told her.

“I have plenty of time.” She responded.

“Well, you know that me and Ahsoka went to Mandalore to capture Maul.” She nodded at his words and he continued. “We succeeded and we were on route back to Coruscant when all clones received a transmission. An order. It was like a switch was flipped in all of our heads.” He said with a grimace.

“What do you mean?” She asked, her mind immediately going to Crosshair and how he had acted so unlike himself.

“All of us came after Tano, but she managed to get me alone and remove the chip from my head. You see they put these things, inhibitor chips they’re called, in our heads when we were still being created. It’s what made us turn. What made us betray the Jedi.” She felt sick to her stomach hearing his words. “Ahsoka had freed Maul to cause a distraction while she got to me, and he got off of the ship. Not before destroying it though. Ahsoka and I barely survived. My brothers didn’t.” He told her with a deep frown.

Rominaria took a long moment to process everything he had told her. “So,” She said, “Ahsoka is alive?” She asked him with wide eyes.

He nodded at her. “Yes, she’s alive.”

She silently thanked the Force for keeping the girl safe, she had already been through so much. “And Maul is gone again?” She asked to which he nodded. “And the chips, that means that it wasn’t his-” She caught herself. “Wasn’t their choice. They were forced to, right?”

“Yes,” Rex said, a frown on his face. She couldn’t imagine what that had to have felt like. Not being able to control your body and being forced to kill your own friends. She nodded slowly, still needing time to process all of this new information.

“And what about Anakin? Have you heard anything?” She asked hopefully. He just shook his head, a deep frown taking over his features. “What about Padme? And the baby?” She asked softly.

“They held a funeral for her not long ago.” He said softly, looking at her with eyes full of anguish. “She was still pregnant when she passed.” Rominaria looked away at his words, forcing the tears to stay back.

“Oh,” She said softly, a frown on her face. “So, where to?” She asked to change the subject as they boarded his ship

“I’ve been in contact with one of my brothers. He wants out of the empire so that’s what we’re doing.” He said, his words making Rominaria freeze for a moment. “Don’t worry, you’re staying on the ship.” He told her and she breathed a sigh. “If he asks, you’re my medic.” She nodded, as the ship began to take off.

As they entered hyperspace, she leaned her head back against the seat and closed her eyes.

The explosion caused pieces of shrapnel to fly in every which way and Rominaria deflected the pieces away from her troops using the Force as best as she could. Her padawan was a few feet away, also redirecting the shrapnel. Rominaria turned to the girl, about to tell her to move out of the way. But as she turned a large piece of shrapnel struck the young girl's back and everything around Rominaria seemed to freeze.

“Aayla!” Rominaria yelled, abandoning what she was doing and running towards her padawan. When she reached the girl, she kneeled down and wiped the tears off of Aayla’s face. “I need a medic.” She screamed to the clones around her.

“Master! I- I don’t want to die. I’m not ready.” The young twi’lek girl cried out, clutching her master's arm.

“You’ll be alright. Just a little longer.” Her master responded, her voice slightly shaking. “The medic is coming right now, okay?”

“Master, I don’t think I…” The young girl's voice trailed off as her eyes went unfocused.

“Aayla? Aayla, please answer me.” The Jedi’s voice grew louder as she shook the young girl's arm. No matter what she did, her padawan wouldn’t wake up. She heard a voice faintly, but only later would realize it was her own screaming for the girl to wake up.

As the medic arrived she screamed at him to help her. He checked her pulse and looked at the Jedi with sad eyes. “No! No, you need to help her. Please!” She cried. She felt two arms gently hook under her own and pull her away. 

Aayla’s body faded away and was replaced by another twi’lek girl. “Rominaria,” The young Jedi said in a soft and sad voice. “Please, I don’t wanna die.”

She closed her eyes and when she opened them again, it was no longer Koyi on the ground, but Padme. The terrain changed too, and they seemed to be on some kind of lava planet. The heat was harsh against Rominaria’s skin as she ran over to the woman who seemed to be unconscious.

“Padme, Padme wake up.” She said to the woman, shaking her shoulder lightly. In the distance, she could hear what sounded like lightsabers colliding with each other. She glanced up, about to see who was fighting.

Rominaria sat up in her seat with a start, her head pounding and breathing ragged.

“Hey, hey, you’re okay,” Rex said to her, probably remembering the nightmares he had seen her wake up from after the death of her padawan. “You’re safe.” She looked away from him. Everyone had been looking at her like she was a scared kid as of late and it made her extremely uncomfortable.

“I’m gonna go get a painkiller.” She told him, getting out of her seat. She made her way to the small med bay on the ship and rummaged through the cabinets. When she found the painkillers, she opened the bottle and took two.

She decided it would be best to redress her shoulder while she was in there, and pulled out the bandages and another bacta patch. She quickly pulled her cloak off and set it aside. When she slowly pulled the wrapping off of her arm, she looked at it. Remember the pain of the knife sinking into her shoulder, and the even worse pain of her lightsaber burning the flesh there. She quickly redid the bandage, ignoring the bile that she felt coming up her throat. When she finished wrapping her shoulder back up, she slowly pulled her cloak back on.

When they exited hyperspace and landed on the planet, Rex quickly left after letting her know that he shouldn’t be gone more than a few hours. She wandered around the ship aimlessly, eventually making her way to the refresher and splashing water on her face. After what felt like an hour, she heard the ramp of the ship begin lowering.

Rominaria tightened the cloak around her and sat back down in her seat.  “Storm, this is my medic.” She heard Rex say as he and his brother walked into the cockpit of the ship.

She smiled at the clone. “Hi, I’m Aria.” She said, her voice as pleasant as she could make it. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She held out her hand to shake his.

Storm furrowed his eyebrows and scanned her. He slowly took her hand and shook it. “You look very familiar.” He said slowly while still holding her hand, his grip tightening. 

She swallowed slowly, every nerve in her screaming to rip her hand away from his. She forced herself to stay in place, a smile still on her face as she tried to come up with a lie. If he found out who she was, he might kill her. He still had the chip in his head.

“She was a medic with the Republic before it fell, so you have probably seen her before,” Rex explained, no hesitation in his voice as he lied to his brother. Storm looked at her for a long moment before letting go of her hand. He didn’t say anything else and took a seat in one of the chairs.

Rominaria avoided eye contact with the clone for the entire trip, giving him a small nod as he left the ship. Only when they had entered hyperspace again did she finally let herself breathe normally. She rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming again. “So, where are we going next?” She asked him.

“Nowhere for now.” Rex told her. “But, I have a case of whiskey in the back.” He finished with a grin. She smiled at him as he brought out the first two bottles. They talked about past missions, laughing and downing multiple bottles. It was nice being back with an old friend.

Eventually, Rominaria leaned her head back against her seat and closed her eyes, letting sleep take hold of her.

Chapter Text

“Crosshair and I will go scout the surrounding area to look for civilization and be back before sundown. I figure with his eyesight, he might be our best bet at spotting anything amidst all of this snow.” She told the batch as they tried to make a plan. Their ship had been damaged in battle and resulted in them crashing on a snowy planet. Orto Plutonia, as Tech had called it. Whatever planet it was, it was cold. Rominaria shivered even while still on board the Marauder. She had never been a fan of the cold and their situation wasn’t helping her outlook on snowy terrains. “The rest of you try to signal back to the Jedi temple for help.” They nodded and she moved to grab the supplies she would need, Crosshair following closely behind her.

They worked in silence, filling their packs with the basic necessities as well as extra blankets. Rominaria pulled her fleece-lined robe over her before they stepped outside. Even with the layers, she shivered. “Be quick,” Tech told the two of them. “It looks like there is going to be a storm tonight.” He stated, looking up at the sky warily. They nodded and began walking.

“So,” Rominaria said with another shiver after they had been walking for a little over two hours. “I don’t actually have anything to say, I'm just really cold and need a distraction.” She rambled, stumbling slightly in the deep snow. “Can you say something?” She said, getting slightly frustrated by his silence. “You haven’t said a word since we left the ship.”

“What do you want me to say, General?” He asked with a glance back at her. She could tell by the tone of his voice that the question was genuine.

“I don’t know,” She said honestly. “Anything.”

“It is really cold.” He stated as he glanced back again at her shivering form. “We can head back to the ship if you’re too uncomfortable. We don’t need you getting hypothermia on top of everything else.” He said.

“I’m fine,” She told him. “I just don’t like snow.”

After two more hours of searching for any form of civilization, they agreed that it would be best to head back to the ship. The wind was beginning to pick up and the snow started falling much heavier than before. Rominaria’s head looked around, trying to spot a familiar landmark as she walked. “Hey Cross,” She started, turning her head back to the clone. When she did, he was gone. Her head whipped around as she searched the snow for his familiar armor. “Crosshair?” She yelled, unable to spot him with the wind blowing snow into her eyes.

The wind began to pick up so much that when she made her next step, she stumbled and fell. Her ankle twisting painfully under her and her face hitting the snow. She sat up quickly, her face burning from the cold. Tears pricked at her eyes as the pain in her ankle grew even worse.

“Crosshair?” She yelled again, still looking for him as she tried to stand. She started to fall again when two hands grabbed under her arms to keep her upright.

Once she was steady, he let go and began walking. “Come on,” He said, not looking back at her. If he did he would have seen that she hadn’t moved more than a step, her ankle making it unbearable to walk. “There’s a cave not far up ahead.” He told her, finally looking back. His helmet tilted as he assessed her, flicking down his heat-sensing visor. Whatever he saw caused him to quickly move back over to her. “You’re freezing.” He said as he reached her.

She shook as she looked up at him, getting dizzier by the second. “Cross,” She said shakily. “My ankle. When I fell, it twisted or something. It hurts so bad.” She looked up at him with anxious eyes.

Crosshair sighed. “I’m going to pick you up, okay?” He said slowly and her heart jumped into her throat.

“What?” She asked before she could stop herself.

“You clearly can’t walk, so I’m going to have to carry you.” He told her, as if it was obvious.

“Oh,” She said in a shaky voice. “Okay.” As soon as she finished speaking, Crosshair lifted her. She was extra careful to not hit her ankle against anything else. The first thing she noticed was how much warmer she was in his arms and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He quickly brought them to a small cave. It wasn’t much warmer inside but it was a good shield from the wind.

He gingerly set her down on the floor of the cave and pulled off his helmet. “I’m going to try and contact the rest of the squad.” He told her, shooting a worried glance at her shaking form. He rummaged through his pack for a moment before pulling out a blanket. He walked over to her and gently wrapped the blanket around her shivering body.

She caught his wrist as he started to pull away. “Stay over here, please.” She said, her voice slurring slightly as she shivered. “I’m so cold.” His brow furrowed at her words and he pulled the glove off of one of his hands, placing the back of it against her cheek and wincing at the cold temperature of her flesh. He immediately sprung into action and moved the blanket off of her for a moment. She shivered as he pulled her soaked cloak off of her and rewrapped the blanket around her.

He sat down on the ground next to her, wrapping a blanket around himself as he pulled out his comm device. Without thinking, Rominaria scooted closer to him. Craving the warmth she had felt moments ago. He glanced at her for a long moment before opening the blanket he had around himself and wrapping an arm around her. She immediately moved closer to him and leaned her head against his chest. The pain in her ankle was excruciating. 

“Cross,” She said shakily. “My ankle hurts so bad.” He looked away from the comm that he had been trying to get to work and with one glance at her expression, set it down. With gentle hands, he pulled her boot off of her foot and inspected her ankle. It was very swollen and a dark purple bruise had started forming on it.

“I’m going to touch it,” He told her. “Tell me if it hurts, okay?” She nodded and he gently placed his hand against her ankle. She flinched at the contact, the pain in her ankle becoming unbearable at the slightest bit of pressure.

“Hurts.” She said slowly, her head starting to pound. He gently pulled his hand away, moving it to cup her face. Her heart started to pound and if anything it made her feel even more dizzy.

“Crosshair, Rominaria, are you there?” Tech’s muffled voice said and both of them quickly looked away from each other and to Crosshair’s communicator. He moved his hand from where it was resting on her cheek and picked it up quickly.

“Yeah, we’re here.” He told his brother. “The storm picked up and I think the general’s ankle is broken.”

“I’m fine, don’t worry about me.” She said slowly, her words slurring slightly.

“Crosshair,” Tech said slowly, his tone changing to one of concern. “What color are Rominaria’s lips?”

“What?” He responded, his brow furrowing in confusion at his brother’s words.

“Just check,” Tech told him. Crosshair turned his head back to the woman still clinging to his side. Gently he tipped her face up so that he could see her lips. His eyes widened.

“Tech,” Crosshair said slowly. “I think she’s hypothermic.”

“That’s what I suspected.” His brother responded. “You need to keep her as warm as you possibly can. As soon as the storm lets up we’ll use the tracker on your communicator to come retrieve the two of you. I have to get back to repairing the ship now. Be safe.” He told them.

Crosshair set down his communicator and looked at her. He patted his lap. “Come here.”

Her brow furrowed in confusion. “What?” She asked. “Why?”

“Because,” He said softly. “You need to stay as warm as possible and the ground you’re sitting on is freezing cold.” Without protest, she moved onto his lap and leaned into him. Her head rested on the cuirass of his armor. “I’m going to check your pulse, okay?” He told her before gently placing two fingers against the pulse point under her jaw. Her breath caught in her throat. “Your heart is beating really fast.” He said, his voice laced with worry.

“It’s just because I’m near you.” She responded before she could stop herself. Crosshair held eye contact with her for a long moment, not saying anything. She didn’t take back what she said and stared up into his eyes, a daring smile on her face. She slowly leaned her head back against him and closed her eyes, exhaustion taking over. He gently took both of her hands in between his and rubbed them together, trying to warm up her freezing fingers. She smiled slightly at the contact, curling up against him.

“What’s your favorite color?” He asked slowly, finally breaking the silence. She furrowed her brows in confusion before responding.

“Brown,” She answered easily.

“Why brown?” He asked her, sounding genuine. Her face flushed slightly at the question, knowing the answer.

“It just seems to be where all the beautiful things are, I guess. In dirt, and trees. In all of nature and in people too. I think brown eyes are really pretty.” She said, answering honestly as she opened her eyes and stared up at him. His eyes flicked to her lips for a moment before he looked away. “What’s your favorite color?” She asked him.

“I don’t have one.” He said quickly.

“That’s a heaping pile of bantha dung and you know it.” She said, smiling when she saw him smirk at her words. “What is it? I know you have one.”

He sighed slowly. “Blue,” He said quietly.

“See, I knew you had one.” She said with a grin, yawning and laying her head back down against him. She closed her eyes once more, feeling utterly exhausted and completely unlike herself.

“I need you to stay awake for me, okay?” He said, his voice soft. “No falling asleep.”

“I’m so tired, Cross.” She told him softly.

“I know, I’m sorry. We can talk about whatever you want.” He told her.

“Do you ever think about how without the war, we would have never met?” She said softly. Her words made him tense slightly before responding.

“Sometimes.” He answered, honestly.

“You know, I was raised to be a keeper of the peace.” She said, a frown taking over her features. “I haven’t been doing much of that recently.”

He nodded slightly at her words. “The war changed everything from what I’ve heard.”

“What will you do?” She asked him. “When the war is over, I mean.”

“I don’t know.” He answered honestly.

“We’ll still be friends, right?” She asked, looking up at him.

He met her eyes. “Of course.” He said softly.

Rominaria woke up, gasping for air. She brought her hands to her face and quickly wiped the tears that she found there. Her eyes scanned the cockpit. Rex was talking to someone. The hologram faded and he turned to her. “Good, you're awake. You’re gonna want to hear this.”

Chapter Text

Her eyes scanned the cockpit. Rex was talking to someone. The hologram faded and he turned to her. “Good, you're awake. You’re gonna want to hear this.”

Rominaria straightened in her seat. “What is it?”

"Two informants of mine just told me that a group of rogue clones helped them on their mission." He told her and she looked at him with hopeful eyes. "And their descriptions fit your old squad. Minus Crosshair." She glanced away.

"So, what are we going to do?" She asked him.

"Well, I know where they are," He told her. "I figured we could go visit them."

"Are you sure?" She asked him, trying not to get her hopes up. Rex just grinned.

When they arrived on Ord Mantell, they made their way to a tavern. 'Cid's Parlor' the sign read. They stepped inside, ordering drinks.

Rex and her took a seat on one of the benches, surveying the room. Just as Rominaria was about to say something, familiar figures entered the room. The two of them watched as the clones and a child spoke with a trandoshan woman. Wrecker and the child left the parlor and the rest of the squad went to a room in the back with the woman.

Rominaria took a long sip of her drink as an ithorian male and a weequay male approached the two of them. “Hey, you’re in my seat. Move it.” The ithorian said to Rex.

When Rex ignored the man, the weequay beside him spoke. “Oh, he’s ignoring you.”

“You hearing me? I said move it.” The ithorian said, aggressively waving a finger in Rex’s face.

“I would suggest you find a seat elsewhere,” Rominaria said slowly, watching Rex’s hand move slowly to the blaster strapped to his leg.

“Nobody was talking to you, sweetheart.” The weequay said with a smirk. “Names Ketch. What’s yours?” Rominaria’s face scrunched up in disgust at his words.

“Back off,” Rex said to them, warning them one final time.

“I was talking to the pretty lady, not you.” Rex rolled his eyes and pulled out his blaster. He quickly fired two shots at the wall, missing the man by a mere inch. The two quickly ran out of the parlor, pushing each other as they did so. Just as they left, Hunter, Tech, Echo, and the trandoshan woman came running out of the back room.

“Hey, what’s going on in here?” The woman asked. “Who are you?” She gestured towards Rominaria and Rex. With a deep breath, the two of them slowly pulled the hoods off of their heads as they rose to their feet. Rominaria met Hunter’s eyes with a small apologetic smile.

“Rex?” Echo said slowly, his eyes traveling over to Rominaria and widening. He opened his mouth to speak, but she beat him to it. Worried that he would say her real name in front of the stranger.

She approached the trandoshan woman with a kind smile on her face. “I’m Aria, It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am.”

The woman looked Rominaria up and down slowly. “I like her, she looks like she knows how to fight.” Her eyes moved over to Rex who was still behind Rominaria. “Oh, great. Another clone. Just what I needed.” Rominaria stifled a laugh at the woman's words. “Well, don’t get comfy. I’m done taking in strays. This ain’t a clone clubhouse, you know. Unbelievable, thinkin’ they own the place.” She muttered to herself as she left the room, walking back to what Rominaria presumed to be the woman's office.

Rominaria turned to the clones in front of her with a smile. “It’s been a while, boys.” Rex said, grinning at his brothers.

“Where have you been Rex?” Echo asked him.

“That’s a long story.” He responded.

“And you,” Echo said, his gaze moving back to Rominaria. “I thought you were dead?” He whispered, eyes scanning the empty room to make sure no one would hear.

“Turns out I’m harder to kill than Crosshair thought,” She said before she could stop herself, grimacing at her own words. “Is he here?” She asked them and the batch looked at each other before Hunter finally spoke.

“No,” He said slowly. “We escaped Kamino and he stayed. He turned on us.”

“But, it must have been his chip. I mean, he wouldn’t actually do that. So why haven’t you gone back for him?” She asked him. Hunter looked away from her. “You abandoned him and you haven’t even tried to save him, have you?”

“We didn’t abandon him.” Hunter shot back immediately.

“Really? Because I’m sure that’s how he sees it.” She said, her hands shaking at her sides.

“It’s complicated, Aria.” He said slowly. “You don’t understand.”

“You’re right, I don't.” She said, glaring at him. She walked away from the group of them and sat down on one of the barstools. She ordered a whiskey and drank it slowly. Trying to curb her emotions. Anger isn’t the Jedi way. She told herself silently. She knew she would need to apologize to Hunter but she wasn't ready to just yet.

Rex was catching up with the three clones when the door opened. “Well, look who it is.” She heard Wrecker say with a laugh. He ran over to Rex, the kid they had seen earlier following close behind. “Come here, Rex.” He said before picking up his brother as he hugged him.

“Yeah,” Rex said with a grunt. “Good to see you too, Wrecker.”

“I thought you didn’t like the regs?” The kid asked Wrecker.

“This one we like.” He said, finally setting Rex down. Rominaria slowly approached the group.

Hunter looked up at her, nodding slightly. “Omega,” He said slowly. “This is Rex and Aria.” He introduced the two of them to the kid.

Rex kneeled down to be at face level with her. “I’ve met many clones in my time,” He said to her. “But never one like you.

Omega approached him, looking at him for a long moment before speaking. “You’re a generation one.”

“Now how’d you know that?” Rex asked her.

“From the lines on your face.” Omega responded quickly. Rominaria snorted at the girl's words.

“Yeah, I guess I’ve been around.” He said, eyes meeting Rominaria’s.

She approached the young girl, squatting down to her level. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Omega.” She said with a gentle smile.

The young girl scanned her face, before she looked at her with wide eyes. “You’re a Jedi aren’t you?” She said quietly and Rominaria stared at her in shock. “Wait, you’re Rominaria Scara. Right?”

The woman blinked at the young girl before finally responding. “Yes, but you can’t tell anyone that. It could put a lot of people in danger.”

“Don’t worry,” Omega grinned at her. “I won’t.” Rominaria smiled at the young clone, slowly standing back up.

Wrecker groaned, clutching the side of his head. “Tech, I need one of those med patches.”

“You used the last one.” His brother told him. 

“What’s wrong?” Rex asked slowly, his eyes narrowing.

“Nothing,” Wrecker told him. “It’s just a headache.” Rominaria‘s fingers twitched towards where her lightsabers were hidden under her cloak.

“Which are becoming more frequent,” Echo replied. Rominaria and Rex glanced at each other for a moment, thinking the same thing.

“Is that so?” Rex asked slowly.

Tech, seemingly reading their minds, spoke. “If you're concerned about the so-called inhibitor chips, don’t be.” He told the two of them. “Our deviant nature appears to have impeded their functionality.” He looked away from Rominaria. “Except in Crosshair.”

Rominaria’s jaw tensed at the mention of the clone. “You’re telling me you haven’t removed your chips?” Rex asked them slowly.

“No, not yet,” Tech responded. Rominaria’s whole body tensed and she backed away slowly. Her hands slowly slipped into her cloak and hovered over her two lightsabers. She glanced over to Rex and saw his hand hovering over the blaster on his thigh.

“Rex?” Hunter questioned slowly.

“Those chips make you a threat to everyone around you. Even her.” He said, stepping in front of Omega. He gestured towards Rominaria next. “And especially her. You’re all ticking time bombs”

“Take it easy, captain,” Hunter said cautiously.

“What’s in your head is more dangerous than you can imagine,” Rex told them. “I’ve seen what happens when the chip activates.” He grimaced. “And I don’t want to bury any more of our brothers. Trust me. It is not something you can control. I couldn’t.” He finished with a frown and Rominaria put a hand on his shoulder.

“It’s a risk you do not want to take.” She told them. “Especially with a child around.”

“How do you suggest we get them out?” Hunter asked the two of them.

Rominaria furrowed her eyebrows, also wondering. “Good question,” Rex said slowly. “We’ll be in touch.”

“Wait,” Omega said, grabbing Rominaria’s sleeve and looking up at her. “You could stay with us.” She finished, looking up at the woman with pleading eyes. “It would be nice to have another girl around.” She told her quietly.

Rominaria’s jaw tensed slightly at the thought of what could happen if their chips activated while she was with them. She looked up to Rex, hoping for him to respond for her. “That’s up to you.” He told her and she sighed.

She squatted down to Omega’s height once more. “It’s not the safest for me to go with you guys right now,” She started and Omega looked down with a frown. “But,” She continued. “Once they get their chips removed, I wouldn’t mind that.” The girl’s head shot back up with a grin.

“Really?” She said, Rominaria nodded, and without warning the girl jumped into her arms. Hugging her fiercely. Rominaria smiled and hugged the girl back, her eyes meeting Hunter’s over the girl's shoulder. He smiled softly at her. When Omega pulled away, she grinned at Rominaria. “I’m so excited!”

When Rominaria and Rex arrived on Bracca, she looked around. Her hands drifted over the cool metal of the different ships' debris. Her hand touched a small pod and she froze for a moment.

A young boy with red hair climbed out of the pod. Distress all over his face. A thin braid longer than the rest of his short hair.

She pulled her hand away quickly with a gasp. What was that? She thought to herself with a frown, quickly walking away from the pod and catching up with Rex. They both looked up, seeing the batch’s ship land not far away, and made their way over to it. “Right on time,” Rex said.

“How’s a junk planet gonna help us?” Wrecker asked. Rominaria smiled as Omega ran over to her, grabbing her hand with a grin.

“Follow us,” Rominaria said, Rex and her leading the way.

“Can I see your lightsaber?” Omega asked her.

“I don’t think it would be the best idea to take them out right now.” She told her as they walked. “I’ll show you them on the ship sometime.”

“Okay!” Omega said with a smile. “Wait, do you have multiple?”

Rominaria grinned. “Yes, I have two.”

“Woah,” Omega said with big eyes. “That’s so cool.”

They continued walking. Eventually, a Jedi cruiser came into sight in the distance. “Bracca may not be much to look at, but it has exactly what we need.” Rex told them. “I had my inhibitor chip taken out on a Jedi cruiser just like that. That’s where we’re heading”

“Then why’d we land all the way over here?” Wrecker said with a groan.

Rominaria sensed the presence immediately. “Everyone down.” She said, all of them crouching down as two figures on a moving platform came into sight. “That’s why.”

“It’s the scrapper guild.” Tech told them.

“They control this entire planet.” Rex told them. “We need to keep out of sight from their patrols. Especially you, Aria.” She tensed, the thought of what could happen to her if she was found flashing before her eyes. “Let’s move.” Rex said, signaling that it was safe to keep walking. 

They continued walking and eventually approached the ruins of the fallen Jedi cruiser. Rex continued speaking to his brother. Rominaria, who was at the back of the group, turned to the young clone next to her. Omega was already looking up at her with a grin.

“What was it like to be a general?” The girl asked her. “I bet being in charge of them was a lot of work.” She said with a giggle.

Rominaria thought for a long moment. “I never really thought of it as being in charge of them, I guess. Your brothers are all brilliant soldiers and if anything, I was the one lucky to fight beside them.” She said with a fond smile.

Omega smiled at that. “I have another question.”

“What is it?” Rominaria asked.

“What’s it like to be a Jedi? It seems like it would be cool, but there’s also so many rules. Is it true you’re forbidden to love?” The girl rambled. Rominaria thought about the girl's words for a long moment before responding.

“It is true that attachment is forbidden,” She said slowly. “Because attachment can lead to jealousy, greed, and fearing the loss of someone or something. All of those are paths to the dark side. But it is not forbidden to be compassionate. Compassion is essential to the ways of the Jedi.” She told the young girl. “And while the Jedi do not marry, they do recognize that romantic feelings are natural. But you cannot let those feelings consume you.” She finished, smiling gently at the girl whose mouth was open in wonder.

“Have you ever felt romantic feelings?” Omega asked her.

Rominaria froze for a moment, willing her face to remain neutral. “Perhaps once,” She said slowly.

“Not anymore?” Omega questioned.

“No, not anymore.” She told the young girl.

“Who was it?” Her words made Rominaria smile softly.

“That,” She said slowly. “Is a question for another day.”

When they arrived at the Jedi cruiser, they carefully made their way through the ruins. “Woah,” Omega said in awe. “It’s much bigger up close.” She quickly walked closer to Rex, Rominaria close behind her.

“This is an original Venator class ship from the first batch off the line.” Rex told them.

“First off the line, huh?” Wrecker said with a laugh. “Just like you, Rex.”

Rominaria’s eyes studied the water that was in the lower parts of the wreckage. It moved oddly and gave her a very unsettling feeling. She looked up, her eyes meeting Hunter’s. “Stay above the waterline.” He told them slowly. She nodded and they continued walking.

“The last time I was aboard one of these,” Rex said as they used their flashlights to see in the dark ship. “It didn’t end so well.”

“If the inhibitor chip isn’t something you can control, how’d you get yours out?” Echo asked his brother.

“I had help.” Rex responded. Rominaria smiled softly at his words. He suddenly stopped walking, a deep hole splitting their path in half. Rominaria looked down and saw the same water she had seen before. “Medical bay’s at the other end.” Rex told them and then nodded at Rominaria. “Take this cable and jump across. The rest of us will use it to climb over.”

Rominaria nodded at him and picked up one end of the cable, gripping it tightly. She winked at Omega before jumping across the space and easily landing on the other side. When she had secured the cable, they began climbing across one by one.

Eventually, the only one yet to cross was Wrecker. “Yeah, my head doesn’t hurt anymore. I’m fine. You guys go without me.” He said nervously, backing away.

“You can do it. Just keep your eyes on the cable.” Omega encouraged him. “And Rominaria can catch you if you fall, so you’ll be fine.” She finished with a grin towards the force wielder.

Wrecker slowly began to cross, the cable barely holding his weight. Rominaria tensed and prepared herself for the inevitable, slowly approaching the edge and readying her hands. Wrecker almost slipped and pulled himself back up. “That was close.” He said. And then the cable snapped. He swung and slammed against the wall, falling. Rominaria used the Force to catch him just as he was about to hit the water.

Keeping her breathing steady, she slowly began to lift him. A tentacle came out of the water and wrapped itself around the clone. Rominaria quickly used the Force to wrap the still-hanging cable around the clone's ankle before diverting her attention to the beast. “Pull.” She told the rest of the crew as she forced the tentacles off of Wrecker's body. Holding off more as they came. Once Wrecker was halfway up, she used the Force to lift him the rest of the way. Setting him down gently beside her and taking a deep breath.

“Thank you.” Wrecker told her and she smiled at him.

They continued walking through the cruiser, eventually arriving at the medical bay. “This will do nicely.” 

“I would no longer call this medical bay a sterile environment.” Tech told them.

“Do you prefer to use the facility on Kamino?” Rex asked him with a smirk.

“This will do nicely.” Tech said quickly, causing Rominaria to laugh quietly.

“I’ll calibrate the surgical pod.” Echo told them. As he worked, Rominaria looked around the room with a frown. Seeing an empty Jedi cruiser deeply unsettled her. The lights came on and Tech turned to his brother.

“Time to get scanned, Wrecker.” Tech said to his brother.

“Let’s get this over with.” Wrecker groaned, clutching his head with a grimace. Tech placed the scanner on his head.

Rominaria turned to Hunter who was leaning against the wall and slowly approached him. “I just wanted to apologize for my words before, it wasn’t right of me to say those things to you. I’m sorry.”

“I already forgave you.” He told her with a genuine smile. “I know how you get when it’s about him, it’s alright.” He finished as she was turning away. Her head whipped back around.

“What?” She asked, her eyes narrowing at the clone.

“Nothing,” He said with a grin.

“Nice try,” She said, pointing an accusatory finger at him. “What was that supposed to mean?”

He raised his eyebrows at her. “I think you know what I mean.”

“I don’t, actually.” She said slowly.

“Oh really? So you haven’t noticed the way your heart beats faster near him.” He said with a smirk.

Her entire body froze then. “What?”

“Your breathing pattern changes near him as well.” He told her. “I can keep going.”

“Maybe those things were true the last time you saw us near each other. Because he was trying to kill me.” She said with emphasis on each word of the final sentence.

“Whatever helps you sleep at night.” He said, raising his hands up in mock defeat.

“Nothing helps me sleep.” She said with a snort as she made her way back over to Wrecker.

“I think I found something.” Tech told her as she approached him. “Ninety degrees from his right orbital floor, below the parietal and temporal intersection…” Rominaria’s focus left Tech then, her whole body tensing as her instincts screamed at her that something was wrong. She slowly began to back away, pulling Omega behind her.

“Get that away from me.” Wrecker said with a groan, ripping the scanner off of his head.

“Something’s wrong,” Rominaria said slowly. “We need to speed this up.”

Echo began prepping the pod as Rex spoke. “You boys got lucky. Very few clones were immune to the effects of order sixty-six. It’s rare.” He told them.

“When the regs attacked the Jedi on Kaller, we didn’t understand why.” Hunter told Rex.

Rominaria’s eyes flicked back to Wrecker who was still clutching his head. Tech was about to give him the sedative so that they could begin the procedure. “Guys,” She said slowly, her entire body tense. “Something is seriously wrong.” Then it happened. The flip switched in Wrecker just like she had witnessed it flip in Crosshair. His hand shot up and he began choking Tech.

“Wrecker,” Tech gasped, straining for air.

“You’re in direct violation of order sixty-six.” Wrecker said slowly as he began lifting Tech off of the ground. Without warning he threw him back, Tech’s body slamming into the wall.

Rominaria kept Omega behind her and continued to slowly back away. Rex pulled out his blaster to fire a stun blast but the larger clone smacked the weapon away easily. Wrecker pulled out his gun and began shooting at them.

They all ducked down. “He’ll destroy the equipment if we don’t get him out of here.” Echo told them.

“You’re all traitors!” Wrecker yelled as he continued shooting.

“We’ll draw him out. Omega, stay with Rominaria.” Hunter said and they all nodded.

They all ran from the room, splitting up. Rominaria and Omega ran in the opposite direction as everyone else. She heard a commotion behind them and kept moving. “Omega,” She said slowly. “I want you to hide.”

“No, I’m not leaving you.” The girl protested.

“Yes, you are. Now go hide.” Rominaria told her in a serious tone. Omega gave one last frustrated sigh before running into a nearby room to hide.

Rominaria slid her lightsabers into her hands. Hearing the loud boots approaching. She ignited her lightsabers just as he fired the blaster, deflecting the shot into the wall nearby. “I don’t want to hurt you Wrecker.” She said slowly.

“You’re a traitor. All of the Jedi are. You all need to be put down like the mutts you are.” He said with a growl and she tensed slightly. She kept her lightsabers raised in a defensive position as he approached her, firing more shots as he did. He swung a fist at her when he got close and she rolled away from him.

“Wrecker, please.” She said exasperatedly as she continued to dodge his attacks. “I don’t want to hurt you.” She told him again.

Omega peeked her head out of the room then. “Wrecker, stop.” She said in fear and Rominaria froze.

“Omega, get away.” She said quickly. Wrecker caught her off guard then and slammed her head into the wall, making her world spin. He slammed her head against the wall again and her grip on her lightsabers loosened, causing them to roll out of her hands as she slumped on the ground. 

She vaguely registered the feeling of warm blood on the back of her head as she looked up at him. Using all the strength left in her, she used the Force to push him back and away from her. She gasped for air, her head pounding. She watched Wrecker stomp up to her.

“Wrecker, please.” She said slowly as he pulled back his fist for another punch. She closed her eyes, waiting for the contact that never came. She opened her eyes again and saw Wrecker slumped on the ground in front of her. She sighed a breath of relief before everything went black.

When she woke up, her head was bandaged and Wrecker was awake. She tensed before he shot an apologetic smile her way. “I’m so sorry.” He said to her, “I really tried to stop it, but I just couldn’t.”

“It’s okay, Wrecker.” She told him. “Has everyone gotten their chip removed?” She asked him to which he nodded. She stood up slowly, picking up her lightsabers which had been placed next to her. She walked over to Rex.

“I’m leaving, and I’m assuming you’re staying with them?” She nodded at his words with a smile.

“Thank you for everything, Rex.” She said, “I’ll see you around, alright?” He nodded with a smile, and walked over to Hunter.

Omega ran over to Rominaria. “Your lightsabers are awesome.” She told her with a grin. “I didn’t know that you could have them be different colors. The blue and green look so cool.”

Rominaria smiled fondly at the girl. “They are pretty cool.” She agreed. “Would you like to hold one?” She asked to which the girl nodded her head excitedly. “Just don’t ignite it, okay.”

“Okay!” She said quickly, grinning as Rominaria placed the lightsaber into her hand. “Woah… It’s heavier than I thought it would be. I like it.” She finished with a smile, handing it back to Rominaria.

“I do too.” Rominaria agreed with a genuine smile.

Chapter Text

Rominaria was running. She didn’t know from what. Her heart was pounding and everything in her screamed that she needed to get away from whoever was coming. She heard the boots stomping behind her. Rounding another corner, her body slammed into someone. She looked up and saw that it was Crosshair.

“Rominaria, we need to go right now.” He told her, grabbing her hand and pulling her along. She looked at their intertwined fingers in confusion. They ran down another hallway, the sound of lights shattering behind them.

“Crosshair, what’s going on?” She asked him as they ran, her head pounding.

“They’re coming, we need to…” His voice trailed off and he froze, his hands shot up to his throat as his body was lifted from the ground. Rominaria whipped her head around, pulling out her lightsabers and igniting them.

“Let him go.” She said as she approached the attacker, squinting and trying to make out their face. The person laughed.

“Fine.” They said and swung their arm out. Crosshair’s body smacked into the wall with a loud thud and slumped on the ground. Rominaria held her lightsabers up in a defensive position. The person let out another laugh and ignited their own lightsaber.

It was red. Rominaria’s eyes widened for a moment. Then they swung. She countered the movement easily. She sidestepped their next swing and swung her own lightsaber. The person screamed in frustration and the lights in the hallway shattered. The only light now was the flashes of green, blue, and red as they continued to fight.

Whoever Rominaria was fighting, they were trained well. The two matched each other’s strikes blow for blow. “Who are you?” Rominaria asked as she rolled out of the way after they had swung their lightsaber at her once more.

“I think you know the answer to that.” They said with a laugh. She squinted again but still couldn’t make out their face. “Uh oh, looks like it’s time for your little pet clone's life to come to an end.” Rominaria’s head turned to see Crosshair standing on shaky legs, his blaster in hand.

The person ripped the blaster from his hands with the Force and lunged forward, their lightsaber sinking into his stomach. “Crosshair!” Rominaria screamed, running at the figure who laughed at her. “You will pay for this.” She put one of her lightsabers back in its hilt and raised her now empty hand. All of her rage and hate concentrated on the figure.

They gasped as she lifted them off of the ground. Choking them. Rominaria slammed them against the wall over and over again. Their head hitting it with a sickening crunch each time. She threw their body to the ground and rushed over to Crosshair who was struggling to sit up.

“Cross,” She said with a gasp, sliding to her knees and tossing her remaining lightsaber aside. His head fell forward and his breathing became ragged as he looked down at his stomach. “Hey, look at me.” She said softly, tilting his head up with her hand. She pulled his helmet off of his head and stared into his eyes.

“You killed them.” He said slowly, his eyes wide.

“I had to, they were going to kill us.” She said immediately, feeling no remorse. “Just look at me, okay?” She told him as she undid the top half of his armor, wanting to get a better look at his stomach. “Luckily lightsabers cauterize the wound immediately so you should be…” Her voice trailed off as her eyes landed on his stomach, blood was pouring from the wound at a rapid pace. “I don’t understand, it shouldn’t be bleeding.” His hand shakily reached up to cup her cheek.

“Rominaria,” He said slowly. “I… I need to tell you before I go,”

“No,” She cut him off quickly. “No, you’re living, you're not leaving me too.” She said as she pressed her hands to his stomach, trying to keep more blood from spilling out. “Please, Cross,” She said shakily. “Please, I need you.” She cried.

“Rominaria, I…” His voice trailed off, his eyes unfocusing.

“No!” She screamed, over and over again until her throat felt like it was bleeding. Vaguely, she heard footsteps approach her but she didn’t turn to see who it was. Her blood-soaked hands now on Crosshair’s face. “Please, please, please.” She begged him as tears streamed down her face.

A hand was placed on her shoulder and her head whipped around. A hooded figure stood before her. “You have done well,” They said, their voice sounding slightly familiar. “Join me.”

Rominaria woke with a gasp. Her heart was racing. She looked down at her shaking hands. “Another nightmare?” Hunter asked as he approached her. She nodded, trying to slow down her breathing. “Do you want to talk about it?”

She shook her head immediately. “No. It’s alright. Thank you, though” She said softly, rising from her spot on the ground. She ran her hands through her long hair and quickly pulled it back into a braid. Her hair was getting quite long, the braid reaching just above her tailbone.

“Hunter, Tech, We were spotted by scrappers.” Echo’s voice said, coming from Hunter’s communicator. Rominaria tensed.

“Wrecker’s in pursuit.” Omega’s voice said. “He says he has it under control.”

“That’s not comforting.” Tech said as he approached the two of them.

“Echo, get a visual.” Hunter said quickly.

“I’m on it”

The sun was setting when Wrecker, Echo, and Omega made their way back onto the Jedi cruiser. The young girl immediately ran over to Rominaria, who squatted down to greet her. “Are you alright?” She asked the girl in a concerned voice, eyes scanning over her for any signs of injury.

“Yes, I’m okay. Don’t worry.” Omega told her with a smile.

Rominaria’s eyes flicked over to Wrecker, who was setting the last unconscious scrapper down. “Rex warned us about the scrapper patrols on Bracca. We should leave.” Echo said to them. Rominaria nodded in agreement.

“In our present situation,” Hunter said slowly. “We need money. And we have a chance to make a lot of it right here”

Rominaria’s eyebrows furrowed at his words. Wrecker barked out a laugh. “In this dump? How?” He asked.

“Tech, what’s the potential haul inside this cruiser?” Hunter asked his brother. Rominaria frowned, now understanding what Hunter meant.

“My scans indicate the armory and artillery bay have not been fully off-loaded. The Dianoga must have kept the scrappers away.” Tech told them.

“Just a few of those weapons should clear our debt with Cid.” Hunter responded.

“No, no way.” Rominaria said immediately. “Those weapons could end up in the hands of bad people.”

“I agree with Rominaria.” Echo stated. “Besides, we’re soldiers. Not arms smugglers.”

“There’s no Republic for us to rely on anymore.” Hunter told them, placing his hands on his hips. “We’re presented with an opportunity here. We have to take it.”

“I would also add that the intel from the bridge’s central system has the potential to be worth far more than any weapon.” Tech told them as Hunter placed his helmet back onto his head.

“Not to me.” Wrecker said and Rominaria snorted.

“Tech, get to the bridge. Get the power online and get whatever intel you can gather.

“Uh, what do we do about them?” Omega asked, gesturing to the pile of unconscious scrappers.

“We’ll grab what we need and be gone before they even wake up.” Hunter told her.

“I don’t like this.” Rominaria said with a frown. 

Rominaria was helping Tech secure the information when Omega entered. “I’m transferring the files but I still need to copy the master drive.” Tech told her, handing the young clone the device. “It’s under that panel.”

Rominaria was looking out the window at the dark sky when Omega broke the silence. “What was the war like?” She asked them.

Tech answered first. “It was a primary mission objective comprised of battles on various fronts.”

Rominaria rolled her eyes. “It brought darkness over the entire galaxy.” She told the girl. “And it brought out the worst in everyone involved.”

“Did any good come from it?” Omega asked her with a frown.

“Of course, young one.” She said, turning to the girl. “I would not have met any of you had it not been for the war.” She told her. A button on the console began to flash and beep and Rominaria and Omega looked at it at the same time.

“Why is this button blinking?” Omega asked them.

Rominaria tensed as she stared at it, Tech getting up from his place on the ground. “That’s the proximity sensor.” She said slowly. 

“It signals when there’s an approaching vessel.” Tech finished for her, both of them frowning. “It’s most likely a short circuit.” Just as he said that, three ships flew overhead and they all froze.

“Hunter,” Tech said slowly through his comm. “We’ve got company.”

The ships began to land. “Is it more scrappers?” Hunter asked.

“No, it’s the Empire.” Tech told him.

Everyone gathered in the cockpit of the Jedi cruiser. Hunter used his binoculars to look at where the ships had landed. He sighed and pulled them away from his eyes. “It’s Crosshair.” Rominaria’s eyes widened.

“He won’t be able to detect us. I’m blocking their scanners.” Tech told them.

“That won’t stop him.” Rominaria said slowly.

Hunter nodded at her words. “Come on.” He told them. They all moved from the room quickly.

“How many troopers we talking about?” Echo asked Tech as they rushed through the halls with what cargo they had.

“Three attack shuttles worth.” Tech told him.

“We already got what we came for.” Wrecker said. “Let’s get to the Marauder.”

“They’re already on board the cruiser.” Rominaria responded, sensing the life forms.

Hunter nodded in agreement. “We need a covert way out.”

“They’ll do a forward-to-aft sweep. We can alternate corridors. Come on.” Echo said, leading the way. They moved through the halls silently.

“Talk to me, Tech.” Hunter said quietly as they walked.

“I’m trying to tap into the reg’s comms so we can monitor their movements.” Tech told them. There was a loud bang in the distance and they all stopped moving.

“Someone’s coming.” Rominaria whispered and they all hid. The troopers passed them and when they were out of sight, Rominaria breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

Tech’s device beeped. “I’m in.” He told them.

“All squads.” It was Crosshair’s voice. Rominaria froze.

“Yes, sir.”

“Push the targets towards the hangar.” Crosshair said. “We’ll pin them down.”

“Roger that.”

Rominaria let out a shaky breath, her gut telling her something was off but she couldn’t make out what. “Aren’t we headed to the hangar?” Omega asked with a frown, worry all over her face. Rominaria placed a hand on the girl's shoulder.

“Not anymore.” Hunter said. “We’ll cut through the artillery deck.” They continued moving.

As they approached the artillery deck, Rominaria’s heart began to pound faster. All of her senses were screaming at her. “Hunter,” She said quietly so that only he could hear her. “I have a bad feeling about this.”

He nodded slightly in acknowledgment as they made their way through the doorway. They stepped into the room, looking around it slowly. They peeked their heads out the side and saw the long drop to the ground. “I’m not going out that way.” Wrecker said slowly, backing away from the opening.

Rominaria felt his presence immediately. “He’s here.” She said as troopers burst through the door in front of them.

“There they are.” One of the troopers said.

“Stand down.” Another said. 

Rominaria wasn’t looking at either of them, though. She had already turned around and was watching Crosshair slowly approach them, more troopers following him. “Tapping our comms to track our movements?” Crosshair questioned, a smirk evident in his voice. “So predictable.”

Wrecker scoffed. “Nice to see you too, Crosshair.”

“Look at you all, scavenging like rats. How pathetic.” Crosshair’s gaze seemed to land on Rominaria, though his helmet hid his eyes. “You,” He drawled. “I thought I killed you.” She glanced away from him for a moment, noticing Tech messing with one of the cannons.

“Maybe you didn’t try hard enough.” She told him, buying the rest of them time by holding his focus.

“Oh, I’ll make sure I finish the job this time.” He said before firing his blaster at her. She dodged easily with a scoff.

“Fight me without a weapon, or are you a coward?” She said, raising her eyebrows.

“I’m not a fool.” He said.

“No?” She questioned with a smirk. “Just a coward then?” He tossed his rifle aside and lunged at her. She rolled away quickly, barely missing the punch he threw at her. A trooper tried to grab her but she pushed them away with the Force easily.

“She’s my kill.” Crosshair told his troops. Successfully landing his first blow against her stomach. She stumbled back slightly, dodging another swing.

“You punch like a youngling.” She spat at him with a grin, the lie falling easily from her lips.

He lunged towards her and she almost jumped away in time. His hand around her waist stopped her. Her breath caught in her throat as pulled her flush against him. “Pathetic bitch.” He spat in a mocking tone, his hand at her back gripping her braid and yanking her head back. She winced in pain. He walked forward, pushing her back as he did so. 

Her back eventually hit a wall and she tensed. He yanked her braid again, causing her head to smack painfully into the wall behind her. Stars appeared in her vision as the barely healed wound on the back of her head reopened, and she struggled to stay standing.

“Cross,” She said quietly. “Stop. It’s the chip in your head. You don’t want this. Please.” He laughed at her words and slammed her head against the wall again. And again. She felt her own blood drip onto the back of her neck. Crosshair pulled a knife from his belt, pressing the blade against her throat. “Please, Cross.” She gasped, her eyes widening.

“Say hi to Aayla for me.” He spat as the blade began to dig into her skin. She flinched at his words.

“Hey, Crosshair!” Echo said, causing him to turn and loosen his grip ever so slightly. Rominaria took her chance and shoved him hard, sliding out of his grip and ducking. He threw the knife at her and it hit her side. One of the cannons fired and hit Crosshair.

Rominaria stumbled away, reaching the rest of the batch. She pulled the knife from her side, gasping at the pain, before everything went black.

Chapter Text

“Come on, Aria. I think you’ll really like them.” Anakin told her as they walked to the landing platform.

“It’s not that I don’t think I’ll like them, it's just,” She trailed off slightly, the thought of the young girl making her heart heavy. She took a deep breath and calmed her emotions. “It just all feels so sudden, that’s all.”

Anakin looked at her for a long moment before responding. “I miss her too.” He told her. Her jaw tensed slightly at his words but she didn’t respond. “Maybe working with these guys will be a good distraction though.”

“Yeah,” She finally responded as they walked through the doors to the platform. “Maybe.”

“Trust me on this.” He told her with a grin. “Remember, I’m the wiser one.”

She snorted. “I don’t know about that.” She told him with a smile.

“I’m older, which makes me wiser.” He said, nudging her shoulder playfully.

“Yeah, by a year.” She shot back with a laugh, feeling much happier than she had moments ago.

“All I’m hearing is that you agree.” He stated, his grin wide.

“Yeah, okay. Old man.” She said with a smirk. He lightly shoved her shoulder and she shoved his back, laughing as they walked up to the group that was waiting for them. She turned to them with a smile.

Her eyes scanned the group of four clones as Anakin introduced them to her. "This is Hunter, Tech, Wrecker, and Crosshair." All but the last one smiled at her. "Boys, this is General Rominaria Scara." Anakin finished. Anakin’s comm beeped and he excused himself with one last smile towards Rominaria.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am." Hunter said as she reached out a hand and shook his. She shook Wrecker’s and Tech's hands next and then reached the final clone.

She smiled up at him and held out her hand to shake. He looked at her for a long moment as if he was assessing her before slowly shaking her hand. His eyes not leaving hers until she pulled her hand away and stepped back. She cleared her throat before speaking. “So, I heard there’s a mission for us?”

Tech nodded immediately and launched into telling her all the details. They were to infiltrate a separatist lab and plant explosives inside of it. She smiled at how detail-oriented the clone was, not leaving any piece of information out. When Tech had finished his explanation, they all boarded onto the squad's ship. The Marauder, Tech had informed her, was its name.

As Rominaria took a seat in the cockpit of the ship, she couldn’t help but notice the pair of eyes trained on her. She turned towards them and her eyes met the sharpshooter’s. She gave him a friendly smile, which he did not return. She looked away, suppressing an eye roll. What’s his problem? She thought to herself.

When they entered hyperspace, Rominaria got out of her seat and stretched. “How long until we arrive?” She asked Tech, walking over to him.

“Approximately six hours.” He told her, his eyes not leaving the tablet he was looking down at. She smiled and made her way back to her seat, pulling her cloak off as she did. She set the cloak on her seat and started to walk to the refresher, before realizing that she wasn’t sure where it was.

She walked over to the clone who was closest to her to ask. “Where’s the refresher?” She asked Crosshair as he looked down at her slowly. Does that scowl ever leave his face? She thought to herself as their eyes met.

He rolled his eyes before answering. “It’s just down that hallway. The first door on the left.” He told her, placing a toothpick in his mouth.

“Thank you!” She said with a smile, turning and starting to walk away. She heard him scoff behind her and her head whipped around. “Is something wrong?” She asked him, her eyebrows furrowing.

“Why would you ever think that?” He asked, a small smirk forming on his lips when she raised her eyebrows at his tone. Smug bastard. She thought to herself.

“What’s your problem with me?” She shot at him, starting to get frustrated at the way he had been treating her when she had only just met him.

“Nothing.” He said shortly, his eyes leaving hers and focusing on the wall in front of her instead. “But you can tell your Jedi council that we don’t need a babysitter. We work fine on our own.” 

So that’s what this is about. She groaned in annoyance. “You know, I didn’t ask to be assigned to you guys.” She told him. “You don’t get to blame me for that.” She finished with a frown.

He rolled his eyes again, finally meeting hers once more. “Right,” He said slowly, drawing the word out. “I’m sure you won’t mind putting me and my brother's lives on the line, though.”

She frowned at his words. “What are you talking about?” She asked him with furrowed brows.

“Oh, nothing.” He said, turning away from her and saying the next part over his shoulder as he walked away. “I’m just saying that if you got your padawan killed then the odds of you getting one of us killed aren’t that low.”

Her blood turned to ice. Flashes of the young girl's death played before her eyes. Her hands shook as she made her way to the refresher, trying to keep her breathing steady. Just as she shut the door behind her, she began to hyperventilate. She sat on the floor of the small room, bringing her knees up to her chest. Her whole body was shaking as she tried to calm herself, failing miserably.

There was a knock on the door. “Rominaria,” Hunter said slowly. “Can I come in?” She tried to choke out a no but all that came out was a small strangled noise. The door opened slowly and she closed her eyes, laying her head against her knees in shame. She heard the door close slowly, and then a gentle hand was placed on her shoulder. “What’s going on?” He asked her, his voice soft.

She looked up slowly, still shaking. Hunter had sat down next to her, a look of genuine concern on his face. “I’m sorry.” She said quietly.

His brows furrowed at her words. “For what?” He asked her.

“You shouldn’t have to see me like this. I apologize.” She said, taking a slow breath. She was finally starting to calm down. "It isn't the Jedi way to be reacting like this." She finished quietly, shaking her head with a frown.

“What happened?” He asked gently, as if he were speaking to a frightened child. She tensed, not wanting to tell him what his brother had said to her. “I saw you speaking to Crosshair before you went in here. Did he say something to you?”

She nodded slowly. “Yes.” She told him. “He, uh, he told me that I was a danger to you all because I couldn’t even keep my padawan alive.” She forced her voice to remain steady.

Hunter’s entire demeanor changed. "That wasn't your fault ma'am." He told her with a serious face. "Not to intrude on your privacy, but I've read the report of that battle. Her death was not your fault. You're just a teenager."

"Barely. I'm almost twenty." She stated quietly, feeling more calmed down.

Hunter smiled softly at that. “I’ll be back.” He said slowly, rising from his position next to her. Before she could protest, he had left the room. She slowly stood up, turning on the sink, and splashing water on her face. She looked at her reflection with a frown. Her eyes were red and puffy. She splashed more cold water on her face.

There was a knock on the door. "Come in.” She said, expecting it to be Hunter again. Her mouth opened in surprise when Crosshair shuffled in, looking as annoyed as ever. Hunter walked in behind him, shutting the door. He stared at his brother with raised eyebrows.

“I apologize for my words,” Crosshair said slowly. He finally looked at her and his brow furrowed as his eyes scanned her face. “I shouldn’t have said that. I’m sorry.” He told her, a frown taking over his features.

Rominaria looked away from him. “It’s fine.” She told him, moving past the two of them and leaving the small room.

After planting all of the small bombs around the laboratory, they began to make their way out. Something about the hall Rominaria was walking down felt off and she paused for a moment. “Something is wrong.” She told Hunter, who was beside her.

He turned to her, looking confused. “What do you mean?”

Before she could answer, the lights in the hallway shattered and the five of them all stopped moving. The sound of boots echoed off of the walls. “We need to get out of here.” She told them, starting to move again when Hunter’s whole body froze. His hands shot up to his neck as he was lifted from the ground.

His scream echoed off of the walls as he was pulled back into the darkness. The clones pulled their guns out, looking into the shadows around them. Something grabbed Tech by the ankle and he was dragged away. His scream followed shortly after.

Rominaria looked around in confusion. “I don’t understand.” She said to herself quietly. “This isn’t how that mission went.” She heard a sickeningly loud crack and spun towards the sound. Wrecker was on the ground, his head bent at an angle that was definitely not normal. 

She stood back to back with Crosshair, her lightsabers raised. A figure stepped out of the shadows finally. A red lightsaber in hand. Rominaria tried to make out their face to no avail. They lunged forward, their lightsaber sinking into Crosshair’s stomach. 

A small figure ran down the hallway, grabbing Rominaria’s hand. “We need to get out of here.” Omega said, pulling on her arm.

“Omega, what are you doing here?” She asked the girl, in complete shock.

Omega opened her mouth to answer, but screamed instead as she was pulled towards the figure by the Force. “She’s ours. There’s nothing you can do to save her.”

Rominaria shot up in the medical bay's bed with a gasp, her heart hammering in her chest. Her wide eyes scanned the room. Hunter walked through the door and did a double take when he saw her. “You’re awake.” He said, rushing over to her.

“Where’s Omega?” She asked him immediately.

Chapter Text

“Where’s Omega?” She asked him immediately.

Hunter’s head whipped towards Rominaria just as she ripped the knife from her side. She gasped from the pain, swaying on her feet. Hunter barely made it to her before she passed out, catching her before she hit the ground. The rest of his squad was fighting off the approaching troopers. He passed the unconscious Jedi to Wrecker, who slung her over his shoulder.

“Go!” Hunter told them just as the ceiling began collapsing. Hunter fired more shots at the troopers. “Look out!” He yelled, pulling Omega out of the way right before a piece of the ceiling hit the ground where she had been standing.

They all ran, escaping the room. Tech led the way, leading them into what seemed to be the engine of the ship. “The ion engine chamber?” Wrecker asked in confusion. “Why’d you bring us here?”

“Because this is our alternate egress off the cruiser.” Tech responded.

Wrecker groaned as they began carefully making their way across the ledge, making sure to not drop the woman he was holding. Echo and Tech each held one side of the crate of explosives as they carefully moved along. “I don’t even know what that means.” Wrecker said. They continued, eventually coming upon a slope to slide down into the lower part of the engine.

"We're almost there." Hunter told them. "A little further."

"I didn't think you meant we'd be escaping through the engine." Echo said to his brother who was still leading the way.

"I could not have been clearer." Tech told him.

“Woah!” Wrecker exclaimed as he slid down, holding Rominaria who was still unconscious.

“Woah,” Omega said in awe. “I’ve never been inside of an ion engine before.”

“It’d be weirder if you had.” Wrecker responded.

“These chambers are quite the engineering marvel.” Tech told them as they continued walking, using their flashlights to see. “This blast primer coating is capable of withstanding-” Wrecker cut him off.

"Uh, Hunter." Wrecker said slowly, turning to his brother. "There's a lot of blood. She's bleeding a lot." He said, gesturing towards the blood that was dripping from the Jedi’s side and back of her head and onto his armor. 

Hunter’s eyes scanned her for a long moment before he sighed. “We’re almost out of here. We’ll patch her up on the ship.” He told his brother as they began to climb out of the engine.

“Well? Now what?” Wrecker asked him as they looked out. Just as he finished speaking, a shot was fired that nearly missed Tech.

“Woah! Woah.” Tech exclaimed, almost falling. Hunter quickly pulled him back and away from the shooter's sight.

“Try again, Hunter.” Crosshair called out to them. “I told you before, you’re surrounded.” Troopers began to approach them.

“Double back.” Hunter quietly told them. They started running back into the engine when a loud noise began, making the ground beneath them rumble.

“What was that?” Omega asked slowly.

“Sounds like the engine’s coming online.” Hunter said slowly. “But that’s not possible, right?” He asked, turning to Tech who was beside him.

“Technically it is.” Tech told his brother. “I restored the ship’s main power core when I accessed the central system, which means the engines can be activated.” He finished.

“Crosshair wouldn’t do that, would he?” Omega asked quietly, the fear evident in her voice.

Hunter glanced over to the unconscious woman in Wrecker’s arms with a frown. “He’s done a lot of things lately that none of us would have thought him capable of.”

“How much time do we have?” Echo asked as the engine began shaking even more.

“I estimate less than two minutes.” Tech told them. The engine began to fire up and they all looked at it with wide eyes.

“What do we do?” Omega asked.

Wrecker turned around to face them. “What about Plan Seven?” He asked his brothers.

“Plan Seven has nothing to do with this situation whatsoever.” Echo said, growing frustrated.

“Well- Well, you think of something!” Wrecker shot back.

“Can we use the explosives from the armory to disable the engine?” Hunter asked, gesturing to the crate that was beside Echo.

“It won’t cause a large enough reaction to affect the thermal chamber.” Tech told him. “But if we place a series of charges around this cone,” He said, shining his light to show them where he was talking about. “We may be able to break away from the cylinder while destabilizing the core.” He finished.

“Break away? You mean fall? All the way down?” Omega asked, her voice tense.

“It’s that or be incinerated.” Echo told her.

“Everyone take an explosive. Tech, Omega, up top with me.” Hunter said to the group. Wrecker gently set Rominaria down and moved to grab an explosive. They all sprung into action, placing them as quickly as possible. They moved away from the engine and Wrecker quickly picked the Jedi back up, holding her over his shoulder with one arm.

The engine fired up, a beam of blue light shining. “Everybody, get down!” Wrecker yelled, detonator in hand. He pressed the button and all of the explosives they had planted blew up. The rest of the chamber separated and began to fall.

“Hold on!” Tech told them. They all clutched onto whatever they could, Wrecker holding the Jedi tightly. The chamber stopped for a moment, before slowly tipping and causing them all to fall. They tumbled down, slamming into things.

When they stopped falling, Omega and Hunter slowly stood up, taking in their surroundings. “Hunter, we landed on the port side. What’s your status?” Echo’s voice came in over the comms.

“We’re by the engine,” Hunter told him, as a ship came into view in the sky. “And we’ve got company.” The ship fired two shots at them and they ducked out of the way. “Meet back at the Marauder.” They quickly moved, making their way back to the ship. They peeked over a ledge to where their ship was and froze. Multiple troopers' bodies were scattered on the ground around the Marauder.

“What happened to them?” Omega asked Hunter quietly. He signaled for her to stay quiet as they moved forward, slowly approaching the scene. 

Hunter leaned down, inspecting one of the bodies. “Someone’s here.” He told the young clone. “This wasn’t the scrappers' handiwork.”

“Wasn’t much work.” An unfamiliar voice said. Hunter looked up, a duros man was standing in the entryway of the Marauder.

“Omega. Get behind me.” Hunter told her. The man walked towards them, a techno-service droid following behind him.

“I’ve taken down so many clones over the years.” The duros told them, fiddling with a toothpick in his hand. “Once you figure out one, the rest are easy.” He finished, placing the toothpick in his mouth.

“You’re in for a surprise.” Hunter said slowly.

“I doubt that.” The man responded.

“He’s a bounty hunter.” Omega told the clone beside her.

“Ain’t you smart?” The man said. “The kid’s got it all figured out.” The duros told Hunter.

“You’re in trouble now.” The droid told them.

“Who hired you?” Hunter asked the man.

“Son, that’s confidential information.” The duros said, crossing his arms over his chest. “Now hand her over.”

Omega took multiple steps back and away from the man, crouching down. “She’s with us. She’s not going anywhere.” Hunter told him.

“That’s unfortunate,” The man said, taking a step forward. “For you.” He finished, his hand hovering over the blaster over his hip. Hunter mirrored the action as the two stared at each other. They drew their blasters at the same time, both firing shots. The man's shot hit Hunter square in the chest and he fell to the ground. He faintly heard Omega calling out his name as she ran towards him.

When Hunter finished explaining to Rominaria everything that had happened, she stared at him with wide eyes. “Based on the description of the man, we believe him to be Cad Bane.” He told her.

She nodded slowly. “I’ve dealt with him before, he’s awful. We need to find Omega before it’s too late.”

Hunter nodded at her words, his head falling into his hands. “I can’t believe I let him take her.” He said with a frustrated sigh. Rominaria slowly climbed off of the medical bed and approached Hunter, placing a comforting hand on the man's shoulder.

“It’s not your fault, Hunter. We’ll get her back.” She told him gently. He nodded solemnly. They both made their way into the cockpit.

Just as they sat down, Omega’s voice came in over the ship's communicator. “Come in. Come in. Anyone?” All of their heads shot up.

“Omega?” Wrecker asked quickly, his eyes wide in shock.

Hunter responded to the girl hurriedly. “Omega, are you there? Omega!”

She didn’t respond and Echo spoke. “It’s long-range, I’ll try to boost the signal.” He said, springing into action. Hunter looked at Rominaria with eyes full of hope.

“Is anyone there?” Omega’s voice said, coming in on the communicator again.

“Omega, do you copy?” Hunter responded quickly.

“Hunter?” She responded, sounding relieved. “I’m here. I got away, but you have to hurry.” She finished in a scared voice.

“Where are you?” Hunter asked her.

“I… I- I don’t know where I am.” She responded and all of their frowns deepened.

“Hang on kid,” Wrecker told her. “We’re coming for you!”

Echo sighed in frustration. “The signal’s too weak to establish a direct connection trace.”

“Omega, we need a relay of your position.” Tech told her. “Try to create a power surge. Can you find a panel nearby?”

“There’s one by a door.” Omega responded quickly. “It looks like the ones on Tipoca City.”

“That’s good.” Rominaria said, standing behind Tech’s seat. “See if you can activate it.”

“It worked. Now what should I do?” The young clone responded.

“Next you will need to reroute the circuits to overload the main grid.” Tech told her quickly. Rominaria clutched the back of Tech’s seat, waiting for the girl to respond. When she didn’t respond, Tech spoke again. “Omega? Do you copy? I still can’t get a good read.” Tech was saying as Omega’s distressed voice came in.

“Let me go! Hunter, I need you!” She cried out.

“Omega!” Hunter shouted. She didn’t respond again and Hunter began pacing. Rominaria approached him and put a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“We’ll find her Hunter.” She told him, her voice full of certainty that she wasn’t necessarily feeling.

“I’ll try to pin her location from what we have.” Tech told them.

“I have an idea.” She told Hunter. “I’ll be back, just trust me.” She rushed from the cockpit, making her way to the gunner's nest and climbing up into it. She smiled at how Omega had decorated the area. She sat down with her legs crossed in front of her and closed her eyes, blocking out all distractions. She silently repeated the familiar mantra to herself.

There is no emotion, there is peace. 

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. 

There is no passion, there is serenity. 

There is no chaos, there is harmony. 

There is no death, there is the Force.

She focused her thoughts on the young clone. Searching for her through the Force. She got a few flashes of what looked similar to the cloning facilities on Kamino. She concentrated more and saw Omega. Only for a moment, but it was enough. She rushed back into the cockpit. Everyone turned towards her as she came in. “I know where she is.” She told them, a grin on her face.

Hunter shot up. “Where?” He asked her immediately.

“Bora Vio.” She told him, grateful for the one time she had gotten bored and started studying Kaminoan history. “She’s in an old Kaminoan cloning facility there.”

Tech typed on his tablet quickly, pulling up the coordinates. Hunter walked over to Rominaria. “Thank you, Rominaria.” He said softly. She smiled at him.

“Of course, Hunter.” She responded with a kind smile as the ship entered hyperspace. "You care about her a lot." She stated. It was heartwarming to see the soldier care so much about a child.

"She's one of us, of course I do." He responded simply. She smiled softly at his words. “She’s just a kid. She doesn’t deserve this life” He said with a frown.

Rominaria nodded in agreement. “You don’t either.” She told him.

“Maybe. But I’m a soldier, I was trained for this.” He responded.

“Still,” Rominaria said. “It wasn’t right. To create people just for war. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m very grateful to know you and have met you all. But it’s immoral. You all deserve so much more than the life you’ve been given. You don’t deserve a life of war either, Hunter.” She finished with a soft smile at the clone. He smiled back.

“Most people wouldn’t agree with that sentiment.” He told her and she nodded.

“Most people are ignorant.” She replied, causing the clone to chuckle.

“You’re not wrong about that.” He responded and she shot a grin his way.

“I’m never wrong.” She said, causing him to chuckle again.

“I don’t know about that.” He said with a grin and she raised her eyebrows at him. He lifted his hands up in mock surrender, causing them both to laugh again.

When the Havoc Marauder exited hyperspace, Tech was able to finish tracking Omega’s exact coordinates. It seemed she had managed to create a surge of power. The ship entered the planet’s atmosphere and Tech navigated through the cloudy sky. “There!” Rominaria said quickly, spotting a flight pod falling down at a rapid pace. Tech steered the ship and caught it, attaching the pod to the ship.

Wrecker ran over and opened the door to where the pod was attached, looking down inside. “Omega! Are you in there?” He called out.

“Wrecker!” Omega exclaimed. Wrecker reached down, helping pull the young girl up.

“Good to have you back, kid.” Wrecker said, lifting Omega up with a grin on his face. He hugged her for a long moment before setting her down. Omega ran over to Rominaria, jumping up into her arms.

The woman reciprocated the gesture immediately, hugging the young girl with a wide smile on her face. “I’m so glad you’re okay.” Omega said as Rominaria set her back down. “I was so worried. There was a lot of blood.” The young girl told her with a frown.

“I’m glad that you’re okay as well.” Rominaria told her with a soft smile. “And I should probably get new clothes.” She said with a chuckle, looking at the dried blood on her dark brown robes with a grimace.

Hunter walked over to the two of them. “We have spare blacks here, and when we get back to Ord Mantell we can get you clothes that aren't torn and covered in blood.” He finished with a chuckle.

“Thank you, Hunter.” Rominaria responded with a fond smile towards the clone.

“If you’d like to shower and change, I can help you rebandage your side afterwards.” He told her and she smiled.

“I would appreciate that, thank you.” She said. Hunter walked away and Omega yanked on the woman’s hand to get her attention. “Yes, Omega?” She asked, laughing at the young girl's action.

“Is Hunter the one you used to like?” The young girl whispered, her voice secretive.

Rominaria stared at the girl for a long moment, processing her words before laughing so loud that the rest of the crew turned to see what was going on. She clutched her stomach, her eyes watering from laughing so hard. “Oh Maker, no.” She responded through more laughter. “What gave you that idea?” She asked, wiping the tears from her eyes.

Omega did not seem nearly as amused as her. “I don’t know. It was just a guess.” She said, crossing her arms over her chest with a frown.

“Don’t get me wrong, Hunter is amazing. But we don’t see each other that way.” Rominaria told her and the girl nodded, looking defeated.

“Yeah, that’s what he said too.” She said with a frown. Rominaria laughed at the thought of how the man must have responded to Omega’s questioning. “You probably should change soon, there’s a lot of blood on that cloak.” The girl told her, causing Rominaria to chuckle.

With one last smile at Omega, Rominaria made her way over to the refresher. When she stepped inside she saw that Hunter had already placed the clothes in there along with a clean towel. She shut the door, locking it behind her before slowly peeling the robes off of her. Once she was fully undressed, she stared at her body in the mirror for a long moment. Scars from various battles were littered all over her. She didn’t mind them, though. She carefully unwrapped the bandaging from her side, then removed the bandaging from the back of her head. She touched the wound gently. It ached painfully and she grimaced at the pain.

She searched the cupboard for a moment, making a decision. I won’t have it be used against me again. She thought to herself.  She retrieved what she was looking for, a pair of sharp scissors. She unbraided her hair, making sure not to pull on it at all and agitate the healing cut on her head. After running her fingers through it multiple times to remove what tangles she could, she split it evenly down the center and brought it all to the front of her. She raised the scissors, and with a deep breath, cut it. Leaving it just past her shoulders. She threw away the cut hair and stepped into the shower, turning it on.

She took her time washing all of the grime off of her body and out of her hair. When she was done, she turned the water off and stepped out of the shower. She gently dried herself off with the towel before pulling on the blacks. The material clung to her body, as it was designed to do, and she made sure not to pull the top all the way down so that her side could be rebandaged.

She stepped out of the refresher, placing her destroyed robes in the trash after emptying the pockets. She made her way to the med bay. When she entered, Hunter was already in there talking to Omega. Omega's smile widened when Rominaria walked in. “You cut your hair!” She said, causing Rominaria to laugh. “I like it.” She stated with a grin.

“Thank you.” Rominaria said, sitting on the edge of the medical bed. Hunter made quick work of rebandaging her side. When he was finished, he checked the back of her head.

“Luckily, this one seems to be healing fairly fast.” He told her. “I’m not going to rebandage it but I would just be careful with it.” He said after applying bacta spray to the injury.

“Sir yes sir.” She responded with a grin, causing him to chuckle.

Chapter Text

When they arrived on Ord Mantell, Rominaria slid a new cloak over herself. They exited the Marauder and Omega clutched onto the woman’s hand tightly, pulling her forward as they walked. “Come on! We’re gonna go shopping!” She said excitedly.

Rominaria laughed and allowed the girl to pull her along. Hunter followed the two of them, while the rest of the squad headed back to Cid’s. When they arrived at what appeared to be a clothing store, the three of them stepped inside.

Omega dropped the woman’s hand and ran over to the first clothes that she saw. “How about this?” She asked, proudly holding up the most obnoxiously bright orange shirt Rominaria had ever laid her eyes upon. Hunter stifled a laugh.

“I don’t think that’s really my style.” Rominaria said slowly, not wanting to hurt the young clone’s feelings.

Omega nodded in understanding, moving to a different rack of clothes and peering through it. Rominaria turned to Hunter, wanting to ask the amusing question that had been on her mind. “Did she actually ask you if you liked me?” She asked the man.

Hunter laughed. “Yes. I’m assuming that means she asked you as well.” Rominaria nodded, a laugh falling from her as well. “Kids are funny.”

Rominaria nodded in agreement, her eyes watching the young girl continue looking through clothes. “I’m glad that she feels comfortable enough to ask those questions, so I can’t complain. It was very amusing though.”

“Especially because it’s fairly obvious who you do have feelings for.” Hunter said, a small smirk on his lips.

The woman froze. “Hunter,” Rominaria said slowly. “I don’t have feelings for Crosshair. Stop saying that.”

His smirk grew. “I never said that’s who I was talking about.”

Rominaria rolled her eyes, playfully punching Hunter’s shoulder. “You’re so annoying.” She said with a laugh.

Omega ran up to the two of them. “How about this?” She asked, holding up what was in her hands. It was a dark blue short-sleeved mechanic’s jumpsuit. Rominaria took it from the girl's hand, inspecting it closely. The material felt heavy duty and it looked like it was her size. When she smiled and nodded at Omega, the young girl grinned. “I knew you’d like that one.” She told her.

Rominaria quickly scanned the shelves, grabbing a black belt that had two thigh holsters for blasters. She grabbed a pair of black work boots and turned to Hunter. “This is more than enough.” She told him. She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around to find Omega with two more jumpsuits in her arms.

“You need spares.” She told her, causing the woman to laugh.

When they had paid for everything, they made their way back to the Marauder. Rominaria slipped into the refresher, pulling her cloak off of her. She pulled the top she was wearing off, before sliding the jumpsuit on. It fit nicely and she secured her belt and holsters before stepping out of the room. She quickly pulled on her boots, before heading to the med bay. The pants half of the jumpsuit had lots of pockets and she grabbed her lightsabers, slipping one into a pocket on each leg. When she was done, she made her way over to where Hunter and Omega were waiting. Hunter handed her two of their spare blasters and she slid them into the holsters.

The young girl grinned when she saw her. “I knew it would look good.” She told her. “Come on, let’s go get something to eat.” She said, grabbing Rominaria’s hand and pulling her outside. The three of them walked to the parlor.

When they stepped inside, Omega let go of her hand and ran over to Wrecker, who appeared to be holding a carton of something. Wrecker passed the carton to the girl and she popped a few pieces into her mouth. Rominaria smiled.

“So, when’s our next mission?” Omega asked the group.

Tech turned to face her. “With two bounty hunters after you, It’d be wise to keep a low profile.” He told her.

Hunter nodded in agreement. “Tech’s right.” He said. “There’s too much heat on us right now.”

“Ha! That never stopped us before.” Wrecker replied with a grin and Hunter shot him a look.

“The kid’s been through enough. She needs a break.” He said quietly to his brother, looking over to Omega who was sharing the food with Tech and Echo.

“She seems fine to me.” Wrecker responded and it was Rominaria’s turn to shoot the man a look. Hunter shook his head.

“Wrecker,” Rominaria said, not unkindly. “Sometimes people express their emotions differently than you would expect them to.”

He nodded slowly, seeming to understand. "That makes a lot of sense Aria, thanks." He told her with a smile which she returned.

The trandoshan from before walked out, looking at a tablet in her hand. “I’ve got a mission for you boys.” She told them as she made her way over to the group. “A simple extraction on Raxus.”

“Raxus?” Tech spoke up. “That is the former center of the Separatist government. It has since become an Imperial outpost-” The woman cut him off.

“I’m not interested in a history lesson, Goggles.” She told him. “You’re being hired to locate and free Senator Avi Singh from his confinement. My client will meet you at the given coordinates to brief you.” She said to the group, her tablet now projecting an image of the man she was speaking of. “Details are on this. Now get going.” She finished, tossing a drive with the information over to them.

Hunter caught it. “Help a separatist?” He shook his head. “Not gonna happen.” He said, tossing it back to the woman.

She caught it and shot a glare the man’s way. “Your debt’s still not paid, remember?” She told him. “A job’s a job.”

Hunter pulled the woman aside to speak to her. While they were speaking, Rominaria made her way over to Echo. “Have you had any problems with any of your mechanics lately?” She asked him. “If you need anything repaired, I can help.”

“I haven’t recently but if I do, you’ll be the first person I go to.” He told her with a kind smile. She returned the smile.

“Besides, I don’t have much better to do around here anyways.” She said. She would never admit it but at least during the war, she had something to do. He seemed to understand what she meant without elaboration and nodded.

Hunter approached Omega and Rominaria made her way over to the two of them. “Ready when you are, Sergeant.” Omega said with a smile.

Hunter frowned and squatted down to her height. “Not this time, Omega. You’re staying with Cid.”

“But the mission. I’m part of the squad too.” Omega said with a frown.

“Then following orders shouldn’t be a problem.” Hunter told her. “Stay close to Cid and don’t leave this parlor. Got it, soldier?”

Omega groaned. “Yes, sir.” She walked away from them and Rominaria turned to Hunter.

“I’m guessing you’re going to tell me to stay back as well?” She asked and he nodded.

“It would be safest for you to do so.” He told her and she sighed.

“I know.” She said slowly. “I’ll keep an eye on Omega for you.” She told him.

He smiled softly. “Thank you, Aria.”

Rominaria was running again. The sound of lights shattering behind her made her run faster. Her heart was hammering in her chest. She could hear her attacker’s boots stomping behind her. She turned down a corner and her body slammed into another.

“Omega? What are you doing here?” Rominaria asked the young girl with wide eyes.

“We need to get out of here, now.” Omega told her, grabbing her arm and pulling her along. The two of them ran down another hall. 

Rominaria looked over her shoulder and her body slammed into Omega’s. The girl had frozen and the woman followed her line of sight. The rest of their squad’s bodies laid in a pile. None of them were moving and Omega choked out a sob.

“Hunter?” She asked quietly, taking a step towards the man. He didn’t respond and she started to cry. Rominaria approached the pile of her friends’ bodies. She squatted down, checking each of their pulses one by one.

None of them had a pulse and she swallowed thickly. She gently closed all of their eyes with her fingers and fought back tears, not wanting to break in front of the young girl. She stood slowly, backing away from the men, her men.

“Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum, Hunter, Wrecker, Echo, Tech.” She recited the Mando'a phrase that Tech had taught her long ago softly, her voice breaking slightly as she said their names.

Omega was on her knees, clutching Hunter’s limp hand and crying. “I don’t understand why this is happening.” She sobbed.

“Omega,” Rominaria started, not knowing what to say to comfort the young clone.

Omega turned towards her. Her eyes widened as she looked behind the woman and Rominaria froze. A firm hand gripped Rominaria’s shoulder. “If you join me, together we can make sure nothing bad will ever happen to them.” The person said. Their voice felt familiar but Rominaria couldn’t place it. “Join me.” They said again.

Rominaria’s eyes shot open, trying to catch her breath. Omega froze in front of her, a blanket in hand. “I didn’t mean to wake you, I’m sorry.” She told the woman.

“I’m glad you did.” Rominaria told her truthfully. “How long was I out for?” She asked the young clone, trying to take her mind off of the deep feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach.

“Only an hour or so.” Omega told her and she nodded. Both of their eyes wandered to where the trandoshan woman was playing a game of Dejarik with the two men from before. The woman was about to make her next move when Omega spoke up. “I wouldn’t do that.”

“Hear that? We got an expert here.” The woman said, making the move.

Rominaria smirked slightly as one of her characters was eliminated. “She’s done for.” One of the men said.

“I told you.” Omega said.

“Well, expert, what should I do next?” The trandoshan asked Omega. Omega walked over to them, pressing a few buttons and grinning as she won the game.

The ithorian groaned. “You blew it!” He told the weequay.

“You’re the one who said to bet it all!” The man responded.

“You wanna take this outside?” The ithorian questioned, aggressively gesturing towards the door.

“Gladly.” The weequay responded and Rominaria rolled her eyes.

Rominaria walked over to Omega as the trandoshan woman spoke. “How’d you know to do that?” She asked the young girl.

“It’s a strategy game. I’m good at strategy.” Omega said simply.

“How good?” The woman questioned. “Enough to, uh, win a few matches for some money?” She asked. Rominaria crossed her arms over her chest with a frown.

“Depends,” Omega said. “What’s my cut?” She responded and Rominaria shot a proud smile her way.

“Thirty percent.” The trandoshan told her and Rominaria rolled her eyes.

“Sixty.” Rominaria said, a challenging look on her face. She was not about to let the young girl be used unfairly for her skills.

Rominaria grinned at the rest of the squad as they walked into the parlor. People had gathered around and were cheering for Omega as she won game after game. “No one can stop this kid.” A gotal man cheered. She won the game that she was playing and jumped up to run over to them.

“Alright, show’s over. No more bets.” The trandoshan, who Rominaria had learned was named Cid, said.

Omega jumped up into Wrecker’s arms. “Kid, where’d you learn to do that?” The man asked her with a laugh.

“She’s a natural. I’ve never seen anything like it.” Cid told the group and Rominaria smiled proudly.

“I told you to keep a low profile. This is the opposite.” Hunter told her and Rominaria smacked his shoulder.

“Ease up, Bandana.” Cid said. “Omega made enough money to pay off the debt you boys owe me,” She told him. “So try showing a little gratitude to my friend.” Rominaria smiled at the woman’s words. “You did good.” She told Omega as she walked away.

“Yeah, Bandana.” Rominaria said, forcing herself not to laugh. “Try showing a little gratitude.” They all walked away, leaving Hunter to speak with the young clone.

“Hey, Aria?” Echo said, walking up to her. “I banged up my leg during the mission and was wondering if you could take a look at it. It’s probably nothing but I just wanted to be safe.”

Rominaria grinned. “Of course.” She said immediately. “Let’s go to the ship right now.”

Nothing was seriously wrong with his leg, just a minor malfunction. Rominaria had just finished fixing it and was stretching her hands. “All done.” She said with a smile.

“Thank you.” Echo said with a genuine smile.

“Of course, Echo.” She told him as they exited the Havoc Marauder.

“I never asked, where’d you learn how to do that?” Echo asked her as they walked back to Cid’s Parlor.

Rominaria smiled fondly at the memory. “Anakin showed me how to. He knows much more than I do.” She told him, her smile dropping slightly. “I hope that he’s okay.”

Chapter Text

Rominaria was walking down a long hallway. She couldn’t remember how she had gotten there. The only thing she could remember was that she needed to keep moving. That something was wrong. She continued walking, turning down another hallway.

The lights behind her started shattering and she picked up her pace, running now. She turned down another corridor and saw her squad there, their faces filled with horror. “What’s going on?” She asked them breathlessly as she approached them.

“Thank the Maker, you're okay.” Hunter said. “We were looking for you everywhere.”

“We need to leave. Now.” Echo said quickly, his voice tense.

“Uh… Hunter.” Wrecker said slowly, his eyes looking behind Rominaria.

The woman spun around and her eyes landed on a figure. They were slowly walking down the hallway. A red lightsaber in hand. Rominaria slid her own lightsabers into her hands and ignited them. 

The person lunged towards her, swinging their lightsaber. Rominaria blocked the attack and swung one of her own lightsabers at the person. “Who are you?” Rominaria questioned as she blocked another attack.

“You know who I am.” The person responded, blocking Rominaria’s swing. Their voice was familiar but Rominaria couldn’t place where she had heard it before. The person swung out their free hand in a choking motion.

“Hunter!” Omega yelled and Rominaria spared a glance towards the clone. His body was lifted off the ground and he was struggling to breathe.

“Leave him alone.” Rominaria spat at the figure, swinging her lightsaber at them. They deflected her attack and laughed. Hunter was gasping for air and something in Rominaria snapped. She tossed a lightsaber to the side and swung out her hand.

The figure in front of her gasped and Hunter fell to the ground. Rominaria used the Force to lift her attacker. They made choking noises and she smirked. Pulling them forward with the Force, she lunged towards them and thrust her lightsaber into their neck. They began to choke on their blood, their eyes glazing over.

They stopped making the noises after that.

Rominaria dropped their body, staring at her own hands with wide eyes. She had enjoyed the feeling of their life in her hands. She shakily turned towards her squad. They were all staring at her with looks of horror on their faces.

“I,” She started, not knowing what to say.

“You’re a monster.” Omega said quietly, her eyes wide. Rominaria took a step towards the group and Hunter reflexively pulled Omega behind him.

“I didn’t, I didn’t mean to,” Rominaria choked out, panic flooding her veins.

Hunter’s face turned grim, his eyes on Rominaria’s hand. She looked down and saw that she was still gripping her ignited lightsaber tightly. Hunter raised his gun slowly.

Rominaria’s eyes shot open. Breathing heavily. She gripped the sides of her seat, her whole body shaking. “Another nightmare?” Hunter asked from across the cockpit. She flinched at the sound of his voice. She nodded slowly, not trusting her voice to stay steady. He slowly approached her. “Do you want to talk about it?” He asked her.

She shook her head. “No.” She told him quickly. “Thank you, though.” She finished, forcing a small smile onto her face. “Are we almost there?” She asked the man. They had been sent on a job by Cid to transport weapons to a buyer.

Hunter nodded. “We’ll be landing soon.” He told her.

Rominaria made her way to the refresher, splashing water in her face. She stared at her reflection for a long moment. She ran her hands through her hair before pulling it back into a bun. She took a deep breath, shaking away the last remnants of her dream from her mind.

As she stepped out of the refresher and was making her way back to the cockpit, Omega ran up to her. “You’re awake!” She said with a grin. Rominaria smiled at the young clone, forcing away the image of her horrified face. “Tech said we’re about to land.” Omega told her.

Once they had landed, Hunter stepped out first, Wrecker following close behind as he carried two crates full of weapons. Echo and Tech followed their brothers, and Rominaria and Omega both took a seat on the stairs.

In front of them, three twi’leks stood waiting. “Are you Gobi?” Hunter asked. “Cid sent us.”

“Along with three dozen blasters and a case of thermal detonators.” Tech added.

“Let’s see them.” The male twi’lek, Gobi, said. Wrecker set down the crates. The youngest of the three twi’leks approached the pair sitting on the stairs.

“What type of ship is this?” The girl asked the two of them, looking up at the Havoc Marauder in awe.

“A modified Omicron-class attack shuttle.” Rominaria responded immediately, smiling softly at the girl.

“Can I have a look inside?” The twi’lek asked.

“Can she come aboard?” Omega asked Rominaria, who nodded. “Okay. You can come up.” Omega told her with a wide smile. “But no funny business.”

“Funny business?” The twi’lek girl responded, sounding confused.

“Uh huh. I’ll be watching you.” Omega told her. The young clone stood up and the two of them made their way inside the ship. Rominaria smiled softly to herself. She watched the rest of the batch continue talking with Cid’s clients.

“Building an arsenal attracts attention.” Hunter was telling Gobi. “You better know what you’re getting into.”

“We don’t have a choice.” Gobi responded with a frown. “Hera, we’re leaving.” He said as Omega and the girl stepped out of the ship.

Rominaria stood up slowly, smiling at the young twi’lek. “Stay safe, Hera.” She told her softly.

Hera smiled and nodded. “You too.” She told her. Rominaria couldn’t explain it but she had a feeling that the twi’lek would grow to be an incredible woman one day. The three of them walked over to where the rest of the batch were standing and Hera ran over to her ship.

“Make a new friend?” Hunter asked the young clone who was standing beside him.

“She’s kind of strange. I like her.” Omega responded with a smile. “Did you know flying’s about a feeling?” Omega asked her brothers and Rominaria’s smile grew. The young clone walked back to the ship and Tech’s helmet tilted to the side.

“What feeling?” Tech questioned.

Rominaria was in a quiet corner of the ship. Her legs crossed underneath her and her eyes closed. She hadn’t been meditating as often as she used to and it was bothering her. She took a deep breath, focusing her mind as she silently recited the familiar mantra to herself.

There is no emotion, there is peace. 

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. 

There is no passion, there is serenity. 

There is no chaos, there is harmony. 

There is no death, there is the Force.

She focused her mind, letting the sense of calm take over all of her senses. Ever since she was a youngling in the temple, meditation had always been the only way she truly felt calm. When she meditated, she felt as if the Force surrounded her in a strong embrace.

She focused her thoughts on Anakin, wanting to know that her friend was alright. That he had survived. She searched the Force for any trace of him, but her search came up empty. She frowned.

She took another deep breath. “What are you doing?” Omega’s voice broke the silence. Rominaria smiled slightly, but remained in her position.

“Meditating.” She told the girl, her eyes still closed.

“Can I join you?” The young clone asked and Rominaria nodded slowly. She heard Omega sit down in front of her and smiled softly to herself. They sat in silence for a long moment before Omega spoke again. “I don’t get it. How do you stay focused so well?” She asked the woman, her voice sounding frustrated.

Rominaria opened her mouth to respond. “Omega, don’t distract Aria while she’s meditating.” Hunter’s voice shouted from the other room.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” The young clone apologized quickly. Rominaria could hear the sounds of her getting up. “I’ll leave you alone so that you can focus.” She finished and Rominaria listened to the sound of the young girl quickly exiting the room.

Rominaria stayed where she was for a few more hours before slowly opening her eyes. She stood up, stretching her limbs. She made her way to the cockpit of the ship, where the rest of the squad were gathered.

“Aria!” Omega said with a grin, jumping out of her seat and running over to the woman. “I was just telling Hunter that he should let us braid his hair.” Rominaria laughed.

Hunter shook his head. “I told you no multiple times, Omega. She’s not going to change my mind.”

“It’s not his fault.” Rominaria said, a grin forming on her face. “Hunter’s just allergic to being pretty.” She told Omega with a smirk.

Omega gasped. “I didn’t know you could be allergic to that.” She said in shock.

Rominaria laughed again. “Omega, I was being sarcastic. He’s not allergic to it, he’s just boring.”

Omega nodded, a look of understanding on her face. “So you’re just boring, that makes sense.” She said to Hunter, nodding slowly.

Hunter groaned. “Fine.” He told the two of them and Omega jumped up and down with glee. “Do you even know how to braid hair?” He questioned Omega and she paused.

“No,” She said slowly. “But Aria can braid it and I’ll watch so that I’ll know how to next time.”

“There won’t be a next time.” Hunter told her, a serious look on his face.

Rominaria snorted. “Sure there won’t.” She said with a grin, approaching the man and pulling a hair tie out of her pocket. Omega’s face was focused as she watched Rominaria braid the man's hair. When she was finished, she used the hair tie to tie it off and Omega smiled.

“See, you look great Hunter.” She told him with a grin which Rominaria shared.

Wrecker looked over at the three of them and laughed when he saw Hunter. “The things I do for you.” Hunter said to Omega with an exaggerated shake of his head, a small smile on his face.

Rominaria smiled, taking a seat in one of the chairs. The connection that Hunter had with the young clone was heartwarming.

“Hunter,” Tech said, catching their attention. “We are receiving a recorded transmission, but I do not recognize its frequency.” He finished, a slight frown on his face.

“Patch it through.” Hunter told his brother.

A twi’lek appeared in front of them. It was Hera.

Chapter Text

“Hunter,” Tech said, catching their attention. “We are receiving a recorded transmission, but I do not recognize its frequency.” He finished, a slight frown on his face.

“Patch it through.” Hunter told his brother.

A twi’lek appeared in front of them. It was Hera.

Rominaria frowned, the young twi’lek’s face seemed tense. “Omega, it’s Hera. You have to come back to Ryloth.”

“Isn’t she the kid from the weapons drop?” Wrecker asked. Omega ran over from where she had been standing next to Gonky.

“Hera?” Omega questioned with a frown.

“The Empire’s taken my parents, and they’re after me now too. I’m sending the coordinates. Please hurry. I need your help.” The recording ended.

“You gave her our comm channel?” Hunter asked Omega, his voice tense. Rominaria shot him a look.

“For emergencies, and that sounded pretty urgent.” Omega said, turning to Hunter. Rominaria nodded in agreement, standing and making her way over to Omega. “We have to go.” Omega finished.

“Perhaps the situation is not as dire as described.” Tech said, and Rominaria frowned. “Children often overreact.”

“No, we don’t.” Omega shot back. “You heard her. She needs us.”

“I agree with Omega,” Rominaria said, crossing her arms over her chest. “Hera’s message did not seem to be an overreaction. I believe that she is in danger.”

“It’s a big galaxy.” Hunter said to the two of them, putting a hand on Omega’s shoulder. “We can’t put ourselves on the line every time someone’s in trouble.”

“Why not? Isn’t that what soldiers do?” Omega questioned immediately.

“Omega, Hunter just wants to keep you safe.” Rominaria told the young girl slowly. “And Hunter, Omega is right. Sometimes, doing the right thing means making the hard choice.” She finished.

Hunter sighed. “You’re right, Omega.” He told the girl slowly.

Rominaria smiled and made her way back to her seat, sitting down and closing her eyes as the ship made its way to Ryloth.

“Get back on the ship!” Rominaria yelled, causing the young girl to turn around where she stood on the edge of the ramp. “Koyi, get back on the ship right now!” 

And then the blaster fire began. Before Rominaria could yell at her not to, Koyi had pulled out her lightsaber to deflect it as she began backing up onto the ship. Her actions seemed to only aggravate the approaching troopers more. 

“Hurry!” Rominaria yelled, sighing in relief when Koyi made it back up the ramp and it began to close.

“See, I’m okay.” Koyi told her with a smile as she turned to face her, which quickly dropped as she looked down. She started to hyperventilate and Rominaria followed her eyes to where a knife was buried in the young girl’s stomach. In the haste of deflecting the blaster fire, she had failed to see the weapon being thrown at her.

“Koyi, Koyi can you hear me?” Rominaria asked her, her own voice beginning to shake. This couldn’t be happening again. Why was this happening to her again?

“Rominaria,” The young Jedi said in a soft and sad voice. “Please, I don’t wanna die.”

“Shh come here,” Rominaria said softly, kneeling down and pulling the young girl into her lap. She looked at the people around her, silently begging for help. But she knew that at the rate that the blood was pouring out of the young girl’s stomach, there wasn’t much that they could do without a bacta tank. “It’s alright, young one. Trust in the Force.” She told her, forcing her own voice not to shake and the tears not to spill as she gently caressed the young girl's green skin.

Koyi forced a smile onto her face. “May the Force be with you,” She said softly to the woman holding her before her eyes slowly went unfocused. Only then did Rominaria let the tears spill. She felt like she couldn’t breathe. Like nothing would ever be okay again. She couldn’t save her just like she couldn’t save her padawan.

“You’re a failure. All you do is get the people around you killed.” A voice said from behind her. Rominaria didn’t open her eyes, too overcome with grief to care. “You lack conviction. But, with my help, we can fix that. All you have to do is join me and all of your pain will go away. Join me.”

Rominaria sat up with a gasp, her heart pounding in her chest. She felt like she couldn’t breathe. Tears welled in her eyes and she fought the urge to let them spill. Hunter was at her side immediately.

“Hey, hey, hey, you’re safe. It was just a dream. You’re safe.” He said in a calm voice, not touching her as he knew that would only make things worse.

Rominaria couldn’t meet the man’s eyes. Still gasping for air. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, resting her head against them. She couldn’t get the image of the young girl to leave her mind. You couldn’t save her. All you do is hurt people. You’re a monster and you should be put down like one.

Rominaria didn’t realize Hunter was speaking again until a gentle hand was placed on her knee. She flinched at the contact and he removed his hand immediately. “Aria,” He said softly, sighing when she didn’t respond. “Rominaria, you can’t keep doing this.” He told her.

She looked up slowly, wiping the tears staining her cheeks. She took a shaky breath. “I, I know. It’s immature and it’s not the Jedi way-” Hunter cut her off immediately.

“That’s not what I meant.” He told her, his voice gentle. She finally met his eyes. His face was full of concern and her frown deepened. Why did everyone keep treating her like a wounded animal? “You need to talk to someone about it, Aria. You’ve had a nightmare every time you’ve fallen asleep since you’ve been back with us.”

She shook her head. “I can’t talk about it, Hunter.”

The man sighed. “At least think about it. When you’re ready, any one of us is here to listen.” He told her.

Koyi’s face flashed before her eyes again. You’re going to get them hurt too. “I’ll think about it.” She lied.

As they approached Ryloth, Tech used the coordinates Hera had sent them to find what seemed to be a hideout in the rocky mountainside. The ship landed and they all stepped out.

An astromech approached them, chattering away and waving its mechanical arms at them. “What’s his problem?” Wrecker question.

“Thank you for coming.” Hera said, walking towards them. “I wasn’t sure you would.”

“You said you were in trouble.”  Omega responded, approaching the girl with Hunter following close behind.

“Care to tell us why the Empire is after you?” Hunter questioned.

“Because my father is Cham Syndulla.” Hera told them and the pieces clicked into place in Rominaria’s mind.

“The freedom fighter?” Rominaria asked, her voice gentle.

“Yes.” Hera responded. “This was his old command outpost. It’s where I’ve been hiding.” She told them. “The Empire’s begun targeting anyone loyal to him.”

“What do you want us to do?” Echo asked her.

“Free my parents from the Capitol. That’s where they’re being held.” She told them and Rominaria tensed. Hunter crossed his arms over his chest and frowned. “They can pay you if you get them out. Please. I don’t have anyone else to ask.”

Rominaria’s demeanor softened and she approached the young girl, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. Hunter spoke up. “Let’s see what we’re up against first. But no guarantees.” He told her.

They looked at the capitol from their spot on one of the mountains, peering down at the scene through their binoculars. Hera’s astromech patched through the audio of the speech that was being given.

“The perpetrators of this heinous assassination attempt have been captured.”

Rominaria’s brow furrowed. “Assassination attempt?” She questioned.

“That’s not what happened.” Hera responded quickly.

“Rest assured, Cham Syndulla and his insurgents…”

Rominaria tuned out the rest of the man’s sentence, her eyes finding an all too familiar figure. She froze. “Hunter,” Rominaria said slowly, her voice tense. “Crosshair’s here.”

“Great.” Wrecker said. “Just what we need.” Hunter signaled for them to move back and everyone but Hera and Omega followed suit.

They backed away from the edge, turning to each other. “The plasma bridge into the city’s been deactivated.” Hunter told them.

“Well, I say we fly in and blow our way out.” Wrecker said and Rominaria shook her head.

“The Capitol scanners would detect our ship.” Rominaria responded.

“I don’t like the look of this.” Tech told them with a frown. “The troop presence here is similar to that of Raxus. This is a military occupation.” Rominaria tensed at his words.

“Ryloth’s not a separatist planet.” Echo responded.

“Exactly my point.” Tech replied.

Just then, Rominaria felt something. She turned to Hunter, and he nodded to show that he had sensed it as well. “Wait here.” Hunter told them and Rominaria nodded. Hunter quickly moved away from them. A few moments later, a probe droid with Hunter on top of it came crashing down.

Hunter pulled his knife from the droid and they all gathered around it. “Oh, good. A probe droid.” Tech said.

“The Empire will know we’re here.” Echo responded.

“And so will Crosshair.” Rominaria finished for him, a deep frown on her face.

“Come on, let’s move.” Hunter said and they all followed quickly behind.

They were back at the old base, frowns on everyone's faces. “All my father wanted was peace on Ryloth.” Hera said. “Why is this happening?”

“He’s a voice the people stand behind.” Echo explained to the girl. “That makes him a threat to the Empire.”

“I don’t care about any of that.” Hera responded. “I just want my parents back.” Rominaria’s heart ached for the young girl. Nobody deserved this. 

Hera’s astromech, Chopper, chattered loudly as he exited the Marauder. Tech followed quickly behind. “We’re all over the Imperial comm channels.” He told them. “They’ve increased patrols within the city.” Rominaria swallowed thickly, her whole body tense.

“Crosshair will expect an attack.” Rominaria said slowly.

Hunter nodded. “The element of surprise is gone. There’s nothing we can do.” He told the young twi’lek.

“Wait, you can’t leave.” Hera responded immediately.

“I told you no guarantees.” Hunter said to her. “We’ll get you off world and take you someplace safe.” Hunter moved to walk away and Hera grabbed his arm.

“Stop!” She said quickly. “I’ll pay you double.” She said, her voice desperate.

“All the money in the galaxy won’t matter if we’re dead.” Hunter told her. Rominaria frowned but didn’t disagree with the man’s words. “What you’re asking us to do, it’s not worth the risk.” He finished.

“Not to you.” Hera responded, walking away.

“You shouldn’t have said that.” Omega said to Hunter, a frown on her face.

“Being strategic means knowing your limitations, Omega.” Hunter told her,

“She’s trying to save her family, Hunter.” Omega responded, walking away from him. “I’d do the same for you.”

Hunter frowned and Rominaria placed a hand on his shoulder. “Hunter,” Rominaria said softly, he turned towards her. “She’ll understand. You just want to keep her safe.”

Hunter nodded. “I know. I just can’t help but think that she’d be better off without us.” He said with a sigh, running a hand down his face.

“She’s one of us.” Rominaria told him, a small smile on her face. “We’ll figure it out, as a team.” She finished, patting his shoulder before making her way back onto the ship.

They were all on the Marauder when Hera and Omega came to them with their plan.

“Attack the Capitol? Wh- That was my plan.” Wrecker said, a grin forming on his face.

“Not the Capitol.” Omega corrected him. “The Imperial refinery on the outskirts.”

“I’ve been spying on their activity.” Hera told them. “I know their routine. If we attack there, reinforcements will be diverted from the Capitol.”

“We can use that distraction to rescue Hera’s parents.” Omega finished. Rominaria smiled at the two girls.

“Any heavy defenses at the refinery?” Echo asked the two of them.

“Five perimeter cannons, but they are unmanned.” Hera told them, gesturing to the hologram in front of them.

“Auto cannons are extremely vulnerable.” Tech told them and Rominaria nodded in agreement.

“Where is the control console?” Rominaria asked the young twi’lek.

Hera pointed to a spot on the hologram. “Right inside the main gate.” She told them. “It’s heavily guarded, but Chopper can slip inside with all of the other droids and disable the cannons."

Rominaria and Hunter glanced at each other, silently agreeing. “All right. You two go with Chopper as backup, but at a distance.” Hunter told the two girls.

“Really?” Hera and Omega said at the same time, clearly both in shock that he had agreed to their plan.

“By themselves?” Tech questioned.

“Tech and Wrecker, wait until those cannons are down and move in.” Rominaria said immediately, a plan forming in her head. “Echo, Hunter, and I will scale the Capitol wall and free Hera’s parents. We’ll follow your lead.” She finished, directing the final part to the two girls. Hera and Omega smiled at her.

“Are you sure it is the best idea for you to go to the Capitol?” Tech asked her. “Crosshair will be there.”

Rominaria tensed. “I know.” She told him.

The three of them scaled the wall. A trooper looked down at Echo as Hunter and Rominaria snuck up to the top. “A little help?” Echo said to the trooper, while Rominaria used her blaster to stun the other trooper on the wall.

“Hey.” Hunter said to the trooper looking down at Echo. The trooper turned to him, and Hunter punched the man. The clone trooper fell to the ground, unconscious. They silently made their way through, stunning troopers before they would be able to react.

They found the holding cells and made quick work of the guards inside. Echo used his scomp to unlock the cells holding Hera’s parents. Unlocking the rest of Cham’s fighter’s cells next. “What are you doing here?” Gobi asked the three of them. His face filled with confusion.

“Breaking you out.” Rominaria told them with a grin.

“You know them?” Hera’s father, Cham, asked him.

“They are mercenaries. But I didn’t hire them for this.” Gobi responded, frowning.

“Hera did.” Hunter told them.

“Hera? Where is she? Is she safe?” Cham asked, rushing out of the cell.

“Yes.” Rominaria said quickly. “And if you want to see her again, I would suggest coming with us. Now.”

They all rushed from the room, heading back out. Cham turned to her as they ran. “I know you from somewhere.” He said to Rominaria and she tensed, silently praying to the Force that he didn’t recognize her.

“I can assure you, you don’t.” She told him, her voice tense.

They were approaching a large door when they were stopped. “Cham, wait.” A voice said from behind them and they all spun around. “You’re walking into a trap.” The clone trooper told them and Rominaria immediately recognized him. Howzer. “There’s a squad out there waiting.” Howzer told them, taking his helmet off. His eyes landed on Rominaria and widened momentarily before he looked back at Cham.

“Why should we trust you?” Gobi asked him.

“Because I’m on your side.” He told them, this time making eye contact with Rominaria. “What the Empire is doing is wrong.” He said, stepping towards them. “You have to get out of here. They have the exits blocked.” Rominaria nodded. She could sense the life forms waiting outside of the door. She could sense him outside of the door.

“We can use Senator Taa’s shuttle in his private tower hangar.” Hera’s mother, Eleni, told them.

“I’m sorry, General. I should’ve stopped this sooner.” Howzer said to Cham, a deep frown on his face.

Cham put a hand on the man’s shoulder. “Our fight for Ryloth is not over.” Cham told him. “We will return.”

“You can’t stay here.” Rominaria spoke up. “They’ll know that you helped us.” She told Howzer.

“I will not abandon my squad.” Howzer told her and she smiled softly, understanding. “They’re good men. I have to try to get through to them.” He said, looking down. “Go, while there’s still time."

They began to head towards the tower hangar. Rominaria stopped for a moment. “Thank you, Howzer.” She said softly to the man, patting his shoulder with a gentle smile on her face.

He nodded and she followed the group. She caught up to Hunter and Echo, and began walking alongside them. They all rushed to the tower. Entering the hangar and boarding the shuttle quickly. They took off, exiting the hangar. A few shots were fired at them, and Rominaria knew it was Crosshair.

She sighed, resting her head against the wall of the ship behind her.

When they met with the rest of the squad at the old base, they made their way off of the shuttle. Hera’s mother held out a case of credits to Hunter and Rominaria. “Here’s the payment Hera promised.”

Rominaria smiled softly at the woman. “Keep it.” She told her. “You’ll need it.”

“These occupations are happening on other planets besides Ryloth.” Hunter told them.

“I hoped to have fought my last war.” Cham told them, wrapping an arm around his wife. “But our people need us now more than ever. We must organize.”

“Well, that’s not something we can help with, General.” Hunter said. “I have my own people to look out for.” He finished, looking behind him at the rest of their crew. Rominaria nodded in agreement.

“If a war is coming, it will be their fight as much as ours.” Eleni told the two of them. “Come along, Hera.”

Hera and Omega ran over to the four of them. “Tech showed me how to scramble a ship’s signature.” Hera told them, a smile on her face.

“We will soon see how well it works.” Eleni responded. “It is time for us to go.” She told them.

“Stay safe.” Rominaria told them, a kind smile on her face. Cham and Eleni boarded the shuttle. Hera stopped to speak to Omega.

Rominaria and Hunter made their way over to the rest of their squad. Rominaria stopped him for a moment before they reached the rest of the group. “Hunter,” She said quietly, so that only he could hear her. “Can we make a stop before we leave the planet?” She asked.

His brow furrowed but he nodded. “Of course.”

The ship landed in a small clearing. Rominaria took a shaky breath as she exited the ship. “I won’t be gone long.” She told Hunter before exiting the ship.

She made her way through the jungle, taking deep breaths as she did so. Rominaria found the large pile of rocks easily and kneeled down in front of them.

“I’m so sorry, Koyi.” She said softly, tears welling in her eyes. “I couldn’t save you. I’m sorry.” She closed her eyes and stayed there for a long moment.

She heard rustling behind her and looked up, quickly wiping the tears from her eyes. “It’s just me.” Hunter told her and she sighed.

“I asked you to stay on the ship.” She said quietly, her voice still shaking.

“I know, I’m sorry.” He apologized, kneeling down beside her and looking at the pile of rocks. “You shouldn’t be alone, though.”

She sighed. She knew that he was right, but she wouldn’t admit it out loud.

“Who’s buried here?” He asked cautiously, not wanting to push any boundaries.

Rominaria looked at the young girl's resting place. With a sigh, she told him everything that had happened while she was with Saw. When she was finished, Hunter looked at her with understanding eyes.

“That wasn’t your fault, Aria.” He said softly, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

“I can’t save anyone, Hunter.” Rominaria said quietly, her voice defeated. Hunter frowned, but let her continue. “First Aayla, and now Koyi. How many more children will die because of my failures?” She asked, her voice shaking.

Hunter sighed. Without another word, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his chest. Rominaria’s whole body tensed for a moment, before she slowly wrapped her arms around the man. Something inside of her snapped and tears began to pour down her face. Her body shook as she cried. “It wasn’t your fault.” Hunter repeated softly as she clutched onto him.

Eventually, when the tears had stopped, she pulled away. Not meeting Hunter’s eyes, she spoke. “Thank you, Hunter.”

“Aria,” He said softly, and she looked up at him. “When you need to talk, I’m here.” He told her, his voice gentle.

He thinks you’re pathetic. “We should get back to the ship.” She said, looking away from him.

Chapter Text

It had been a few weeks since Rominaria had begun working with her new squad. She hadn’t spoken to the sniper once when it wasn’t about a mission. She didn’t want to speak to him after what he had said. His attitude clearly hadn’t changed about her either.

“General,” Tech said, addressing the woman as he entered the cockpit of the ship.

“Tech,” She responded, frowning slightly. “I told you already that you can just call me my name.”

Tech ignored her, continuing with what he was saying. “We’ve just received orders.” Rominaria straightened in her seat. They hadn’t had a mission in a few days and she was anxious to do more. To get her mind off of the things that she otherwise would think about.

“What’s the mission?” She asked the man quickly.

Tech frowned. “I anticipate that you will not be happy when you hear what the orders are.” He warned her and she shared his frown.

“Why?” She asked him slowly. He handed her his data pad and she looked down at it, her eyes skimming over the text on the screen. Her brow furrowed and she sighed. “Of course, I would get stuck with him.” She said quietly. “When do we leave?”

When the Marauder arrived on the outer rim planet, Rominaria and Crosshair stepped outside. Hunter followed behind them. “Remember, this is a stealth mission. So get in, get the information, and get out. No one needs to know you’re there.” Hunter told them and Rominaria nodded.

Crosshair rolled his eyes but didn’t say anything. The two of them began the long walk through the forest. The ship had to land where it wouldn’t be seen, so they would have to walk the rest of the way to the separatist stronghold.

After a few minutes of walking, Rominaria spoke up. “I have a question.” She said to Crosshair slowly. The only indication that he heard her was the momentary turn of his helmet towards her. “Why do you hate me so much?” She asked him.

“Who said I hate you?” Crosshair responded, his tone mocking.

Rominaria shot him a look. “I haven’t done anything to you. I understand that you’re angry about me being assigned to you guys, but that wasn’t my choice. You don’t get to blame me for that.”

“Focus on the mission, cyar’ika.” He said, a smirk evident in his voice.

Her brows furrowed, not recognizing the word. “What did you just call me?” She asked him.

“Nothing.” Crosshair said. She rolled her eyes. The man was aggravating beyond comparison.

When they had finished the mission and returned to the ship, Rominaria immediately made her way to Tech who was alone in the cockpit. “Tech,” She started and the man turned towards her. “What does cyar’ika mean?” She asked the question that had been floating around her mind.

Tech’s brows furrowed. “Cyar’ika is a mando’a word. It means darling.” He told her and she frowned. “Why?”

“No reason.” She told him, quickly leaving to go find the smug son of a bitch. Tech frowned in confusion, before looking back down at his data pad.

Rominaria found Crosshair immediately. He was alone in the ship's barracks, sitting on his bunk and cleaning his rifle. She didn’t say a word, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at him. Slowly, his eyes flitted up to her and he smirked. “You have a staring problem, cyar’ika.” He told her

“Don’t call me that.” She said immediately.

“And why shouldn’t I?” The man responded, his amused eyes returning to his gun.

“It’s not appropriate.” She shot back. “I can report you for inappropriate behavior, you know.” She told him, her hands dropping to her sides.

He almost laughed. “You won’t.”

He was right, but she wouldn’t admit that. “And why shouldn’t I?” She asked, her tone now mocking as she copied his earlier words. He looked back up at her, setting his rifle in its case and standing up. He walked towards her and she fought the instincts telling her to step back. He towered over her and she silently cursed the Kaminoans. He didn’t speak, just held eye contact with her, Rominaria raised her eyebrows at the man. “What?”

“You’re nervous.” He said, the amusement in his voice crystal clear.

“No, I’m not.” Rominaria responded. She was lying, of course, her heart was hammering in her chest.

Crosshair glanced down at her hands momentarily, before looking back to her eyes. “You’re picking your nails.” He said and Rominaria’s eyebrows furrowed. “You do that when you’re nervous.” Rominaria froze for a moment.

“What?” She asked in total confusion.

Crosshair smirked and moved past her, heading to the door to leave the room. “You’re easier to read than you think, cyar’ika.” He told her, leaving before she could tell him not to call her that name again.

Rominaria frowned for a long moment. She hadn’t even noticed that she did that. 

Shaking her head, she walked back to the cockpit. As she entered, her whole body froze in horror. Her entire crew’s bodies were littered across the floor. Bloody. She opened her mouth but no sound came out. This isn’t what happened. This isn’t how this went. What’s happening?

A hand grabbed her shoulder firmly. She turned towards the person, trying to make out their face. “If you join me, you’ll never have to lose them. All you have to do is join me, Rominaria.”

Rominaria’s eyes shot open. She steadied her breathing and quickly excused herself from the cockpit, making her way to a separate room to meditate. She needed some form of clarity.

Chapter Text

It had been weeks since Ryloth. Rominaria hadn’t mentioned what had happened once. And Hunter was starting to worry. In the time that he had known the woman, he had never seen her break down as often as she had been lately. She was family. And he hated to see her feeling this way.

Hunter was never good with emotions. Especially not with other people’s emotions. But Rominaria was like his sister, and he would do anything for his family.

They were on a mission for Cid and she was currently meditating in the other room. Hunter heard her move from her position, and made his way to where she was. He entered the room and she froze for a moment. “We need to talk.”

She kept her face emotionless, but Hunter heard her heart rate increase. “About?” She asked slowly.

He took a step towards her and saw her visibly flinch at the action. “What’s going on, Aria?” He asked her, frowning.

“I don’t know what you mean.” She responded, her eyes staring at the wall behind him.

“Rominaria,” He said, his voice serious. “I’m serious. We’re talking about the nightmares. Now.”

She let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through her hair. “Hunter, I can’t. You wouldn’t understand.”

“Prove it.” He said, crossing his arms over his chest with a frown.

She groaned. “You all keep dying.” She said quickly, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at him. “You keep dying and I can’t save you.”

Hunter didn’t respond immediately, trying to process what she had said. “What?”

She ignored his question, continuing. “And then there’s this person that tells me if I join them, it won’t happen. And I swear that I know them but I can’t see their face or make out their voice. And the only time you guys do survive, is if I kill the person coming for us. But I can’t kill them unless I-” She stopped, clearly not meaning to say all of that.

“Aria,” Hunter said, slowly approaching her. He placed his hands on her shoulders. “That’s not going to happen.” He told her.

He saw tears well in her eyes and frowned. “You don’t understand.” She said quietly, her voice shaking. “I, I saw her die.” She took a deep breath. “I saw Aayla die weeks before it happened. Before we even stepped foot on Umbara.”

Hunter’s mind was racing at this information. He pulled the woman into his arms, holding her in a tight embrace as she cried. If she had visions of her padawan dying, could the visions she’s having now be real?

“It’s my fault.” Rominaria said shakily against his chest, stopping his train of thought. “I saw her die before it happened, I could have stopped it. If I had just, if I had just gotten to her faster. Maybe…” She trailed off, sobbing quietly against his armor.

“Aria,” Hunter said softly, trying to find the words to comfort her. What could comfort her? “It wasn’t your fault.” He told her, pulling away to look into her eyes. “It wasn’t your fault.” He said again when she met his eyes.

“But it was, Hunter.” She said, her voice barely audible. “I can’t,” She didn’t finish her sentence and Hunter’s brows furrowed.

“You can’t what?” He asked gently.

“I can’t watch you all die. Again.” She said, her whole demeanor defeated.

“I’m sorry, Aria.” He told her, removing his hands from her shoulders.

She sighed. “It’s not your fault.” She walked past him and exited the room.

Rominaria ran a hand through her hair, sitting down in one of the cockpit seats. “Hey, Aria?” Omega said, coming up to her. The woman forced a soft smile onto her face.

“What’s up?” She asked the girl. Omega looked down nervously.

“What was it like before the war?” Omega asked her.

Rominaria thought for a long moment, flashes of her childhood in the Jedi temple. Training with her master. “It was peaceful.” She told Omega, a small genuine smile on her lips.

There was a beeping noise and Rominaria glanced towards the source of the sound. “We’re being hailed.” Wrecker told them as Hunter entered the cockpit. “It's… Rex.” Wrecker finished. They all walked over to Wrecker.

A hologram of Rex appeared in front of them and Rominaria smiled softly. “Hello, boys.” He started. “Sorry to cut right to it, but I could use your help.”

“What do you need, Captain?” Hunter asked the man.

“I received a distress signal from a clone trooper,” Rex told them. “But I’m a bit tied up at the moment to retrieve him.”

“You want us to recover a reg?” Hunter asked.

“He’s an old friend, and he’s in trouble.” Rex responded. “I need you to get him out.”

“Out of what, exactly?” Rominaria asked slowly.

“Can’t talk right now. Sending you his signal. I’ll be in touch.” Rex said quickly. The hologram ended. They all frowned.

“What was that about?” Wrecker asked.

“The distress signal sent by CC-5576 is originating from Daro,” Tech told them. “A terrestrial planet in the Outer Rim with no known settlements or installations.”

“What’s he doing all the way out there?” Hunter questioned.

“Well, does it matter?” Echo responded. 

“We’ve gone on missions before without much intel.” Hunter said. “But this would be stretching it.”

“Rex wouldn’t ask us for help if it wasn’t urgent.” Echo said.

“Echo’s got a point.” Wrecker said.

“May I remind you we are in the middle of a job for Cid. If we deviate, we will not be compensated.” Tech told them, a frown on his face. “No money means no food.”

“Oh, yeah. Tech’s got a point.” Wrecker responded.

“But Rex’s friend is in trouble.” Omega said with a frown. “That’s more important than getting paid.” Rominaria nodded.

“Well, the kid's got a point.” Wrecker said, causing Rominaria to laugh quietly

Rominaria glanced towards Hunter, who was deep in thought. They shared a look before the woman spoke. “We’ll check things out.”

Hunter nodded in agreement. “I don’t like it.”  He said quietly with a sigh.

As they approached Daro, Rominaria got up from her seat and stared out of the large window. “We are approaching Daro’s atmosphere.” Tech told them. “I’ll bring us in low to avoid any possible tracking scanners.”

“We’re banking a lot on a clone we don’t even know.” Hunter said slowly.

Rominaria frowned at his words. “Rex trusts him. And I trust Rex.” She responded.

The Havoc Marauder landed and they exited it. “The signal is coming from that direction.” Tech told the group, pointing in front of them. They walked forward slowly. “The beacon should be right ahead.” Omega jogged forward and found a small blinking device attached to a fallen tree.

“Found it.” She said with a grin.

“So, where’s this reg?” Wrecker questioned. Hunter took off his helmet and looked around slowly. Rominaria glanced at the beacon that Omega had handed to Tech.

“Can I look at that for a moment?” She asked the man. Tech handed her the device.

The minute she touched it, her vision flashed white momentarily and she gasped.

A man in partial clone trooper armor was running through the woods. His helmet was off and he looked scared. The sky was dark. Troopers with tracking hounds chased after him.

He reached a cliff and stopped running, nearly falling. He turned and ran in a different direction. A hound approached and he sighed, squatting and placing a tracking beacon on a fallen tree.

He stood up slowly as the hounds surrounded him. He jumped over the tree and ran. He was hit by a stun blast and stumbled. He continued limping forward quickly. Another stun blast hit him and he fell to the ground, unconscious. 

A trooper walked up to him, grabbing an arm, and dragging him.

Rominaria gasped for air as her vision returned. What the hell was that? She took in her surroundings and realized that she was on the ground. The group was gathered around her, all of their faces concerned. She sat up slowly, clutching her head. The pain was fading slowly.

“Aria,” Echo said slowly, frowning. “What happened?”

“I don’t know." She told him, taking a deep breath. “Uh, the clone was chased and captured by other troopers.” She told them, gathering what she had seen.

Hunter nodded in agreement. “I know.” He said.

“He was dragged away.” She told them. “The tracks are probably still there.”

“I found the tracks, we were just waiting for you.” Hunter told her. She frowned.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened.” She said quietly as they began following the tracks.

“Hang on.” Hunter said, squatting and touching the dirt in front of him. He looked up at the mountain in front of them. “There’s something here, inside that mountain.” He told them.

“I believe you are right.” Tech responded, looking down at his data pad. “My scans are being jammed.”

Rominaria tensed. “You said there was nothing on this planet.” Wrecker said with a groan.

“That data appears to be inaccurate.” Tech responded.

“Wrecker, you and Omega wait on the ship.” Rominaria said and Hunter nodded in agreement.

“Wait, why can’t-” Hunter cut Omega off.

“Coming here was up for debate. This isn’t.” He told the young clone.

The rest of them headed towards the mountain as Wrecker and Omega went back to the ship. Hunter squatted down once more, touching the ground.

“What is it?” Echo asked the man.

“A shuttle landed here.” Hunter told them, looking up at the mountain.

“What exactly is in that mountain?” Echo questioned.

Rominaria sighed. “Only one way to find out.”

They began scaling the tall mountain, moving quickly.

When they reached the top, they looked down into a carved-out area. “This looks like some form of military base.” Rominaria said quietly, frowning.

“Not one that I’ve ever heard of.” Tech responded.

The sound of a ship approaching came from overhead and they all ducked down. The ship landed inside of the base. “Come on. Let’s get a closer look.” Hunter said.

They all began making their way towards the base. Rominaria’s nerves were on edge and she silently cursed herself for leaving her lightsabers on the ship even though she knew it was the right choice. If someone spotted her, they couldn’t know that she was a Jedi.

They reached the edge of the base and looked down. Lying on their stomachs. “I’m clocking a couple of commandos and a squad of clone troopers.” Echo told them as he looked down through his binoculars. “And they’ve updated their armor.”

“Let me see.” Hunter responded and Echo passed the binoculars to the man.

“The mountain’s natural composition makes this base well-fortified and nearly impenetrable.” Tech told them as Hunter looked down.

“Lovely.” Rominaria responded.

Hunter passed the binoculars back to Echo. “This is no longer just a simple extraction.” Hunter said. “Let’s get back to the Marauder and leave word for Rex.”

They all stood up. Hunter and Tech began heading back to the ship, not realizing that Rominaria and Echo hadn’t moved from where they were standing.

“But what about the mission?” Echo asked them.

Rominaria nodded in agreement, crossing her arms over her chest. “We do not know for certain if CC-5576 is even in there.” Tech told them. “Or if he is still alive.”

“We’d be going in blind without any reinforcements.” Hunter said to the two of them.

“You did that on Skako Minor when you rescued me.” Echo responded to the two of them. Rominaria nodded in agreement with the man. “I’d still be trapped in that place if you hadn’t.”

“If there’s a chance that trooper’s being held against his will, we have to try to get him out.” Rominaria said.

Hunter sighed, turning his comm on. “Wrecker do you copy?” He asked.

“ Yeah, we hear ya. Did you find the reg? ” Wrecker’s voice said through the comms.

“Not yet.” Rominaria told the man through the comm on her wrist. “But we did find an Imperial base built inside of this mountain.”

“We’re going in.” Hunter said.

“ Wait for us! ” Omega’s voice said through the communicator. “ We’ll help. ”

“Negative. Stay on the ship. You’re our backup.” Hunter told the girl.

“Comms will be jammed once we’re inside, so keep alert.” Rominaria told them through the communicator.

“I’ll need to tap into the central database to pinpoint CC-5576’s location.” Tech told the group.

“There are entry points we can access in the lift shaft. That’s our way in.” Echo said.

Just then, one of the lift shafts came up and they all jumped onto it. Two troopers walked into the lift, oblivious to the four of them on top of it.

It began to lower quickly. “Get ready to jump.” Hunter told them. After a few more seconds, they all jumped onto the wall beside them. Holding onto the grooves tightly to keep from falling. They climbed over onto a ledge and crept through a doorway. It led to a long dark hall. Echo made his way over to a console and used his scomp to find the location of the trooper.

“Anything?” Rominaria asked quietly as she and Hunter kept watch.

“This encryption’s new. This might take a while.” Echo told them. Some troopers passed through a nearby hall and Rominaria tensed, one of her blasters in hand. “This doesn’t make sense.” Echo said quietly. “This muster report lists fifty clone commandos and a thousand TK troopers.”

“TK troopers?” Rominaria asked, confused.

“I’m not familiar with that designation.” Tech added.

Hunter ran over to them. “How much longer?” He asked Echo.

“Almost got it.” Echo responded. “Found him. Cellblock twenty-five, four levels down.”

They all moved quickly through the halls. When they arrived at the cellblock, they crept inside. Rominaria caught a trooper by surprise and swung hard, knocking the man unconscious. When all of the guards had been knocked out, they approached the cell.

Rominaria got there first. “Are you CC-5576?” She asked the clone who was sitting inside of the cell.

“That depends, who’s asking?” The man responded as Echo unlocked the cell.

“We’re friends of Rex. He sent us.” Rominaria told him.

The man chuckled to himself. “In that case, the name’s Gregor.” He said, approaching them. “Now let’s move out.”

They quickly crept through the halls, staying as quiet as possible. They had to hide multiple times when groups of troopers would pass by. 

They rounded a corner where a large group of troopers were. “They’re gathered for inspection.” Gregor told them. “There’s no way past ‘em.”

“If we can’t reach the lifts, we can’t get out of here.” Echo said slowly.

“I can redirect them.” Tech told the group, heading to a console on the wall and typing away.

“Armor like that, I take it you’re CCs like me?” Gregor asked the group minus Rominaria.

“CT-99s.” Hunter told the man.

“Defective clones?” Gregor responded with a chuckle. “If you ask me, it’s the ones who want to stay here who are really defective.”

“What was your assignment?” Rominaria asked the man.

“I was an instructor-” Gregor was cut off by the sound of a loud alarm blaring.

They all looked around, startled. “What’s going on, Tech?” Hunter asked.

“I keyed a Code-16 to redirect their forces.” He told them. “I don’t know what happened.”

“Clone codes don’t work here.” Gregor told the man. “You just triggered a security alert.” Rominaria tensed.

Troopers ran over to them, firing their blasters. They fired stun blasts back, taking cover. Tech threw a smoke bomb and the group used it to run up to the troopers. Rominaria fired a stun blast, knocking a trooper unconscious.

She was grabbed from behind and yanked backwards, nearly losing her footing. She turned to face the trooper and ducked, barely missing the swing of their fist. She lunged at the man, toppling him to the ground and using her blaster to stun him.

When all of the troopers were unconscious, Hunter grabbed one of their keycards. “Is there another way off this base?” He asked Gregor.

“Only one way out. Up.” Gregor responded.

“Look at this.” Tech said, getting their attention. He had taken the helmet off of one of the men. “These are not clone troopers.”

Gregor scoffed. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.” He told them. “These are our replacements. If you can believe that.”

They began running as more troopers approached, firing stun blasts behind them. They ran through hallway after hallway, stunning troopers that approached. “Are you sure you know where you’re going?” Tech asked Gregor as they turned down another hall.

“Hey, I’m the one who escaped here before.” Gregor responded.

“And you were captured.” Tech shot back.

“After I made it out.” Gregor said. They stunned more troopers and stopped for a moment.

“I thought you said you trained these guys?” Hunter asked Gregor.

“I didn’t teach them everything. That wouldn't be very smart, would it?” Gregor responded. They stopped at a lift. The doors opened and they didn’t hesitate to stun the troopers inside. They quickly dragged the troopers out before entering.

“We need an authorization code.” Tech told them.

“Got it.” Hunter responded, tossing the keycard he had grabbed to the man. Tech inserted it and the doors closed. The lift began moving upwards.

“These new troopers,” Rominaria said slowly, her brow furrowing as she finally processed the information. “What do you mean they’re your replacements?” She asked Gregor.

“Well, we clones are soldiers of a Republic that doesn’t exist.” He responded. ”These recruits come from all over the galaxy. They swear loyalty to the Empire. They’re not as skilled, but there’s an endless supply.”

“Numbers aren’t everything.” Hunter responded. The lift doors opened and a large group of troopers stood in front of them. The group fired stun blasts as Gregor hit a button on the lift, closing the doors and making it go back downwards.

“You were saying?” Tech asked the man.

“We’ll, uh, take a detour.” Gregor replied.

They exited the lift and ran through a hallway, dodging blaster fire from approaching troopers as they did so. Hunter tossed a smoke grenade and used the cover to stun more troopers.

They continued running. A clone commando ran at them, firing and landing two shots on Gregor. They all shot the man with stun blasts and he eventually fell unconscious.

More troopers ran at them and Rominaria and Tech fired stun blasts while Hunter and Echo helped Gregor stay upright.

They passed through a hall and Tech pushed a button, making the path close. He shot the controls so it couldn’t be opened.

They were in a control room. “How bad is it?” Rominaria asked Gregor, referring to his wounds.

“Ha! Don’t worry about me. This is nothing.” He told her with a grin. “I got blown up once and survived. I can survive this.” He finished, groaning in pain.

“They have all access points to the central ring blocked off.” Echo told the group.

Tech looked upwards. “There.” He said, pointing at what looked to be a vent. “Those pipes are reactor conduits.” Rominaria nodded, understanding what the man was suggesting.

“And?” Hunter questioned.

“Well, they should lead to the main reactor’s external exhaust port.” Tech responded.

“That’s our path to get out of here.” Rominaria finished for the man.

“The exhaust vent’s halfway up the mountain.” Gregor said. “We can’t survive that jump.”

“No.” Rominaria agreed. “But we would be able to signal our ship.”

Tech tossed up a small explosive and blew the panel off of the vent. One by one they climbed inside. They made their way through the vent, finally approaching an opening that led to the outside.

“How’d you even end up in this place?” Echo asked Gregor as they continued walking towards the opening.

Gregor sighed. “I was sent here with other commandos,” He coughed. “And quickly realized I wanted out.” He said with a small chuckle. “It turns out the Empire doesn’t take too kindly to desertion.”

“Yeah, no kidding.” Echo responded.

They reached the exit and Rominaria turned her comm on. “Wrecker, Omega, come in.”

“ We read you, Aria. ” Omega’s voice responded after a few seconds.

“We have the target, but we ran into some trouble.” Hunter told them. “We need a pickup.”

“ On our way! ” Omega responded.

“ On our way! ” Wrecker’s voice chimed in, extremely loud.

They glanced down at the long drop. “Glad we’re not going that way.” Gregor said with a chuckle.

“ We are on approach. ” Omega told them.

“We see you.” Tech responded as the ship flew towards them. Troopers came in behind them and started firing at them. The group fired stun blasts back.

The ship lined up with them and they began jumping inside. Hunter and Echo covered them as they did. The ship had to swerve away as more ships approached them.

Rominaria ran to man the tail gun, shooting shots at approaching ships. They lined up the ship again. Rominaria kept firing shots at approaching ships as the ship moved away.

“ Multiple system failures. We can’t take many more hits! ” Tech’s voice said from the comm on Rominaria’s wrist. She shot another ship down and directed her attention to an approaching one.

“ Get the ship out of here, I’ll find another way back,” Hunter said. 

“ Negative, the odds of escape are not in your favor ” Tech responded, his voice tense.

“ Go Tech, that’s an order,” Hunter told him and the ship began flying away.

Omega ran over to where Rominaria was in the gunner’s mount. “No! Turn around! We have to go back for him!” She cried out. Rominaria tensed slightly, trying to keep her focus on shooting the approaching ships. “Hunter tell them to come back! Order them to come back!”

“ Sorry, kid. I can’t do that. ” Hunter’s voice responded. Rominaria let out a shaky breath as she shot another ship down.

The ship left the planet’s atmosphere and entered hyperspace. Rominaria stepped down from the gunner’s mount. Omega was crying and she pulled the young girl into her arms to comfort her.

“We’ll get him back, Omega.” She told the young girl softly.

Chapter Text

Rominaria was standing next to Echo as he worked on repairs with the ship. Everyone was on edge after the events on Daro. Omega was pacing beside the two of them. “Spanner wrench.” Echo said, asking Omega to retrieve the tool for him.

Omega let out a grunt of annoyance. “This is taking too long.”

“Omega,” Echo said slowly. “Focus.”

“I can't." The young girl replied immediately. “We have to get back to Daro and rescue Hunter.”

“Omega, we will.” Rominaria said, her voice gentle. “But we can’t go anywhere until the ship’s fixed.” She finished, taking the tool from Echo and grabbing the spanner for him. “I’m going to go see if Tech needs any help.” She told the two of them, excusing herself and walking back into the ship.

Tech was on his back, half under one of the consoles as he did repairs. Rominaria approached the man, sitting on the cockpit floor next to him. “I do not require any assistance with the repairs.” He told her before she could so much as open her mouth to speak. She frowned and went to move when he spoke again. “I would like to speak with you about something, though.”

“Oh, uh, what is it?” She asked the man, her body tense with anxiety.

“The reaction that you had when touching the beacon, have you ever had that happen before?” He asked her and her brows furrowed in thought. She remembered the red-haired boy and responded.

“Only once before. That time was less intense, though.” She told the man.

“Have you considered that it may be a sign of psychometry?” He asked and her brow furrowed.

“Psychometry?” She asked. The word sounded familiar but she couldn’t place where she had heard it before.

“Yes,” He responded. “After your reaction from touching the beacon, I was researching Force abilities, and what you are experiencing seems to be that. It is a rare ability, but it’s possible. Jedi Master Quinlan Vos had it.” Tech finished, focusing on what he was repairing. Hearing the Jedi's name made the pieces click. She smiled softly at the clone, though he didn’t see it.

“Thank you, Tech.” She said

“For what?” He asked, sounding genuinely confused.

“I didn’t even ask and you found that out for me. I appreciate you is all.” She told him.

“Well, you’re welcome then?” He responded, still sounding slightly confused. "I was also wondering if you are still experiencing the nightmares." He added and she tensed.

"Why?" She asked quickly.

"I was just curious as to what may be the cause-" Tech's words were cut off by the sound of boots entering the ship.

Echo and Omega entered the cockpit. “The hull’s patched.” Echo told them and Rominaria rose from her spot on the floor.

“Nearly finished getting the systems online.” Tech told them.

Wrecker walked into the cockpit. “I left Gregor with Cid.” He told the group. “She wasn’t too happy about it.”

Rominaria snorted. “What else is new”

The lights came on in the ship. “We are up and running.” Tech told them, sitting up.

“Let’s go get Hunter.” Omega said immediately.

The console began beeping and Tech looked down at it. “His communication device has just been activated.” Tech told them, frowning. “It appears he is no longer on Daro.”

Rominaria’s brows furrowed. “What? If he’s not on Daro, then where is he?” She asked Tech, frowning.

“He is on Kamino.” Tech responded.

They were in hyperspace, all anxiously gathered in the cockpit. “Activating Hunter’s comm was intentional.” Rominaria said slowly. “The Empire wants us to come to Kamino.” Tech nodded in agreement.

“I am uncertain as to why.” Tech added.

“No turning back now.” Wrecker said.

“Are you positive about these coordinates?” Tech asked Omega.

The young clone nodded. “Yes. I told you. They’re to a landing pad that we can use in Tipoca City.” She told them.

“Every platform down there will be swarming with troopers.” Echo told her, his voice grim.

“Not this one. Trust me.” Omega replied.

They exited hyperspace and Rominaria tensed as the ship approached the planet. “I’m only seeing three cruisers.” Echo said slowly. “Where’s the rest of the fleet?”

“Who cares? That’s a good thing.” Wrecker responded.

Rominaria frowned. “I have a bad feeling about this.”

“Locking onto the coordinates now.” Tech told them. The ship flew through the clouds and rain. “Hang on. This is going to get bumpy.” The ship flew through more clouds as Tech navigated it lower. “We are at the given coordinates, Omega. There is nothing here.”

“You have to get lower.” Omega told the man. “Lower.” She repeated when he didn’t go low enough.

“If I go any lower, we will be in the water.” Tech said after lowering the ship once more.

“It’s the only way to activate the platform.” Omega responded.

“Hold on. Scanners are picking up a large structure directly beneath us.” Echo told them.

Tech lowered the ship more and a platform rose up from the water. He landed the ship and Rominaria pulled on one of her cloaks, sliding her lightsabers into her pockets and placing her blasters in their holsters.

They exited the ship, stepping onto the platform. It was pouring rain and Rominaria pulled her hood over her head. Wrecker chuckled. “Never doubted you for a second, kid.” He said to Omega.

“Landing was only one problem.” Tech said.

“Yeah, how are we going to get into the city?” Rominaria added.

‘We’ll take the tube system.” Omega told them., walking forwards.

“The what?” Echo asked. Omega walked further, looking at the ground beneath her. After a moment, lights on the ground blinked and a clear sphere rose up. It opened and Omega stepped inside, turning back to them with a smile. 

“Come on.” She said. The rest of them walked forward, stepping into it. 

“Nice.” Wrecker said with a grin. Omega pushed a few buttons and the dome over them closed. Then it went downwards. They went through a long tube, moving forward after a certain point. Rominaria looked out, smiling at the fish swimming by.

Omega pushed more buttons. “This type of underwater transport system is not documented on any schematics.” Tech said, breaking the silence.

“The Kaminoans kept a lot of secrets.” Rominaria responded with a frown, thinking about the inhibitor chips.

“Indeed.” Tech responded. “Omega, how did you know this existed?” Tech asked the young clone.

Rominaria glanced at the young girl, she had a deep frown on her face and seemed very upset. “Nala Se.” The young girl responded. “This tunnel leads to her private research lab. The others run throughout Kamino.”

Echo and Rominaria shared a frown, and they both kneeled down to be at eye level with the young girl. “You, uh, alright?” Echo asked Omega gently. Rominaria put a comforting hand on Omega’s shoulder.

“It doesn’t matter.” Omega responded. “Saving Hunter is what matters.”

Rominaria and Echo shared another look.

The sphere eventually went upwards into a large structure. It stopped moving and the dome over them opened. They all looked around. “That looks like every other Kaminoan lab to me.” Wrecker stated.

“Not exactly.” Omega responded quietly. “Most in Tipoca City don’t know about it.”

“Hunter’s comm is still active.” Tech told them, looking down at his data pad. “I’ll pinpoint his location.”

“I’ll tap into the system.” Echo added.

“I don’t get it. What’s so special about this lab?” Wrecker asked, looking around the room again.

“It’s where I was created.” Omega responded. Rominaria frowned.

“Here?” Wrecker asked.

“You all were here too.” She told her brothers.

“What do you mean?” Rominaria asked the girl, frowning.

“Their mutations were enhanced in this room.” Omega replied. “Experimental Unit 99 began right here.” She said, looking at a large tube. She turned to face them. “I was there.”

Wrecker stammered, clearly in shock. “Is that true?” He asked Tech.

Tech stared at him for a long moment. “How could I possibly know that?” Tech responded. Wrecker frowned and looked at Rominaria, clearly about to ask her the same question.

“Wrecker, I don’t know either.” She told the man.

“It was only for a short time.” Omega said, approaching Wrecker. “Before you were sent to be with the other clones.” They all frowned.

“Something’s not right.” Echo said slowly and they turned to him. He was looking down at one of the screens. “All the central files have been wiped. There’s nothing in the system.”

“Anyone else think that’s weird?” Wrecker asked and Rominaria nodded in agreement.

There was a loud metal squeak and all of their heads whipped around. They all pulled out their weapons, aiming them. Rominaria’s hands hovered over her lightsabers in her pockets.

A droid flew out, its metal hands held up. “Do not shoot! I am AZI-345211-”

“AZI?” Omega said, lowering her bow. 

“Omega, I am relieved it is you.” The droid responded.

“What are you doing down here?” Omega asked him.

“I am in hiding.” AZI told them and Rominaria frowned. “Soldiers were deactivating droids and forcing key Kaminoan medical personnel onto transports. Those who resisted were eliminated.”

Rominaria tensed momentarily. “The clones did that?” Rominaria asked slowly.

AZI shook his head. “No, these were other soldiers.” He told her. “All clone troopers were reassigned and transferred off-world. With the exception of CT-9904.”

Rominaria’s heart began to pound. Of course, he’s here. She thought to herself. “Crosshair’s here?” She said slowly. “We should have known.” She said with a sigh.

“It is not safe here, Omega.” AZI told the young girl. “You must leave.”

“We can’t. Not without Hunter.” She responded.

“Found him.” Tech said quickly. “His comm is pinging from the central cloning platform.”

“Come on AZI.” Omega said, grabbing the droid's arm and pulling him forward.  “You’re with us.”

They moved quickly, exiting the lab and running through a hallway. They reached outside and continued moving. They made it to the large building and entered. Rominaria reached into her pockets and gripped her lightsabers. They cautiously crept down a hallway.

Rominaria heard a sound behind them and stopped, letting the rest of them move ahead. She crept around a corner, every nerve in her body on edge. She heard troopers pass by and held her breath. They left and she crept down a hallway, following the sound she had heard. She was almost certain that somebody had been following her.

Out of nowhere, she felt a sharp pain in the back of her head and everything went black.

The first thing that Rominaria noticed when she opened her eyes was the pain in the back of her head. She was slumped on the ground and went to push herself up when she realized that her hands were cuffed behind her back.

She sat up and glanced around. Her squad, minus Omega, were all surrounded by troopers. “Look who decided to join us.” A voice drawled behind her and her whole body froze. Not looking at the man, she slowly stood up.

The squad's weapons were in a pile on the ground, Rominaria’s lightsabers and blasters with them. Rominaria tried to use the Force to get the restraints off of her, but it didn’t work.

“Can’t use the Force with those on.” Crosshair’s voice said slowly and she swallowed. She turned to face the man, meeting his gaze. His eyes held so much disgust in them and she forced herself to not look away.

He approached her, a smirk growing on his face. She took a step backwards but a trooper behind her shoved her forwards and she nearly fell.

“On your knees.” Crosshair hissed at her, his tone cold. She glared at him and stood her ground, but her lip quivered slightly before she could stop herself and she saw his eyes track the movement. “Now.” He said slowly. 

When she still didn’t move, he nodded at one of the troopers behind her. They kicked the back of her knees hard, causing her to fall onto them. Without warning, he grabbed her jaw and forced her to look up at him, a slight smirk on his face.

She yanked her head away from his hand. “Don’t touch me.” She snapped at him, flinching when he grabbed her jaw even harsher this time.

“That’s not what you said on Orto Plutonia.” He drawled slowly, smirking when she winced at his words. “Actually, I remember you wanting me to-” She spat on his face, staring up at him with eyes full of hate. 

Without hesitation, he drew his hand back and slapped her so hard that it would have made her fall over had he not had his other hand on her jaw still. Her eyes filled with tears but she refused to let them fall. 

"Now open your mouth," He said to her and one of the troopers beside him handed him a vial. Her eyes widened slightly in shock and she clamped her mouth shut tightly. She glared at him. He handed the vial back to the trooper. "You want to be difficult, fine." He said with a sneer before using both hands to force her mouth open. 

She struggled but he overpowered her eventually. He nodded towards the trooper who opened the vial before dumping the contents down into her mouth. She tried to spit it out but Crosshair forced her mouth shut and held it. Pinching her nose so that she couldn't breathe. 

“Swallow.” He said in a mocking voice.

She fought it, holding her breath and trying to pull away. Two troopers grabbed her shoulders, holding her still. Eventually, when it was too hard to hold her breath any longer, she swallowed. Crosshair didn’t let go of her, and her vision started going in and out.

He finally let go of her, shoving her backward. “Now,” Crosshair said, diverting his attention to his brothers. “You’re all going to do what I say, or I won’t give her the antidote and she will die.” The men's eyes widened.

Rominaria was breathing heavily, her heart pounding. “Crosshair,” Rominaria said slowly and his eyes found hers immediately. She looked up at him with wide eyes. “Please, Cross.” A muscle in his jaw twitched and his eyes looked her up and down. She was still on the ground, looking up at him with pleading eyes.

“You’re pathetic.” He spat at her and she flinched slightly. She stood on shaky legs, feeling slightly dizzy. He grabbed her cuffs, holding her so she wouldn’t be able to attempt to run.

“We’re running out of time, Commander.” One of the troopers said to Crosshair.

“Hold your positions.” He told them.

“So this was your grand plan?” Hunter asked the man. “Bring us here and kill us?”

“If I wanted you dead, you would be.” Crosshair told him. Why isn’t he killing us? Well, minus me, I guess. Rominaria thought to herself, glancing at the man that was holding her. He didn’t look at her, his eyes trained on Hunter. He continued speaking. “Not that it wouldn’t be justified. You betrayed everything we stood for.” He told Hunter. “And for what? The Republic?”

“We’re loyal to each other, not some Empire.” Hunter responded.

“You weren’t loyal to me.” Crosshair shot back and Rominaria tensed.

“Cross,” She said quietly.

He ignored her and continued speaking. “I was one of you.” He said to Hunter. “You may have forgotten, but I haven’t. And it’s why I’m going to give you what you never gave me.” Rominaria’s brows furrowed. “A chance.” He finished.

Rominaria stared at the man, completely confused. “ Sir, I’ve found the girl. ” A woman’s voice said through Crosshair’s communicator.

“Send her on a shuttle off world.” Crosshair responded.

“Crosshair, don’t.” Hunter said immediately, a deep frown on his face.

“It’s for her own good. And yours.” Crosshair responded.

“Omega belongs with us.” Hunter told the man.

“Living among fugitives where she’s in constant danger?” Crosshair questioned and Rominaria frowned. He made a fair point, and it wasn’t like she hadn’t thought the same thing from time to time. “Want to protect the kid, let her go. Stop pretending to be something you’re not, Hunter. We’re not like the regs. We never have been. We’re superior. The Empire can’t protect the galaxy without strength. This is what we were made for.” Crosshair let go of Rominaria’s cuffs, shoving her away from him. He approached his brother. “Think of all we could do. Together.” He said. And then he undid Hunter’s cuffs. He put a hand on his shoulder. “We were brothers once. We can be again.” 

Rominaria watched the scene in front of her with wide eyes. Then she glanced to the side and spotted a small mirror. One of Crosshair’s mirrors. She frowned. “Why would we trust you?” Hunter asked his brother.

Crosshair grabbed his blaster, aiming it towards Hunter. “Stand down.” He told the troopers.

They glanced around in confusion for a moment. “Negative, Commander.” One of them responded, and they all gripped their guns tighter.

Rominaria’s head was beginning to pound. She glanced at Crosshair. He fired his blaster. It hit one of the mirrors and within seconds, all of the troopers in the room were dead. “Does that answer your question?” Crosshair asked his brother. He approached the group of them, completely ignoring Rominaria as he passed her. “You all are meant for more than drifting through the galaxy. It’s time to stop running. Join the Empire and you will have purpose again.” Rominaria locked eyes with Hunter, silently begging him to not agree.

“You really don’t get who we are, do you?” Hunter responded.

“Don’t make the same mistake twice.” Crosshair said slowly. “Don’t become my enemy.” He pleaded with his brothers.

“Crosshair, we never were.” Hunter responded. They stared at each other for a long moment. Then, an alarm started beeping.

Rominaria yanked on the cuffs around her wrists, trying to slip one of her hands out. She had an idea, but didn’t necessarily want to go through with it. Droids began to rise up out of the ground and she gave in, bracing herself for the pain. She took a deep breath and yanked her hand hard, using her other hand to bend her thumb. She let out a cry of pain and they all looked at her. Crosshair raised his gun, but she slipped a hand out and used the Force to shove him backward.

Hunter took the opportunity and tackled his brother. Rominaria slid to the ground, grabbing one of her lightsabers and using it to break the cuffs, freeing her second hand. She stood up, holding both of her lightsabers raised in front of her, and ignited them.

The droids began shooting at them and she started deflecting. She took a step forward and stumbled slightly. The pain in her head had gotten significantly worse and she was swaying slightly on her feet.

A droid approached her quickly and she got ready to swing her lightsabers. A shot of pink light came from up above and the droid fell to the ground. Rominaria looked up and saw Omega with her bow in her hands.

Crosshair had managed to pin Hunter down and Rominaria ran towards them, dodging blaster fire and ignoring the dizziness. She leapt at Crosshair, unigniting her lightsabers. She knocked him off of Hunter, shoving him hard into the ground.

He made a growling sound and reached up, wrapping his hand around her throat and squeezing tight. She used the Force to rip his arm away from her. She punched him hard in the face, momentarily disorienting him. Moving away from him, she started fighting off more of the droids. Crosshair stood up and she prepared to fight him again, only for him to start shooting droids as well.

Rominaria’s hands began shaking and she struggled to keep hold of her lightsabers. She moved towards Tech, who was shooting two approaching droids. Rominaria took down one of the droids while Tech finished off the other. “Tech,” She said, her voice shaking. He turned his attention towards her. “Something’s wrong with me.” She told him, swaying slightly. “My head hurts so bad.”

Tech opened his mouth to speak just as Crosshair finished off the last of the droids. Hunter raised his gun at the man. Rominaria moved away from Tech, the whole group approaching Crosshair with their weapons raised.

“Crosshair, forget the Empire. This isn’t you. It’s your inhibitor chip.” Hunter told his brother. “We can help you.”

“I don’t need your help.” Crosshair responded. “It’s not the chip. This is who I am.”

“No, it’s not.” Rominaria said quietly, her hands shaking.

“Hunter,” Tech said, getting his brother’s attention. “We need the antidote to whatever Crosshair gave her. Now.”

Crosshair raised his gun to shoot at Rominaria and Hunter quickly stunned him. He fell to the ground, unconscious.

Omega ran over to Hunter, hugging him. “Sorry, Omega.” The man apologized. “I know I promised you’d never have to come back here.”

“You did the same for me.” She responded.

Hunter squatted down next to Crosshair, looking at what seemed to be a burn scar on the side of his head. He frowned.

Rominaria’s head was pounding even worse and she opened her mouth to speak, but Tech spoke first. “Hunter, three Venators are descending on the city. We need to leave, now.” He said urgently.

Hunter grabbed Crosshair’s pack and rifle. “Wrecker, grab Crosshair. He’s coming with us.” Rominaria would have smiled if it wasn’t for the pain in her head.

Wrecker glanced towards the woman. “Do you need me to carry you too?” He asked her, his voice genuinely concerned.

She shook her head. “No, I’ll be fine.” She said, taking a step forward and nearly toppling over. Wrecker sighed and grabbed the woman, tossing her over his shoulder. “Wrecker, I said I’m fine.” She protested as they began running.

The building began shaking, the lights flashing. “Hurry! Get to the lift!” Hunter yelled over the noise.

They ran outside and even in her position, Rominaria saw the fire being rained down on the city.

“Back inside. Go!” Hunter yelled and they ran back into the building.

Chapter Text

They ran through hallways quickly, Wrecker still carrying Rominaria and Crosshair.

Something in one of the hallways exploded and they all fell. Wrecker’s grip on Rominaria loosened and her body slid free, slamming hard against the ground.

Her ears were ringing. Rominaria stood up slowly, still stumbling. Another explosion happened beside them and they all fell down again. 

The building they were in tipped, and they began sliding down the floor. 

Crosshair’s unconscious body was sliding beside her and Rominaria grabbed his arm, pulling him out of the way of a sharp piece of metal. It scraped his armor and his eyes shot open. Crosshair groaned in pain. He looked at her and for a moment had no reaction. 

Then, he grabbed his knife and went to stab the hand that was still gripping his arm as they slid. She caught his hand, twisting the knife away from his grip. Everything shook again and Crosshair and Rominaria slammed hard into a wall, knocking them both out.

Rominaria opened her eyes, looking at her surroundings. She stood up slowly, swaying slightly. The pain kept fading and coming back. 

Omega was next to her, frowning. “What happened?” She asked the girl.

“A door closed and sealed us off from the rest of them.” Omega told her. Both of their eyes found Crosshair’s unconscious body and Rominaria rushed over to the man, dropping to her knees.

“Cross,” She said quietly, praying to the Force that he was alright. His body was trapped under rubble. Rominaria and Omega tried to pull the debris off of him. 

The woman turned her comm on. “Hunter, Tech, Echo, Wrecker, do any of you copy? We’re trapped in here and the room is flooding.” She said shakily.

Crosshair let out a groan of pain, and then his eyes opened slowly. Rominaria sighed in relief, gently cupping his face in her hands and using her light to make sure he hadn’t gotten a concussion. He tried to pull his head away from her, but was still trapped where he was. He groaned again. “Get this off of me.”

Rominaria pulled her hands away from the man. “Omega, back away.” She told the young girl, trying to steady herself and reaching out her hands. She concentrated as much as she could and slowly lifted the large piece of metal off of the man. She set it to the side of him and then dropped to her knees. Her head was pounding and her whole body had begun aching.

The water had begun rising and Rominaria looked around with wide eyes. The water rose higher and they all could barely keep their heads above it. Omega looked at Rominaria with scared eyes. The woman grabbed Crosshair’s arm and pulled him to a slightly higher area.

“Omega, stay with Crosshair. I’m going to try to get the door open.” She told the young girl, ignoring the burning in her limbs. 

She took a deep breath before diving fully into the water and swimming to the door. One of the men on the other side managed to get their knife in it and he was slowly prying the doors apart. Rominaria swam upwards, finding a small space to breathe. 

She turned her comm back on. “Back away from the door. I’m going to use my lightsabers.” She told them.

She dove back down and waited a few seconds before igniting her lightsabers. She slowly cut down between the doors, successfully unsealing them. She unignited her lightsabers right as the doors opened slightly and the pressure of the water pushed her through the entrance. Wrecker caught her before she could slam into anything and set her down gently. Omega, Crosshair, and AZI burst through the doors. As soon as they were all through, Wrecker slammed the doors shut.

Rominaria reached out a hand to help Crosshair up and he glared at her, stumbling to his feet on his own. “What have you done?” He asked the group.

“The Empire opened fire on the city.” Hunter told his brother.

“We weren’t going to leave you behind.” Rominaria told the man and he briefly met her eyes before looking away.

“We don’t have time for this.” Tech spoke up, his voice tense. “We need to get topside before this entire structure submerges.”

“If you want to stay here and die, that’s your call.” Hunter told his brother. They all headed forward, passing Crosshair. Only Rominaria didn’t move away from the man.

She sighed. “I don’t care what Hunter says, I’ll drag you if I have to.” She told him. He glared at her before quickly moving to catch up with the group. Rominaria followed as fast as she could, stumbling every so often.

They ran through a glass hallway and Omega froze for a moment, the group passing by her. They all turned around and looked back at her. She was frowning at the sight of the cloning facility being flooded.

“Come on, Omega. We have to go.” Rominaria said to the young girl.

They continued running. Rominaria’s head was pounding and her limbs felt like they were on fire. Everyone was ahead of her and she stopped, unable to move much more. Tech turned around, noticing the state she was in, and ran back over to her.

He quickly swung one of her arms around his shoulders and helped her catch up to the group, not letting go of her once in fear that she would fall. “Thank you,” She managed to gasp out, struggling to stay focused.

The hall they were in tipped and they started sliding. “Hold on to something!” Hunter yelled to the group.

Rominaria held onto Tech as the man grabbed a piece of metal. “I would advise you to not let go of me for the time being.” Tech said slowly, his voice tense as he struggled to hold the two of them up.

Rominaria’s arms were shaking as she forced herself to keep them around Tech. A sharp pain shot through her body and she cried out in agony, her arms loosening.

And then she fell.

“Hunter!” Tech called out to his brother who was farther down as soon as he felt the woman fall. She struggled to find something to grab onto. 

Hunter shot out an arm to catch her but she wasn’t within his reach. Rominaria closed her eyes and shot her arm out, letting the Force tell her what to do. Her hand wrapped around something and she stopped falling.

She shakily opened her eyes. Crosshair was glaring down where she was holding onto his ankle for dear life. “Cross,” She said quietly, silently begging him to not shake her off.

He looked like he was contemplating it when the building suddenly righted itself and Rominaria slammed into the ground. Crosshair immediately kicked her hand off of him.

Rominaria stood up on shaky legs, breathing heavily. Everyone walked over to each other. “I believe we have landed on the ocean floor.” Tech told the group. “There is no way to accurately calculate the damage. Most of the facility must be-” Tech’s sentence was cut off by an explosion. The building shook and water began pouring in from a part of the ceiling. “Compromised.” Tech finished.

“We need to get to a space that’s more secure.” Hunter told them.

“Follow me.” Tech told them. “Wrecker, please carry Rominaria. She looks as if she is about to fall over.” He told his brother. Rominaria frowned but didn’t protest. He was correct. She had been swaying.

Wrecker nodded, moving over to the woman and gently lifting her up. The group started running. Rominaria glanced over Wrecker’s shoulder and noticed that Crosshair hadn’t moved from where he was standing. Rominaria frowned but didn’t say anything. She closed her eyes, her head felt like it was going to explode.

The group eventually stopped running and Rominaria slowly opened her eyes. She glanced around the room they were in, immediately recognizing it even in the dark.

“Ironically, our old barracks is one of the few compartments habitable.” Tech said to the group. “Albeit temporarily.”

“This is our room?” Wrecker asked, groaning. “What happened to it?”

“At least the smell’s gone.” Echo said as he walked in and Rominaria laughed quietly, the action making her head hurt even worse.

“Check it out.” Wrecker said, and Rominaria glanced to where he was pointing. She smiled softly. “Our boards still here.”

“All those missions together and you threw it away.” Crosshair spoke up and Rominaria’s smile dropped.

Hunter spun around to face his brother. “We made a choice. And so did you.” Rominaria’s frown deepened. Crosshair hadn’t made that choice. The inhibitor chip had.

“Good soldiers follow orders.” Crosshair said to his brother, his voice tense.

“You’re more than a soldier, Cross.” Rominaria said slowly, willing the man to meet her eyes.

He glared at her. “Shut up, scum.” He spat at her.

“I know you can’t control it.” She continued, ignoring the man’s words. “It isn’t your fault, Crosshair.”

Crosshair didn’t respond to her, his eyes leaving hers. “They’re all going to die here because of your failed leadership.” He told Hunter.

“No, we’re not. Look.” Omega spoke up and they all turned to her. “We landed on the underwater tunnel.” She told them, gesturing to the window in front of them. “If we use it to reach the base post, we could get back to the Marauder.”

“Accessing the tube will be… challenging.” Tech said slowly.

“Better than staying here.” Echo said.

Rominaria opened her mouth to speak but another shot of white-hot pain ran through her body and she let out an involuntary scream. It faded slightly and she breathed heavily. Everyone, minus Crosshair, looked at her with concerned eyes.

“Crosshair, we need the antidote. Now.” Hunter told his brother, his voice tense.

“She can have it once I make it out of here alive.” He snarled.

“Aria,” Wrecker said quietly, and she looked up at him. “We’re gonna get you out of here, okay?”

She nodded slowly, her whole body shaking. “I know. Thank you, Wrecker.”

Rominaria glanced over to the group, they were still talking. “We have to try.” Omega was saying.

“She’s calling the shots now?” Crosshair asked, his tone annoyed.

“You have a better idea?” Hunter asked his brother, moving past him and knocking his shoulder against Crosshair’s.

Tech directed the group to a spot and AZI began cutting a hole in the floor. “My scans indicate the tunnel is directly below this maintenance deck.” Tech told them. “AZI says, with a precise weld to maintain an airtight seal, this might work.” Rominaria smiled slightly at that.

“Just another calculated risk.” She mumbled to herself.

“What do you mean, ‘might’?” Wrecker questioned.

AZI finished cutting and a circular piece of the floor dropped down into the deck below them. The droid flew down and was gone for a moment. “The tunnel is clear!” He told them as he came back into their sights.

The group jumped down, Wrecker and Rominaria being the last ones above. “Wrecker,” Hunter said to his brother as he was about to jump. “Pass Aria down here before you jump."

“I can jump down on my own.” She told them. Hunter frowned but didn’t argue. Wrecker set Rominaria down beside him and she took a deep breath, trying to ignore the pain and dizziness. She jumped down into the hole, landing easily. “See?” She said to Hunter with a smile.

She swayed slightly on her feet and right before she felt like she was going to topple over, Tech was by her side to hold her upright. “You are a very predictable person.” Tech told her, completely serious.

She frowned at his words. “No, I’m not.” She argued, which he ignored. Tech helped her walk forward as Wrecker jumped down.

Wrecker immediately picked her back up and she groaned as they began running. She hated feeling helpless. They made it into a glass underwater tunnel and Rominaria glanced around as the group crept through it. She noticed a small crack at the same time Crosshair did.

“We need to go back. There must be another way.” Crosshair said, scowling.

AZI turned to face the man. “That would be unwise. I am afraid this is our best option.”

“You done complaining?” Wrecker asked Crosshair. “You know, if it wasn’t for you, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

Rominaria frowned. “Something on your tiny mind, Wrecker?” Crosshair questioned as Wrecker turned to face him.

“Oh, will you two stop?” Rominaria said with a groan, the arguing was only making her head hurt more.

“Let it go, Wrecker.” Tech spoke up, approaching his brother. “Crosshair has always been severe and unyielding. It is his nature.” Rominaria nodded in agreement. “You cannot change that. He cannot change that.”

Wrecker walked over to the rest of the group, leaving Tech to finish speaking with their brother. “AZI, this doesn’t look very safe.” Omega said, nervously looking around.

“Barring any further complications, this enclosure remains a viable means of transport.” AZI told the girl.

“Let’s keep moving.” Hunter said. They continued walking, Rominaria leaning her head against Wrecker’s chest and closing her eyes. Her whole body was in agony.

Her eyes shot open. “There’s something out there.” She said as soon as she felt the presence. There was a faint roar in the distance.

“AZI, these tunnels are protected, right?” Omega whispered to the droid beside her.

“Only when the power is operational, which it is not.” AZI responded.

There was a loud roar and a creature started swimming towards them quickly. “Run!” Hunter yelled. They all started running down the tunnel. The huge creature swam next to them, slamming against the glass. 

“Restoring power should deter the creature.” AZI told them and flew off quickly. “Try to stay alive!” He yelled behind him.

The beast continued roaring at them and they ran. “Wrecker, stop.” Rominaria said quickly, trying to pull free of his hold. He stopped running, looking down at her confused. “Set me down.” She told him as the creature swam directly towards where they were. He complied, still looking confused.

The rest of the group turned back, seeing that the two of them had stopped. Rominaria took a shaky breath and held out her hand, closing her eyes and focusing her mind to the best of her ability. She reached out to the creature, feeling the Force flowing through the being and feeling that same energy flow through herself.

Rominaria took a deep breath, making the connection. The creature stopped right before it hit the glass, staring at her. Rominaria opened her eyes and smiled softly. 

“That will never stop being awesome.” Wrecker told her with a grin. She nodded at the creature and it swam away.

The pounding in her head was back immediately and she grabbed onto Wrecker’s arm for support. “Thank you.” She said slowly as he helped her walk over to the group.

“‘Course!” Wrecker said, the grin still on his face.

“How did you do that?” Omega asked her when they reached them, her eyes wide.

Rominaria smiled slightly and opened her mouth to speak when the lights suddenly came on for a moment before turning back off. “Let’s get out of this tunnel before anything else happens.” Hunter said to the group and they all moved quickly. 

They climbed up the tunnel and AZI shut the bottom behind them. “It appears I have caused this structure’s remaining power to short out.” AZI told them. “But you have survived the transit. This outcome is satisfactory.” Rominaria smiled slightly at the droid, not having the heart to tell him that that wasn’t what had deterred the creature.

They continued climbing up the tunnel, Wrecker carrying Rominaria on his back. They climbed back up into the lab they had been in before.“What is this place?” Hunter asked as Wrecker carefully set Rominaria back down onto her feet. A shot of pain hit her body and she held onto his arm for support again.

“Nala Se’s private lab.” Tech told his brother. “Omega says this is where our mutations were manipulated and enhanced.”

“How would she know?” Crosshair questioned, a scowl on his face.

“Because she was there.” Rominaria responded, holding her head in her hands as it pounded. She wanted them to stop talking and to just get off of Kamino.

“Omega was created before us. Technically, she is older than we are.” Tech added.

They followed Omega to a large window. The tunnel they had taken when they had first entered the lab was broken. “That’s gonna be a problem.” Wrecker said with a groan.

“That tunnel was the only way to the Marauder.” Omega said slowly, looking down with a deep frown.

“It would seem that, once again, we are trapped.” AZI added.

They all wandered around the lab, trying to figure out another way out. Rominaria sat down on the floor, her head pounding. She glanced up when she heard boots approach her. Tech squatted down next to her. “How are you feeling?” He asked her, checking her pulse.

“Not great.” She said slowly, forcing a small smile at the man. “Tech,” She said and he met her eyes. “If something happens to me. It isn’t his fault. It’s the chip. Make sure they don’t blame him. Please.”

“I know that it isn’t his fault.” Tech told her and she let out a small sigh of relief, another shot of pain hitting her. She gasped for air and Tech placed a hand on her shoulder. 

The group gathered where Rominaria was sitting, and Tech helped her stand back up.

“Long-range comms are down.” Echo told them. “And our oxygen levels will be critical in a few hours.”

“This is what happens when you let a kid call the shots.” Crosshair told them and Rominaria groaned.

“Oh for Maker’s sake will you shut up?” She shot at him, the pounding in her head had gotten worse and he wasn’t helping the matter.

“That kid saved your life, unlike the Empire who left you for dead.” Hunter told his brother.

Crosshair approached his brother. “That’s your problem, Hunter. You take things too personally.”

“They destroyed an entire city.” Hunter said with a glare.

“They did what needed to be done.” Crosshair shot back. “Kamino, regs, the Republic. That time is over. The Empire will control the entire galaxy, and I am going to be a part of it.” Rominaria frowned at the man. “Hunter, you made the wrong choice.” He finished, shoving past his brother.

“Don’t fool yourself.” Hunter told Crosshair. “All you’ll ever be to them is a number.” Crosshair didn’t respond, just walked over to the large window and sat down on the ledge. Rominaria watched Omega approach the man and smiled slightly.

Rominaria sat back down on the ground as Tech went over to his brothers. They started moving large tubes and Rominaria watched in confusion. “These medical capsules are our way out of here.” Echo said to the group.

“If our mass is evenly distributed, the buoyancy of these watertight chambers will bring us to the surface.” Tech told them.

“Medical capsules have not been tested for such capabilities.” AZI told Tech.

“We won’t have directional control,” Hunter added with a frown. “How do we avoid the debris field out there?”

“The Jedi,” Crosshair said as he walked over. Rominaria looked up at him from where she was on the ground. “She can do it.” Hunter opened his mouth to protest but she spoke first.

“I can guide the capsules up.” Rominaria told him and the group looked down at her with frowns. “I may be a little out of it right now, but I can do it.” She assured them.

Hunter didn’t look happy but kept his mouth shut. The group began preparing, Omega placing explosives on the large glass window and the rest of the group put the glass tubes in place.

Wrecker stepped inside one of them. “I barely fit in this thing.” He said with a groan.

“Quit complaining.” Echo told him. “At least you’re not doubled up.”

“I’m going in with Crosshair.” Rominaria told them, standing up by herself on extremely shaky legs. “He’s not stupid enough to pull anything when I’m the only way he’s making it up there alive.” Hunter and Crosshair both opened their mouths to protest. “I’m going with him, or we’re not going.” She told them, crossing her arms over her chest.

“The explosives are set.” Omega told them, running over and getting into a tube with AZI.

Rominaria stepped inside one of the tubes, Crosshair following behind her. She gave him a shaky smile which he returned with a glare.

“Alright. Seal them up.” Hunter said and the tubes closed.

Rominaria and Crosshair stood facing each other, with very little space to move. The window exploded and water rushed into the lab. The tubes were sucked out into the ocean.

Rominaria closed her eyes, focusing. She reached out with the Force, finding the rest of the group. She began guiding the tubes upwards, opening her eyes and watching each one. 

The tube she was in spun momentarily and she slammed into Crosshair. She swallowed, desperately trying to ignore the pain in her body.

She continued guiding them upwards. She glanced at the debris falling through the water and redirected the pieces to the best of her ability. A stray piece hit the tube she was in and her legs nearly gave out under her.

She frowned when she realized she hadn’t fallen, glancing down and seeing Crosshair’s hands on her waist to keep her steady. She smiled slightly to herself and went back to redirecting the debris.

The rest of the group's tubes broke the surface and Rominaria’s was close to doing so when she got a massive pain in her head and lost focus. A large piece of metal hit her and Crosshair’s tube and the glass cracked.

Water started spilling in and both of them scrambled to try to get the tube open. They hit the button repeatedly but it wasn’t working. 

Another piece of metal hit them and it began weighing them down. Rominaria grabbed a lightsaber and ignited it, using it to break open the tube. 

She grabbed Crosshair’s arm and began swimming up to the surface.

The pain in her head grew worse and she involuntarily screamed, water filling her mouth. Her grip on Crosshair’s arm loosened and she started drifting downwards. She tried to swim but her body felt like it was being ripped apart.

A hand grabbed her arm and started pulling her upwards. They broke the surface and she gasped for air. She looked beside her and saw Crosshair’s hand firmly wrapped around her bicep. They made eye contact and he let go of her immediately.

He let out a groan of pain and she frowned. The two of them swam over to the group of tubes, Rominaria barely making it before she was hit with another shot of excruciating pain. 

She screamed again. Tech’s hand shot out and grabbed her, pulling her up and into the tube with him and Echo.

Rominaria’s body started to convulse and Echo and Tech shared a concerned look. Rominaria screamed again. 

She didn’t know how long she screamed for, but her throat felt raw. She thought that they had moved from where they were but everything was a blur. The only thing she could focus on was the pain shooting through every part of her body.

She could faintly hear panicked voices before everything went black.

END OF PART ONE

Chapter Text

“Where is it?” Hunter yelled at Crosshair as soon as they made it to the Marauder, grabbing his brother's shoulders. He glanced down, seeing blood on Crosshair’s armor.

Crosshair stared back at him, not answering. Rominaria hadn’t stopped screaming since Tech had pulled her out of the water, and Hunter could hear her in the med bay still screaming.

“Crosshair, where is the antidote?” He spat at his brother.

Tech rushed out of the medical bay. “She needs it. Now.” He told his brothers, his helmet was off and he seemed very worried.

Crosshair didn’t answer again. Tech rushed over to Hunter, grabbing Crosshair’s rifle off of his back. His fingers searched the gun. Hunter looked back and forth between Tech and Crosshair, his brow furrowed in confusion.

Crosshair was glaring at Tech. “Found it.” Tech told Hunter, pulling a small vial out of a compartment on the recoil pad. “Rominaria isn’t the only predictable member of this squad.” 

Rominaria’s screams somehow got louder and Tech rushed back to the med bay. Hunter grabbed Crosshair’s arm and pulled him into the med bay. Crosshair let out a groan of pain, but allowed himself to be dragged.

Rominaria was on the medical bed, her hands and legs restrained to the metal frame. Her whole body was convulsing. Hunter watched in horror as she let out another pained scream, her eyes shut tight.

Tech rushed to the woman’s side and grabbed a syringe. He quickly extracted the contents of the vial and grabbed her arm. “Hunter, I need you to hold this arm still.” He told his brother in a hurried voice.

Hunter rushed over to her, grabbing her arm and pressing it firmly down so she couldn’t move it. Tech found a vein easily and inserted the needle into her arm. When he injected the contents into her arm, Rominaria started screaming even louder.

After a few more moments, the woman’s screams finally stopped and Hunter let out a sigh of relief. He turned around and saw Crosshair staring at Rominaria with a scowl. His fists clenching and unclenching repeatedly at his sides.

Hunter glanced down at the blood that was dripping from his brother’s side and sighed. He raised his blaster, stunning the man before he could object.

Screams echoed through the corridor that Rominaria was running down, her head was pounding and every part of her ached.

She rounded a corner and saw the body of a young twi’lek sprawled out on the ground in front of her. She recognized the girl immediately. “Aayla?” She said, her voice panicked as she dropped to her knees beside the girl. “Aayla?” She asked again, tears streaming down her face.

“You can’t save her.” A voice said behind her and she spun around, stumbling to her feet.

“Who are you?” She asked the cloaked figure.

“All in due time.” They responded, gesturing for her to move towards them. Her feet moved on their own. “Come.” They turned away from her walking down a hallway. She followed them, frowning.

“What do you want?” She asked them and they let out an amused laugh.

“You have lots of questions.” They responded. “Let me show you what I want.”

They turned to face her, tapping her head with two fingers.

She gasped and her eyes shot open, though she didn’t remember closing them. She was alone in a large room, watching a scene play out in front of her.

She saw herself fighting a person with a red lightsaber, surrounded by her squad. The person with the red lightsaber lunged at Echo and she watched herself rip them away from the man with the Force.

Rominaria tried to take a step forward but her body wouldn’t move. Her eyes widened as she watched herself drop a lightsaber and raise a hand. The figure was lifted from the ground, making strangled choking noises. She closed her fist fully and there was a sickening crack. She tossed their body to the side, turning to face her squad.

They were all staring at her with wide horrified eyes.

“No,” Rominaria whispered softly to herself as she watched.

“They will all die unless you protect them, with my help.” The cloaked person said, seemingly materializing beside her. “Tap into the power of the dark side, Rominaria. Join me.”

And then, Rominaria was falling. She let out a scream. 

Her body landed hard and she stumbled to her feet, looking around. She was in the training room of the Jedi temple. “Are you ready to practice?” A voice behind her asked and she turned to face Anakin, his hair short and the thin braid hanging from it.

“What?” She asked, her brows furrowed. She looked down and saw a training saber in her hands.

“Come on! Winner gets bragging rights.” Rominaria rolled her eyes in amusement, getting into position.

“That’s not fair. You always win.” She told him.

He laughed. “Guess you’ll have to try harder this time, Aria.” He told her with a grin.

They began sparring, Rominaria deflecting his attacks easily. They continued for a few minutes in silence, before Anakin broke it.

“You can’t save me, Aria.” He told her and her brow furrowed.

“What?” She asked quickly. He reached out and pushed her backward.

She was falling again.

Her body slammed to the ground, landing on top of someone. She pushed herself off of them quickly, looking down and meeting their gaze. Their still and unmoving gaze. “Tech?” She questioned slowly, stumbling backward and away from his body in horror.

She glanced around and saw the rest of her squad's bodies littered around the canyon that they appeared to be in. She rushed back over to Tech, dropping to her knees beside him and trying to find out what had happened.

Her brow furrowed when she saw what appeared to be a hole from a lightsaber in his chest. She rushed over to the rest of her men. Her suspicions were confirmed.

They all had been killed by a lightsaber. 

“You killed them.” A voice sobbed behind her and she spun around. Omega was staring at her with wide eyes, tears streaming down her face.

“What? No! I-” Rominaria glanced down and saw one of her lightsabers ignited in her hand. “Omega, I didn’t-”

“I saw you do it!” The girl yelled at her. “They were just trying to protect me. You’re a monster!”

Rominaria’s eyes shot open. She tried to sit up but her hands were tied down. She let out a strangled cry of terror and started to hyperventilate.

The door to the med bay opened and Tech walked in, looking down at his data pad. He glanced up and set the tablet down immediately when he saw her. He rushed over to her side quickly. “You’re okay, you’re okay.” He assured her, quickly undoing the restraints on her wrists and ankles. “We had to tie you down because your body was convulsing from the poison.” He told her.

She sat up slowly, her whole body aching as if she had run for miles. She tried to speak but winced from the pain in her throat.

“Here.” Tech told her, handing her a bottle of water. She shakily took it and raised it to her lips, drinking the whole bottle in seconds.

“How long was I out for?” She asked him, her voice hoarse.

“Five standard rotations.” He responded immediately, checking her vitals as he did so.

“What happened?” She asked.

Tech quickly explained everything that had happened after she got out of the ocean. “Crosshair is still recovering.” He finished.

Rominaria’s brows furrowed. “Recovering from what?” She asked with a frown. She glanced around the room and finally noticed the man’s unconscious body lying in a medical bed similar to the one she was in.

“When he was pulling you up out of the water, a large piece of metal hit him and part of it got through the pieces of his armor. I patched up the wound, but he will most likely have a scar on his abdomen from it. He is also recovering from the removal of his inhibitor chip.” Tech told her.

Her eyes widened. “You removed it?” She asked quickly.

“Yes.” Tech told her.

She smiled. “Thank you, Tech.” She said to the man, placing a hand on his shoulder.

The door to the med bay opened again and Omega walked in, looking down at something. “Hey, Tech? Do you think Aria will like these when she-” She didn’t finish her sentence, glancing up and staring at Rominaria with wide eyes.

She ran over to the woman, wrapping her arms around her and pulling her into a tight hug. Rominaria winced slightly but returned the action.

“I’m so glad you’re okay.” Omega said as she pulled away. “I picked these for you.” She told her, holding out her hand. She placed the purple flowers in Rominaria’s hand with a grin. “Wrecker said that if we gave you something when you woke up, that it might make you feel better.”

Rominaria’s eyes watered slightly at the sentiment. “Thank you.” She said to the girl.

“I’m gonna go tell everyone else that you’re awake!” Omega said, running out the door quickly.

Rominaria smiled softly at the flowers, setting them down on the table beside her and moving to get out of the bed. Tech stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. “I wouldn’t advise that right now.” He told her.

“I can’t stay in this bed any longer, Tech.” She told him. He frowned, but held out his arm to help her up.

She placed an arm around his shoulder when she felt her legs wobble. The door to the med bay opened once more and Wrecker, Hunter, and Echo all walked in.

Wrecker grinned. “I knew you’d be okay!” He said, picking her up and hugging her tightly.

Chapter Text

Crosshair’s eyes stayed trained on the Jedi as she explained the plan to the batch. They had crashed on a snowy planet and he and Rominaria were to go look for civilization and be back before dark. He nodded slightly, his eyes never leaving her face. She was quite pretty, Crosshair couldn’t deny that fact. But he didn’t enjoy how he felt around her. Like he was compromised.

Rominaria finished speaking and moved to grab supplies. He followed quickly behind. Neither of them spoke as they packed, but Crosshair's eyes caught every quick glance she shot his way when she thought he wasn’t looking.

The two of them stepped outside and he noticed the woman shiver slightly. “Be quick,” Tech told them both. “It looks like there is going to be a storm tonight.” He said in a wary voice. The two of them nodded at his words, before beginning their journey.

While they walked, Crosshair couldn’t help but notice the woman shivering every so often and frowned. He was lost in thought when she finally broke the silence. “So,” She said slowly, shivering once more. “I don’t actually have anything to say, I’m just really cold and need a distraction.” She rambled quickly, stumbling slightly in the snow and they continued walking. He glanced at her in concern, his helmet tilting as he surveyed her. “Can you say something?” She said, her voice sounding slightly frustrated. Cute. Crosshair thought to himself before shaking his head slightly.

“What do you want me to say, General?” He asked, glancing back at her again.

She sighed quietly. “I don’t know?” She responded honestly. “Anything.” She finished.

If only I could say anything. He ignored the thought and glanced around at the snow. “It is really cold.” He stated, glancing back at her again. She was still shivering. “We can head back to the ship if you’re too uncomfortable. We don’t need you getting hypothermia on top of everything else.” He told her, his concern growing.

“I’m fine,” She said quickly. “I just don’t like the snow.” He nodded in agreement. 

They continued searching for two more hours before deciding that it would be best to head back to the Marauder. The snow was falling much heavier than it had been previously and the wind was whipping every which way. 

Crosshair led the way, remembering the direction they had made their way from. Still, it was hard to see much of anything and his head whipped back and forth as he continued walking, spotting a small cave up ahead that he recognized from earlier.

Glad that he was still headed in the right direction, he began to make his way towards it when he faintly heard his name yelled out. He spun around and saw that Rominaria was no longer behind him. He ran in the direction that her voice had come from. 

He finally spotted her, struggling to stand back up in the snow. He rushed towards her, catching her right under the arms before she fell again. He glanced down at her and his breath caught in his throat at the sight of her so close. 

He let go of her quickly, backing away a few steps before making his way towards the cave he had seen.

“Come on,” He told her. “There’s a cave not far up ahead.” He said, glancing back at her. She hadn’t moved from her spot, her whole body shaking. His head tilted to the side as his eyes scanned her, flicking down the thermal sensing visor on his helmet as he did so. His body tensed and he rushed over to her quickly. “You’re freezing.” He said as he reached her, his voice laced with concern.

She looked up at him. “Cross,” She said shakily and he ignored how his stomach flipped at the nickname. Now is not the time for that. “My ankle. When I fell, it twisted or something. It hurts so bad.” She told him, her eyes wide and anxious.

Crosshair looked at her for a long moment. He sighed before speaking. “I’m going to pick you up, okay?” Her pulse jumped in her throat and his eyes tracked the movement, a small smirk on his lips.

“What?” She asked quickly.

“You clearly can’t walk, so I’m going to have to carry you.” He told her, stating the obvious.

“Oh,” She responded slowly, her voice shaking. “Okay.” As soon as she finished speaking, he lifted her up. He paid extra attention to her ankle, making sure not to hit it against his armor. His breath caught in his throat when she slowly wrapped her arms around his neck, holding onto him tightly. His face flushed slightly and he was grateful that his helmet covered it up.

He quickly brought her to the small cave. It wasn’t much warmer inside but it was better than being out in the wind. He set her down gently on the cave floor and pulled off his helmet. “I’m going to try to contact the rest of the squad.” He told her. 

He glanced at her again. The way she was shaking was very worrying. He quickly rummaged through his pack, pulling out a blanket. He made his way over to her and gently wrapped the blanket around her.

Just as he pulled away, her hand caught his wrist and he froze for a moment. 

“Stay over here, please.” She said softly, her voice slurring slightly. She shivered again. “I’m so cold.” Crosshair’s brow furrowed and he pulled one of his gloves off. He placed the back of his hand against her cheek and winced at how cold it was. 

I need to get this wet cloak off of her. He thought to himself. He quickly pulled the blanket off of her and removed the soaked cloak. When he was done, he placed the blanket back around her.

He sat down next to her on the ground, wrapping another blanket around himself. He pulled out his comm device, needing to contact his brothers. Rominaria scooted closer to him and he glanced at her, their eyes locking for a long moment. 

He opened the blanket that he had around himself and wrapped an arm around her. Immediately, she moved close to him. Leaning her head against his chest. He continued messing with his communicator, trying to get it to work.

“Cross,” She finally said, her voice shaking. “My ankle hurts so bad.” He looked away from the comm and with one glance at her, set it down immediately. He gently pulled the boot off of her foot to get a better look at her ankle. It was very swollen and a dark bruise had begun to form on it.

“I’m going to touch it,” He told her slowly. “Tell me if it hurts, okay?” She nodded and he carefully placed his hand against her ankle. She flinched immediately.

“Hurts.” She choked out. Crosshair gently pulled his hand away, moving it to cup her face before he could stop himself.  

You’re so beautiful. He wanted to tell her, but knew that would just ruin everything.

“Crosshair, Rominaria, are you there?” Tech’s muffled voice came in through Crosshair’s communicator. They looked away from each other quickly, looking at the device instead. Crosshair moved his hand from the woman's face and grabbed it.

“Yeah, we’re here.” Crosshair told him. “The storm picked up and I think the general’s ankle is broken.”

“I’m fine, don’t worry about me.” Rominaria said, her voice slurring.

“Crosshair,” Tech said slowly, sounding concerned. “What color are Rominaria’s lips?”

Crosshair flushed slightly at the question. “What?” He asked quickly, his brow furrowed in confusion.

“Just check.” Tech said. Crosshair turned back to the woman who was still clinging to his side. She smiled softly at him as he tipped her face up. His eyes scanned her lips, widening as they did so. Her lips had a bluish tint to them that was not normal for her, not that Crosshair looked at them often of course.

“Tech,” Crosshair said slowly. “I think she’s hypothermic.”

“That’s what I suspected.” Tech responded. “You need to keep her as warm as you possibly can. As soon as the storm lets up we’ll use the tracker on your communicator to come retrieve the two of you. I have to get back to repairing the ship now. Be safe.” He finished.

Crosshair set down his communicator and looked at Rominaria. With a soft sigh, he patted his lap. “Come here.”

He suppressed a smirk at the way her face flushed. “What?” She asked quickly. “Why?”

“Because,” He said softly. “You need to stay as warm as possible and the ground you’re sitting on is freezing cold.” 

Without another word of protest, she moved onto his lap and leaned against him. Crosshair’s breath caught in his throat momentarily when she rested her head against the cuirass of his armor. 

“I’m going to check your pulse, okay?” He told her gently. He pressed two fingers against the pulse point under her jaw. Her heart was pounding and his brow furrowed in worry and confusion. “Your heart is beating really fast.” He told her.

“It’s just because I’m near you.” She responded immediately. Crosshair froze, his eyes not leaving hers. She didn’t say anything else, a daring smile on her face. 

His eyes flicked down to her lips momentarily, before she slowly leaned her head back against him. Crosshair gently took both of her hands in between his and rubbed them together, trying to warm up her freezing fingers. She curled into him even more and he ignored the way it made his heart pound.

Noticing that she was beginning to fall asleep, he spoke. “What’s your favorite color?” He asked her.

“Brown.” She answered immediately.

“Why brown?” He asked, genuinely curious.

“It just seems to be where all of the beautiful things are, I guess. In dirt, and trees. In all of nature and in people too. I think brown eyes are really pretty.” She answered honestly, opening her eyes and looking up at him with a soft smile. Before he could stop himself, his eyes flicked down to her lips again. He looked away quickly. “What’s your favorite color?” She asked him.

“I don’t have one.” He answered immediately.

“That’s a heaping pile of bantha dung and you know it.” She said and Crosshair smirked slightly at her words. “What is it? I know you have one.”

His eyes met hers again. Maker, she had such beautiful eyes. He sighed. “Blue,” He said quietly, not wanting to elaborate on why.

She grinned. “See, I knew you had one.” She yawned and laid her head back down against his chest. He smiled.

“I need you to stay awake for me, okay?” He said, his voice gentle. “No falling asleep.”

She let out a frustrated sigh that made him smirk to himself. “I’m so tired, Cross.” She said softly.

“I know, I’m sorry. We can talk about whatever you want.” He told her.

“Do you ever think about how without the war, we would have never met?” She asked softly. Crosshair tensed before responding.

More than you’ll ever know “Sometimes.” He answered.

“You know, I was raised to be a keeper of the peace. I haven’t been doing much of that recently.” She said and he frowned at her words.

“The war changed everything from what I’ve heard.” He responded with a nod.

“What will you do?” She asked him and his brows furrowed in confusion. “When the war is over, I mean.”

He glanced down at her. “I don’t know.” He said softly.

“We’ll still be friends, right?” She asked him, looking up at him.

He met her eyes and it took everything in him to not close the space between them. “Of course.” He responded softly.

She smiled at his words. Before he could register what was happening, she placed a soft kiss on his cheek. He froze and his heart hammered so loud that he was sure she could probably hear it as well. He let out a shaky breath, his face flushed. 

“You’re cute when you’re flustered.” She said with a giggle, leaning her head back against his chest.

Crosshair’s eyes shot open, his head pounding. The first thing he noticed was the feeling of freedom. Like he could make his own choices again. His eyes scanned the room and he realized he was in the medical bed in the Marauder’s med bay. Rominaria was asleep in the chair next to his bed but when he tried to sit up, her eyes shot open.

“Don’t get up, you could hurt yourself.” She said quickly, standing up and rushing over to him.

“I need to talk to you.” Was all he said in response.

Chapter Text

Rominaria woke up from her half-awake state, feeling movement in front of her. Her eyes shot open, seeing that Crosshair was awake and trying to sit up.

“Don’t get up, you could hurt yourself.” She said quickly, standing and rushing to his side.

He stared at her with wide eyes. “I need to talk to you.” He told her.

Her brows furrowed. “About what?”

“Come here.” He said and she walked towards him slowly. She stopped beside him and he looked up at her. 

His eyes scanned over her for a long moment and her cheeks flushed slightly. “What?” She asked him with a nervous laugh.

He frowned slightly before the emotion disappeared from his face. “You cut your hair.” He said slowly, reaching out an arm towards her.

Before Rominaria could stop herself, she flinched hard. He drew his hand back immediately, a deep frown on his features. Rominaria’s eyes widened when she realized what she had done. “I didn’t mean to-” He cut her off.

“I’m so sorry, Rominaria.” He told her and she frowned in confusion. “I couldn’t control it. I tried, I swear.”

She sighed, placing a hand on top of one of his. She heard him take a sharp breath at the contact. “I know, Cross. I don’t blame you.”

“How are you always like this?” He asked her, his voice quiet as if he thought being loud would break the moment.

“Like what?” Rominaria asked him in confusion.

“You’re always so understanding and calm.” He told her. She flushed slightly at the way he was looking at her.

“I’m a Jedi.” She responded with a shrug.

“No, you’re different than them.” He told her and she frowned. She didn't want to be different from them.

“No, I’m not.” She responded immediately and he let out a frustrated groan.

“Yes, you are.” He told her.

“How?” She asked, extremely confused.

“It’s different with you,” He said in an exasperated voice, like he didn’t understand why she wasn’t getting what he meant. “It always has been.” He finished slowly, eyes flicking back up to hers.

“Different how?” She asked cautiously, worried that if she frustrated him anymore he’d get out of the medical room bed and hurt himself.

He looked at her with steady eyes, before speaking so softly she almost didn’t hear him. “You never treated me like I was expendable.” His eyes flicked down to her lips.

And then his mouth was on hers. 

They were kissing. 

They were kissing and nothing else in the galaxy mattered but their mouths on each other. 

Nothing mattered but the way his hands were holding her face. 

The way he was kissing her like he’d never get the chance to do so again. 

Like a man starved.

“Cross,” She said softly, as she pulled away to breathe. 

This is wrong. This is so so wrong.

“Shh,” He shushed her, pulling her back in for another kiss. 

He sat up, trying to be closer to her. She quickly placed a hand on his chest, firmly pushing him back down onto the bed. 

She closed her eyes again, leaning forward into the kiss. 

Images of his lifeless body flashed before her eyes and she pulled back with a startled cry. Crosshair frowned at her in confusion as she backed away slightly.

She stammered slightly, trying to think of any excuse over the sound of her pounding heart. 

“Crosshair, you haven’t been cleared to get out of this bed yet. You could hurt yourself.” She said, her voice shaking slightly. Her heart still hammering in her chest. 

Why did you let him do that?

 “You have to be careful.”

Why did you enjoy it?  

“I’m going to go get Tech.” She said breathlessly. “So he can check your…” She trailed off as she quickly exited the room.

The minute the door shut behind her she ran to the refresher, her heart pounding in her chest. She splashed water on her face, trying to calm down.

She couldn’t do this. 

Why did she kiss him back?

She ran a hand through her hair, taking a deep breath and staring at her reflection. She opened the door to the refresher and stepped out, making her way to the cockpit.

Tech was sitting in the cockpit doing repairs when Omega walked in. “Tech, I have a question.” The young girl said to him.

“What is it?” He asked, sitting up and looking at her with curious eyes.

She walked up to him, a conspiratory look on her face. “Do you like Aria?” She whispered.

Tech’s brow furrowed. What kind of question is that? “Of course I like Aria, she is a good friend.”

Omega sighed. “No,” She said slowly, widening her eyes at him as she spoke. “Do you like Aria?” She asked again.

“Omega, I just answered that question.” Tech told her with a frown. “Are you feeling okay?”

Omega groaned in frustration. “Do you like like her?” She asked.

“I do not know what you want me to say, Omega. I already told you that Rominaria is a good friend of mine.” Tech told her, his eyes glancing past the girl as Rominaria walked in. “See, she’s right there. You can ask her if you-” Omega cut him off quickly.

“No, no, no. It’s okay.” She said, moving over to the woman and grabbing her arm.

Tech shook his head with a frown, going back to the repairs.

Rominaria walked into the cockpit, still trying to calm down and not think of what had happened in the med bay. Omega ran up to her. “I have a question.” Omega whispered and Rominaria turned her attention towards the girl.

“What is it?” Rominaria asked the girl, frowning at the look on her face.

“Do you like Tech?” Omega whispered to her.

Rominaria’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?” She asked, still struggling to focus.

“Was he the one that you liked?” She whispered and Rominaria’s eyes widened in realization. She stared at Omega for a long moment, her mouth opening and closing in shock.

“What?” She asked, laughter shaking her body.

Omega sighed and left the cockpit.

Crosshair was sitting up in the medical bed with his head in his hands.

Why did I do that? I’ve ruined everything. Of course, she doesn't trust me, I tried to kill her multiple times. She probably hates me. But if so then why did she kiss me back?

The door opened and Omega walked in. She grinned at Crosshair, who scowled in return. “Good, you’re awake. I need to talk to you about Aria.”

Crosshair tensed. There was no way Rominaria had told them what happened, right? “What?” He asked, glaring at the young girl.

Omega pulled a chair over to his bed and sat on it, a grin on her face. “I think Tech and Aria like each other.” She told him with a conspiratory grin.

Crosshair’s eyebrows raised. “Oh, really? What gave you that idea?” He asked her.

“Well, um, he’s always helping her.” She told him. Crosshair nodded for her to continue, highly amused. “I don’t know what else. But when I asked them neither of them said no, so I think I’m right. Because when I asked Hunter and Aria if they liked each other they said no.”

“You asked Hunter and Rominaria if they liked each other?” He asked the young girl, smirking now.

“Yeah, I really thought they did too. But I think Aria and Tech are cute together. What do you think?” She asked the man and he tried not to let out a laugh.

He was about to speak when Tech walked into the med bay, Rominaria following behind.

Rominaria finally stopped laughing, turning and walking over to Tech. “Crosshair’s awake.” She told him and his eyes widened. He moved his tools to the side and stood up quickly, the two of them making their way to the med bay.

Omega was speaking to Crosshair when they walked into the room. Rominaria avoided the man’s gaze, leaning against the wall and watching Tech grab supplies. 

She faintly heard Crosshair whisper something to Omega, but she couldn’t make out what he had said. She glanced towards the two of them right as Omega ran out of the room, giggling.

“So,” Crosshair said slowly, an amused look on his face. Rominaria frowned in confusion. “You two?”

“What about the two of us?” Tech asked his brother and he checked his vitals.

“Oh, nothing.” Crosshair said. “I just heard from Omega that the two of you have gotten very close.”

Rominaria rolled her eyes. “Of course we are close, we’ve known each other for quite some time now.” Tech responded and Rominaria put her face in her hands, the genius was not making things better.

“Omega said you two had romantic feelings for each other.” Crosshair continued, now sounding like he was on the verge of laughter.

“What?” Tech asked immediately, his eyes widening in shock. “Where did she get that idea from?”

“She keeps trying to set me up with you guys.” Rominaria told Tech. “She already tried with Hunter.”

Tech looked back and forth between Rominaria and Crosshair, his brows furrowed. “Is it not exceedingly obvious who-” Rominaria cut Tech off.

“How are his vitals?” She asked, crossing her arms over her chest and not looking at Crosshair.

“It appears that he has recovered fine. The wound will need to be rebandaged every so often, and he won’t be able to fight for a while, but otherwise he is perfectly healthy.” Tech told her.

“Thank you, Tech.” She said, sending a grateful smile the man’s way before she left the room.

Chapter Text

“Hey, Aria? Do you want to train?” Anakin asked the girl, running over to her.

She smiled at him. They had been friends ever since they had first met when he joined the children at the temple. He may have started later than the rest of them, but he was already excellent at combat training by the age of fourteen. “My master wants to see me in an hour, but until then I can.” She told him, grinning.

They walked together to the training room, laughing at a story that Anakin was telling her. “I have the best master.” He was telling her.

“That,” A voice behind the two of them said. “Is subjective.” Rominaria spun around, grinning at the chiss girl.

“Mira!” She exclaimed. “I thought you wouldn’t be back yet.”

Mira grinned. “We just got back and I came to find you.”

“Me and Aria were about to train.” Anakin spoke up, crossing his arms over his chest with a frown.

Rominaria suppressed an eye roll. Her two friends hardly got along. "And we will." She assured him. His face softened slightly and she smiled at him. "It's good to see you Mira, I'll find you later today."

Mira smiled at her before heading off to study. "I don't like her." Anakin muttered for the hundredth time. "You were my friend first."

"Jealousy is not the Jedi way, Anakin." Rominaria reminded him, a small frown on her face. "And Mira is a good friend."

Anakin stared at her as if he were waiting for her to continue.

Rominaria let out an exasperated sigh. "Anakin, you know that I am closer to you than I am to her."

He grinned and continued walking to the training room with her. She rolled her eyes, following after him.

When she and Anakin had finished training, Rominaria headed to the meditation room to meet with her master.

"Rominaria," Master Shaak Ti said as the girl entered the room.

"Master," The girl responded with a small smile, sitting down and facing her master.

When they had finished meditating, Rominaria stood up slowly. She was exiting the room when she heard the sound of a lightsaber behind her.

Rominaria spun around and saw her master lying on the ground, her body still.

The girl rushed to her master's side, dropping to her knees. There was a lightsaber wound in her chest.

Rominaria’s eyes shot open. Her face was wet and she wiped the tears away quickly, looking around.

She was in the barracks of the Marauder. The rest of the batch was asleep and she let out a small sigh of relief.

She stood up slowly, quickly pulling her loose hair back into a small bun. She crept out of the barracks silently and slipped her cloak over herself before exiting the ship. A shot of pain hit her in her side and she groaned quietly. She had gotten shot on a recent mission and the wound was still healing.

She walked the streets of Ord Mantell. It was early in the morning and shops were beginning to open. She found a small store and stepped inside, walking up to the counter. “What can I help you with today?” The elderly man behind the counter asked her with a kind smile.

She forced herself to smile back. “I was wondering if I could place an order for a crate of canned caf and have it delivered to my ship?”

Rominaria was heading back to the Marauder when she made a wrong turn, finding herself in a part of the city that she didn’t recognize. She continued walking, looking around with a frown as she tried to find her way back to the ship.

Her hand hovered over the holsters on her thighs and she realized that she had forgotten to grab her blasters. She groaned in annoyance but continued walking.

“Hey, pretty lady!” A man’s voice called out behind her and she quickened her pace. She heard footsteps behind her and rolled her eyes. A hand grabbed her shoulder and she spun around to face the man. “I was talking to you.” He told Rominaria, taking a step towards her.

She took a step backward, not wanting to cause a scene. The man grabbed her waist, pulling her towards him. Rominaria quickly shoved the man away from herself and stumbled backward.

Two more men behind her grabbed her arms as the first man approached her. “This one’s feisty, I like her.” He said with a grin, she tried to yank herself away from the men but one of them wrapped a hand around her throat to keep her still.

The first man pulled her cloak off of her and scanned her with his eyes, a smirk on his lips. He reached out an arm to touch her.

All of the sudden, the man was on the ground. Crosshair on top of him, pounding the man’s face with his fists. Rominaria opened her mouth to speak. There was a loud thud and suddenly the grip on her throat was removed.

She spun around, and saw Wrecker tossing one of the men against a wall. She crossed her arms over her chest. Everyone in the street was watching them. “I was handling it.” She told the two men when they had finished.

Crosshair stood up slowly, wiping the blood on his mouth away with one hand. “A thank you would have sufficed.” He told her and she rolled her eyes at him.

Rominaria grabbed the two men by their arms and pulled them down the street with her. “I didn’t want to cause a scene.”

“He was going to-” Crosshair was saying but Rominaria cut him off.

“Crosshair, I said I was handling it.” She said firmly, dropping their arms once they were far enough away. “I just got lost, I would have been fine.”

“I’m sorry, Aria. We just wanted to help.” Wrecker said to her and her expression softened.

“It’s alright, Wrecker.” She said, patting the man’s shoulder gently. “I apologize for my reaction. Thank you.” She said to the two men, glancing at Crosshair momentarily before looking away quickly.

When they made it back to the Marauder, Rominaria walked inside quickly. She heard footsteps follow her as she headed towards the med bay and she turned to face the person.

“What?” She asked Crosshair, crossing her arms over her chest.

He raised his hands in mock surrender. “I was just coming here to rebandage my injury.”

Her expression softened and she stepped into the med bay. “I should rebandage my side as well.” She said softly and he nodded in acknowledgment.

Rominaria grabbed the top half of a spare set of blacks from one of the many cupboards in the room and turned away from Crosshair. She unzipped the top half of her jumpsuit and slid it down to her hips.

Rominaria heard a sharp intake of breath behind her as she slid the blacks over her head. She turned to face Crosshair and saw him frozen in place, staring at her with his mouth half open.

She put her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrows at him. “Do you need something?”

He cleared his throat, looking away from her quickly. “I, uh, usually Tech helps with the bandaging but he’s still asleep.” He said, not meeting her eyes.

Rominaria stared at the man with amused eyes, approaching him slowly. She reached past him, grabbing supplies.

“Shirt.” She told him and he stared at her in a state of flustered confusion. She sighed. “I can’t rebandage it with your shirt in the way.”

He swallowed slowly, pulling the top he was wearing off. Rominaria ignored the odd feeling in her stomach and focused on carefully unwrapping the bandages.

Rominaria grimaced when she saw the wound. She grabbed disinfectant spray and pulled a chair over to him. She sat down and applied the spray to his abdomen. She gently placed a hand on his side to keep him still as she cleaned it.

Crosshair inhaled sharply when her hand touched his skin and she glanced up at him for a moment before going back to focusing on the injury. She gently placed a bacta patch over it when she was finished and began wrapping his abdomen.

When she was done, she stood up and handed him his shirt. He pulled it on quickly and Rominaria pulled her own shirt up high enough that she could undo the bandaging on her side. “I can help.” Crosshair’s voice was barely above a whisper. She nodded and he gently unbandaged her side, his fingers grazing ever so slightly over her skin.

Rominaria’s breath caught in her throat as Crosshair kneeled down to be at eye level with the injury. He gently cleaned it, working silently.

He set the cloth he was using aside and glanced up at her for a moment. Rominaria met his eyes, silently willing her face not to flush at the way he was looking at her. “Can you hand me a bacta patch?” He asked, breaking the silence.

Rominaria looked away from him quickly, grabbing the bacta patch and handing it to him with the hand that wasn’t holding her shirt up. Crosshair firmly placed the patch onto her wound and began to wrap it. One of his hands was resting on her waist to keep her from moving and messing the bandage up.

He secured it and looked up at her slowly, his hand still on her skin. Rominaria didn’t move, completely frozen. She was breathing heavily and was sure that he could notice the rapid rise and fall of her chest. She saw his eyes flick down to her lips momentarily and she remembered the way his felt on them.

“Cross,” She finally said. This isn’t the Jedi way. Rominaria stumbled backward, dropping her top back down and staring at the man with wide eyes.

He stood up slowly and walked towards her. “We need to talk about what happened.” He said, his voice quiet.

Rominaria tensed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Aria,” He said slowly, tilting her chin up with his hand so that her eyes met his.

“Nothing happened.” She said, her voice firm. Her heart was hammering in her chest.

“Nothing? Really?” He questioned, his eyebrows raised at her. He leaned closer to her and her eyes widened as she forced herself to not give in to the temptation. “Because I distinctly remember you kissing me back.”

She swallowed slowly, cursing herself for not having an excuse ready. He leaned closer, mere inches between their faces. 

Attachment is a path to the dark side.

She pulled away from him quickly, stumbling backward and not meeting his eyes. “I only kissed you back so that you wouldn’t get out of the bed. I just didn’t want you to hurt yourself.”

Crosshair’s brows furrowed and a frown formed on his face. “What?” He questioned.

“I have to go.” She said quickly, leaving the room as fast as she could.

She ran into the refresher, locking the door behind her and staring at her reflection with wide eyes. 

She quickly pulled her top off and pulled her jumpsuit back on fully, zipping it when she was finished. She took her hair out of the bun and ran a shaking hand through it.

She exited the refresher and made her way to the barracks, sitting down on her bunk. Crosshair entered the room and she didn’t meet his eyes.

He pulled his rifle from its case and began to carefully clean it.

After a few moments, he stood and set the rifle on his bunk. He left the room quickly and Rominaria frowned in confusion.

Curiosity getting the better of her, she stood up slowly and approached his bunk. She gently touched the rifle.

When she did, her vision flashed white and she gasped.

Crosshair was in a forest, looking down at a group of what appeared to be civilians through the scope of his sniper rifle.

His finger was on the trigger, ready to shoot.

The gun went off and an elderly woman in the group fell to the ground.

Crosshair walked back into the barracks and his eyes immediately found Rominaria. She was slumped on the floor in front of his bunk, unconscious. His heart dropped and he rushed to her side, dropping to his knees and pulling her upright. “Tech?” Crosshair called out as he checked her pulse. He heard his brother move from the bunk he was in.

Rominaria’s eyes shot open and she gasped for air. Her eyes scanned the room before landing on Crosshair.  She stared at him with wide and horrified eyes. 

“Tech, what happened?” Crosshair asked his brother as he approached. “I just found her on the ground.”

“She most likely experienced another Force echo.” Tech told him, kneeling down beside Rominaria who was still gasping for air. “What did she touch?” Crosshair’s brows furrowed in confusion. A Force echo?

Without warning, Rominaria pulled herself away from Crosshair, scooting closer to Tech. “The rifle.” She muttered, still looking at Crosshair with wide eyes.

Crosshair tensed. “Tech,” He said slowly. “What’s a Force echo?”

If Tech had heard his brother's question, he ignored it. His focus appeared to be fully on Rominaria who was still shaking. “What did you see?” He asked softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. The woman shook her head quickly, not answering the question.

“I’m fine. Sorry.” She said quietly as she stood slowly. Tech helped her stand, one of his hands wrapped around her bicep to keep her upright. Tech muttered something quietly to Rominaria but Crosshair didn’t hear what was said.

Crosshair stood as well, his frown deepening as he glanced back and forth between the two of them. Maybe Omega was on to something. He thought to himself, a painful pang in his chest at the thought.

Tech led Rominaria to her bunk. She sat on the edge of it, the frown still on her pretty face. Crosshair took a step towards her and her eyes met his immediately. Tech left the room, mentioning something about getting rations.

Crosshair closed the distance between him and Rominaria, sitting down next to her on the bunk. “What did you see?” He asked quietly, his mind racing.

She swallowed slowly and his eyes tracked the movement in her throat. “Uh, you were in a forest. There was an elderly woman.” Crosshair’s heart sank in recognition.

“Oh.” Was all he said in response, looking down.

She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and he looked back to her, fighting the urge to hold her in his arms. They held eye contact for a long moment.

Rominaria eventually broke it, leaning her head against his shoulder instead. Crosshair leaned his own atop hers and closed his eyes. “Cross,” She muttered quietly.

“Yeah?” He responded.

“I’m sorry.” He heard her say, barely above a whisper.

Crosshair frowned. “For what?”

She let out a quiet sigh but didn’t answer the question. Rominaria pulled her head away from Crosshair and looked at him. She reached a hand out and he froze, heart hammering in his chest.

Rominaria gently grazed her fingers over the burn scar on the side of his head and Crosshair shut his eyes at the contact, a small content sigh leaving his lips. He opened his eyes again, staring at the woman’s face. Her eyes were on the scar, a small frown on her lips.

He used the moment to study her face. The soft crease in between her brows. Her pretty blue eyes. Her mouth that not long ago had been pressed to his. He was so stuck in the trance that he didn’t realize she was speaking at first.

“Cross?” Rominaria asked and his eyes snapped up to hers. “Are you alright?” Her face was full of concern and he fought the urge to close the distance.

He nodded, not trusting himself to speak. She frowned but didn’t press, sighing and leaning her head back against his shoulder. He glanced at her, wanting nothing more than to tell her how he felt.

Chapter Text

Rominaria was meditating. Or trying to, at least. She had been relying on caf recently to keep her awake after multiple sleepless nights. She’d do anything to make the nightmares stop.

The door to the room opened and she sensed Tech’s presence. “Is there something you need?” She asked the man, her eyes still closed.

“We have received a mission.” He told her and she sighed, opening her eyes and looking up at the man.

“Where are we going?” She asked.

When the batch landed on the outer rim moon, Rominaria helped bring out the crates of supplies. Hunter was speaking to the client, their voices low. “Is this the last crate?” She asked Wrecker. He nodded and she set it down.

The man Hunter was talking to turned towards her, his brows furrowing as he looked at her. “Have we met before? You look familiar.” Rominaria tensed, hoping he didn’t recognize her.

“I don’t think so.” She answered honestly.

Rominaria made her way back onto the Marauder. She was exhausted. With a defeated sigh, she sat down in one of the seats in the cockpit and closed her eyes.

A man was speaking to a cloaked figure. “Can you confirm that this was the woman you saw?” The person asked, holding up a hologram of a woman with black hair and dark blue eyes.

“Yes,” The man responded. “That’s her.”

Screams echoed through the corridor that Rominaria was walking through, though she couldn’t make out where they were coming from.

She turned a corner and came face to face with Crosshair. His rifle was in his hand and she glanced down at it with a frown. “What’s going on, Cross?” She asked him.

He looked at her with guarded eyes, raising the gun. Pointing it at her. She ducked right as he pulled the trigger, staring at him with shocked eyes. He aimed at her again and she used the Force to rip the gun out of his hands.

“What is going on?” She repeated.

“I won’t let you kill any more people.” Was all he said before he lunged at her, tackling her to the ground. Rominaria shoved him away from her. He grabbed her by the collar of her top and that’s when she noticed the clothes she was wearing.

She was in an all-black uniform that she didn’t recognize. Rominaria frowned in confusion, noticing a strange symbol on the shoulder.

Crosshair slammed his fist into her face and she turned her attention back to him, using the Force to push him away. Rominaria stumbled to her feet, her hand grabbing her lightsaber.

She stared at him with wide eyes, her hands shaking. “Please, Crosshair. I don’t want to hurt you.”

He glared at her before lunging towards her again. Her instincts took over and she ignited her lightsaber right as he was over it.

Rominaria’s eyes widened as the blade sunk into his chest. Crosshair’s body fell to the ground and she stared at the scene. It took her a moment to realize as she glanced at her hands.

The lightsaber she was holding was red.

Rominaria’s eyes shot open, breathing heavily. She looked around the room quickly. No one was in the cockpit other than her and Echo. He noticed her heavy breathing and turned to face her.

“Another nightmare?” He asked, his voice full of understanding.

Rominaria nodded, still trying to calm her breathing. “Yeah.” She muttered, running a hand through her hair.

Crosshair walked into the cockpit. He glanced back and forth between the looks on Echo and Rominaria’s faces and his brow furrowed. “What’s wrong?” He questioned and Rominaria shot Echo a look.

“Nothing.” She said immediately. Crosshair looked like he didn’t believe her, but didn’t press. He sat down in the seat next to Rominaria and shot a concerned glance her way.

After a few more moments of silence, Crosshair spoke. “Can I speak to you, alone?” He said quietly to Rominaria. She tensed but nodded slowly, rising from the seat she was in. They both made their way to the med bay and Rominaria turned to Crosshair with raised eyebrows.

“What did you want to talk about?” She asked him.

He took a step towards her. “We can’t keep doing this.” He said slowly.

Her brows furrowed. “What do you mean?” She questioned.

“We can’t keep acting like we don’t feel how we feel about each other.” He said and she looked away from him.

“I don’t know what you mean.” She said, keeping her voice void of emotion. Her heart was pounding in her chest.

Crosshair took another step towards her. “Rominaria, you do. You know how I feel about you, I think I’ve made it quite obvious.” Rominaria swallowed slowly, staring at the man with wide eyes. 

“You just feel comfortable around me.” She told him, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’m one of the few women in your life, of course, you’d mistake those feelings for something else.” She said in a calm voice, her own words hurting her.

Crosshair tensed at her words. “That’s not true. I care for you, Aria. And not in the same way that I do for the rest of this squad.”

Rominaria let out a shaky breath. Attachment leads to the dark side. “You don’t.” She said quietly. She knew he was telling the truth but it didn’t matter. It couldn’t matter. “Even if you did, it wouldn’t matter. You’ll move on.”

“Rominaria, you’re not hearing me.” He said, his frustration clearly growing as he pinched the bridge of his nose with a frown. She frowned back. Didn't he understand that no matter what she wanted to feel, she couldn’t. He knew the Code just as she did.

There is no emotion, there is peace. 

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. 

There is no passion, there is serenity. 

There is no chaos, there is harmony. 

There is no death, there is the Force.

She reminded herself silently, before slowly looking up to meet his eyes. “I’m hearing you just fine, Crosshair.” She said in a slow and measured voice. 

“No, I don’t think that you are.” He told her, clearly exasperated. “I’m here at your beck and call. I search for you in every room, every crowd. I hang on to every touch, every conversation, every time you so much as look at me, Rominaria. As if you are the planet and I am the moon destined to always orbit you. Always near you but never close enough for something more. For something real.”

She stared at him with wide eyes, her mouth suddenly feeling very dry. She tried not to let her voice shake as she spoke. “Cross,” She said slowly. “You don’t understand.” She finished poorly.

He stepped closer to her. So close that if she wanted to, his lips were right there. She shook off the thought as he opened his mouth to speak again. “I thought, after everything. Everything we’ve been through. That you felt the same.”

“What do you mean?” She asked him, silently begging him not to say the words. She forced herself to look into his eyes, to see the pain she was causing him. The same pain that she seemed to cause for everyone around her.

“How do you not see it?” He asked her, his hands slowly moving to cup her face between them. Her heart began to pound so loud that she almost didn’t hear his next words. Almost. “I love you, Rominaria. I have for so long now.”

Her gaze left his eyes then, looking away. “It will pass.” She said slowly, forcing the tears not to spill down her cheeks. Crosshair stood frozen and she slowly backed away from him until she reached the door and turned, rushing out of the room.

Chapter Text

“How do you not see it?” He asked her, his hands slowly moving to cup her face between them. Her heart began to pound so loud that she almost didn’t hear his next words. Almost. “I love you, Rominaria. I have for so long now.”

Her gaze left his eyes then, looking away. “It will pass.” She said slowly, forcing the tears not to spill down her cheeks. Crosshair stood frozen and she slowly backed away from him until she reached the door and turned, rushing out of the room.

Rominaria ran directly into Tech after leaving the med bay. The man looked down at her, his eyes scanning her face briefly as his expression grew concerned.

"Are you alright?" He asked, a frown on his face.

"Yeah," Rominaria responded immediately, trying to move past the man.

"You're crying." Tech told her, his frown deepening as she hurriedly wiped the tears from her face.

"I'm fine, Tech." She said quickly, moving past him and exiting the ship.

It was dark outside and the streets of Ord Mantell were bustling with life. Rominaria quickly made her way through the streets, finding the building she was looking for.

She entered Cid’s to find it full of people, the trandoshan woman nowhere to be seen. Rominaria made her way to the counter, ordering a drink before sitting down and placing her head in her hands.

She heard the door open and groaned when she sensed the familiar presence. He sat down on the stool beside her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"What happened?" Hunter asked, his voice full of concern. "I asked Tech where you went and he told me that you were crying."

Rominaria sighed, her face still in her hands. "I'm not talking about it." She said, her voice firm.

She looked up at him and saw his brows furrowed in confusion. He looked at her for a long moment before speaking. "Did he say something?" Hunter asked and Rominaria shot him a confused look as she was handed her drink.

She took a long sip. "Did who say something?" She questioned.

"Crosshair," Hunter said like it was obvious. "You smell like him so I'm assuming you were with him just before you left."

Rominaria tried to keep her face neutral but her heart hammered in her chest and she knew he could hear it. "It doesn't matter." She muttered, taking another sip of her drink.

Hunter sighed. "Crosshair always says stupid stuff, you know him, but I'm sure he didn't mean whatever it was that he said." Hunter reassured her.

If only he didn't actually mean it. "Yeah, probably." Rominaria responded with a sigh.

Multiple hours and drinks later, Rominaria was feeling much better and grinned as the rest of the batch walked into Cid's.

Omega giggled when she ran over to Rominaria and Hunter. "Is she drunk?" She loudly whispered to Hunter.

The man nodded with a quiet laugh. "I'm not drunk." Rominaria argued, crossing her arms over her chest and pointing an accusatory finger at Hunter. "I'm just tipsy."

She glanced at Crosshair and the look on his face sobered her for a moment. His eyes were rimmed with red and his whole demeanor was tense.

She looked away from him quickly, finishing the drink in her hand and starting to head to the counter to order another.

Hunter grabbed her arm, pulling her back. "No more drinks." He said, his voice firm.

Rominaria rolled her eyes but complied, grabbing Tech’s arm with a mischievous grin. The man shot her a confused look. "Let's dance." She said, pulling the man towards the open area where multiple people were already dancing and ignoring his protests.

As soon as Rominaria was out of earshot, Hunter looked at Crosshair with a raised brow. "What did you say to her?" He asked his brother.

Hunter heard his brother's heart rate pick up as he tensed. "It doesn't matter." Crosshair said shortly, not meeting his brother's eyes.

Hunter rolled his eyes at Crosshair’s response. "Whatever it was just don't do it again, she has enough stress on her plate as it is." Hunter said.

Crosshair's jaw clenched and Hunter scanned his brother's face more thoroughly. Hunter was about to speak when he saw Crosshair tense and followed his brother's line of sight.

Across the room, Rominaria had her arms around Tech’s neck. A wide smile on her face as she animatedly talked about something. Hunter focused more and laughed when he realized she was excitedly talking to Tech about different lightsaber combat forms.

He turned to tell Crosshair what they were talking about just as Crosshair stormed out, the door slamming behind him.

Hunter rolled his eyes at his brother's actions. Omega ran up to him, a wide grin on her face. She grabbed Hunter's arm. "They definitely like each other." She told him and Hunter's brows furrowed.

"Who?" He questioned, assuming the young girl was talking about the Jedi and the sniper.

"Tech and Aria." Omega said like it was obvious.

Hunter's eyebrows raised for a moment before he doubled over in laughter, clutching his stomach. Omega frowned at him, crossing her arms over her chest.

Hours later, Rominaria had slumped on one of the benches. Her head was on Echo's shoulder as the man spoke to Tech. Omega had fallen asleep on the bench, her head resting in Rominaria’s lap. The woman was barely awake when the door opened and Crosshair entered.

Rominaria looked away from the man, a small frown on her face. "What happened?" Echo asked her quietly, clearly noticing the divide between the two.

Rominaria shook her head, closing her eyes and sighing. "It doesn't matter, Echo." She said softly.

Hunter looked up at his brother when he re-entered the parlor. Crosshair glanced at Rominaria who was leaning against Echo for a moment before looking away and quickly moving to the counter instead.

Sighing, Hunter stood and followed his brother to the bar. Crosshair glanced at him for a moment before going back to staring at the wall in front of him, a deep frown on his face.

Hunter placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. "I'm sure whatever happened, the two of you will work it out. You always do." He reassured his brother.

Hunter stood up and made his way back over to the group. "We should probably bring Omega and Aria back to the Marauder." He said, gesturing to the pair that were both asleep.

Tech nodded in agreement, standing and glancing down at the two. Hunter scooped Omega up into his arms, the young girl stirring slightly and snuggling into the man's chest with a small smile on her face.

"Tech, can you carry Aria?" Hunter asked his brother.

Tech looked slightly confused but nodded. "Of course. Though, I assumed Crosshair would want to carry her back." Tech responded, leaning down and picking up the woman with ease.

Rominaria’s eyes opened and she stared up at the man holding her with a confused frown. "I can walk." She muttered, trying to pull away.

"You are highly intoxicated, I would not recommend walking as you would most likely fall." Tech informed her.

Rominaria rolled her eyes, making Hunter laugh. "If you say so." She responded, leaning against Tech and closing her eyes.

Hunter glanced over at Crosshair who was watching the interaction with a look of undisguised annoyance.

Rominaria woke up with a start, the contents of her nightmare causing her heart to hammer in her chest. She heard the shuffling of feet and then moments later the door to the barracks opened and Omega peeked her head in.

Rominaria forced a smile onto her face at the sight of the young girl. "Did you need something, Omega?"

Omega looked at her with nervous eyes, her hands fidgeting as she responded. "I had a nightmare and I was wondering if I could sleep in your bunk with you tonight?" She asked quickly.

Rominaria smiled softly at the girl, scooting back and making room. "Of course." She said softly.

Omega seemed surprised but crawled into the bunk without another word, curling up against the woman. 

Rominaria's smile was genuine as she wrapped an arm around the young girl, closing her eyes and letting her mind wander.

Chapter Text

Rominaria was pacing back and forth in the cockpit of the Marauder. Her body was exhausted but she couldn’t fall asleep and fall subject to the tortures of her own mind again. She feared it was driving her mad.

Tech walked into the cockpit and his brow furrowed when he saw her. “Is something wrong?” He asked slowly, his head tilting to the side as he surveyed her.

Rominaria sighed. “No, it’s nothing.” She said, sitting down and running a hand through her hair.

“Rominaria,” Tech said slowly and she looked up at the man. “You need to sleep.” He stated as he sat down in his seat, messing with some controls.

“I’m fine.” She responded immediately, looking away from the man. “Do we have a job?” She asked and he nodded.

“Yes. We will be transporting supplies for one of Cid’s clients in a few hours.” He told her and she nodded, sipping the caf she was holding. “I would suggest you get some rest before then.” He said and she shook her head.

“Can’t.” Was all she said in response.

A while later, everyone came into the cockpit for take-off. Rominaria glanced at Crosshair for only a moment before looking away quickly, a painful pang hitting her in the chest. It had been several rotations since Rominaria had spoken to the sniper, not knowing what to say to him. She decided that it was best for him to be angry with her. Maybe then, he’d move on.

After acquiring the supplies and loading them onto the Marauder, Hunter told the squad the plan. “Crosshair and Rominaria, I want you two to be the ones to go into town and bring the supplies to our clients.

Rominaria frowned. “Why us?” She questioned, glancing at Crosshair and noticing how tense he was.

Hunter shot a small smirk at Rominaria before responding. “The rest of us will be busy with another job that we just received from Cid.” He told her and Rominaria sighed, exiting the cockpit and heading to the refresher.

Tech turned to Hunter with a confused frown on his face. “We don’t have another job from Cid.” He said quietly to his brother.

Hunter smirked. “They don’t need to know that.” He responded.

When the Havoc Marauder landed, Crosshair and Rominaria exited the ship. They walked in silence, Crosshair pushing the cart with the crates of supplies. It was late and the streets were mostly empty.

After a few minutes, Rominaria spoke up. “Who do you think these supplies are for?” She said, trying to fill the painful silence.

Crosshair shrugged, not sparing her a glance. “Ask Tech.” He replied.

Rominaria rolled her eyes. “Is this just how it’s going to be now?” She questioned.

“I don’t know what you mean, cyar’ika.” Crosshair responded.

“Don’t call me that.” Rominaria shot back immediately, glaring at the man.

Crosshair reached into his pocket and pulled out a toothpick, placing it in his mouth. “I can call you whatever I’d like, sweetheart.” Rominaria tensed, anger filling her body.

She took a deep breath, struggling to control her emotions. “You’re so infuriating.”

“Good thing you can handle it because you’re a Jedi, right?” Crosshair said as they came to a stop outside of the building.

Rominaria sighed as they entered, approaching the group of men inside. “Here’s the supplies you asked for.” Rominaria told them, forcing a friendly smile onto her face.

One of the men looked through the crates, checking off a list he was holding. “So,” One of the other men said slowly. “What brings a girl like you into a job like this?” He questioned and Rominaria rolled her eyes.

“Everything’s there. Credits, now.” She responded, holding out a hand.

The man sighed but placed the case of credits into her hand. Rominaria opened it, quickly counting them. Once she was sure they had been paid in full, she closed the case and smiled at the man.

“Nice doing business with you.” She said, glancing towards Crosshair and seeing that he was glaring at the group of men with his arms crossed over his chest. He made momentary eye contact with her and she nodded.

The two of them exited the building, Rominaria’s eyes lingering on the man in front of her for a moment. “Rominaria, Crosshair, come in.” Tech’s voice said through the communicator on her wrist and she quickly pressed the button, raising it to her face.

“We’re here. What is it?” She asked. Crosshair moved over to her to hear what his brother had to say.

“ We’ve been met with some unexpected delays and won’t be able to retrieve you just yet. I would suggest for the two of you to check into an inn for the night. ” Tech told them.

Rominaria sighed. “Okay. Keep me updated on the situation, Tech.”

“ I will. ” He answered.

Rominaria glanced up at Crosshair. “Did you see any inns earlier?” She asked and he nodded, leading the way.

When they arrived at the inn, the two of them stepped inside and made their way to the counter. Rominaria smiled at the elderly woman behind the counter. “What can I do for you two, honey?” She asked the pair.

“We’d like two rooms, please.” Rominaria told her, already pulling out credits when the woman responded.

“I apologize but we only have one room available currently.” The woman told her. “It would fit the two of you, though.” She added.

Rominaria suppressed a groan of annoyance and nodded. “That’s alright, keep the change.” She said, handing the woman a small handful of credits.

“Have a good night, lovebirds.” The woman said to them as they walked away with their room key in hand. Rominaria tensed slightly, her face flushing at the woman’s words.

When they reached their room, Rominaria quickly unlocked the door. She took a step inside the room and glanced around, her eyes landing on the bed.

Rominaria groaned. “You have got to be kidding me.”

Chapter Text

When they reached their room, Rominaria quickly unlocked the door. She took a step inside the room and glanced around, her eyes landing on the bed.

Rominaria groaned. “You have got to be kidding me.”

Rominaria stood frozen in the doorway and Crosshair tried to look past her. “What?” He questioned.

She finally stepped inside, pulling her cloak off and looking at the bed like it had personally plotted against her. “Of course, this would happen.” She said to herself quietly.

Crosshair stepped inside and Rominaria saw him tense slightly when he saw the singular bed. His eyes scanned the rest of the room quickly. “I’ll take the armchair.” Crosshair told her, not sparing a glance her way.

Rominaria sighed. “You can take the bed, I’m not tired anyways.” She told him and Crosshair was opening his mouth to speak when Tech’s voice came in through Crosshair’s communicator.

“Crosshair, are you there?”  He asked.

“Yeah, what is it?” Crosshair responded immediately.

“While you’re there, make sure Aria actually sleeps. ” He said and Rominaria tensed, silently cursing the man.

Crosshair frowned in confusion. “Will do.” He said, setting down the communicator and heading to the refresher. “I’m going to take a shower.” He told Rominaria before fully exiting the main room.

Rominaria pulled off her boots. She laid down on top of the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

When Crosshair got out of the shower, he quickly dried off and pulled on his blacks before stepping out into the main room. Rominaria had fallen asleep on top of the bed sheets and Crosshair smiled slightly.

He walked towards her and gently lifted her, moving the blankets and setting her back down. He carefully pulled the blankets over her and brushed the hair out of her face before stepping back.

He sat down on the armchair, closed his eyes, and tried to fall asleep.

Rominaria wasn’t sure where she was. All that she knew was that every instinct in her body was telling her to run. Her feet pounded into the ground as she ran through the hallway. The lights were flashing and an alarm was blaring.

She heard the sound of footsteps behind her and spun around, her hand hovering over the lightsabers on her hips.

No one was behind her and she turned back around, coming face to face with her squad. “What’s going on?” She asked them quickly.

Crosshair opened his mouth to speak. He made a strangled noise, his hands shooting up to his neck as if he were trying to pull something away. His body was lifted from the ground and Rominaria spun around, coming face to face with a figure in all black.

She tried to make out their face, but failed in doing so. “Let him go.” She spat at the person, rage clouding her vision as she slid her lightsabers into her hands. She ignited them and lunged at the person.

They dropped Crosshair to the ground and drew their lightsaber, igniting it as well. Rominaria swung her saber at them and they deflected it easily. They attempted to hit her and she blocked the attack. The fight felt vaguely familiar but she couldn’t place where she recognized it from.

“Who are you? Why are you doing this?” Rominaria questioned as she dodged another swing.

“You know who I am?” They told her. “And I’m doing this because you all deserve to die.”

A strangled noise came from behind Rominaria and she turned. Echo was clawing at his neck with his one hand, struggling to breathe.

Rominaria spun to face her opponent. “Let him go.” She yelled at them, tossing a lightsaber aside and reaching her hand out.

She felt all of her anger and hatred for the person course through her body as she slowly closed her fist. They gasped for air, their hands coming up to their neck. Rominaria lifted them from the ground, slamming them into the wall beside them.

Rage filled her mind as she continuously slammed them into the wall. Over and over again. They stopped struggling and she dropped them to the ground, turning to face her squad.

They were no longer there and she looked around in confusion, the anger slowly leaving her body. Her eyes made their way back to the lifeless body on the ground and her eyes widened when she realized what she had done.

Crosshair’s bloody and broken body laid in the place where she could have sworn her attacker's was not a moment ago. She rushed over to him, dropping to her knees and bringing her hands up to his face.

She felt a familiar presence behind her but didn’t turn to face them. A hand was placed on her shoulder. “Join me and I will teach you how to harness your emotions instead of hiding from them. No one will be able to hurt the ones you love ever again. Join me.”

Rominaria’s eyes shot open. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly and her eyes darted around the room frantically as she tried to figure out where she was.

Crosshair was by her side instantly, looking at her with worried eyes. “Rominaria, what’s wrong?” He asked softly, trying not to startle her more. She just stared at him with wide eyes, trying to calm down but failing miserably.

She sat up, bringing her knees to her chest and hiding her face in them as sobs racked her body. She felt the bed shift as Crosshair sat down beside her and before she knew it she was pulled towards him. Rominaria buried her face in his chest, holding onto him tightly as tears soaked the top he was wearing.

“It’s okay, you’re safe.” Crosshair said softly as he rubbed her back gently. “I’m here, you’re safe.” He repeated.

Eventually, Rominaria’s breathing steadied and she pulled away just enough to look up at the man. Crosshair met her gaze with soft eyes. He raised a hand and gently wiped away the tears on her face. “I,” Rominaria started, her voice shaky. “I need you to promise me something.”

Crosshair frowned slightly. “What is it?” He asked, his voice gentle.

Rominaria moved her gaze from his eyes, focusing on the wall behind him as she spoke her next words. “I need you to promise me that if I ever turn you’ll stop me.” She said slowly.

Crosshair’s brows furrowed in confusion. “What do you mean?” He questioned.

She met his eyes again. “Crosshair, if I turn to the dark side I need you to promise that you will kill me. Please.” Rominaria said softly. She felt his body go tense as he stared at her with wide eyes.

“You won’t.” He reassured her. “And I couldn’t. You know that.”

“Please, Crosshair.” She begged. “I need you to promise me that you will. Please.”

Crosshair looked into her eyes for a long moment, searching them. “Okay.” He said softly and she sighed, feeling slightly relieved. “I promise.” He whispered so quietly she almost didn’t hear him.

Rominaria lifted her hand to his face, gently cupping his cheek. “Thank you.” She said softly. Crosshair’s eyes searched hers and she smiled slightly. “You should try to get some more sleep.” She told him.

“You should as well.” He told her and she tensed slightly. “You need to, Aria.” He said gently.

She nodded, feeling drained and not wanting to argue. Crosshair gently pulled away from her, moving to get off of the bed. “You could stay.” Rominaria said quietly and his eyes met hers again, “If you wanted, I mean.” She finished, sliding under the blankets and glancing towards him.

Crosshair looked at her for a long moment before slipping under the blanket and laying on his back beside her, his whole body tense. Rominaria smiled softly, scooting closer to him and resting her head against his chest.

When Rominaria woke up, she was startled by the feeling of arms wrapped around her. She struggled to pull away, realizing it was Crosshair and calming down slightly. Until she realized that it was Crosshair. Her mind raced as she tried to remember what had happened.

She pulled away enough to be able to see light beginning to creep into the room from the window. Crosshair stirred slightly, opening his eyes for a moment before closing them again. “How’d you sleep?” He asked quietly, one of his hands beginning to gently rub circles on her back.

Rominaria closed her eyes, a soft sigh falling from her lips. “Good.” She answered before realizing what she was saying. Her eyes shot open, realizing that she hadn’t had another nightmare. She stared at Crosshair with wide eyes, her face flushing slightly when she finally realized how close the two of them were.

Crosshair opened his mouth to speak when his comm came on from across the room. “ Crosshair, Rominaria, are you there? ” Tech’s voice came in and the moment broke, the two of them quickly moving away from each other and stumbling out of bed.

Crosshair crossed the room quickly, picking up the device. “We’re here.” He responded.

“ We’re back. We’ll be landing in less than an hour. ” He told them.

Rominaria stretched, feeling well-rested for the first time in ages. Her eyes landed on Crosshair and found his already on her. She smiled softly at him before grabbing her boots and sliding them on as he put his armor on.

Rominaria glanced up at the man. “I’m sorry, Cross.” She said softly and his eyes met hers.

She saw him tense slightly before responding. “I know.” He said as he put his helmet on.

Rominaria’s eyes fell to the ground. It’s for the better. She thought to herself, a small frown on her lips. She slipped on her cloak and the two of them exited the room, making their way through the inn and stepping out into the cool early morning air.

There was a substantial amount of people filling the streets, all talking to each other in pleasant tones. Rominaria heard Crosshair mutter something under his breath about crowds being the bane of his existence and looked at him for a moment with amused eyes before beginning to make her way back to the landing zone.

Crosshair followed close behind her, as silent as ever. She glanced his way a few times, though not long enough for him to notice.

When they arrived at the landing zone, the Marauder was just landing. Omega ran out, beaming at Rominaria. "I missed you!" She told Rominaria and the woman smiled fondly at the young girl.

Rominaria squatted down beside the girl. "So, what was the mission the rest of you went on?" She asked the girl, genuinely curious.

Omega looked confused for a moment. "Oh, we didn't go on a mission. We just flew around for a while." She told Rominaria.

The woman glanced at Hunter who was nearby with raised eyebrows. The man smirked in return.

"Ah, I see." Rominaria responded, standing and making her way over to where Hunter was. She crossed her arms over her chest. "You said you had a mission."

Hunter grinned. "You seem well rested." He told her.

Rominaria tensed slightly. "Shut up."

Chapter Text

Rominaria was waiting on the ship, already done with her part of the mission, when her squad stumbled inside. Crosshair passed her without a glance, heading straight to the refresher. She frowned when she heard the sound of retching and was about to ask him what was wrong when Hunter entered and pulled her aside.

"What happened?" She questioned, sensing the unease filling the ship through the Force.

Hunter quickly explained how their simple job of taking out the tactical droid had turned for the worse. Crosshair had had the shot lined up and was pulling the trigger when it happened. With his perfect aim, the shot soared directly for the kill shot. But he hadn't accounted for one of the hostages, no older than thirteen, to jump in the way when trying to escape.

Rominaria listened, her stomach dropping in horror. "I, is the kid, you know?" She stammered, flinching slightly at the sound of Crosshair still retching. 

Hunter nodded solemnly and Rominaria tensed. "Can you try to get him to drink water and eat something? He hasn't eaten since yesterday and we have to report back to command." Hunter asked softly and Rominaria could feel the worry for his brother radiating off of the man.

She wasn't sure that she would be much help in that department but she nodded anyway. "Of course." She said softly, placing a gentle hand on Hunter's shoulder.

Hunter exited the ship and Rominaria made her way over to the refresher. The door was open but she knocked anyway, peeking her head in with a soft frown on her face.

"Kriff off." Crosshair grumbled at her, though there was no malice in his voice.

She sighed, stepping into the room and kneeling down beside him. "It wasn't your fault." She said softly, placing a gentle hand on his back. Crosshair scoffed at her words, not looking at her.

Rominaria stood, making her way out of the refresher and coming back moments later with a bottle of water in her hand. She sat beside the man on the floor and offered it to him.

Crosshair finally looked at her and she saw that his eyes were rimmed with red. She smiled gently at him as he took the water from her hands, uncapping it and drinking a few gulps.

"You need to eat something." Rominaria told him softly and Crosshair shook his head immediately. "Crosshair," She placed her hand over one of his own. "Cross, you have to eat."

Sighing, she scooted closer to him. Crosshair stared at her, his face full of pain. Gently, she wrapped her arms around the man, pulling him into a tight hug. Crosshair froze for a few moments, his whole body tense. And then he started to shake, what seemed like sobs racked his body but Rominaria felt no tears land on her. After a few moments, he wrapped his arms around her and held her like his life depended on it.

She held him for a long time, rubbing his back and trying her best to comfort the man. Eventually, she heard the ship's ramp lower and the sound of boots. Crosshair pulled away from her slowly, taking a large breath before standing up and heading straight for his bunk.

Rominaria frowned, but didn't follow him. She headed to the cockpit where Tech quickly explained to her that the mission had been completed and they were headed to Kamino to refuel the ship and restock supplies.

She nodded, struggling to focus on Tech's words over her thoughts. "Aria?" Tech asked and she realized he had said something. She looked at him and he frowned. "I was asking if you wanted us to take you to Coruscant before we head there."

Rominaria was about to say yes when her thoughts wandered back to the man currently in his bunk. "I think I'll stay actually." She answered and Tech's brows furrowed for a moment, clearly not expecting that answer, before he nodded and started the launch sequence.

Rominaria made her way to the pantry, pulling out two ration bars. She entered the barracks and found Crosshair sitting on his bunk, a deep frown on his face as he stared at his rifle.

She took a step towards him and he jumped slightly when he realized she had entered the room. "Hey," Rominaria said softly as she approached the man, sitting next to him on his bunk. "I brought you this." She told the man, offering him one of the ration bars she was holding.

Crosshair sighed, but took it from her. The two ate in silence, Rominaria glancing towards the man every so often.

When they had both finished eating, Rominaria stood slowly. She smiled kindly at Crosshair before exiting the room, feeling exhausted after the mission.

When her watch time was up, Rominaria stood from the seat she was sitting in and stretched. She exited the cockpit and made her way to her bunk, making sure Tech was waking up for his watch. She smiled slightly at the way that Crosshair had fallen asleep next to him in his bunk.

She slid into her bunk, always lying near the edge so that if she had to, she could get out faster. Rominaria closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to fall asleep.

She was almost asleep when she sensed a presence in front of her. She opened her eyes, staring up at the man with a confused frown. Crosshair didn't say anything, simply crawled over her and slid into her blanket. He stretched and wrapped an arm around her waist, leaning his head against the back of her neck.

"What are you doing?" Rominaria whispered, trying not to wake up Hunter.

Crosshair shushed her. "Go back to sleep." He murmured against her.

Rominaria sighed, closing her eyes and ignoring the nervous flutter in her chest. She turned to face him, wrapping an arm around him and rubbing circles on his back with a soft smile when she felt the tension leave his body.

She began to fall asleep, glad that she was able to provide some form of solace to the man,

Rominaria was pacing in the cockpit of the Marauder, her mind racing. She stopped, taking a deep breath and trying to calm herself.

Ever since she and Crosshair had stayed the night at that inn, she couldn't stop thinking about how things used to be. Before the war ended.

She let out a long sigh, checking the time and heading to the barracks to wake Hunter up. She entered the room and was halfway to Hunter's bunk when he sat up, stretching and smiling groggily at her.

Rominaria climbed into her bunk, sighing and closing her eyes. She heard Hunter exit the room and a moment later she felt someone crawl over her. Her eyes shot open, panic filling her for a moment before she realized it was Crosshair.

He slipped into the blanket beside her and wrapped an arm around her. Rominaria smiled slightly, closing her eyes and willing herself to fall asleep.

Hunter walked back into the barracks quietly, about to wake Tech up for his turn at watch when he noticed that Crosshair’s bunk was empty. He frowned slightly, glancing around the room before a grin spread onto his face.

Rominaria was asleep in her bunk, Crosshair behind her with his face pressed against the back of her head.

Chapter Text

The man in clone trooper armor walked quickly through the hall of the Imperial facility he was in, his blaster held firmly in his hands. An alarm was blaring loudly.

He turned down a hallway, headed towards the exit when the communicator in his helmet came on. “ Marcus, hurry. We can’t wait much longer. ” A woman’s voice said.

“I’m going as fast as I can.” The man, Marcus, responded. He entered the hangar and saw his ship across the room. He walked quickly towards it.

“Trooper, where are you going?” A clone commander asked from behind him. “There’s a security breach.”

Marcus tensed, not turning to face the man. “I had orders to come here.” He said slowly, trying his best to imitate the recognizable accent that the Jango Fett clones had.

He heard footsteps approach him and he turned around slowly. “What’s your CT number?” The commander asked him.

Marcus faltered for a moment and the clone in front of him noticed. 

“You’re not a clone.” He said, raising his blaster.

There was a flash of blue and then Marcus fell to the ground, unconscious.

When Marcus woke up, he was strapped to a table. His head whipped around as he tried to figure out where he was. He has been stripped out of the stolen clone trooper armor and was now only in the blacks he was wearing under it.

The door hissed as it opened and he craned his neck, trying to see who it was.

“Good, you’re awake.” A man’s voice said. “We can begin."

Rominaria smiled at the girl who was sitting across the table, slamming back Mantell Mix like there was no tomorrow.

The squad had just completed another mission for Cid and were all gathered at the woman’s parlor. Rominaria glanced over at Crosshair, who was sitting on her left in the rounded booth they were in. The man was already looking at her and she smiled slightly before turning to Tech who was on her other side.

Tech was currently explaining something to Echo. Rominaria smiled, enjoying the quality time with what was basically her family.

Marcus’ screams echoed off of the walls as he was electrocuted once again. “I told you, I don’t know anything. I’m just given orders.” He cried out, his whole body aching.

“This won’t stop until you tell me something of value.” The man above him said in a calm voice, approaching Marcus with pliers in his hand.

He reached out and grabbed Marcus’ hand, holding it still as he grabbed onto a fingernail with the tool. “I don’t know anything, I swear.” Marcus pleaded.

The man tsked, shaking his head. In one swift motion, he pulled his arm back and ripped the fingernail away from the flesh. Marcus screamed, his chest heaving up and down. “I need to know everything about your little group of rebels.” The man told him. “The Emperor is not very happy with the lot of you. Just give me the information I want, and you’ll be free to go.”

When Marcus didn’t reply, the man sighed and walked away from him. Marcus heard the sound of the pliers being set down.

“Clearly, the fingernail wasn’t enough. Luckily, I have many more tools and plenty of time.”

The man came into view again and Marcus’ eyes widened at the sight of the long knife that the man was now holding. “Please,” Marcus begged. “I don’t know anything. I just follow Gerrera’s orders.”

“And what have those orders been?”

Rominaria laughed as she watched Omega once again beat Hunter in a game of Dejarik. She felt a set of eyes on her and turned to see Crosshair staring at her, a fond look on his face.

When she met his eyes, the man looked away quickly. Rominaria glanced over at Hunter, who had a knowing look on his face as he watched her.

The man made his way over to her, a smirk on his face. Sitting down beside her, he spoke. “I’ve noticed the two of you have been close again.” He said.

Rominaria rolled her eyes. “I don’t know what you mean.” She told him, but she knew he could hear the way her heart rate picked up at his words.

“That’s all I know, I swear!” Marcus cried out, screaming in agony as the man brought the knife down to his hand and pressed it down into a finger with a skilled precision. The blade was so sharp that it easily cut through the flesh and bone.

Marcus’ mind raced as he tried to think of a way to make this stop. A memory flashed in his mind and his eyes widened, a sense of hope filling him. The man was lining the knife up to the next finger when Marcus spoke.

“Wait,” He said quickly, and the man looked up at him with interested eyes. “One of my first days on the job. We were transporting civilians when this woman showed up and spoke to Gerrera. She was on the ship for a while.” He said quickly, every part of him in an agony he never thought imaginable. An agony he would do anything to make go away.

“And why would that be of any importance?” The man responded, getting ready to slice through the next finger when Marcus spoke.

“Because,” Marcus said slowly, his voice shaking. “She was a Jedi.”

The man looked up at Marcus, a wide smile spreading across his face. “A Jedi? How interesting.” He said slowly, moving the knife away from Marcus’ bloody hand. “And what was this woman’s name?”

The door hissed open once again and Marcus didn’t bother to look up, assuming it was the man. His whole body ached and he was exhausted. He wanted nothing more than for the pain to end and to go home.

“So,” A feminine voice said and Marcus’ eyes widened slightly. “You claimed to have seen the Jedi known as Rominaria Scara?” She questioned, coming into view. She was in a full set of black armor, her face hidden behind the helmet she was wearing.

Marcus nodded. “Yes,” He said quickly. “The man, he said I could go once I gave him that information.”

The woman let out a small laugh. “Not yet.” She said, “I have some questions for you first.”

Marcus didn’t know what it was about the woman, but he felt fear fill him as she approached his side. She extended a hand towards his head.

Marcus cried out in pain as his head began to ache. “Let’s find out what’s in this pathetic mind of yours.” She said, her voice amused as he screamed in agony.

Marcus had never experienced pain to this level before. His head felt like it was splitting open. Like someone had cracked it open and was searching through it.

After a few moments, the woman spoke again. “Interesting.” She said slowly. “So that’s where she went.”

She drew her hand away from Marcus and the pain faded slowly, his whole body still aching. He looked up at the woman with wide pleading eyes. “Can, can I go home now?” He asked as tears threatened to spill. He looked over her and only then noticed what looked like a lightsaber on her hip.

“Of course,” She said, her voice sounding as if she were smiling. “Thank you for your cooperation.” The woman in the black armor said, igniting her lightsaber and plunging it into Marcus’ chest.

Chapter Text

Crosshair was sitting in the barracks when the Jedi entered the room. He didn’t spare her a glance, not enjoying the way he felt every time that he did. Rominaria sat down on her bed, her head in her hands as she massaged her temples.

The sniper finally glanced up at her, his face emotionless. “Something wrong, cyar’ika?” He questioned, placing a toothpick between his lips.

Rominaria met his eyes, a small frown on her pretty face. “I’m alright, my head just hurts.” She told him.

Crosshair’s brows furrowed for a moment. Had she hit it on the mission? Was she okay? Should he ask Tech to check her for any-

“It was just really loud earlier. But I took medicine, so it should go away soon.” The woman continued, breaking Crosshair’s train of thought. “And how many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?” She added, her frown deepening when he smirked at her.

“And why shouldn’t I?” Crosshair questioned, his smirk growing when she rolled her eyes at him.

“Because,” She started, her voice exasperated. “It’s inappropriate.” She told him, meeting his eyes again.

Crosshair ignored the feeling in his stomach as he met her stare, moving the toothpick to the other side of his mouth. “That’s not why you dislike it, though.” He said slowly, standing up and walking over to her. He leaned down, his face a few inches from hers. Her pulse jumped in her throat and Crosshair’s eyes tracked the movement.

Crosshair shot her one last smirk before straightening up and exiting the room.

Crosshair’s eyes opened. He rolled onto his side, ignoring the flutter in his stomach when he glanced across the room. Rominaria was curled in a ball in her bunk. Her face was scrunched up and she was quietly muttering something to herself.

Crosshair was about to make his way over to her when he heard the bunk above him shift. Tech climbed down and glanced over to Crosshair, realizing his brother was also awake. “It appears that she is having another nightmare.” Tech quietly said, sitting on the edge of Crosshair’s bunk and pulling out his data pad.

Crosshair sat up, nodding at his brother’s words. “How long have they been going on for?” He quietly asked Tech.

“From what I’ve seen, she’s had one every time she’s slept since she’s been back with us.” Tech answered, still looking at his data pad.

“Any idea what’s causing them?” Crosshair asked, looking back at the woman.

Tech thought for a moment before responding. “It is most likely stress.” Tech told him, glancing up at his brother.

Crosshair looked back to Tech, noticing the inquisitive look on his brother’s face. “What?” Crosshair questioned, grabbing his pack of toothpicks and placing one in his mouth as he raised his eyebrows at his brother.

Tech opened his mouth like he was going to speak before closing it and shaking his head. “Nothing.”

Crosshair’s brows furrowed. Rominaria gasped and Crosshair tensed. The woman sat up, breathing heavily and running a hand through her hair. Her eyes found Crosshair and Tech and she tensed slightly.

“Do you enjoy watching me sleep?” She questioned, directing the question towards the sniper.

Crosshair shot her a smirk, twirling the toothpick in his mouth. “You wish.”

Rominaria rolled her eyes. “In your dreams.” She muttered, standing up and stretching. She made her way over to the two men, plopping down in between them on Crosshair’s bed. 

Crosshair ignored the flutter in his stomach when she leaned her head against his arm, instead glancing over her head to Tech’s datapad that he was still looking at. Rominaria also seemed to notice and pulled her head away from Crosshair, leaning against Tech and reading the screen.

She frowned slightly before speaking. “Tech, I’m fine.” She told him. Tech looked away from his device and glanced down at the woman.

“I am simply trying to find a solution to the nightmares that you have been experiencing. If you would only tell me the contents of-” Rominaria cut him off.

“I already told you, I’m not talking about them.” She said, her voice tense. “I’m fine, Tech.” She added.

Crosshair shared a look with his brother. The whole crew of the Havoc Marauder were concerned about the Jedi. She barely slept and whenever she did, she woke up gasping for air. Crosshair slipped his hand into hers, squeezing it gently.

Rominaria glanced up at him, the look in her eyes making Crosshair’s stomach flutter again. He held her stare, forcing his eyes to not flick down to the small smile that was creeping onto her face. Crosshair was opening his mouth to speak when Tech coughed, reminding him that his brother was still there.

Crosshair looked away from Rominaria quickly, glancing at his brother who was staring at the two of them. Tech shook his head, standing up and exiting the room. He glanced back once as he exited and Crosshair could have sworn he saw a faint smile on his brother’s face.

The sniper felt eyes on him and glanced down at the woman beside him. She smiled softly when she met his eyes, standing and stretching again. “You should get some more sleep, Cross.” She said. 

Crosshair stared at her for a long moment, every fiber of his being wanting to close the distance between the two of them. Rominaria raised her eyebrows when he didn’t respond. Crosshair nodded slightly. “Okay.” He said, having no urge to argue when he could have her smiling like an angel at him instead.

Before leaving Kamino, when he was just a cadet, he would hear all of the regs talking about beautiful women when they would come back. But nothing had prepared Crosshair for how he felt when he first met the woman in front of him.

Rominaria shifted slightly, seemingly nervous. Crosshair studied her face, his eyes taking in every inch and committing it to memory. Not that he would ever be able to forget her face, of course. His eyes trailed to her neck, where there was still the faintest scarring from when he had pressed his knife against it. Crosshair frowned slightly, his eyes drifting back up to hers. Rominaria’s brows were furrowed. “Is there something on my face?” She questioned.

You’re so beautiful. Crosshair ignored the urge to tell her, forcing a small smirk on his face instead. “There’s dirt on your cheek.” Rominaria frowned, reaching a hand up and trying to wipe away the nonexistent grime. She only stopped when she saw Crosshair’s smirk grow.

“You’re so annoying.” She said, shaking her head as the corners of her lips upturned slightly. “Seriously though, you should try to get some more sleep.” Rominaria added, her voice soft.

Crosshair nodded again, watching her leave the room before slipping back into his blankets and closing his eyes.

“Crossy is just jealous that I get the fun part of the mission.” Rominaria said, smirking at the sniper.

He glared at her. “Don’t call me that.”

She grinned, clearly enjoying the way the nickname got under his skin. “And why shouldn’t I?” Rominaria questioned, widening her eyes in mock innocence.

Crosshair rolled his eyes, looking away from her and turning his attention to Hunter. He heard a faint giggle and flicked his eyes towards her just long enough to see the smile on her pretty face. The sight made his stomach flip and he swallowed thickly.

“ I’m almost back to the ship. ” Rominaria’s voice said over the comms. 

“Copy that.” The sniper responded. Crosshair glanced down at the data pad in his hand, watching the tracker in her communicator move towards the Marauder. 

The comms were silent for a minute before the woman’s voice broke it again, now frantic. “ I’ve run into trouble. Is anyone nearby? ” There was a loud noise through the communicator. “ Maker, that thing is huge. Kriff. Help, please. Now. ” Rominaria rambled quickly.

Crosshair stood quickly, glancing at her location one more time before rushing out of the ship as he pulled his helmet over his head. “I’m on my way.” He said over the comm, trying not to think of the worst when the Jedi failed to respond.

Crosshair glanced at the dot on the data pad he was carrying, noticing that Rominaria appeared to be moving away from the Marauder. He followed the tracker to an abandoned warehouse, crouching outside one of the windows and peering inside. Rominaria was lying limp on the ground, her hands tied behind her back and fastened to a wooden column.

There were three long gashes, splitting the side of her robes open, that appeared to be from the claws of something. Her lightsabers were nowhere to be seen and blood was dripping from her mouth. Crosshair could faintly hear voices and he crept around the warehouse to find where they were coming from.

He peered through another window and saw two men speaking to one another, one of them holding both of Rominaria’s lightsabers and looking down at them. “Why in the world would you kidnap a  Jedi ?!” The man holding the lightsabers spat at his counterpart. “Do you have any clue what kind of dangers this will bring us?”

The other man threw his hands upwards. “I didn’t know she was a Jedi until it was too late.” He responded, his voice filled with anxiety.

Crosshair crept back around the warehouse, listening to make sure the two men were still talking. He made it back to where Rominaria was and climbed through the window just as the woman stirred slightly. Her eyes opened and she glanced up towards him, spitting some blood out of her mouth as she did so.

“Cross?” She questioned quietly, sounding confused.

Crosshair tried his best to ignore how his stomach flipped at the use of the nickname. He scanned the room with his eyes before quickly approaching her. Crosshair kneeled beside the woman, reaching behind her and starting to untie her arms from the column. “What happened?” He asked quietly.

“I’m not sure. I was headed back to the ship when this huge animal showed up out of nowhere and attacked me. The last thing I remember is-” She stopped speaking abruptly, going tense. “They’re coming. You need to hide. Grab the small knife from my right boot and hand it to me.” Crosshair immediately moved towards her feet, finding the knife and slipping it into one of the hands still tied behind her back. “They’re almost here. Hide.” Rominaria told him.

Crosshair silently moved back across the room, slipping through the window and crouching down out of sight just as the door opened. “Well, what are we gonna do with her?” One of the men questioned as they entered the room.

The other man started to speak when he abruptly stopped, most likely realizing that Rominaria was now awake. “What do you want?” He heard Rominaria question, her tone laced with venom. “Why did you bring me here?”

“ Crosshair, we’re following your location and approaching what seems to be a warehouse. Is the general there as well? ” Hunter’s voice came in through the comm in Crosshair’s helmet.

Crosshair risked a glance through the window, making sure the men were preoccupied, before responding. “Affirmative.” He said quietly.

“What was that noise?” One of the men in the warehouse said, his voice nervous.

“That’s,” Rominaria said slowly, her voice sounding as if she had started smiling. “Probably my friends.” She finished. A moment later, the sound of her lightsabers igniting alerted Crosshair to spring into action.

He stood, jumping through the window and drawing his blaster. Rominaria was standing now, her lightsabers raised in front of her in a defensive position. She was glaring at the two cowering men in front of her.

Her eyes flicked up to Crosshair momentarily and she shot him a small smile, making his stomach flip. She nodded once at him and Crosshair understood. He quickly set the blaster to stun and fired two shots, one per man.

Once he was sure they were unconscious, he was at Rominaria’s side in an instant. “Where did you get hurt?” He asked quickly, his concern slipping through his usual mask of indifference.

Rominaria smiled weakly up at the man beside her. “I’m okay, Cross.” She said softly. “Thank you.” Crosshair’s eyes flicked down to her lips for a moment before he caught himself, grateful that his helmet hid the action.

When Crosshair woke up again, he glanced toward the woman’s empty bunk with a small frown.

Chapter Text

The lights were flashing. Rominaria’s heart was racing. A loud alarm was blaring and she looked around in confusion.

She was in a long hallway, the sound of boots echoing off of the walls. She whipped her head around, but couldn’t find the source of the sound. She spun back around and came face to face with a figure in all black, their face covered by a mask.

Rominaria ignited her lightsabers, which she hadn’t even realized she was holding. The person laughed, igniting their own lightsaber. The two of them circled each other, sabers raised in a defensive position.

“Who are you?” Rominaria questioned. “What do you want?”

“I want to kill you.” The person told her. Rominaria tensed slightly. “But, I have orders to give you an offer first.”

“What offer?” Rominaria asked, starting to back away from the figure in black.

The person’s helmet tilted upwards, like they were looking past her. Rominaria tensed as she felt a hand grasp her shoulder. “Join me.”

Rominaria’s eyes shot open, breathing heavily. She sat up and looked around. She was in her bunk, on the Marauder. She wasn’t in the hall that kept haunting her dreams. She ran a hand through her hair, trying to steady her breathing. Slowly, her heart rate slowed.

She let out a small relieved sigh, glancing around when she felt a pair of eyes on her. Crosshair and Tech were seated on the latter’s bunk, both looking at her. She tensed as her eyes found Crosshair’s.

“Do you enjoy watching me sleep?” Rominaria questioned, directing her words to the sniper who was staring at her with an unreadable expression on his face.

Crosshair’s smirked at her. “You wish.” He twirled the toothpick he had in his mouth and her eyes lingered there for half a second.

Rominaria ignored the feeling in her stomach, rolling her eyes. “In your dreams.” She muttered. 

She slipped out of her bunk, standing and stretching. She walked over to Crosshair’s bunk and plopped down in between the two men, a small smile on her face. Rominaria leaned her head against Crosshair’s arm, the familiar feeling in her stomach resurfacing.

She noticed the sniper's eyes on Tech’s data pad and she turned her head, leaning against Tech and reading the screen. Rominaria frowned. “Tech, I’m fine.” She told the man after having seen what he was looking at. Tech turned away from his screen, glancing down at Rominaria with a concerned frown.

“I am simply trying to find a solution to the nightmares that you have been experiencing. If you would only tell me the contents of-”

“I already told you,” Rominaria said, her voice tense. “I’m not talking about them.” She took a deep breath, trying to calm her emotions. “I’m fine, Tech.” She added when she saw his frown deepen.

Tech glanced over her head for a moment and she sighed softly, knowing that he and his brother were most likely having a silent discussion. She felt Crosshair’s hand slip into hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. She felt her pulse jump in her throat, his touch sending tingles up her arm.

Rominaria glanced up at the sniper, not even attempting to mask the adoration in her eyes. Even though she wouldn’t admit it, she knew she was struggling. And having him there was helping her stay level-headed, even as the nightmares continued to torment her.

Crosshair’s eyes stayed locked on her own and she felt a small smile creeping onto her face, her cheeks flushing slightly. He opened his mouth slightly, as if he were about to speak, and her eyes tracked the movement.

Just then, Tech coughed loudly. As if to remind the pair that he was still there. The sniper looked away from her quickly, his eyes locking with his brother’s over her head. Rominaria smiled, her eyes meeting Tech’s for half a second. He shot her a knowing glance before standing up and exiting the room.

Rominaria’s eyes made their way back over to Crosshair, taking the moment to admire his features. He glanced down at her after a moment and she smiled softly. Rominaria stood up, stretching again. “You should get some more sleep, Cross.” She said softly, expecting resistance.

Crosshair silently stared at her for a long moment. She raised her eyebrows when he still didn’t respond. “Okay.” He said quietly and Rominaria smiled, happy that he actually listened to her for once.

Crosshair continued to stare at her and Rominaria shifted nervously on her feet. His eyes scanned her face before drifting down to her neck for a moment. Crosshair frowned slightly as his eyes returned to meet hers. Rominaria’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Is there something on my face?” She asked him.

Crosshair was silent for a moment, before a smirk crept onto his face. “There’s dirt on your cheek.”

Rominaria frowned, quickly reaching up and trying to wipe away the dirt. When Crosshair remained silent, she glanced down at him again and noticed that his smirk had grown. She stopped, shaking her head and fighting a small smile. “You’re so annoying.” She muttered, her stomach fluttering slightly as she met his eyes again. “Seriously though,” She added. “You should try to get some more sleep.” She said softly.

He nodded and she smiled one more time at him before turning away and exiting the room. Rominaria made her way through the Marauder to the cockpit, entered it and sat down in the copilot's seat. She glanced over at Tech, a soft smile on her face as he tapped away on his data pad.

Her eyes drifted to the viewport, watching as the stars streaked by in flashes of blue and white. Rominaria sighed softly, a small smile playing at the corner of her lips. 

After a few more moments, Tech broke the silence. “When was the last time that you meditated?”

Rominaria thought for a moment, frowning when she couldn’t come up with an answer. “I’m not sure.” She said slowly, her jaw tensing at the realization. “Why?” She asked, her eyes flicking back towards the man.

“I was simply wondering if it could have something to do with the nightmares that you have been experiencing.” Tech stated, shooting her a concerned glance.

Rominaria sighed. “Maybe.” She said softly, closing her eyes and resting her head against the seat. 

Flashes of white and blue filled Rominaria’s vision. 

A cacophony of screams surrounded her from all sides. 

Dread. 

Anger. 

Pain. 

Suffering.

Regret. 

Despair. 

A woman’s laughter.

Rominaria’s eyes shot open, gasping for air as she tried to make sense of what she had seen.

“Are you alright?” Tech said, glancing over to her with eyes full of concern.

She opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by the sound of the cockpit doors opening. Hunter stepped inside the room, his face full of worry.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, running a hand through his disheveled hair.

“I didn’t mean to wake you up, I’m sorry.” Rominaria said softly, her heart still hammering in her chest.

Hunter shook his head, dismissing her words. “What’s wrong?” He repeated.

Rominaria glanced towards Tech, who was already looking back down at his datapad, before rising to her feet.

She exited the cockpit, Hunter following close behind her. She slipped into the med bay, turning as she heard the door shut. The tracker raised his eyebrows at her, waiting for her to speak. “They’re getting worse.” She started, keeping her voice slow and measured. “And just now, I sensed something. Something awful is going to happen, Hunter. I’m just not sure what.”

Hunter tensed at her words, his brows furrowing. “We’ll figure it out. We always do.” He said after a moment, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

“Will we?” Rominaria asked, her voice quiet.

Hunter opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Tech rushing into the room. “We just received a distress signal from Rex.”

Rominaria’s brows furrowed. “What happened? Where is he?”

The squad gathered in the cockpit, looking at the distress signal still pinging on one of the screens. “The distress signal sent by Rex appears to be originating from Cortano-1.” Tech told the group.

“What do we know about that place, Tech?” Hunter asked his brother.

“Cortano-1 is a moon that was the home of a small base of operations during the Republic.” Tech explained.

“What would Rex be doing there?” Echo questioned. “And why didn’t he comm us?”

“We should check it out.” Rominaria said, speaking for the first time since they had all gathered. “Rex would do the same for any one of us.” She added when she saw the look on Hunter’s face.

“I have a bad feeling about this.” The tracker muttered to himself.

Rominaria excused herself from the room, making her way into the barracks and sitting on the floor. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, and focusing her mind.

There is no emotion, there is peace.

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.

There is no passion, there is serenity.

There is no chaos, there is harmony.

There is no death, there is the Force.

She repeated the mantra over and over in her mind. Just as she felt herself begin to focus, the door opened. She didn’t open her eyes, instead attempting to remain focused as they loudly rummaged through a cupboard.

After another moment, her eyes snapped open in frustration. “Can you stop that?” She spat before she could stop herself. Crosshair froze in his movements, caught off guard by her tone.

“Sorry.” He muttered, exiting the room.

She closed her eyes again, taking a deep breath and trying to focus her mind.

Flashes of red, blue, and green.

Screams.

You’re a monster.

You’re a monster.

You’re a monster.

You’re a monster.

You’re a monster.

You’re a monster.

You’re a monster.

You’re a monster.

They’re all going to die and it will be your fault.

Rominaria's eyes shot open, her chest heaving up and down as she attempted to calm herself. She scanned the room. She was alone. She was safe. No one was going to hurt her or her squad.

Rominaria faintly heard Crosshair and Hunter’s voices, loud and angry. She frowned, but didn’t move from her position.

When the ship exited hyperspace, they all gathered in the cockpit. Rominaria looked out of the viewport, her eyes on the small moon that they were approaching. A pang of dread hit her momentarily, and she tensed.

The ship landed and they all exited, looking around with wary eyes. Tech pointed towards a large building that they could see in the distance. “That appears to be where the signal is originating from.” He told the group, beginning to walk forward.

They followed in silence, looking around cautiously as they approached the building that appeared, from the outside, to be abandoned. When they reached the entrance, Tech quickly opened the door and they all stepped inside.

It was silent and dark. After a moment, Tech restored the lights and they all looked around slowly. Tech continued moving forward, his eyes on his data pad. “This way.” He told them, leading them to the left.

Just then, there was a loud noise in the opposite direction and they all froze. “Hunter and Crosshair, come with me.” Rominaria said quietly. “The rest of you, go find Rex.”

The three of them slowly made their way towards the sound's origin, entering a hallway and walking down it. Rominaria tensed slightly, a familiar feeling filling her.

Rominaria glanced around the hallway she was in, her eyes widening in recognition. Dread filled her, making her bones feel heavy and her muscles go slack for a moment. “Hunter,” She said slowly.

The man turned towards her, his helmet tilting slightly. “What is it?” He asked when he saw the look on her face.

Rominaria swallowed thickly, her heart beginning to hammer loudly in her ears. “It’s here. This is where they take place. We need to get out of here.” She said quickly.

“I don’t think so.” A woman’s voice rang out through the hallway.

Rominaria’s head whipped around, trying to find the source. Two stun blasts whizzed by her and hit Crosshair and Hunter, causing the men to fall unconscious. Her eyes landed on a group of six or so clone troopers approaching her, their guns raised.

Rominaria backed away from them, igniting her lightsabers and raising them in front of her. A hand grabbed her shoulder and her head whipped around, but no one was behind her.

She turned back towards Hunter and Crosshair, and saw that the troopers had cuffed them. A figure in all-black armor approached her. Rominaria kept her lightsabers raised in front of her, backing away.

“Here’s the rest of them, ma’am.” A voice to Rominaria’s right said. She glanced to the side and saw more troopers dragging the rest of her squad's unconscious bodies. They dropped them next to Crosshair and Hunter, before returning to their position beside the others.

“What do you want?” Rominaria questioned, struggling to keep her hands from shaking.

The woman in front of her let out a small laugh. “I have an offer for you.”

Rominaria’s stomach dropped. “No.” She said, taking another step backward when the woman continued to approach her. “Who are you?” Rominaria questioned.

“What? You don’t remember me?” The woman said, laughing again. “You’d think after years of knowing each other, you wouldn’t forget me so easily. But then again, you always thought of yourself as better than me, didn’t you? Rominaria Scara. So high and mighty because she never questions the order. Never thinks for herself. Never does anything wrong. How’d that work out for you?” She tapped the side of her helmet and the visor opened, showing blue skin and red eyes.

Rominaria went tense, the realization washing over her. She swallowed thickly. “Mira?”

Chapter Text

“Who are you?” Rominaria questioned.

“What? You don’t remember me?” The woman said, laughing again. “You’d think after years of knowing each other, you wouldn’t forget me so easily. But then again, you always thought of yourself as better than me, didn’t you? Rominaria Scara. So high and mighty because she never questions the order. Never thinks for herself. Never does anything wrong. How’d that work out for you?” She tapped the side of her helmet and the visor opened, showing blue skin and red eyes.

Rominaria went tense, the realization washing over her. She swallowed thickly. “Mira?”

The woman laughed. “That’s not who I am anymore.”

“How- how could you do this? How could you turn your back on everything we stood for? Everything we fought for.” Rominaria sputtered, her hands shaking.

“Everything you stood for.” Mira corrected, sounding angrier than she had just moments before. “I saw through the flaws of the Jedi. That is why I left them. They were limiting my power.”

Rominaria stared at the woman in front of her with eyes full of disgust. “How can you not see what you have become?” She questioned slowly.

“We’re not so different, you and I.” The woman said, taking a step towards Rominaria. “Which is why I’m here to make you an offer. I’ll let your pet clones go, as long as you join me.”

Rominaria didn’t spare a glance towards her squad, keeping her sabers held in front of her. “I will never join you. I’m nothing like you.” She said slowly, her voice filled with barely contained rage.

Mira laughed. “It’s so cute that you think that.” She said, taking another step towards Rominaria. “The only difference, between you and I, is that I’m not afraid of my emotions. My fears do not control me.”

“I’m not afraid.” Rominaria said, forcing her voice not to shake and her hands to remain steady.

“You will be.” Was the only warning the woman gave before she lunged towards Rominaria.

She quickly rolled out of the way, keeping her arms raised in front of her as she deflected another attack. The troopers surrounding the group began to close in on them, raising their blasters and beginning to fire at Rominaria.

She heard a gasp of pain and glanced to the side momentarily, seeing that a stray shot had hit Omega’s arm where she was still sitting on the floor. 

Rage like Rominaria had never experienced before filled her then. Anger towards the war. Anger towards everything she’d lost. Anger towards everything that had happened. Anger towards Mira and who she had become. And, at that moment, white-hot rage at the troopers who were threatening the people she cared about.

Before she could so much as cognitively register her own actions, she unignited and dropped her lightsabers. Rominaria threw her arms out towards the group of troopers, her rage focusing in a moment of white and blue light. She faintly heard herself scream as the concentrated rage poured out of her.

She opened her eyes, not knowing when she had closed them. All of the clone troopers which had stood around her, were on the ground. The sickening stench of burnt human flesh filled the air and Rominaria fought the urge to vomit. She could see one of the trooper’s bodies, still twitching slightly, in the corner of her eye.

Reality washed over her and a deep sense of regret and dread filled her body, making her drop to her knees and look down at her shaking hands. “What have I done?” She said quietly to herself, not daring to look up at her squad and see the looks on their faces.

You’re a monster. You deserve to be put down like one. At that moment, she remembered Crosshair’s promise and looked up. Rominaria met the sniper’s wide eyes, silently pleading with him. He seemed to understand what she was asking, but only shook his head slightly. Rominaria’s stomach dropped in realization. He promised.

She was broken out of her thoughts by the sound of laughter. Glancing upwards, her eyes found Mira. The woman’s armor was smoking slightly, and she had discarded her helmet entirely, but she seemed otherwise unharmed.

“How interesting.” The chiss woman said, a wide smile on her face. “Originally, I did not understand why he wanted you. But it makes so much sense now. You’re angry, aren’t you?” When Rominaria didn’t respond, she continued. “You have been for a long time.”

Rominaria stood slowly, using the Force to pull her lightsabers back into her hands. He promised. “You have no idea.” She growled, the all-consuming rage filling her once again.

Mira’s smile widened even further. “Join us, sister.”

He promised.

Rominaria heard herself laugh.

He promised.

She placed one of her sabers in her pocket, igniting the other and extending her empty hand. The rage flooded her body as she stared at the woman she once called a friend. She closed her fist slowly, reveling in the feeling of control that filled her.

Mira gasped for air as her body was lifted from the ground, her hands dropped her lightsaber and clawed at the invisible force surrounding her throat. “Please.” She said, her voice barely audible over the sound of Rominaria’s heart hammering violently in her ears.

He promised.

She lifted Mira further from the ground, the woman kicking her feet violently. Rominaria used the Force to pull the woman towards her, raising her saber and driving it into Mira’s throat. The woman let out a strangled noise, before she fell silent.

He promised.

The rage didn’t dim and Rominaria slammed Mira backwards, her body hitting the metal wall with a sickening crunch. 

He promised.

She repeated her movement, driving the woman’s body into the wall over and over again.

He promised.

The feeling of a hand being placed on Rominaria’s shoulder stilled her movements for a moment, her head whipping around. Her rage-filled eyes landed on Hunter’s apprehensive ones.

The reality of her actions washed over her in a tidal wave of exhaustion and horror. She dropped her arm immediately, Mira’s body sliding down the wall and leaving a trail of blood in its wake.

Rominaria opened and closed her mouth repeatedly, her heart hammering loudly in her ears. “I don’t know what happened, I-”

“It’s okay, you’re okay, we’re all okay.” Hunter said slowly, trying to calm her. “You did what you had to. But, we have to get out of here before anyone else shows up.”

Rominaria didn’t speak, but let Hunter guide her over to the rest of the group. She didn’t meet any of their eyes, not wanting to see the looks on their faces. Hunter quickly helped the rest of them out of their cuffs. He scooped Omega up into his arms. Her face was wet from tears and Rominaria wasn’t sure if they were from the shot that had hit her or what she had seen the woman do. 

The group began to silently exit the building. “Wait,” Rominaria said, speaking up for the first time in minutes. She stopped walking and they all turned to look at her. “What about Rex?” She questioned.

Tech met her eyes and she didn’t miss the look of concern in his gaze. “Right before we were ambushed, we found where the signal had been originating from. Rex wasn’t there, just his comm device.” Rominaria went tense, worry for her friend filling her.

“We’ll find him, Aria.” Echo assured her, approaching her and placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. She met his eyes for a moment before looking down at her boots.

Rominaria allowed herself to be led out of the facility, her eyes remaining downcast. 

When they eventually reached the Havoc Marauder, everyone climbed on board without a word. Hunter brought Omega directly to the med bay. Rominaria was tempted to follow, but decided against it. 

She made her way to the barracks, ignoring Crosshair when he tried to speak to her as she passed by him. Rominaria closed the door behind her, sitting on her bunk and putting her head in her hands. Tears started to fall down her face, images of the troopers she had killed without so much as a second thought filling her vision.

You’re a monster.

She remembered how Crosshair had broken his promise. Had turned away in the moment that she had needed him most. She had trusted him.

He promised.

The door opened and closed but Rominaria didn’t spare a glance upwards. “Go away, Crosshair.”

Footsteps approached her and the bed dipped down slightly as he sat down next to her. “Not Crosshair.” Echo’s voice said and she glanced up, meeting his soft eyes. “It seemed like you didn’t want to talk to him, so I offered to come check on you.”

“I’m fine.” Rominaria muttered, glancing away from him and to the floor.

Echo placed his hand on top of one of hers. “Aria, you’re not. You don’t have to talk about it. But if you would like to, I’m here.”

She met his eyes again, and something about the look in them caused the dam to break. Tears poured down her face, try as she might to wipe them away. “I don’t know what’s happening.” She said in between sobs.

“We’ll figure it out, Aria.” He tried to reassure her, but she just shook her head.

“No. You don’t understand, Echo. Something’s broken in me. Something’s wrong and I don’t know how to fix it or if I even can.” She told him, trying to slow her breathing.

“I know how it feels to think that, Aria. You know that I do.” He said softly, moving his hand to her knee and rubbing it gently.

“I was raised to be a keeper of the peace.” Rominaria started, her eyes drifting to the floor of the barracks. “But everything I have done since the war began betrays those very ideals. I am no peace keeper. I am no Jedi.” Her voice cracked slightly as another sob threatened to escape. “I am a monster.” She finished, wiping the tears from her face.

It was quiet in the barracks for a moment, the two individuals lost in thought. “You’re not a monster, Aria.” Echo said slowly, breaking the silence.

Rominaria didn’t respond. She closed her eyes and laid her head on Echo’s shoulder. They sat in silence for a long moment. Faintly, Rominaria could hear arguing voices. She opened her eyes and glanced up at the man beside her. “Why do they keep fighting?”

“I’m not sure. It’s been happening a lot recently. Mostly when you’re not here.” Echo informed her, causing Rominaria to frown. “Everything has been turning into a fight between them.” He added, his face twisting into a frown. He glanced down and met her eyes, forcing a small smile onto his face. “I’m sure they’ll work it out, though.”

She nodded. “I hope so.”

When the ship landed on Ord Mantell, the rest of the squad hurriedly made their way to Cid’s.

Rominaria stood outside, the rain coming down hard and soaking her hair as she glared at Crosshair. He stared back at her, an unreadable look on his face. “You promised.” Rominaria said once the group was out of earshot.

A muscle in Crosshair’s jaw twitched. “Aria, I-” She cut him off.

“No, Crosshair. There’s no excuse. People died. Innocent people died. They didn’t have a choice over their actions and I killed them.” She shot at him, tears filling her eyes. “You promised, Crosshair. You said you would.” She finished, meeting his eyes.

“And you knew that I couldn’t.” He said back, taking a step towards her. “You know how I feel. You should have asked Hunter or someone, not me.” He told her, his eyes wide.

“I asked you because I trusted you to be able to do it. Clearly, that trust was misplaced.” Rominaria shot back.

They stared at each other in silence for a long moment, the only sound was the rain hammering down on them. “I know you feel the same.” Crosshair said finally. “You can lie about it all you want. You feel the same, that’s why you asked me.”

Rominaria stared at him for a long moment, her hands shaking at her sides as images of the troopers she had slaughtered flashed before her eyes. “My feelings do not matter here, Crosshair.” She said slowly. “I apologize that you have been put into such a precarious situation but I can’t. You know the Jedi code just as I-” Crosshair cut her off.

“The Jedi are gone, Rominaria.”

The white-hot rage she had felt hours before filled her again. How dare he? She stared at him in shock for a moment, her hands balling into fists. “They wouldn’t be gone if it wasn’t for you clones.” She spat at the man.

Crosshair stared at her for a moment, clearly in shock.

“Sometimes I wish you all were never created.” She said after a moment.

Crosshair’s mouth pressed into a firm line, his eyes shooting daggers at the woman. Everything in Rominaria wanted to take back the words she was saying, but she was so angry that she didn’t care. “Maybe I should have stayed with the Empire then.” He said after a moment, his words laced with anger.

“Go back to them then.” Rominaria shot back. “I don’t care.”

Crosshair nodded. “Yeah, I know you don’t.” He said.

And then he turned away from her, walking off and not looking back.

END OF PART TWO

Chapter Text

The explosion caused pieces of shrapnel to fly in every which way and Rominaria deflected the pieces away from her troops using the Force as best as she could. Her padawan was a few feet away, also redirecting the shrapnel. Rominaria turned to the girl, her gut telling her to tell her padawan to move out of the way. 

But as she turned a large piece of shrapnel struck the young girl's back and everything around Rominaria seemed to freeze, her joints locking. Her body ached as if the metal had hit her as well.

“Aayla!” Rominaria yelled, abandoning what she was doing and running towards her padawan. When she reached the girl, she kneeled down and wiped the tears off of Aayla’s face. 

“I need a medic.” She screamed to the clones around her.

“Master! I- I don’t want to die. I’m not ready.” The young twi’lek girl cried out, clutching her master's arm. Rominaria stared down at her, desperately trying to cling to hope that the girl would survive. Her chest ached and she felt as if a chord had been pulled taut, about to break.

“You’ll be alright. Just a little longer.” She responded, her voice slightly shaking. “The medic is coming right now, okay?”

“Master, I don’t think I…” The young girl's voice trailed off as her eyes went unfocused. The chord snapped and agony filled Rominaria's body, horror flooding her veins.

“Aayla? Aayla, please answer me.” The Jedi’s voice grew louder as she shook the young girl's arm. 

No matter what she did, her padawan wouldn’t wake up. She couldn’t stop screaming. She had never felt more helpless in her life than in that moment. Why couldn’t she save her? Why Aayla? She had never done anything wrong. She didn’t deserve a soldier’s life in the first place.

As the medic arrived she screamed at him to help her. He checked her pulse and looked at the Jedi with sad eyes. “No! No, you need to help her. Please!” She cried. She felt two arms gently hook under her own and pull her away. Rominaria screamed and kicked, fighting with everything in her to stay by the girl’s side as the medics pulled her body onto a stretcher. “Stop! Let me go! I have to help her! Please!”

She felt a slight prick in her neck, and then everything went black.

She opened her eyes, still breathing heavily. Her head whipped back and forth as she took in her surroundings. She was outside, the planet familiar. She looked down and noticed the snow under her boots.

“Execute order sixty-six” She heard a strangely familiar voice say behind her.

Rominaria spun around and her eyes landed on Crosshair. His helmet was off and he was staring at her with wide horrified eyes. His fingers twitched where they laid over the blaster on his hip. Rominaria’s hands began to shake, confusion filling her.

“Cross?” She asked, her hands moving to hover over her lightsabers. “Crosshair, what’s going on?” Everything in her screamed for her to run.

She backed away slowly, keeping her eyes on the man. She was about to turn and run when he lunged at her, drawing a blaster and firing. Rominaria grabbed her lightsabers but wasn’t quick enough to block the first shot and it hit her hard in the chest.

She looked down at the blaster hole in the center of her robes, feeling dizzy as her vision started to fade in and out.

She stumbled slightly, starting to fall when two hands grabbed under her arms to keep her upright. Her eyes opened in confusion, the pain in her chest fading. She was wearing different robes, and there was a harsh pain in her ankle.

She steadied herself and looked behind her, flinching at the sight of Crosshair. She looked around and realized that she was no longer on Kaller, now in a different snowy terrain.

“My ankle.” She managed to sputter out, the pain beginning to become unbearable.

Crosshair let out a small sigh. “I’m going to pick you up, okay?” He said slowly and she felt her face flush slightly.

“What?” She asked immediately.

“You clearly can’t walk, so I’m going to have to carry you.” He responded.

“Oh, okay.” She said softly.

Crosshair picked her up, and her ankle painfully slammed into his armor. She cried out in pain but Crosshair seemingly didn’t hear her. Or if he did, he didn’t care. He began walking, leading her to a cliff that she hadn’t seen before.

“Cross, what are you doing?” She questioned. When he didn’t respond, she attempted to pull away from him. “Crosshair, put me down.” She demanded as he stopped at the edge of the cliff.

He laughed, a cold laugh filled with malice. “If you insist.”

He let go of her and she screamed as she fell, darkness overtaking her surroundings as her body plummeted down an endless depth.

Her body hit something and she opened her eyes, heat surrounding her from all sides. The rocks that she was on were starting to sink into the lava that surrounded her. She saw a lightsaber in the distance and attempted to signal for help. The user approached her, but the ground gave out beneath her before she saw their face.

Rominaria opened her eyes, in the hallway of what appeared to be a wrecked Jedi cruiser. She was on the ground, the loud sound of boots growing louder and louder. She looked up and saw Wrecker approaching her, a gun in hand.

“You’re in direct violation of order sixty-six.” He said, his voice filled with rage. She scrambled backward, her hands moving to grab her lightsabers. Except, they were gone. She looked down, trying to find them and her back hit the wall behind her.

Wrecker was still approaching, tossing his blaster aside as he grabbed the front of her head and slammed it backward into the wall. Rominaria cried out in pain, registering the feeling of warm blood on the back of her head. Her head hit the wall again and suddenly there was a tug on her hair as well.

She opened her eyes and realized she was standing, face to face with Crosshair’s helmet.

He yanked on her braid again, her head slamming into the wall once more. Her knees felt as if they could give out at any moment under her. She stared at him with wide eyes as he pulled a knife from his belt and pressed it against her throat.

“Please, Cross.” She begged, her voice shaking.

“Say hi to Aayla for me.” He spat as the blade pressed further into her skin, drawing blood.

Her knees gave out and crumpled to the ground, her head spinning as her surroundings morphed around her.

The pain in her head faded and her eyes began to focus, gathering her surroundings once again. She glanced up from her position on her knees. Crosshair looked down at her, a smirk on his face. He wasn’t wearing his normal armor.

He grabbed her jaw, forcing her head to stay still as he aggressively forced her mouth open. She stared at him with wide eyes. He nodded to someone beside him and another armored figure came into view. They raised a vial to her mouth and dumped the contents in.

Her vision went black and suddenly her body was convulsing on the ground, every part of her on fire. She screamed. Begging to Force to make the pain stop.

There was a distant sound of laughter. It grew louder, echoing around her.

When the pain eventually subsided, she stumbled to her feet. Her hands were no longer cuffed and she was in an all too familiar hallway.

The sound of laughter continued and she looked up to see Mira staring down at her with a wicked smile on her face. “You’ll never get rid of me. You know what you did.”

Rominaria stumbled to her feet, igniting her lightsabers. “I had to kill you. You were going to kill us.” She responded.

The woman laughed again. “I wanted you to join us.”

“I would never join you.” Rominaria spat at her.

Mira smiled at her. “It doesn’t matter.” She told her. “He’ll find you anyways.”

The room went cold, everything in Rominaria screaming for her to run.

Rominaria’s eyes shot open, her chest heaving up and down as she tried to calm her breathing. It was just a dream. It was just a dream. It was just a dream. There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no emotion, there is peace.

Rominaria sat down in the copilot’s seat, glancing over at Tech. When he met her eyes, she attempted to smile, but could only manage a slight upturn of the lips. After the argument she had with Crosshair, he had stormed away and none of them had seen him since. She hoped he was still on Ord Mantell. But his words kept replaying in her mind, and more days passed by. 

She knew the hope was pointless.

“Maybe I should have stayed with the Empire then.”

“Go back to them then, I don’t care.” Nothing could have been further from the truth.

“Yeah, I know you don’t.”

Guilt was eating away at her insides. She knew his leaving was her fault, even as the rest of them tried to reassure her that it wasn’t.

Tech got up out of his seat, and Rominaria followed close behind. He made his way to the entrance of the ship and leaned down, picking up the datapad that was on the ground next to where Omega was lying on her back.

“Does this unscheduled break mean you are fully versed in every ship in the Imperial fleet?” He asked the young girl.

She sat up, an annoyed look on her face. “Do we have to do this right now?” She asked. “We’re on a mission.”

“That does not give you a pass on your studies.” Tech responded. Omega rolled her eyes, grabbing her datapad with a frustrated groan.

“ Tech, we’ve got the cargo, but we could use some firepower. ” Hunter’s voice came in through their comms.

Rominaria sighed. “Wrecker woke the pod, didn’t he?” She asked.

“Yeah,” Hunter responded. “And they’re not happy. We need a pickup.”

Omega jumped to her feet, turning her own comm on. “Copy that. We’re on our way.” The three of them rushed back inside of the ship, Rominaria sitting back down in the copilot's seat.

Tech powered up the ship as Omega ran back to where the ramp was still lowered. “Tech, we caught something. And I think it’s big.” Omega yelled into the ship.

“Release the line, Omega.” Rominaria told the girl. ‘We don’t have time to-“ She was cut off by a large creature jumping onto the viewport. Tech jerked the ship upwards, but whatever they had caught on the line snagged them sideways.

Omega cried out and Rominaria jumped to her feet. “Omega!” Tech called out.

Rominaria rushed over to the entrance, looking down and seeing Omega clutching onto the line. “I’m okay.” She reassured the two of them.

“I’ve got you.” Rominaria told her, reaching out her hands and using the Force to lift the young girl upwards and back onto the platform.

Omega looked up and Rominaria followed her gaze. Multiple of the giant crustaceans were on top of the Marauder. “They’re wrecking the ship!” Omega yelled to Tech.

“I cannot shake them.” He responded.

“Keep the ship steady, Tech.” Rominaria called out to him, using the Force to jump onto the top of the ship and slowly approaching the creatures. She closed her eyes, reaching out her hand and feeling the Force flow around her and that same energy flow through and around the creatures.

She felt them approach her and struggled slightly to keep her focus. Finally making the connection, she opened her eyes and watched as the creatures looked at her one last time, before quickly climbing off of the ship.

Rominaria’s head was pounding and she felt her legs start to give out underneath her. She stumbled towards where the ramp was still lowered, about to jump down when everything went black.

Rominaria’s eyes shot open as her heart hammered violently in her chest. Her head whipped around as she tried to place where she was. Realizing that she was in the med bay on the Marauder, she took a deep breath and tried to calm down.

Stumbling out of the medical bed, she made her way to the door and was about to exit the room when the door opened. Hunter raised an eyebrow at her. “You alright?” He asked, his voice concerned. “Tech said you collapsed and almost fell off of the top of the ship.”

Rominaria’s brows furrowed as she tried to remember what had happened. “Yeah, I’m fine.” She said after a moment.

“We should be landing soon.” Hunter told her and she nodded in acknowledgement of his words. Stepping past him, Rominaria made her way to the cockpit. Taking a seat, she noticed the worried look Omega was giving her.

Rominaria raised an eyebrow at the girl. “Is something wrong?” She asked her.

“Are you okay?” Omega asked. “I was so scared when you collapsed.”

Rominaria smiled softly. “I’m alright, Omega.” She reassured the girl.

When they landed on Ord Mantell, the squad made their way to Cid’s. Wrecker carried the crate inside, the rest of them following close behind. AZI flew up to them. “Greetings. It is I, AZI-345211-”

“Yeah, yeah. We know.” Wrecker cut him off.

“You are all quite late. Mistress Cid has been extremely vocal about her displeasure.” AZI informed them.

“Well, there’s a surprise,” Echo said in an annoyed voice and Rominaria smirked slightly in amusement.

They made their way into Cid’s office and Wrecker set the crate down. Rominaria’s eyes glanced past Cid to the woman sitting in the chair with her feet on the desk. “Well, well, well.” Cid said and Rominaria looked over to her. “The space lugs decided to finally show up.”

Rominaria rolled her eyes. “Better late than dead, I always say.” The woman at Cid’s desk said.

“And who are you?” Rominaria asked, an amused smile on her face.

“Wouldn’t you like to know.” The woman responded, her eyes scanning Rominaria as if she were reading her. Rominaria raised her eyebrows in response, crossing her arms over her chest. The woman stood up, walked around the desk, and made her way over to them. “So, this is the top team you’ve been talking about?” She asked Cid. “The rogue clones on the run from the Empire, huh? How juicy.”

Rominaria’s jaw tensed and she shot Cid a look. “You told her?” She questioned the trandoshan woman, a frown on her face.

“Don’t get twitchy.” Cid replied, waving a hand in the air. “Phee’s a friend. She’s the most trustworthy pirate I know.”

Rominaria’s eyes flicked back over to Phee. “How reassuring.” She said in response.

Phee raised her eyebrows. “And what about you?” She asked. “You weren’t mentioned by Cid. Who are you?”

Rominaria tensed slightly before Hunter responded. “She’s our medic.” Phee raised an eyebrow but didn’t push. Her eyes moved back to the rest of the squad.

“Aren’t clones supposed to look alike? So much for quality control.” She said, coming closer to them and gesturing at each of them as she spoke. “This one’s too big. This one’s too small. This one’s got a face tattoo.” She laughed. “Yeah, real subtle.” Her eyes landed on Tech and her expression changed slightly. “Oh. Hey now. Got a name, brown eyes?” Rominaria smirked.

Tech looked confused. “Tech.’ He said, before quickly continuing. “However, the phenotypic eye color for all clones is brown.” Rominaria stifled a laugh. “Iris pigmentation was not affected by our mutat-” Phee cut him off.

“Well, as fascinating as this has been, I have places to be.” She finished the rest of her drink and dropped the cup into Cid’s hands. “You, let’s see those muscles in action.” She said, addressing Wrecker. “Grab that and follow me.”

Wrecker looked confused. “Uh, y-yes ma’am.” He responded after a moment. He picked the crate up again, starting to exit the room when Phee turned back around.

“And, Cid, that intel is not free.” She told the woman. “I expect a cut if your ‘top team’ comes through.”

Rominaria shared a frown with Hunter, turning back around to face Cid. “What is she talking about?” Hunter questioned.

“Your next mission.” Cid told them. “You lot are heading to the Outer Rim.” She tapped something on the table in front of her and a hologram of a vaguely familiar-looking building appeared in front of them.

“That is Castle Serenno, the former home of Count Dooku.” Tech said immediately and Rominaria tensed.

“Who’s that?” Omega asked.

“A Jedi who betrayed the Republic and led the Separatists in a war.” Echo responded, a deep frown on his face.

Rominaria shared the frown. “With him being dead, Dooku’s entire war chest is up for grabs.” Cid told them. “The Empire has already started pillaging his palace, but there is still time to strike before it’s all gone.”

Rominaria and Hunter shared a look, both silently agreeing. “It’s too much of a risk.” Rominaria said, crossing her arms over her chest.

“You want that war chest? You go after it.” Hunter added.

The four of them exited her office and Rominaria made her way over to the counter, taking a seat and ordering a drink. Tech approached her, a frown on his face. 

“I do not believe consuming alcohol so soon after you collapsed is a good idea.” He told her.

She glanced up at him, meeting his eyes. “Tech, in the most respectful way possible, I do not care.” Rominaria said after a moment. Tech shook his head, but dropped it and walked away. Rominaria’s drink was placed in front of her and she took a long sip, closing her eyes and attempting to ignore her thoughts. She glanced over to where Hunter was quizzing Omega on ship types, and smiled softly to herself.

“Good. Then we’re all in agreement.” She heard Cid say behind her and turned around with a confused frown. “Now, all we gotta do is convince dark and broody, and eyebags over there.”

Rominaria stood, approaching the rest of her squad and Cid at the same time that Hunter did. “Convince us about what?” She asked, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at the trandoshan woman.

Wrecker shot them an awkward look. “Uh, well, we took a vote, and we wanna go after the war chest.” He told them, avoiding eye contact.

“It’s unanimous. Even killjoy over here agreed.” Cid said, gesturing towards Echo. Rominaria locked eyes with the man, raising an eyebrow. Echo quickly looked away from her and Rominaria shook her head in frustration.

“Serenno is Imperial occupied.” Hunter reminded them. “We’ve stayed off the Empire’s radar since Kamino. Why chance it now?”

“Because the contents of just one of those containers would be worth more than all the jobs you pulled for me combined.” Cid told them. “You can buy your freedom.”

Rominaria glared at the woman. “We’re already free.” Hunter told her.

“It’s cute you think that.” Cid responded. “Clearly, you’re not paying attention to what’s happening out there, but I am.” She told the two of them. “It’s only a matter of time before the Empire comes here.” Rominaria tensed. “And then my little operation is over, which means no more jobs for you.”

Tech glanced over to Hunter and Rominaria. “She does have a valid point.” He said slowly, as if he were trying to measure his words. 

“You wanna really be free?” Cid asked them. “Then pull off this heist and you’ll have the means to disappear. No more risky missions. No more living hand to mouth. You can have a future. Isn’t that what you’re after?”

Hunter and Rominaria both glanced over to where Omega was sitting, before sharing a look with one another. “Fine.” Rominaria said after a moment.

Rominaria was sitting on the floor of the med bay as the ship flew through hyperspace, attempting to meditate.

There is no emotion, there is peace. 

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. 

There is no passion, there is serenity. 

There is no chaos, there is harmony. 

There is no death, there is the Force.

She recited the familiar mantra, attempting to focus her mind. She reached out through the Force, feeling somewhat calm for the first time in weeks. She took a deep breath and focused her thoughts on Crosshair, trying to find him.

She got a glimpse of an Imperial facility. Of dark armor. Her eyes shot open, her chest heaving up and down in realization. “No.” She muttered to herself, her hands shaking at her sides. “He wouldn’t-”

The med bay door opened and her eyes snapped up to Hunter. “Who wouldn’t?” He questioned, clearly having heard her words through the door.

“Nothing.” Rominaria snapped, standing and walking by him. She made her way through the ship and to the barracks, her eyes drifting over to Crosshair’s bunk for a moment before she sat down on her own. She put her head in her hands, allowing the tears to slip down her face.

When the Havoc Marauder landed on Serenno, the squad filed out of the ship. Rominaria left her lightsabers inside. As much as she had wanted to bring them, she knew it was too dangerous.

“So, where’s this palace?” Wrecker asked when they were all off of the ship.

“The city is on the opposite side of this mountain range.” Tech told them. Rominaria frowned, but followed the man.

When they reached the top of the mountain, they all looked down on the city. Rominaria frowned. “That’s the city?” Omega asked. “What happened to it?

“Imperial orbital bombardment.” Echo told her. “Same as on Kamino.” Rominaria’s jaw tensed at the memory. The group began to head down but Rominaria stopped for a moment, her and Omega looking down on the city with a frown.

Rominaria shook her head, turning away and heading after the others with Omega close behind. When they caught up to the rest of them, Tech was kneeling down and looking at something through binoculars.

“It appears that they are beginning to transport the war chest off-world.” He told the group, handing Echo the binoculars to look. “Our window of opportunity is quickly closing.”

“There’s over forty troopers down there.” Echo told them.

Wrecker let out an amused grunt, pounding a fist into his other hand. “That’s nothing.”

“This is a stealth mission, Wrecker. Remember?” Rominaria told the man, glancing back down to where the troops were with wary eyes.

Two of the ships below took off, following closely on each side of a larger ship that was carrying crates. “Imperial escort ships.” Tech told them. “The standard protocol for when high-level cargo is being transported.”

“Get to the nearest container and grab what you can.” Hunter told him. “I’ll be the eyes on the ground. If things go sideways, I’ll divert their forces and buy you some time.” Rominaria opened her mouth to argue, but Hunter seemed to sense it and his helmet snapped towards her direction. “We can’t risk having you collapse while on watch. Not again.

Rominaria let out an annoyed sigh. “Hunter, that happened one time.”

“One time while on watch.” He corrected. “You keep passing out and until we know the cause, it’s safer that you’re with Tech and not keeping watch.”

Rominaria rolled her eyes, but didn’t argue. When the group, minus Hunter, approached the containers, Echo raised a hand to his helmet to comm Hunter. “In position. And the second transport’s launching.” He said as another large ship took off, carrying more crates.

“ We’ve got roving patrols,” Hunter told them through the comms. “ Stay alert. ”

After another moment of watching the patrols in front of them, Echo turned to the squad. “Let’s go.” He told them. They ran over, hiding behind a large crate and looking out to where a trooper was pushing a cart. Once he had passed by, the group quickly sprinted inside of the cargo container. Wrecker kept watch by the entrance and after less than a minute, Rominaria heard a stun blast fire behind her.

Her head whipped around, staring at Wrecker with wide eyes. Wrecker pulled the clone's body inside and out of sight. He met Rominaria’s eyes. “What? I did it quietly.” He whispered loudly at her.

“They will definitely notice when he does not report in.” Tech said from behind Rominaria, and she nodded at his words.

“Well, let’s be gone by then.” Echo told them, his voice filled with annoyance.

“I’ll keep watch. Start loading up.” Wrecker told them.

“Woah,” Omega said as she looked around with wide eyes. “So this is what a war chest looks like.”

“This is only a fraction of it, but that is all we need.” Tech told her. “The priority is items of high value.”

“Like what?” Omega asked.

“Anything shiny or heavy is a start.” Echo responded.

After a moment of opening crates, the group heard Omega let out a small gasp. “Echo,”

They made their way over to her. “I’d say that qualifies as high value.” Echo said.

There were jewels inside the crate and Rominaria frowned down at them. “How could all of this belong to one person?” Omega asked them, her eyes wide in wonder.

“It is safe to assume that the majority of Dooku’s fortune came from the many worlds he controlled and exploited.” Tech told her. “All in the name of his war effort.” 

“That’s what corrupt people do.” Echo added.

“But,” Omega said, turning to face them. “Isn’t that what we’re doing?”

“That depends on how we use it.” Rominaria told Omega, kneeling down beside the crate and skimming her fingers over the jewels. Her vision flashed white for a moment before she clamped her eyes shut.

“Please, this is all we have. I have children who need-” A man’s voice was cut off by the sound of blaster fire.

An overwhelming feeling of anger, sadness, and pain washed over Rominaria.

Rominaria’s eyes shot open, stumbling backward and falling into a sitting position as she tried to calm her breathing.

“Are you alright?” Tech asked her, his frown evident in his voice.

“I’m going to keep watch with Wrecker.” Rominaria told them.

Tech nodded in acknowledgement and she made her way over to the man, glancing up at him with a small forced smile before looking outside and watching for any troopers.

After a few moments, Rominaria heard the comm on the unconscious trooper turn on. “ CT-8801, report. ” Rominaria tensed, approaching the trooper. “ CT-8801, come in. ”

Echo walked over, raising a hand to his helmet and comm-ing Hunter. “Hunter, I think we’re about to have some company.” Echo told him.

“ Are you clear? ” Hunter responded after a moment.

“Negative.” Rominaria said, raising the communicator on her wrist and speaking into it. “We could use that diversion right now.”

“ On it. ” Hunter told them. After a moment, there was the sound of a distant explosion. An alarm started ringing loudly. “ I’m heading your way. Be ready. ” Hunter told them.

“Let’s speed this up.” Echo said. “Wrecker, that one goes first.” He told the man, gesturing to one of the crates. He grabbed the crate and held it over a shoulder, quickly carrying it outside.

Rominaria was helping Tech carry a crate when the door suddenly slid shut. She looked at it with wide eyes. Tech and Echo turned on their flashlights. “That is concerning.” The former said after a moment.

Echo inserted his scomp into a panel by the door, trying to open it. “ Tech, the ship’s taking off. Get out of there. ” Hunter’s voice came in through their comms.

“Hurry, Echo.” Omega said, her voice worried. She kneeled down beside the door.

“It’s externally sealed. I can’t open it.” Echo told them. Rominaria suddenly wished she had brought her lightsabers.

“Hunter,” Rominaria said, raising her comm up to her face. “We’re trapped in the container. We can’t get out.”

“ On our way. ” Hunter responded immediately.

They could hear the distant sound of blaster fire and Rominaria tensed. She felt the ship take off and slid down to her knees beside Omega, putting what she hoped was a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder. “Hunter, where are you?” Omega asked through her comm, a deep frown on her face.

“ Sorry, kid. We got a little sidetracked. ” Hunter’s voice came in through the communicator. “ You need to get off that ship before it jumps to hyperspace. ”

“If we gain access to the ship’s main hold, we could commandeer an escape pod.” Tech told them all.

“ Do it. ” Hunter responded. “ We’ll get to the Marauder and recover you. ” Rominaria placed her head in her hands as it began to pound. Now is not the time for a headache.

“Are you sure this hatch will lead into the ship?” Omega was asking and the woman glanced up, slowly standing and walking over to where Tech and the others were.

“If I am incorrect, we will instantly be sucked out and perish.” Tech responded, causing Rominaria to smirk slightly. He tapped a button on his data pad and the hatch opened. “I am seldom wrong.”

“Congratulate yourself after we escape.” Echo told him.

“The closest escape pod is five corridors away.” Tech said to the group.

They grabbed a crate, Tech and Echo carrying it between the two of them. Tech slid his datapad into a doorway and quickly opened it. They all stepped inside.

“Freeze!” A trooper yelled at them. Rominaria quickly raised her blasters, stunning the man. More troopers ran at them and Tech and Rominaria fired stun blasts.

“Find an alternate route to the pod.” Tech told Echo.

Rominaria fired two more stun blasts, successfully knocking two troopers unconscious, when Echo spoke. “They just ejected all the escape pods!”

Rominaria and Tech finished stunning the troopers in the hall and the two of them rushed over to where Echo and Omega were. “There has to be another way off of this ship.” Rominaria said, her voice tense.

“Other than overtaking this vessel, what do you suggest?” Echo asked, directing the question to his brother.

“This is a class four freighter, isn’t it?” Omega asked, her voice slow as if she were deep in thought.

“Yes.” Tech responded at the same time that the Rominaria said.

“Why?”

“Containers on class four freighters are equipped with reentry thrusters.” The girl told them. “We can escape in a cargo container.”

Tech tapped away on his data pad for a moment, before responding. “You are correct.” Tech responded. “I am impressed. However, the containers must be ejected before leaving the atmosphere. Which means our window is rapidly closing.”

Tech and Echo picked the crate back up and hurried back to where they had come from. The door opened behind them and troopers began firing at them. Rominaria raised her blaster, firing stuns at the men. Tech and Echo dropped the crate, using the lid as a shield from the blaster fire.

Tech threw a smoke bomb at the troopers, firing stun blasts at them. “Fall back.” He told the group.

They all ran, quickly slipping inside one of the containers. Tech shut the door to the container. “How much time do we have?” Omega asked Tech.

“Very little.” He responded. “Initiating the cargo release.” He told them all.

Rominaria felt the container they were in begin to fall, and grabbed onto a shelf to try to keep herself upright. “When are the reentry boosters supposed to fire?” She asked Tech, who was beside her.

“I think they should have by now.” Omega cried out, her voice filled with fear. Tech and Rominaria’s grip on the shelf tightened, their feet lifting from the ground.

“That is going to be a problem!” Tech said, his voice tense.

The container rotated and they all nearly slipped. Omega screamed in fear.

Chapter Text

Rominaria felt the container they were in begin to fall, and grabbed onto a shelf to try to keep herself upright. “When are the reentry boosters supposed to fire?” She asked Tech, who was beside her.

“I think they should have by now.” Omega cried out, her voice filled with fear. Tech and Rominaria’s grip on the shelf tightened, their feet lifting from the ground.

“That is going to be a problem!” Tech said, his voice tense.

The container rotated and they all nearly slipped. Omega screamed in fear.

The container continued to fall, items inside of it coming loose and hitting Rominaria and Tech. “We are descending at a rate of speed that is most concerning.” Tech told them, his voice tense. Rominaria shot a look at the man.

“Don’t worry!” Omega said, though her voice did not match the reassurance of her words. “The reentry thrusters should engage soon!”

“If they don’t, we’re all dead!” Echo added.

Rominaria looked over to Echo, opening her mouth to speak just as the reentry thrusters came on and they all fell to the ground. Rominaria let out a groan of pain as Tech slammed into her, his armor colliding with her in a painful manner. “Ow.” She muttered as they all slowly stood up. The pain in her head was worse, but she knew that right then wasn’t the time to mention it.

“Told you.” Omega said after a moment.

“Other than not being able to steer or control where we land, I would say this is going well.” Tech told the group.

Rominaria shot a look at him, opening her mouth to speak but her headache grew unbearable and she stumbled slightly. Her hands grabbed onto the nearest thing, which happened to be Echo’s arm. “You okay?” He questioned, a frown evident in his voice.

“Head hurts.” She muttered, letting go of his arm just to almost fall again. Echo grabbed her arm, keeping her upright. “Thanks.”

Tech turned towards her, seemingly about to speak, when Hunter’s voice came through their comms. “ Tech, did you reach the escape pods yet? ” He asked.

“Not exactly.” Tech responded immediately. “We are using an alternate mode of transport.” Rominaria rolled her eyes at the wording. “My calculations have us crashing towards the upper forest region of the planet.”

“ Crashing? ” Hunter asked, his voice full of concern.

“Yes, Hunter. Crashing.” Rominaria said, raising her comm to her face. Just then, the container started to shake more as if it were hitting something. Rominaria grip on Echo’s arm tightened as she braced for impact. Omega grabbed onto the woman, attempting not to fall over as the container collided with the ground.

The container steadied and they stood up fully, looking around. “That was smoother than some of Wrecker’s attempted landings.” Tech said after a moment and Rominaria smirked slightly as they began to make their way forward.

“ Tech, report. ” Hunter’s voice came in through the comms.

“We are alive.” Tech began. “But where we are, I am not fully certain.”

“The Empire’s gonna come looking for their containers.” Echo cut in.

“And for us.” Rominaria added.

“ Get out of sight and lay low. ” Hunter told them. “ Once we get to the Marauder, we’ll come for you. ”

“Roger that.” Tech responded. They continued making their way towards the exit. Rominaria had a bad feeling in her stomach and stopped moving.

“Guys I think something is wro-” Her words were cut off as the container shifted.

“Uh, what’s happening?” Omega asked in a scared voice.

The container began to tip and they all ran towards the side that wasn’t going downwards. “We haven’t fully landed yet.” Echo said to the group as they moved. It tipped further and crates began sliding towards them. “Go! Go! Go!” Echo yelled to them as he dodged another crate.

Rominaria climbed as quickly as she could, making sure that Omega was by her side. A crate quickly slid towards the two of them and she used the Force to push it out of the way right before it would have hit them.

The container slid free of whatever it was on and they felt it fall again, all of them falling downwards. It hit something and they all slammed against the metal, Rominaria’s body colliding with Tech’s again. She groaned in pain, pulling away from the man just as a large metal box fell and slammed hard against Tech’s leg.

“Tech.” Rominaria said, her voice tense and she leaned over him with worried eyes. Tech tried to push the box off of his leg, but couldn’t manage to do so. Rominaria placed a hand on one of his arms. “I’ll get it.” She reassured him. She raised her arms, focusing her mind enough to push away the box with the Force. Once it was moved, she glanced back down at him. “Are you okay?” She asked the man, trying to ignore the way her head was pounding.

Tech groaned in pain. “My left femur has been fractured by approximately one hundred and fifty kilograms of pressure,” Rominaria didn’t get to hear the rest of Tech’s sentence, the ache in her head suddenly overwhelming her as she fell forward. Her body hit Tech’s again, her vision going black.

Rominaria suddenly came to, her eyes shot open at the feeling of being pulled upwards by a rope wrapped around her body. She looked around, seeing the long drop under her. She let out a startled cry, just as a hand grabbed under her arm and hauled her up onto solid ground.

Her head whipped towards the hand on her arm, and saw that it was Echo’s. Her breathing calmed slightly, but she frowned in confusion of what had happened. “You passed out again.” Echo informed her before she could ask. He untied the rope and helped her up, before moving back over to where Tech was leaning against Omega.

Tech wrapped an arm around Echo’s shoulders for support, leaning against the man. Omega moved over to Rominaria. “Are you okay? One minute you seemed fine and then the next you fell.”

Rominaria sighed. “I’m okay, Omega. I probably just didn’t sleep enough.” She said, knowing for certain that at least that was true.

They all began to head towards the woods, when Omega stopped and called out to them. “Wait. We can’t leave without the war chest.”

Echo turned towards her. “We don’t have time.” He told her. “We need to get away from here and find cover.”

Rominaria looked at Omega for a long moment, before the four of them headed into the woods. Rominaria’s head still ached, try as she might to ignore it. The group had been walking for a while when Hunter’s voice came in through their comms.

“ Havoc-2. The fourth sun is setting. Plan Double Zero. ” He said and Rominaria nodded slowly.

“Copy that.” Was all Tech said in response.

“Plan Double Zero?” Omega asked.

“It means ‘go radio silent’.” Rominaria told the girl. “Comm channels are being monitored.” Rominaria paused, sensing someone nearby. She raised a finger to her lips, signaling the group to stay quiet. 

Rominaria slowly crept towards the presence, sensing it beginning to move away, and drew her blasters. What appeared to be an older man came into view. 

“Don’t move.” She warned him, her voice low.

He froze in his tracks. “I’m not.” He said slowly.

“Who are you?” Rominaria asked him as the rest of the group approached them. “What are you doing here?”

He turned towards her, keeping his hands raised to show he wasn’t a threat. “I live here. The name’s Romar.” Rominaria was about to lower her blasters when Echo spoke up.

“He could be working for the Empire.” The man looked confused.

“Me?” Romar questioned. “Aren’t you working for the Empire?”

Tech let out a pained groan. “We do not have time to debate this.”

“Where’s the nearest place to take shelter?” Rominaria asked the man, lowering her blasters but not holstering them.

“Well, it’s a little hard to think with her pointing that thing at me.” He said, his eyes on Omega who had her bow raised at him. Rominaria made eye contact with Omega, nodding once. The girl lowered her bow. “Much appreciated, but sorry to say there’s no shelter around these parts.” Romar told them.

Rominaria furrowed her brows at the man, her instincts telling her that his words were false. “He’s lying.” She said after a moment.

Romar looked caught off guard. “No I’m n-” Tech cut him off.

“I’m registering a heat source two hundred meters west of here.” Tech announced, looking at the device in his hand. “I suspect it is your domicile.”

“How did you-” It was Rominaria’s turn to cut Romar off.

“Take us there.” She told him, crossing her arms over her chest and raising her eyebrows at the man.

Romar appeared to consider his options, or lack thereof, for a moment before he responded. “Looks like I don’t have much say in the matter.” He said, sighing and moving forwards.

The group followed close behind, the sun beginning to set.

Romar spoke as he opened the door to his home. “So, what you’re telling me is that you’re rogue clones running from the Empire’s clones, who used to be the Republic’s clones?” He asked. 

Tech groaned in pain as Echo helped him take a seat. “Correct. You finally got it right.” He told Romar.

Romar turned to face the woman. “And what about you?” He asked Rominaria.

“I’m their medic.” She answered immediately. Romar raised an eyebrow at her.

“If you’re going to lie, at least make it believable.” He said as he turned away.

Rominaria’s jaw tensed. “Why is your house in the middle of nowhere?” Omega asked after a moment of silence.

Romar turned back around, approaching them. “Didn’t really have a choice once the Empire showed up, but we make do.”

“We?” Echo questioned.

“The other survivors who fled the destruction.” Romar answered, a frown on his face.

Omega grabbed Echo’s arm. “Now that Tech is safe, let’s head back to the container and get as much of the war chest as we can.”

“It’s too dangerous, Omega.” Rominaria answered immediately, frowning at the young girl.

“Troopers could already be at the crash site.” Echo added.

“But we can’t leave empty-handed.” Omega responded, frowning. “We have to complete the mission.”

Romar sighed. “Guess you’re more like those other clones than you think.” He handed Tech a cup of water. “I’d stay away from that cursed war chest if I were you.”

“But we need it.” Omega said immediately. “And it’s not cursed, it was stolen.”

“You think Dooku funded his war effort by only stealing from outside worlds?” Romar asked them. “No. He took from us, his own people.” Rominaria frowned. “His quest for power is why our city is now buried in rubble.”

“Well,” Omega started. “We’ll help you get it back. There’s enough in that container for all of us.”

“I want none of it.” Romar responded immediately. “Let the Empire take it. The sooner they’re gone, the better. And the same goes for you. No offense.”

“None taken.” Rominaria responded, her voice softer than it had been all day. “We’ll be out of your hair as soon as we can be.” She assured the man.

Romar nodded. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, some of us have work to do.” He pressed a panel on the wall and an opening in the floor appeared. Romar made his way down the ladder and out of sight.

“It’s not too late.” Omega said to them after a moment. “We can still scout the site to see if it’s clear.”

Rominaria shook her head as Echo spoke. “Negative.” He told the young girl. “Your mission is to keep an eye on the old man.”

Omega sighed. “Roger.”

When Omega was gone, Rominaria took a seat beside Tech and rubbed the sides of her head. Exhaustion flooded her and she realized how tired she was. Her gaze made its way to one of the walls, her mind drifting back to the argument she had had with Crosshair.

Crosshair turned away from her, walking off and not sparing a glance in her direction. Realization hit Rominaria like a tidal wave and she began to shake as sobs wracked her body. She looked up into the sky, the rain hitting her hard in the face. She was freezing but she didn’t care. It didn’t matter.

Eventually, she stumbled her way to Cid’s. She entered the parlor, making her way to the bar and ignoring the worried look Hunter sent her way. She rubbed any stray tears away from her face and ordered a drink. Hunter sat down next to her. “Where’s Crosshair?” He asked after a moment.

Rominaria didn’t answer, simply shrugging as she received her drink.

A few days later, Crosshair was still a no-show. “It’s my fault.” Rominaria said as soon as she was certain that Omega had fallen asleep.

Echo looked over at her from his place in the cockpit. “It’s not, Aria.”

“I’m sure he’ll come back.” Wrecker added. “You know how he can be.”

Rominaria nodded, trying to convince herself that that was the case. “I hope so.” She muttered quietly, bringing her knees up to her chest and letting out a shaky breath.

She wasn’t sure when she had fallen asleep, but she woke up with a start. Her breathing calmed slightly when she realized she was in the Marauder. “Good, you’re awake.” Tech said. “We received a transmission from Rex while you were asleep.”

Rominaria sat up, her eyes wide. “What did he say? Why didn’t you wake me? Is he okay?”

“He is alright. He called to let us know that his communicator had gone missing.” Rominaria sighed in relief, grateful that Rex was okay. “And we tried to wake you.” Rominaria’s brow furrowed in confusion. She had always woken up easily. “Hunter tried but got pushed away by what we assume was the Force. You were muttering something as well but none of us could make out what it was.”

Rominaria snapped out of her trance, her eyes moving away from the wall with a frown. “Where are Echo and Omega?”

Half of her question was answered when the door opened and Echo stepped inside. He looked around. “Where’s Omega?”

“She was just here.” Tech responded, looking around with a frown.

Realization hit Rominaria and she groaned. “She went after the war chest.”

Romar looked around. “My repelling cable is gone.” He informed them.

“We have to find her before the Empire does.” Echo told them, his voice filled with worry.

“Go, I will catch up.” Tech told the two of them.

Rominaria looked him up and down. “Echo, go ahead. I’ll get me and Tech there.” Tech opened his mouth to argue, but Echo was already gone.

Rominaria helped Tech stand up, wrapping one of his arms around her shoulders and leading the much taller man out of Romar’s house. She glanced behind herself at Romar, shooting him a small smile as they shuffled away.

“Thank you.” She told him. He nodded, a frown on his face.

Rominaria helped Tech walk through the woods, one of her blasters in hand. “You should have gone ahead.” Tech told her, letting out another groan of pain. “I would have been fine.”

Rominaria sighed, shaking her head. “You would have only hurt yourself more. You shouldn’t even be walking on it right now.”

Tech mumbled something, but didn’t argue further. Rominaria sighed again, helping support his weight as they navigated their way through the trees. When they finally came into sight of where the container was, they saw a group of troopers guarding the area.

Rominaria led Tech to a tree. “Stay here.” She told him, letting go of him and having him lean against the tree. She grabbed her blasters and made sure that they were both set to stun, before jumping out of the woods and catching the troopers off guard.

“Look out!” One of the troopers warned his brothers as they began to shoot their blasters at her. She ran quickly, using the Force to propel her forwards as she leapt towards a trooper and smacked his helmet hard with the butt of her blaster.

The trooper collapsed to the ground and she rolled out of the way as more blaster fire was shot at her. Rominaria’s head began to pound but she ignored it and ran towards one of the big guns. The trooper behind it turned to her, shooting it. She jumped high, using the Force to guide her movements as she landed on top of the trooper and hit him with a stun blast.

Rominaria was making her way towards another group of troopers gathered together when she heard a thud and realized that they must have found Tech. She quickly fired stuns at the remaining troopers in her line of sight, before running over to where she had left Tech.

She found him on the ground, wrestling with a trooper as they both reached for their fallen blasters. Rominaria stunned the trooper, pulling him off of Tech and helping the man stand. “I think I got them all.” She told him. “But I’m not sure, stay here.”

Tech’s eyes widened for a moment and he raised his blaster. Rominaria flinched slightly, before realizing that he was aiming it past her just as he fired a stun blast. The trooper behind her fell to the ground, unconscious.

Tech swayed on his feet for a moment, before falling forwards and knocking the two of them down. Rominaria crawled out from under Tech, checking his pulse and breathing a quick sigh of relief. She patted the top of his helmet awkwardly. “I’ll be right back.” She told him, though she was certain he couldn’t hear her.

She rushed over to the edge of the cliff, looking down and seeing the container beginning to fall, Omega and Echo on it. They jumped and grabbed onto the rocks just as the container went crashing down into the forest below.

Echo glanced up and saw Rominaria there.  “Get Omega up first.” He yelled up to her. She nodded, reaching out her hands and focusing as she slowly lifted Omega upwards and set her down next to the woman.

Rominaria’s head started to pound worse and she swayed slightly, forcing herself to stay upright as she lifted Echo. She stumbled and nearly fell. Taking a deep breath, she lifted Echo the rest of the way up, setting him down beside Omega.

Rominaria swayed on her feet again, this time nearly falling off of the cliff. Echo grabbed her arm, pulling her away from the edge. “Careful.” He told her, his voice filled with worry.

Rominaria took a shaky breath, holding onto Echo to keep herself upright. She glanced over to where she had left Tech, and saw Romar helping him back over to them. Just then, the Marauder came into view. “That would be our ride.” Tech told Romar.

The ship came to their level and the ramp lowered. Rominaria let go of Echo, taking a step forward when everything went black.

Rominaria’s eyes shot open, her head whipping around in confusion as she felt herself being carried. She looked up and saw Wrecker’s face. Relaxing slightly, she attempted to pull away. “Put me down.” She said.

Wrecker set her down gently, keeping a hand on her shoulder. “You passed out again.” He told her as they made their way into the cockpit. “She’s awake.” Wrecker announced as they entered.

Her nightmare came back to her and she frowned. “Is Tech okay?” Rominaria asked them.

Hunter nodded. “He’s in the med bay right now.”

Rominaria nodded, exiting the cockpit and quickly making her way to where Tech was. She entered the room just as he appeared to be about to exit. Tech opened his mouth to speak, but Rominaria beat him to it.

“I need you to do something for me.”

Chapter Text

She entered the room just as he appeared to be about to exit. Tech opened his mouth to speak, but Rominaria beat him to it.

“I need you to do something for me.”

Tech seemed surprised, but nodded. “Of course.” He told her. “What is it?”

When Rominaria made her way back into the cockpit of the Marauder, the ship was still in hyperspace. She took a seat and brought her knees up to her chest, hoping whatever Tech would find would put her worries to ease. Hoping that she was wrong.

She felt a pair of eyes on her and glanced over to see Hunter watching her with a frown. He raised an eyebrow at her, as if to ask if she was okay, but she just shrugged in return. Her eyes flicked over to the viewport, watching the blues and whites swirl by as she attempted to ignore the exhaustion filling her.

Her eyelids grew heavy and she attempted to keep them open.

Rominaria’s eyes opened, though she couldn’t recall ever shutting them. She was met with what appeared to be her own reflection. Rominaria’s brows furrowed in confusion, and she subconsciously noted that the reflection didn’t mirror the movement.

After a moment of staring at each other, Rominaria’s ‘reflection’ began to speak. “You’re a monster.” It told her. Rominaria tensed, but didn’t respond. “You’re broken and you can’t fix it. You’ll never be able to fix it. Your friends know that. They’re all watching you. Waiting. They know you’re a ticking time bomb.”

“I’m not.” Was all Rominaria said in response, turning away from the ‘reflection’. A hand grabbed her shoulder. The ‘reflection’ forced Rominaria to look at it. She met its eyes. “Who are you? What are you?”

The ‘reflection’ laughed. “I’m you, silly.”

Rominaria frowned. “No, you're not.”

“Oh, but I am.” It laughed again. “I’m the real you. The one who knows what you truly want.” Rominaria tensed, crossing her arms over her chest and raising her eyebrows. “I know how angry you truly are. You were so angry at the Jedi order, weren’t you?”

“That’s not true-” It cut her off.

“It is. You were so angry that they had become part of the war. Because if they hadn’t, Aayla wouldn’t have died. You should be angry about that. She was just a kid. We were just a kid.” Rominaria swallowed slowly, looking away from herself as dread settled into her stomach.

“Why are you saying this?” She asked after a moment.

“Don’t tell me you haven’t felt it. You can’t lie to me like you can to the rest of them. You’re going to have to make a choice. And you’re going to have to make it soon.”

Rominaria opened her mouth, about to ask what she meant.

Her eyes shot open, her chest rising and falling rapidly as her eyes darted around the cockpit of the Marauder. They landed on Tech, who was staring at her with a quizzical expression on his face. “What?” She questioned when he didn’t speak up.

“You were speaking in your sleep again.” He told her.

Rominaria frowned. “What was I saying?”

Tech mirrored her frown. “I am actually not sure. It was, for the most part, unintelligible. The only part that I was able to make out was something about a choice.”

Rominaria tensed slightly, shaking her head and changing the subject. “Have you got in yet?” She asked him.

“That,” Tech started. “Was the other thing that I wanted to talk to you about.”

Tech got up from his seat, approaching Rominaria with his data pad in hand. He handed it to her and Rominaria’s eyes scanned the screen quickly. Her stomach dropped as her fear was confirmed. She opened her mouth to speak just as Hunter walked into the cockpit.

Rominaria quickly turned the screen of the data pad off and handed it to Tech. Hunter looked back and forth between the two of them, frowning. “What’s going on?” He questioned. Tech opened his mouth to speak, but Rominaria shot him a look and he closed it immediately.

“It’s nothing, Hunter.” She told the man.

Hunter’s frown deepened, but he didn’t push. “How’s your head feeling?” He asked Rominaria, sitting in the seat beside hers.

“It feels okay right now.” She told him. “Doesn’t hurt as bad as it did earlier.”

“Any idea what could be causing the passing out?” Hunter asked her and Tech.

“I have a hypothesis, but have not been able to test it in a controlled environment yet.” Tech said after a moment, looking up from his datapad and to the two of them.

Rominaria frowned, confused as to why the man hadn’t brought this up to her yet. “What is it?”

“From what I have seen thus far, it appears that you have been passing out whenever you use the Force.” Tech told her. “But I do not know enough about how the Force works to be certain.”

Rominaria frowned, remembering the dream she had had. “Using the Force has never caused me to pass out before.”

Tech looked at her, his next words slow in a way that seemed as if he were carefully picking them. “It could possibly have something to do with the events that took place on Cortano-1.” Rominaria went tense, her heart rate picking up as her eyes flicked back and forth between the two men. None of them had spoken about what had happened there, avoiding the topic altogether. 

“Possibly.” Rominaria said quietly after a long moment of silence. She swallowed slowly, continuing. 

Hunter opened his mouth as if he were about to speak, when the cockpit door opened once more and Echo walked in. His eyes landed on the three of them and he frowned slightly. “Did something happen?”

Rominaria shook her head, forcing a small smile onto her face. “No, we were just talking.” She told him, standing and stretching. She made her way past Echo and out of the cockpit. Her hands started to shake as she made her way to the refresher, her mind wandering back over to what she had seen on Tech’s data pad. The confirmation of what she had begun to suspect.

Rominaria shut the refresher door behind herself, tears starting to spill from her eyes and fall down her face. She turned the sink on, splashing water in her face as she attempted to calm herself. The speed of her breathing only increased and she sank to the floor, pulling her knees up against her chest as she sobbed.

There was a knock on the door. “Aria,” It was Hunter. “I’m coming in.”

Before she could protest, the door opened and Hunter stepped inside. He closed the door behind him and glanced down at where Rominaria was on the floor. She met his eyes for a moment, before leaning her head back against her knees.

Hunter crouched down beside her, resting a gentle hand on her shoulder. “What’s going on, Aria?” He asked, his voice soft.

She looked back up at him, her lip quivering slightly as she tried to keep her voice steady. “It’s, it’s Cross.” Was all she managed before another sob made its way out of her.

Hunter frowned, clearly confused. “I’m sure he-” Rominaria cut him off.

“No. Hunter, you, you don’t understand.” She took a deep breath, wiping the tears from her face with a shaky hand. 

Hunter’s frown deepened. “What do you mean?” He asked.

Rominaria took another deep breath. “He went back to the Empire.”

Chapter Text

Rominaria was sitting on one of the benches in Cid’s, staring blankly at the wall in front of her. It was her fault that Crosshair went back to them. She knew that it was. She didn’t want to admit it but she was the monster that everyone kept telling her she was.

Maybe Tech was right. Maybe that Force was causing the changes that she had been experiencing. Perhaps it was punishing her for being such a disgrace. Such a disgusting sight to behold. Maybe that was why Crosshair left. The Force willed it so as to punish her further.

Her eyes flicked down to the cup of caf in her hand, the familiar scent wafting up to her face and enveloping her. She raised the cup to her mouth, took a long sip, and closed her eyes. She wasn’t sure how many cups she had already had that day. Not that she particularly cared.

Rominaria let out a long sigh, setting down the mug and fixing her gaze back on the wall in front of her. Her head ached dully but she ignored the pain the same way she ignored the heaviness of her eyelids. She couldn’t sleep. If she slept she would see him. And everything would go wrong again. Everything always went wrong.

Her eyes drifted over to where Omega was sitting with Wrecker, the two of them playing a game of dejarik. She frowned slightly, a shot of resentment flooding her for only a moment before it was replaced by guilt. Still. How could they act normal and like nothing had happened? Crosshair had left and they didn’t seem bothered in the slightest.

Her eyes drifted over to where Tech was sitting on one of the barstools. He met her gaze and opened his mouth as if he were about to speak when Cid walked in. “Hey! Quit running up the power bill.” She told the two still playing the game. “It’s time to get to work.” Rominaria frowned, standing and approaching the members of her squad still in the parlor. “I got another job for you.” Cid told them.

Rominaria crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at the woman. “Hunter and Echo are on a job right now.” She reminded the woman, her patience wearing thin.

Omega nodded. “Yeah, they aren’t even back from that mission yet.”

Tech fully turned to face the group. “I would not call transporting fifty cases of nerf nuggets a ‘mission’. Nor is it a proper use of our skill set.”

Cid rolled her eyes. “Yeah, well, your skill set will come in real useful on this one.” She informed them. “Especially you, Muscles.” She said to Wrecker. “You’re gonna be my security crew.”

Rominaria glanced at Tech, the two of them sharing a look of annoyance. “We will require a more detailed briefing than that.” Tech replied after a moment.

Cid waved a dismissive hand, heading towards the exit. “No time. The shuttle’s waiting.” Rominaria opened her mouth to protest, but Omega spoke first.

“Maybe it’ll be fun.” She said, looking up at Rominaria with hopeful eyes.

Wrecker grunted in agreement. “Works for me.” He said. He and the young clone followed after Cid. Tech sighed and Rominaria glanced over at him, sharing his frown. He shook his head, standing up and heading towards the exit. Rominaria followed close behind.

Rominaria looked up from her seat on the shuttle, feeling a pair of eyes on her. She met Tech’s stare and raised her eyebrows in question. He frowned for a moment. “When was the last time that you slept?”

“It doesn’t matter.” She responded immediately.

Tech’s frown deepened. “I am simply try to say that-”

“I’m fine, Tech.” Rominaria cut him off. “Can we just focus on the task at hand?” Tech opened his mouth to speak again. “Please.” She added.

Tech sighed, nodding once at her.

When the ship landed, the group made their way off of it. They followed Cid through a busy street. Rominaria glanced around with wary eyes. “I am beginning to understand the need for added security in a place like this.” Tech said after a few minutes of silence.

“Safa Toma can be a little rough around the edges if you don’t know what you’re doing.” Cid told them. “But lucky for us, I know my way around.”

Rominaria rolled her eyes. “I feel so lucky.”

Cid shot her a dirty look before continuing. “If things get dicey, that’s where you lot come in.”

They continued walking and after a few moments, Rominaria could hear the sound of cheering in the distance. She frowned, shooting a skeptical look Cid’s way. They approached a massive crowd and Rominaria tensed.

Cid guided the group through the crowd, bringing them to the front where they could see speeders zipping by. Pod racing. Rominaria realized. Her thoughts drifted to Anakin. I hope he’s okay. She thought to herself, though she knew he was most likely not. Even if, by some miracle of the Force, he had survived, Padme was gone.

Rominaria’s train of thought was broken by the sound of Omega’s voice. “Woah!” The young girl exclaimed, watching the speeders with wide eyes.

“It’s called Riot Racing.” Cid informed her. Rominaria’s eyes flicked back over to the speeders just as one was shot down by another. It crashed into one of the rocks, smoke rising from it.

“Wow!” Wrecker said with a wide grin. He nudged Rominaria’s shoulder. “Did you see that?”

The woman smiled slightly. “It appears anything goes out there.” Tech said. Rominaria glanced over to him. Tech was watching the race with a look of interest.

“ The smoke’s cleared, ” The announcer’s voice said through the speakers. “ And TAY-0’s taken the lead from ‘Hyper’ Rod! ”

“That’s my new racer. TAY-0.” Cid told them. “He’s a real ringer. He’s gonna make me a lot of dough.” Rominaria rolled her eyes, turning back and watching the speeders fly by. Her thoughts drifted to Anakin again, but were cut off by the announcer’s voice.

“ And TAY-0 wins! ” The crowd cheered.

“Follow me.” Cid told them, turning away from the racetrack. Rominaria frowned but followed the woman. They made their way down onto the part of the track that was visible to the crowd just as TAY-0’s speeder stopped in front of them.

The droid jumped out of the speeder. “Greetings, Boss Lady.” He said in a proud voice. “Did you enjoy the show? It was impressive, wasn’t it? Did you see me out there?”

“Your ringer is a droid?” Tech questioned.

TAY-0 stepped towards them. “Oh, I’m so sorry. You have a problem with droids, human?” He pointed a finger at Tech. Rominaria watched with amused eyes. “You think you can make the split-second calculation to win out there?” He put his mechanical hands on his ‘hips’. “You want to challenge TAY-0?”

“I do not have enough information about this sport to determine that at this time.” Tech responded immediately.

“Then take a seat, spectacled spectator.” Rominaria stifled a small laugh at the droid's words.

Wrecker chuckled, lightly punching his brother’s shoulder. “Spectacled spectator.”

“Alright, alright.” Cid said, waving her hands in between Tech and TAY-0. “Save it for the course.” She told the latter.

“You don't have to say it, that’s- I was about to save it for the course.” TAY-0 immediately began rambling. He turned away from them. “Excuse me, I can’t talk right now. It’s time I prepare for the next race. Which I’m going to win. TAY-0.” He said as he walked away.

They were all gathered around TAY-0 who was working repairs on his racing speeder. Rominaria glanced over at Tech, noticing that the man was looking at her. She raised an eyebrow at the man. He frowned and looked, turning back to the speeder.

“This is a twelve series speeder.” He told Cid. “They were not built for racing speed or durability.”

“Which is why we modify them.” TAY-0 told him. He stepped away from the speeder and gestured towards it. “Behold and be amazed.”

The group all stepped forward, TAY-0 speaking to them. Rominaria tuned the conversation out, her thoughts drifting to the person that they always drifted to. The hurt flooded her once more. How could he go back to them? How could he leave m- Her thoughts were interrupted by a deep voice that Rominaria didn’t recognize.

“Ciddarin Scaleback.” Rominaria’s gaze flicked over to the dowutin man that was approaching them. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen your shiny claws around Safa Toma.”

Rominaria glanced over a Cid who had an annoyed look on her face. “Millegi. I’m busy. Get out of my pit.” She said, crossing her arms over her chest. Rominaria stepped over, coming to stand beside Omega just as Millegi approached the squad.

“Not gonna introduce me to your new crew?” He asked Cid with a chuckle. “They’re not gonna help you win.”

Cid uncrossed her arms and approached the man. “Oh, I know I’m gonna win.”

Millegi glazed at TAY-0 with amused eyes. “You think your droid can beat my champ?”

One of the men behind Millegi, a nosaurian, stepped forward and started aggressively speaking at Cid in his native tongue. Wrecker glared down at the man. “What’s he saying?” He asked his brother.

Tech flipped up the screen over his goggles, shaking his head at his brother. “You do not want to know.” Rominaria shot an amused smile Tech’s way.

“If you’re so confident,” Millegi started. “How about our standard side wager?” Rominaria raised her eyebrows, her eyes flicking back and forth between Cid and the man. “Let’s see who has the better racer.”

Cid crossed her arms over her chest. “Deal.”

Millegi chuckled. “Just like old times.” He said, turning away.

Rominaria’s gaze moved over to Cid, looking at the woman with a frown. “The familiarity between you two suggests this race is personal.” Tech said once Millegi and his men were far enough away.

“This is business.” Cid told him. “And we’ve got a race to win.”

Rominaria rolled her eyes. “ You’ve got a race to win.” She muttered under her breath.

They were watching the speeders race by from their place in the crowd when Wrecker walked over to the group. “What did I miss?” He asked.

“Jet Venim and TAY-0 are in the lead.” Tech informed him. “Given the unpredictable nature of this course…” Rominaria’s thoughts wandered and she stopped focusing on the conversation happening in front of her. She absentmindedly sipped the caf she was holding.

How could he leave? It’s my fault. It’s all my fault. I’m a monster. I made him leave. She thought to herself, not even noticing the way her eyes began to well up with tears. Ever since she had seen the confirmation on Tech’s data pad it felt as if she was a ticking time bomb. As if she may break at any moment.

Most of all, Rominaria felt helpless. Crosshair had been the one thing grounding her. And especially the only thing helping her sleep. Now that he was gone, she feared it would only be a matter of time before something happened.

Rominaria was brought out of her thoughts by the sound of crashing. Her eyes flicked down towards the racetrack and she watched as TAY-0’s speeder slammed into the ground. She grimaced, watching as the rest of the speeders passed by.

“This speeder is in bad shape.” Tech informed them from his place kneeling down beside the speeder. “But some of it is salvageable.” He added as he stood up.

“That’s the least of my problems now, goggles.” Cid shot at him.

Rominaria opened her mouth to speak when Wrecker yelled over to them. “Hey! Found TAY-0!” Wrecker stood up, holding the droid's head. “Or most of him.”

“Maybe we can put him back together.” Omega said, looking hopeful.

Cid opened her mouth to respond, but Millegi walked over. “I’m here to collect, Cid.”

“You’ll get your credits.” She assured the man. “Just give me some time. I’m good for it.”

“That’s not how this works.” Millegi told her. “You are out of time.” He said as he approached them all, his men behind him.

Cid glanced back at the group. “Wanna step in here? I didn’t bring you lot for the company.”

Wrecker dropped the pieces of metal in his hands and Rominaria and Tech hovered their hands over the blasters. Millegi’s men raised their weapons and pointed them at the group. The large man approached them.

“Wait!” Omega cut in. “How much does she owe?”

“More than you got, kid.” The man responded.

Omega frowned. “Well, we’re not done yet.”

Millegi laughed. “Looks like you’re done to me.”

“One last race. If you win, we pay you double.” She said quickly.

“Omega.” Rominaria said in a warning voice.

‘If we win, we get Cid.’ Omega finished.

“You don’t know what you’re getting into, kid.” Millegi warned.

Wrecker and Tech approached the girl. “I’m inclined to agree with him, Omega.” Tech told his sister.

“Yeah, I’m inclined too.” Wrecker said, leaning down towards Omega. “We don’t know anything about racing.” He said more quietly.

“They’re gonna hurt Cid if we do nothing.” Omega argued. Rominaria’s frown deepened but she stayed silent. Omega turned back to face Millegi. “Do we have a deal?”

The man considered it for a moment. “We race tomorrow.” He told them. “And I keep Cid as collateral.” Millegi’s men approached and walked Cid away from them. “For your sakes, you better be able to pay up.”

The four of them were in the pit, working on repairing the speeder. “This speeder’s in worse shape than I thought.” Omega said, breaking the silence. Rominaria glanced up from where she was sitting beside Tech, nodding in agreement. “How’s TAY-0?” Omega asked her brother.

“Partially operational.” Tech told her as TAY-0’s body twitched slightly on the workbench. “With a few more adjustments, he may be capable of racing.” He said. TAY-0 turned on and his head bent upwards slightly.

“Uh, that is hilarious.” The droid said with a chuckle. “I am more than capable. I am ready to-” He stopped when he seemed to see his body, or lack thereof. “Where are my arms and legs?” He questioned, his voice filled with worry.

Rominaria’s head began to ache and she tuned out what the others were saying as she placed her head in her hands. She knew that it was most likely due to exhaustion, but she also knew that she couldn’t sleep. They continued talking around her and she let out a frustrated groan, the pain in her head only growing.

She stood up, making her way out of the pit. Just as she exited, her headache grew and she leaned against the wall for support. Taking a shaky breath, she willed herself to stay upright. She heard footsteps behind her and opened her eyes, seeing Wrecker approach her with a frown on his face.

“You alright?” He asked, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. She closed her eyes again.

“Yeah.” She muttered. “Head just hurts.”

Rominaria and Tech watched the race going on below them, waiting for TAY-0’s race. The droid approached them, he glanced at the data pad in Tech’s hands. “I’m sorry. Why exactly are you, uh, studying the track layout.” He questioned Tech.

Rominaria glanced over at the clone beside her, smiling slightly before turning back to the race. “I am analyzing the course and patterns of the racers.” Tech responded. “It is fascinating.”

“You are doing it wrong, human.” The droid informed him, turning and beginning to walk back over to where Wrecker and Omega were. “Calculations won’t help you. It is all about strategy and skill, of which you have zero.”

“I believe your strategy to be flawed.” Tech informed him. “It would be wise to divert power to the reflector shields from your primary weapon system.”

TAY-0 stopped walking and turned to face him with a laugh. “An amateur mistake. And precisely why TAY-0 is your only chance at victory.” He told Tech. “Open your eyes, human. If you want to win out there, offense is the best-” His next words were cut off as a speeder crashed into him. Rominaria and Tech whipped their heads around, staring at the scene in front of them with wide eyes.

Omega and Wrecker rushed over to where TAY-0’s broken pieces were. “I don’t think he’s gonna be able to race.” Wrecker said and Rominaria and Tech approached.

“Safa Toma’s a dangerous place.” Millegi said, approaching the group of them. Rominaria glared at the man.

Cid rushed over to them. “He’s fine.” She said. “Snap out of it, tin bin!”

TAY-0’s head glitched. “I regret nothing.” He said before powering down.

“Tough luck.” Millegi said and Rominaria’s gaze snapped up to him. “Looks like a forfeit. No racer means Cid loses. And so do you.”

Wrecker stood up, glaring at the man. Omega looked around with wide eyes. “We have to do something.”

I could probably do it. I mean, Anakin could do it as a kid. If I just trust the Force to- “I will be the racer.” Tech said after a moment, cutting into Rominaria’s train of thought.

Her gaze landed on the man with wide eyes. “One second.” She said to the rest of them, grabbing Tech’s arm and pulling him far enough away that they wouldn’t be able to hear the two of them. “I should do it, Tech. Not you. I have the Force. It would be far easier for me to-” Tech cut her off.

“And when was the last time you slept?” He questioned, crossing his arms over his chest with a deep frown. Rominaria opened her mouth to answer, but he spoke again. “Passing out does not count.”

“Tech,” Rominaria started. “They need you more than they need me. It’s too big of a risk for you to-”

“That is objectively incorrect.” Tech cut in. “I will be racing. You cannot change my mind, Rominaria.” She tensed slightly at the sound of her full name, knowing the man was completely serious.

Rominaria sighed, running a hand through her hair with a frown. “Fine.” She said after a moment. “But I swear to the Maker if something happens to you, I will find a way to bring you back just to kill you myself.”

Rominaria watched from her spot in the crowd as Tech climbed into the speeder. “ Alright, place your bets! Our racers are ready. ” The announcer said through the speakers. “ Safa Toma’s Riot Champion, Jet Venim. Bosco ‘The Mad Bomber’ Brix. ‘Steel Claw’ Kane. ‘Vicious’ Vid Santari. Haxxon ‘The War Gnome’ Trajanix. ‘Quick-draw’ Quasar. ‘The Trickster’ Flash Raktor. ‘Hyper’ Rod on his Seven Deuce Blaster. And finally, Tech. ” The audience fell silent, confused murmurs the only sound. “ Tech? Anything else on this guy? No? Guess he’s a late arrival. Is that his name? Tech? Just Tech? Okay, and here we go. ”

The race began and Rominaria attempted to pay attention, but the crowd and her lack of sleep were causing her head to pound. She swayed slightly on her feet, grabbing onto Wrecker’s arm for support. The man glanced down at her, a concerned frown on his face.

She forced a small smile before letting her eyes wander back down to the racetrack. A wave of dizziness hit her, and then everything went black.

Rominaria woke up to the sound of cheering. Her head whipped around, trying to figure out where she was as her heart violently hammered in her chest. She looked up and realized that Wrecker was holding her. The woman relaxed slightly, pulling away from the man.

Wrecker set her down. “Tech won.” Omega said, grinning up at Rominaria. Relief flooded through the woman, grateful that Tech was okay. The contents of her nightmare had had her worried. The three of them quickly made their way through the crowd and ran down to the racetrack and over to Tech. “You did it!” Omega said, her voice excited.

Tech took his helmet off. “You sound surprised.”

Rominaria grinned at the man. “I thought you were a goner.” Wrecker said with a chuckle. The audience started to cheer Tech’s name and they all looked up.

Rominaria approached the man, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Good job.” Tech saluted the crowd and Rominaria could’ve sworn she saw the hints of a smile on his face.

The four of them approached Millegi. “We’re here for Cid.” Wrecker told the man. Millegi crossed his arms over his chest as his men raised their weapons at them. Wrecker cracked his neck, glaring at them.

Millegi raised a hand. “A deal’s a deal. We’re square.”

Cid stood up and walked over to them. “That was some racing, goggles.”  She placed a hand on her head, stammering slightly before speaking. “Well, I guess I owe you one.”

“Yes. I would agree.” Tech responded.

Cid rolled her eyes. “I’ll make it up to ya.” She walked past them, patting Tech on the shoulder as she went. “Come on. We’re outta here.”

The rest of them began to follow after her when Millegi spoke. “Hey, you four.” They stopped walking and turned to face the man. “You could have walked away. That loyalty is admirable, but with Cid, it doesn’t always go both ways.” Rominaria frowned, sharing a look with Tech. “Watch your backs.”

Rominaria sat next to Tech on one of the benches in the shuttle as they made their way through hyperspace. “You should try to get some rest, Wrecker told me what happened during the race.” The man informed her, not looking up from the data pad in his hands.

Rominaria frowned, remembering the dream that she had. With a sigh, she leaned her head against the man’s shoulder, glancing down at his data pad. She smiled slightly. “Researching racing?”

Tech hummed in response.

When Tech had finished reading another article on racing, he glanced over to the woman who had been reading with her head on his shoulder. He smiled slightly to himself, realizing that she had fallen asleep on him. At least she’s finally sleeping.

Chapter Text

Rominaria was sitting next to Tech, Hunter, and Echo on the other side of him, while watching Phee tell a story to two men with amused eyes. “Suddenly, I felt its tentacles wrap around my legs, pulling me down into the depths.” The two men gasped at Phee’s words. “I had no choice but to fend off the Octomorph. Bare-handed.”

Tech glanced over at Rominaria, frowning slightly. “This story changes every time she tells it.” Rominaria smirked at him, glancing back over to Phee.

“Vanquishing the creature,” Phee continued. “I swam to the coral cave. And do you know what I found?”

Rominaria smirked at Tech again. “Do you know what she found?” She asked, widening her eyes and trying not to giggle. Tech frowned at her, shaking his head slightly and looking back over at Phee.

“Only the Grand Pearl of Novak.” Phee told the two men.

Rominaria snorted. “Those two will believe anything.” Hunter said, shaking his head slightly.

The door to the parlor opened and Rominaria heard Wrecker chuckle. “Mission accomplished! One compressor, as requested.” Tech walked over to his brother, taking the compressor from him.

“Ah. Nicely done, Wrecker.”

Omega dumped a container of items onto the table in front of them with a grin. “That’s not all we got.” She told them.

“This assortment, however, could have been left at the junkyard.” Tech added.

Rominaria frowned at the man’s words, glancing down at the items at the same time that Phee did. “Easy, quick draw. Let the expert take a look.” Phee said, coming up to stand beside the man. Rominaria glanced over at Tech, noticing the subtle way his eyes drifted over towards Phee, and smirked.

Phee rummaged through the pile, her eyes landing on an object at the same time that Rominaria’s did. They both went to grab it, and then looked at each other with amused smiles. Rominaria pulled her hand back, allowing the woman to pick it up. Phee studied the object with a look of surprise.

She flipped it over and pushed a piece out of the way to reveal what looked like glass. Rominaria glanced over the woman’s shoulder. “Those look like coordinate markings.” She said to Phee.

Omega gasped. “Coordinate markings?”

“Mel, take a look at this.” Phee said, gesturing over to her droid. The droid walked over to them and Rominaria glanced at Tech, smirking slightly when she noticed the man’s eyes still on Phee. As if feeling her gaze, Tech glanced over at Rominaria and frowned.

Mel shined a light on the object and Phee’s eyes widened. Mel beeped. Rominaria made her way over to Phee, squatting down beside the woman.

“You were right.” Phee told her. “This is a compass. One from long before our time.”

Omega came up beside the two of them as Mel beeped again.

“These coordinates are in the Kaldar Trinary system.” Phee told them.

The two women stood up as Tech’s data pad beeped. “I have no record of that system.”

Phee grinned at him and Rominaria didn’t miss the way his face warmed slightly. “Because the best treasures usually aren’t found on maps.”

Omega’s eyes widened. “There’s treasure there?”

“Without a doubt.” Phee told her. “This compass is a rare find. You’ve got a good eye.” She told Omega.

“Let’s go check it out.” Omega told her brothers, who had gathered around them, with a grin. “You heard Phee.”

Hunter crossed his arms over his chest. “She says a lot of things.”

Rominaria frowned at Hunter. “I can go alone and take the spoils for myself.” Phee told him. “Or we go together and split it fifty-fifty.”

Omega looked up at her brother. “Please, Hunter.” She asked. “What if there really is treasure there?”

Rominaria met Hunter’s eyes. “We’re not on a mission right now.” She stepped closer to the man, lowering her voice so only he could hear her. “And it would make Omega happy.”

“It could be fun.” Omega said from behind Rominaria.

Echo looked at Rominaria and Hunter, frowning. “The last time we went after treasure, it didn’t go as planned.”

Phee smirked at them, placing a hand on her hip. “You weren’t working with a professional then.” Phee met Rominaria’s eyes. “What do you say?”

Rominaria glanced over at Hunter, eyebrows raised in question. Hunter sighed in defeat.

Rominaria entered the barracks of the Marauder, noticing her lightsabers sitting next to her bunk. Her jaw tensed as she heard Phee speaking to Omega close by. Rominaria quickly grabbed the sabers, slipping them into two pockets and making sure they weren’t noticeable.

Just as she pulled her hands away from her pockets, the door to the barracks opened and she jumped slightly. Phee smiled at her. “I asked Omega where you were and she said you went in here.” The woman explained.

Rominaria forced a smile onto her face, her heart thudding nervously in fear of what may have happened had Phee entered moments before and seen her lightsabers. “Did you need something?” She asked Phee, stepping towards the exit.

Phee crossed her arms over her chest, looking down at Rominaria with narrowed eyes. “I find it strange that you’re their medic, yet you never carry any medical supplies on you.”

Rominaria’s jaw tensed. “Well, I operate off of the ship so I-”

“None of you are good at lying.” Phee said, cutting her off.

Rominaria opened her mouth to speak but Phee just smirked, waving a hand in the air before turning and exiting the room.

Rominaria was standing beside Hunter on the Marauder, half listening to Omega and Phee’s conversation as she watched Hunter twirl his vibroblade.

Glancing over to make sure that Phee was preoccupied, Rominaria leaned closer to Hunter. “She doesn’t believe I’m your medic.” She said so quietly that if it weren’t for Hunter’s enhanced hearing and how close she was, he would not have heard her.

Hunter glanced towards her, frowning. Rominaria glanced over to the two still talking. “That’s the life of a treasure hunter.” Phee was saying.

Hunter frowned beside Rominaria. “Don’t you mean ‘pirate’?”

Phee turned towards the two of them. “I prefer ‘Liberator of Ancient Wonders’.” She turned back towards Omega. “Wanna hear about the time I found the Blade of Zakata Par?”

“Yes. I do.” Omega answered with a grin.

Hunter looked at Rominaria with a frown. He sighed and she smiled slightly, patting his shoulder.

When the Havoc Marauder landed, they all filed off of the ship. Phee glanced at Rominaria, eyeing her with a look of curiosity before turning away. Rominaria shook her head with a frown, walking beside Echo.

Omega and Phee squatted down and Rominaria glanced over at them. “I’m not picking up any signs of civilization whatsoever.” Tech told them, his eyes on his data pad. “Which makes sense, considering this land appears to have been razed and then left uninhabitable.”

Echo shared a look with Rominaria. “Who’d wanna hide treasure here?” He asked with a frown. The woman shrugged in response. There was a mechanical noise and all of their heads whipped around to find the source.

“What was that?” Wrecker questioned.

Echo frowned down at his hand. “The compass just activated.” He told them. He walked around for a moment, listening to the compass and keeping his eyes on it. After a moment, he stopped beside them. “It’s telling us to go south.”

“Let’s go!” Omega said excitedly, jumping and running south.

Phee smirked at the rest of the group. “Now, she’s got the right attitude. Wait up, kid.” She called out, jogging to catch up with Omega.

The compass led them to the side of a mountain. “It’s a dead end.” Omega told them, a confused frown on her face. “Maybe we go around the mountain?”

Rominaria approached the mountain, laying a hand on it and frowning. She closed her eyes, sensing something inside. Opening her eyes hastily, she glanced back over at them and shot a look at Hunter. Phee watched the interaction with a curious glint in her eyes.

“Or,” Phee started. “It’s telling us to go inside it.” She stepped forward, unsheathing her vibroblade. She sunk it into a gap on the mountain and a large rock came free, shifting to the side. “Big guy, help me move this.” She said to Wrecker over her shoulder.

Wrecker stepped forward, easily moving rocks out of the way. The mountain shook slightly and the two of them stepped back quickly as more rocks fell and an entrance was revealed.

Omega tugged on Rominaria's sleeve, looking up at her with eyes full of wonder. “Look! It’s a secret entrance.”

“Oh! It is a secret entrance.” Wrecker said.

The group made their way inside, entering a large room and looking around. “Hunter,” Tech said, catching Rominaria’s attention. “These etchings are easily a thousand years old.”

“Older. Much older.” Phee said from where she was inspecting a wall. “If I’m right, which is always, we are standing in the entranceway to Skara Nal.”

They were all quiet for a moment, staring at Phee and waiting for her to continue. When she didn’t, Echo spoke up. “To what?”

“Every pirate out there’s heard the legend of Skara Nal.” Phee told them. “It traces back to the ancients.”

Echo glanced at Rominaria for a split second before speaking again. “You mean the Jedi?”

Rominaria tensed slightly, attempting to keep her face neutral. “No.” Phee responded. “Older.”

“So, what kinda treasure’s in there?” Wrecker asked.

“The Heart of the Mountain.” Phee told them. “And we’re going to liberate it.”

They all stared at the wall the Phee had been inspecting. “How do we get in?” Omega asked.

Rominaria stepped forward, looking more closely at the wall. “It’s a pattern.” She said after a moment. Phee nodded in agreement. “The symbols need to be aligned in the right order.”

She approached one of the pieces of stone sticking out from the wall and pushed it, successfully moving it into place. She looked at the next piece above her, about to use the Force to move it when her eyes glanced towards Phee.

Rominaria lowered her hand, hoping the woman hadn’t noticed, and looked over to Wrecker. “A little help?”

Wrecker came forward, moving the piece for her. As the symbols lined up, the building began to shake. “That doesn’t sound good.” Hunter said, looking upwards.

The floor began rotating and suddenly the exit was gone. Rominaria looked at where it had been with wide eyes. She turned back towards the group just as a large rock came falling down, right above Wrecker.

Without thinking, Rominaria’s hands shot out and she stopped the rock, giving the man enough time to move before dropping it. She glanced over at Phee, but the woman was turned away. The room stopped moving and they all faced each other.

“Booby traps.” Phee said. “Now it’s getting interesting.”

Hunter’s helmet whipped towards the woman. “You’ve just trapped us in here.”

“Relax.” Phee told the man. “There’s always a way out. We just have to find it.” She looked at Rominaria with a smirk. “It’s part of the puzzle.”

Rominaria made her way over to Omega. “Can I borrow that for a second?” She asked, gesturing towards the compass still in the girl's hands. Omega nodded, handing it over to her. Rominaria slid back the cover and peered through the glass. Looking around the room, she noticed certain symbols were glowing as she peered through the compass. She pulled the compass away from her face. “We’re aligning the wrong symbols.” She handed the compass back to Omega and the young girl peered through it.

“What do you see?” Hunter asked his sister.

“Some of the symbols are glowing.” Omega told him.

Phee turned towards the girl, a thoughtful expression on her face. “Here.” She said, setting the lantern she was holding down. “Lay the compass on my lantern.” Omega did as she asked and the symbols started glowing as the purple light was cast over them.

“Woah.” Wrecker said with a chuckle. Hunter and Wrecker moved the pieces again, this time lining up the glowing symbols. The floor rotated again, and the exit as well as an entrance was revealed.

Phee leaned down towards her droid. “Mel, note the coordinates and wait here.” She told her droid. She stood back up, looking at Omega. “Come on, kid. Time to go exploring.” They all made their way through, Rominaria and Hunter at the back.

“Do you know if she saw?” Rominaria muttered.

Hunter glanced toward her. “Not sure.”

They made their way into a hallway and Rominaria walked alongside Echo. “So, what exactly is the Heart of the Mountain?” Omega asked as they walked.

“A rare crystalline stone.” Phee told her. “Some say it’s the key to an ancient power, which makes it worth more than you could possibly fathom.” Tech said something, but Rominaria didn’t hear him as she sensed something in the shadows. Her hands moved towards her lightsabers, before she looked at Phee and hovered them over her blasters instead.

“Something’s in here.” She muttered quietly, hoping only Hunter would hear. He nodded in agreement, his hand hovering over a blaster. Rominaria’s eyes traveled to a large hole in the ceiling just as a large creature jumped out of it, tackling Wrecker to the ground.

They all shot at it, but it seemed unphased by the blaster fire and Rominaria tensed. It began to pull Wrecker up towards where it had come from and she quickly holstered her blasters, slipping her hands into her pockets and wrapping them around the hilts of her lightsabers.

She shot a look at Hunter, but the man was preoccupied as he continued to shoot at the beast. Taking a shaky breath, Rominaria pulled her lightsabers out of her pockets and ignited them, dashing towards the creature.

It was higher up now, still dragging Wrecker. She used the Force to propel herself upwards and in a flash of green and blue light, severed the creature's head from its body. She landed easily and caught Wrecker with the Force before he hit the ground.

Ignoring Phee’s obvious stare, Rominaria unignited her lightsabers and put them back into her pockets. Her head began to ache and she grabbed onto Echo’s arm for support. “You alright?” He questioned, his voice tense.

Rominaria hummed in response, dropping his arm and taking a step forward.

Rominaria opened her eyes, not recalling having closed them. She frowned in confusion. “Where am I?” She muttered. Just then, there was the sound of an explosion and suddenly the room around her was burning.

“Aria?”

Rominaria frantically searched for an exit as the flames around her began closing in from all sides.

“Rominaria?”

“Help!” Rominaria screamed as a flame licked at her ankle. No one came and soon the flames consumed her. She screamed in pain, feeling her skin begin to bubble.

“Tech, we’re gonna have to stun her.”

Rominaria attempted to scream for help again, but her face was melting and the action of opening her mouth caused the fire to begin eating away inside of her.

Everything went black.

Rominaria’s eyes shot open and she looked around frantically. Her head whipped around in confusion. She felt the flames still eating away at her skin, but when she looked down she saw that her body was perfectly intact. Taking a deep breath, she took in her surroundings.

She appeared to be in the med bay of the Havoc Marauder. She tried to sit up but failed to do so due to her arms and legs being cuffed to the medical bed. Maker, not again. The door opened and Echo stepped inside, freezing when his eyes met Rominaria’s wide and frantic ones.

“What happened?” She asked and he undid the cuffs.

Echo frowned at her. “What do you remember?”

Rominaria thought for a moment. “We were inside of the mountain. That creature jumped on Wrecker and I-” She froze, her eyes widening. “She saw, didn’t she.” Echo nodded. “Kriff.”

“Is that all you remember?” Echo asked her.

Rominaria’s thoughts drifted to the fire and she tensed. “Why am I in here, Echo?”

Echo’s frown deepened. “One moment you were fine and the next you collapsed. You started screaming for help. Screaming like you were dying. We had to stun you after Wrecker tried to approach you and you threw him back against a wall.”

Rominaria’s frown deepened. “I don’t understand why that would have-” Her words were cut off when the med bay door opened and Omega walked in.

“You’re okay!” She said, running over to Rominaria and wrapping her arms around her. After a moment, Rominaria hugged her back. Omega pulled away and ran out of the room to tell the others. Rominaria stood slowly, trying to forget the feeling of the fire burning her skin from all angles as she made her way out of the medical bay and to the cockpit.

The crew all looked at her as she sat down in one of the seats, but Phee was the first to break the silence. “So, a Jedi, huh?” Rominaria looked over at her with wary eyes. Phee raised her hands. “I won’t tell anyone. But, how are you alive?”

Rominaria absentmindedly gestured towards the rest of her crew, her thoughts still on the fire. She closed her eyes but the flames flashed behind them and they shot back open.

Chapter Text

Rominaria opened her eyes as the Havoc Marauder landed, frowning and standing up slowly. Stretching her arms over her head, she caught Hunter’s worried glance at her and her brows furrowed. As they made their way off of the ship, Rominaria stood beside him and whispered quietly. “Something wrong?”

Hunter shook his head, pulling his helmet on as they exited the ship. “Cid said the Vanguard Axis is notorious for illegal smuggling.” Hunter told the group. “So be ready for anything.” He turned to face all of them. “We’ll make the delivery. Echo, Aria, and Omega. Guard the ship.”

Rominaria nodded, making her way over to the ship's ramp and taking a seat on it. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and attempting to calm her mind.

After a moment, she felt Echo sit down beside her. She opened her eyes, glancing over at the frown on Echo’s face. “Something wrong?” She repeated her words from earlier.

Echo sighed. “We’re all just worried about you, Aria.”

Rominaria looked away from the man. “No reason to be. I’m fine.”

Echo placed his hand on her shoulder and Rominaria tensed for a second before relaxing. She forced a smile onto her face.

“I’m fine, Echo.” She said, leaning her head against his shoulder as the smile on her face faltered slightly. Echo hesitated for a moment before wrapping his arm around her. After a few moments, Omega sat down slightly further on the ramp, glancing up at the two of them.

“There’s something off about this place.” She told them. “I don’t like it.”

“Me neither.” Rominaria said at the same time as Echo spoke.

“I’ll prep the ship.”

Rominaria nodded at the man’s words, removing her head from its place on his shoulder and allowing him to stand and walk up into the ship. Rominaria stood as well, stretching and making her way into the ship. “I’ll be back in a second, I just need to use the refresher.” She told Omega.

When Rominaria was finished in the refresher, she stared at her reflection in the mirror for a moment. The dark circles under her eyes had grown. She forced her face into a smile, practicing until she was sure that it looked genuine enough. She exited the refresher and made her way back outside, noticing Omega was gone at the same time that Echo came out.

They heard a commotion in the distance and shared a frown, quickly making their way towards the sound. After a moment, they found Omega standing beside a young wookiee. “Omega, let’s get back to the ship.” Echo told the young girl. The wookiee roared at them and Rominaria and Echo stopped in their tracks.

Omega raised a hand to stop the wookiee. “It’s okay. They’re friends.” The wookiee looked at them for a moment before turning and starting to run the other way. “Wait!” Omega called after the wookiee. She turned towards Rominaria and Echo, staring at the two of them with wide eyes. “Those droids are after him. Come on!”

Rominaria and Echo looked at each other for a moment before running after the young girl. Rominaria slid her blasters into her hands. They found the wookiee and began firing at the droids attacking him. Rominaria raised her comm after a moment. “Hunter, we need backup. Now.” She said as they took cover behind one of the crates.

A large group of droids approached them. “What sort of treachery is this?”

“Stay back!” Omega warned the droids, raising her bow at them. Rominaria sighed as the droids began approaching closer, raising her blasters just as a shot from behind the droids took one out.

“They’re with us.” Hunter said slowly, his blaster still raised. The droid that appeared to be in charge turned to face Hunter.

“I would advise you to take your soldiers and extricate yourselves from the situation.” It told the man.

Omega jumped up, her bow raised. “No! They’re going to hurt him.”

The droid turned to face her. “Oh, on the contrary. The wookiee is worth a great deal to our buyer. Alive.”

“You can’t smuggle living beings.” Rominaria said, her blasters raised as she glared at the droid. Her eyes traveled down the droid as it responded, noticing what looked like a lightsaber on its hip.

“I can do whatever I want.” It responded. “Now stand down or be destroyed.” Rominaria glanced to the side just as the wookiee outstretched his hand and used the Force to pull the lightsaber towards him. He grabbed it out of the air and ignited it, the lightsabers casting a green glow over his features.

Rominaria’s eyes widened as the droids started to shoot at him, frozen as she realized what was happening. She snapped out of her trance and began firing her blasters at the droids. Hunter, Wrecker, and Tech charged towards the droids, knocking a few of them over.

“Get to the ship.” He told them.

“Come on.” Rominaria said, guiding Omega and the wookiee as they ran. They shot at more droids, all running towards the Havoc Marauder which was in sight. They quickly boarded the ship and Rominaria took a deep breath.

The ship took off and Rominaria looked down at the wookiee at her side. She sighed, taking a seat.

Omega tapped Rominaria on the shoulder as the ship flew through hyperspace. “Why is he sitting back there alone?”

Rominaria glanced back, noticing the wookiee. She frowned standing and looking down at Omega. “He’s scared, Omega.” The girl nodded. “He’s been through a lot.” Rominaria added, making her way over to the wookiee.

She gave him a soft smile, sitting down beside him. He looked at her with distrustful eyes. Rominaria opened her mouth to speak, when Omega approached the two of them with a plate of food for him. “Here. You look hungry.”

The rest of the batch approached and he growled at them.

“What’s wrong?” Omega asked.

“He doesn’t trust us.” Hunter told her.

“Well, seeing how all clones were given an order to execute the Jedi, he has good reason to be cautious.” Tech added.

“I’m sorry about what happened.” Hunter said, glancing over to Rominaria. She knew the silent question he was asking her. “But we are not like the other clones. We did not follow that order. And we don’t work for the Empire either.”

“Hunter’s telling the truth, you don’t have to be afraid of us.” Omega told him, glancing over at the woman. “It’s okay. Eat.”

Rominaria stood, shooting one more soft smile the wookiee's way before walking over to Hunter and the rest of the batch. “Are you going to tell him?” Hunter asked her after a moment. Rominaria sighed, running a hand through her hair.

“I don’t want to put this squad in more danger by doing so.” She told him, frowning over at the wookiee. She sighed, making her way into the cockpit and sitting back down. She closed her eyes, trying to calm her mind.

Rominaria looked around the room she was in, frowning when she didn’t recognize it. She heard boots running outside and made her way towards the door. Looking down, she realized that there was no handle. No way to open the door. No way out.

She turned back towards the room as the fire began to approach her. She tried to stay calm as she attempted to get the door open, but it wouldn’t budge.

The fire was licking at her shoes now and Rominaria screamed for help, pounding on the door with her fists. After a moment, the fire consumed her.

Rominaria’s eyes shot open, her chest heaving up and down as she looked around with wide eyes. The Marauder was still in hyperspace. Hunter looked over at her from where he was sitting, a frown on his face.

“We’re bringing him to Kashyyyk.” He told her. Rominaria nodded in acknowledgment as her eyes drifted over to the blue swirls of hyperspace. “Did you have another of those dreams?” Hunter asked, his voice quieter than it had been moments before.

Rominaria’s eyes flicked back over to the man. With a sigh, she nodded. “I don’t know what’s causing them or what they mean. Whatever I do, the fire always gets to me.”

The Marauder exited hyperspace and Kashyyyk came into view. “We’re heading to a village we know of.” Hunter told the wookiee, Gungi, Rominaria had learned was his name. “The wookiees there should be able to help you.”

“I’ve locked into the coordinates.” Echo told them. “But I’m picking up heavy smoke and deforestation.”

“Keep an eye out for Imperial outposts.” Hunter told him. “Oh, and kid. Keep that laser sword hidden.” He told Gungi. “It, uh, draws attention we don’t want.”

When the Havoc Marauder landed on Kashyyyk, they all made their way off of the ship. Rominaria looked around the jungle with wary eyes as they made their way through it. “Do you remember anything about this planet?” Omega asked Gungi.

Gungi replied and Omega frowned in confusion. “What did he say?”

“From his dreams.” Rominaria told the girl. They continued walking, approaching a patch of trees covered in what appeared to be a web. Rominaria frowned as Wrecker began slicing through the web with his vibroblade.

Moments later, a large creature crawled down to them with a shriek. More creatures approached and Rominaria’s hands hovered over the lightsabers in her pockets. “They’re swarming us.” Echo told the group.

Wrecker raised his blaster but Rominaria pushed his arm back down at the same time that Gungi did. “Hold your fire.” Rominaria told him. She glanced over at the wookiee, sighing and taking a step closer to the creatures. Rominaria closed her eyes and raised a hand, feeling the Force flowing through her and that same energy flowing around and through the creatures.

After a moment, the creatures shrieked again and began crawling away. Rominaria opened her eyes, suddenly feeling very dizzy.

“They won’t attack unless we pose a threat.” She told them, ignoring the way Gungi was staring at her with confused eyes. Rominaria continued walking forward, gesturing for them all to continue.

After a few more minutes of walking, they approached a cliff. Rominaria frowned at the smoke that was making its way up and out of the forest below. “According to my telemetry, the village is straight ahead.” Tech told the group.

They made their way down the mountain, approaching the charred remains of what had once been a village. Rominaria’s eyes lingered on a small flame for a long moment, before snapping out of the trance and looking over to Hunter. Hunter kneeled down, his eyes on the ground.

“Tanks came through here.” He said after a moment. “The Empire incinerated the entire village.” Rominaria frowned, her eyes moving over to Gungi. The wookiee fell to his knees, a pained crying coming from him. Omega approached the wookiee to comfort him.

Rominaria’s eyes found the small flame again, her eyes drawn to it. She stepped closer to it, tilting her head and frowning. She reached her hand towards it, her fingers about to touch it when a loud rumble stopped her. She drew her hand back, her head whipping towards Hunter.

The group rushed towards the noise, crouching in the tall grass and looking at the scene in front of them. “What do you see?” Hunter asked Tech who was looking through his binoculars.

“Trandoshans.” Tech said after a moment. “And they have a wookiee hostage.”

“How did they get their hands on Imperial tanks?” Hunter asked.

Rominaria’s eyes were on the tank when it turned, shooting fire at one of the stones. Her eyes stayed locked onto the fire, even as she heard fighting begin in front of her. Rominaria’s head began to pound as she took a step toward the closest flame.

Her mouth opened slightly in awe as she lifted her hand towards it.

Screams echoed around Rominaria, but her eyes were focused on the fire in front of her. The flames crept up the walls and drew closer to her. Everything in her told her to scream. To run. But she knew deep down that it was pointless.

She knew the fire would find her anyway.

The door to the room opened and her eyes snapped up, staring at a figure in all black as they approached her.

“Who are you?” Rominaria asked, staring up at the figure with wide eyes.

The flames came closer, licking at her ankles.

The person stared at her. At least she thought that they did. She couldn’t see their face. “You will join me.” Somehow Rominaria understood the deeper meaning of their words.

“I’ll never join you.” She spat at them.

“Then you will burn.” Was all they said, before exiting the room just as the flames rose and covered Rominaria. Her vision didn’t go black this time.

She screamed in agony as the flames consumed her, eating away at her until all she was was bones and ash.

Rominaria’s eyes shot open, her whole body shaking as her head whipped around violently.

Chapter Text

Crosshair glared at the woman in front of him as she spoke with Hunter, a pretty smile on her face. Her eyes flicked over to his for a moment and her smile dropped for a second, replaced by a confused frown. Shaking her head slightly, she smiled again and turned back to Hunter.

Hunter said something that made the woman laugh, and the feeling in Crosshair’s stomach grew. He looked away from them with a scowl. She didn’t belong there.

It had been a few weeks since the Jedi had begun to work with them, and Crosshair had hardly spoken a word to her since the first day. He hated change. And she was changing everything.

He looked back over to her, his frown deepening as Rominaria laughed again. She placed a hand on Hunter’s arm and something in Crosshair’s stomach tightened. It wasn’t a feeling that he was used to. He looked away again.

“What do you think, Cross?” Hunter called out. Crosshair looked at his brother with an eyebrow raised in question. “I was telling Rominaria that she should put something on her armor to match ours.” Crosshair’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t respond. 

Rominaria looked over to him, her eyes slightly cautious. “I was thinking the ninety-nine on my-” Crosshair cut the woman off, his tone sharp.

“You’re not one of us.”

Rominaria froze, her mouth still partially open as she stared at him in shock. She shut her mouth after a moment, swallowing before speaking. “I know.” She said slowly. “I just meant-” Crosshair cut her off again.

“Stop pretending you are.”

A muscle in Rominaria’s jaw twitched and Crosshair’s eyes tracked the movement. His eyes traveled up her face as he watched her formulate a response. After a moment, she just sighed. Shaking her head, she turned back to Hunter, who had been watching the scene unravel with a clenched jaw, and spoke to him as if Crosshair had never said a word.

Somehow, this angered Crosshair even more. Why doesn’t she care? Crosshair glared at the woman. Her eyes flicked over to him for a split second, before returning to Hunter.

When they met with Commander Cody for their mission, Crosshair’s eyes kept lingering on the Jedi. She spoke to the commander with a soft smile and something about it made Crosshair want to wipe it off of her face.

Rominaria turned back towards the rest of the batch, approaching them and explaining the mission plan to them. Crosshair half listened, his eyes locked on the Jedi as she spoke. She was pretty when she was like this, not that she wasn’t pretty normally. But something about the way that she articulated her words in the field caught Crosshair’s attention more than any other time she spoke. He frowned under his helmet, finding the thought repugnant.

Crosshair realized after a moment that the Jedi was staring up at him, frowning slightly. “Need something?” He said, his tone mocking.

Rominaria shrugged slightly. “I was going to ask you the same thing. I mean, you were the one staring.” Crosshair watched her walk away, his jaw clenched.

After the mission, the batch headed to Coruscant for some much needed time off. Crosshair had watched with a frown as Wrecker invited the Jedi to go with them to 79’s. He glared at the woman, who was sitting in between Tech and Hunter in the large booth, as she listened to Tech speak.

Crosshair felt eyes on him and glanced over to Hunter, raising a brow at his brother. Hunter furrowed his brows at him, shaking his head before turning over and speaking with Rominaria. Crosshair frowned down at his drink.

When he looked up again, Rominaria’s eyes were on him. She was frowning slightly, and he noticed the way her face heated when he caught her looking. Crosshair raised an eyebrow at her. She swallowed slowly, looking away from him quickly.

Crosshair smirked slightly, raising his glass to his lips and taking a long drink. His eyes drifted over to the rest of the bar, grimacing slightly at how loud it was. Rominaria laughed at something and Crosshair’s eyes flicked back over to her immediately.

Realizing his reaction, he looked away.

Once they had left 79’s, Hunter had insisted on them escorting Rominaria to the Jedi temple. “Really, I’m fine.” She said for the hundredth time as they walked the short distance to the temple from where the cab had dropped them off. “I don’t need an escort.”

Wrecker grinned down at the Jedi. “It’s not a problem, general.”

Crosshair didn’t miss the way that the Jedi grimaced at the title. They were walking in silence when Rominaria suddenly stopped. Crosshair raised an eyebrow in question when the woman suddenly began running.

The batch exchanged looks, running after her. She stopped just as a speeder zoomed by, directly in front of her. Rominaria kneeled down, pulling off her cloak and reaching for something when Crosshair saw another speeder approaching where she was. He opened his mouth to warn her just as she grabbed something with her discarded cloak and rolled out of the way. The speeder zipped by, missing the woman by a mere second.

Rominaria frowned down at what she was holding, standing up and approaching the group. Her eyes weren’t on them, though. She was still looking down. “What were you doing all the way up here?” Crosshair heard her say as she stopped in front of them.

Crosshair glanced down at the cloak she was holding, seeing two pointy ears poking out of it. Rominaria moved some of the fabric out of the way, revealing the face of a very frightened tooka. Crosshair frowned, more confused as to why she had grabbed the cat than anything else.

His eyes moved back up to her face and took in the sight. Rominaria’s frown was deep, her lips shaking slightly as her eyes welled with tears. She caressed the tooka’s face gently. “I wasn’t fast enough. I’m sorry.” She muttered quietly.

The tooka seemed to calm down slightly, its shaking subsiding as it stared up at the woman. Crosshair frowned in confusion as he watched the Jedi’s resolve begin to crack. He glanced over to his brothers, who were also watching with confused frowns.

Rominaria kneeled down, holding the tooka close to her chest. The cloak slipped down more and that was when Crosshair saw the blood. He realized that the speeder must have hit the cat. He frowned, his eyes moving to her face. Crosshair wanted to step forward and comfort the woman, but stopped himself. Rominaria let out a strangled sound and Crosshair realized that the tooka had gone still.

After a moment of silence, Hunter stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on the woman’s shoulder. Rominaria looked up at him, seemingly snapping out of the trance she had been in. She pulled one of her hands away from the tooka and wiped the tears from her face, effectively smearing blood across her skin as she did so.

She didn’t seem to notice, standing up quickly and wrapping the tooka more securely in her cloak. She looked up at all of them, taking a deep breath as she did so. “I’m going to take it inside and make sure that it can receive a proper burial.”

She didn’t wait for them to respond, turning on her heel and heading into the temple. Crosshair watched her go, a warm feeling in his stomach.

He didn’t realize it at the time, but when he would reflect back on that moment he would understand. That was when he first fell for the Jedi.

Chapter Text

Rominaria was sitting in the cockpit of the Marauder, her thoughts wandering, when the dash began to beep. She glanced over to it with a frown. “We have an incoming transmission.” Tech announced. Everyone moved from their places on the ship, entering the cockpit. “It’s Rex.” He added.

Tech pressed a button and a hologram of Rex appeared in front of them. Rominaria smiled slightly at the sight of the man. “Hey everyone,” Rex began. “Any chance I could use your squad’s expertise for a mission?”

Rominaria’s frown was a complete opposite to Wrecker’s grin. “Finally. I’m tired of waiting around for Cid.”

Rominaria glanced back over to the hologram. “What do you need, Rex?” She asked.

“I’ll explain everything when you get to Coruscant.” Rominaria froze at his words, her eyes going wide.

“Coruscant?” She asked slowly, praying to the Force that she had misheard the man.

Hunter chimed in. “That’s a big ask, captain.”

Omega frowned in confusion. “Why?” She asked. “What’s on Coruscant?”

“It is the galactic capital and, thus, the heart of the Empire.” Tech told her. Rominaria didn’t speak, still frozen.

“But the Empire thinks we’re dead. They won’t be looking for us” Echo said after a moment, rubbing his chin in thought. “Even so, Aria would be at a higher risk there than the rest of us.”

Rominaria broke out of her shocked trance, glancing up at the man. She opened her mouth to speak, but Rex’s voice stopped her. “It’s a covert mission.” He told them. “A simple data extraction but a crucial one. Aria can stay back, I know how dangerous coming here would be for her.” Rominaria opened her mouth to argue, but was stopped again. “I’ll send over a flight plan to bypass Imperial security and coordinates to a safe landing zone.”

Rominaria swallowed slowly, trying to stop her hands from shaking. After a moment, she spoke. “We’re on our way.” Rex nodded once before ending the transmission.

Echo looked over to the woman, a deep frown overtaking his features. “I don’t think that you should come. It’s not safe, Aria.”

Rominaria clenched her fists at her sides. “I know that, Echo. But if you all are going, then I am as well.” Echo opened his mouth to speak, but she continued. ”We’re a team.” She added, placing a hand on the man’s shoulder.

Echo sighed. She moved away from him and made her way into the med bay, sitting on the ground and closing her eyes in an attempt to meditate.

The door opened a moment later and she sighed, opening her eyes and looking up at Omega. “I just had a question. But if you’re meditating, I can ask later.”

Rominaria shook her head. “It’s alright.” She told the girl. “What is it?”

Omega grinned at her. The girl walked over to Rominaria and sat down on the ground in front of her. She looked around the room, as if someone were there to overhear her, before leaning forwards and whispering. “Was Echo the one that you liked?”

Rominaria’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, her lack of sleep making it hard to process the words being spoken. When it clicked, she dropped her face into her hands. I’m never going to hear the end of this, am I? “No, Omega. It was not Echo.”

Omega looked confused. “But you guys seem so close.”

Rominaria sighed. “Omega, people can be friends without having feelings for each other. And I told you already, that was a long time ago. Feelings that I may have once had are no longer present.”

Omega nodded, looking disappointed. She stood up and exited the room.

Rominaria’s eyes stared nervously at the viewport as they exited hyperspace. Being so close to the place she had called home her entire life was not a feeling she had been expecting to have anytime soon.

“We are approaching Coruscant.” Tech told the group.

“Everyone, stay ready.” Hunter added. Rominaria took a shaky breath as the Marauder entered the atmosphere of the planet, Tech following the directions that Rex had sent them. They led the ship to the lower levels of the city and Rominaria watched as Omega looked at everything with wide eyes.

In any other circumstance, she would have smiled at the girl’s reaction.

The Marauder landed and Rominaria stood on shaky legs. She grabbed her cloak and wrapped it around her, pulling the hood over her head. She pulled her lightsabers out of her pockets. Rominaria looked down at them with a sigh, before leaving them on her seat. They all made their way out of the ship and onto the dark platform, Rominaria keeping to the back of the group.

Rex and a familiar woman approached them. Rominaria realized who she was after a moment. “Glad you made it.” Rex said to them. “This is Senator Riyo Chuchi.” Rex gestured to the group. “These are the special clones I told you about.” Rominaria shifted slightly so that she was more concealed by Echo’s height.

Riyo’s eyes scanned the group, before landing on Omega. “Hello.” The young girl said with a smile.

“Thank you for coming.” Riyo told the group.

“Why are we here, captain?” Hunter asked after a moment.

“Inside.” Rex told them. “There’s something I want you to see.”

The group followed Rex inside, Rominaria staying behind Wrecker as they moved. They entered what appeared to be a mechanics shop. Rominaria kept her head tipped down, her eyes on the ground. She felt a hand on her arm, and flinched. Her head whipped upwards.

Riyo stared at her with wide eyes, scanning her face quickly as a look of recognition crossed her own. Rominaria’s jaw clenched, closing her eyes and preparing for the worst. “You’re alive.” Riyo said quietly after a moment. Rominaria stared at the woman, her eyes full of distrust. Riyo’s frown deepened. “Why are you here? It’s not safe.” She said, her voice low.

Rominaria glanced over to the group, before meeting the woman’s eyes once more. “I go where they go.”

Riyo nodded once. “Just be careful.”

Rominaria nodded in response, the two women making their way to where the rest of the group was.

They gathered around a large container that looked somewhat similar to a stasis chamber, though Rominaria didn’t sense any life inside of it. Rex pressed a button at the top of the container and an opening appeared there. Rominaria leaned forward, frowning at the sight of another clone's face.

“He’s an assassin.” Rex told them. “His identifying number’s been wiped.”

“I was not aware that was possible.” Tech said, seeming surprised.

Rominaria nodded in agreement, turning back to face Rex. “Who was his target?” She asked.

“A clone contact of mine named Slip.” Rex told her. “He said he was in danger. I came to Coruscant to get him out, but the assassin got to him first. Nearly got the senator too.” Rominaria’s frown grew deeper at the man’s words.

“Why would a clone be targeting another clone or a senator?” Echo asked.

“To silence us.” Riyo responded immediately. “Admiral Rampart has the entire Senate believing Kamino was lost to a cataclysmic storm.” She looked down, her eyes filling with sadness. “Slip witnessed the truth. I wanted him to testify to Rampart’s crimes.”

“We were there too, senator.” Echo told her. “I can be your witness.”

Rominaria sighed, shaking her head. “The Senate wouldn’t listen to any of you.”

“We’re deserters.” Hunter added.

“They’re right.” Rex said. “But there’s another way to provide the Senate with the evidence of the Empire’s crimes.” Rominaria tilted her head slightly in confusion. “The command log on Rampart’s Venator. Slip made a copy of it on the ship’s backup data banks.”

“Where’s the Venator now?” Wrecker asked.

“Being retrofitted at the Imperial shipyard right here on Coruscant.” Rex replied. “Lots of security, but I know a way in.”

“Rampart’s Defense Recruitment Bill goes to a vote tomorrow.” Riyo told them. “We must prove his crimes before it passes. I’ll return to the Senate and garner support where I can.”

“You could still be in danger.” Rex told her.

“Then I must be on the right track.” She responded.

“I can go with her and keep an eye out.” Omega told them.

“You can’t enter the Senate district without an Imperial security clearance.” Riyo told the girl.

“That will not be a problem.” Tech chimed in immediately.

“Then let’s get to work.” Rex said.

The group broke apart, Riyo and Omega heading to the Senate while the rest of them spoke. Hunter approached Rominaria. The woman sighed, already knowing what he was going to say. “You want me to stay with the ship, don’t you?”

Hunter sighed. “It’s dangerous enough that you’re here.” He told her. “If you were to get caught, they wouldn’t hesitate to kill you. We need you alive, Aria.”

Rominaria let out a defeated sigh, nodding her head and making her way back to the Havoc Marauder.

Rominaria stared out the viewport, watching ships fly through the lower levels of the city. The Marauder’s comm turned on and Hunter’s voice filled the silence. “ Aria, we have completed our part of the mission. ”

Rominaria nodded. Remembering that the man couldn’t see her, she leaned forward and pressed the button to respond. “Affirmative.”

Rominaria’s eyes drifted back to the viewport, frowning as she tried to ignore the urge she had been feeling ever since they had entered the planet’s atmosphere. With a sigh, she gave in. She stood, making her way through and out of the Marauder.

Rominaria slipped through any and all shadows she could find, almost feeling the place before she even saw it. The Jedi temple filled her vision and she froze, staring up at the large building as her mouth opened slightly in shock. For a moment, she felt as if the war had never happened. As if she were just going home on a normal day.

Rominaria hadn’t accounted for the feeling that began to fill her from being so close. So close to the place she had called home. The place where she was raised. She let out a shaky breath, her eyes watering slightly as images of her and Anakin as children resurfaced in her mind.

She took a deep breath, her heart hammering in her ears as she attempted to shake off the feeling. She continued her approach, only stopping once she saw the guards.

Rominaria pulled her hood further over her head, her eyes darting around frantically and taking count of the troopers. She watched as they rotated positions, waiting a few seconds before slipping through when a trooper's back was turned.

Her hands shook as she slipped inside the temple. She glanced around with wide eyes, the silence frightening her more than how dangerous what she was doing was. She wasn’t sure why she was walking to the room that she was, but trusted her instincts.

Rominaria passed the training room and stopped for a short moment.

Anakin grinned at her, his training saber raised at her. She grinned back, raising her own saber.

Things had been so simple when she was young. Back when she wasn’t afraid of so many things. Back when she had dreams of her future. Of one day being on the council. 

Her throat felt tight as she continued.

Rominaria kept to the shadows, darting in and out of them. She heard footsteps and pressed herself against the wall as a group of troopers passed by. She waited, as long as she had the patience for, before pulling herself away from the wall and continuing on her way.

She remained vigilant as she quickly made her way through the halls. She turned a corner and her eyes landed on the library, the memories attached to that room causing more tears to well in her eyes.

“Hey, Aria?” Mira said from where she was sitting across the table.

Rominaria looked up from the book she was reading. “Yes?”

Mira glanced around, before leaning forward and lowering her voice. “Do you ever think that what we’re doing is wrong?”

Rominaria frowned in confusion. “What do you mean?”

Mira sighed. “The war. I don’t think that we should be involved with it. It goes against everything we’ve been taught since we were children.”

Rominaria frowned, her eyes glancing around the room to make sure that no one had heard Mira’s words. “You doubt the council’s decision?”

“I believe that the dark side has clouded their vision.”

Rominaria gaped at the woman sitting across from her. “That is a bold accusation.” She said, her eyes wide. “If someone heard that you had said that-”

Mira let out a frustrated noise. “Think about the bigger picture, Aria. How can you not sense the tides shifting? This is bigger than us.”

The memory faded into another.

Aayla groaned in annoyance, putting the book down and looking up at Rominaria. “Master, why do I have to study this right now? Shouldn’t we be on a mission?”

Rominaria looked at her padawan, a fond smile on her face as she spoke. “Just because there is a war going on, does not give you a pass on your studies. Intelligence is just as strong a weapon as your lightsaber. And it is essential to win.”

Aayla nodded, looking slightly less frustrated.

Rominaria took a shaky breath, trying to stay focused in the moment and not let her thoughts drift to what had happened to that happy young girl. She continued walking.

Rominaria passed the door to her old room. Her jaw clenched as she tried to ignore the feeling that filled her. She was so close to the place she had always found solace in, but now it just felt wrong.

Her thoughts betrayed her, drifting back to her padawan.

Rominaria let out a scream of pure despair into her pillow. Tears streamed down her face as she violently shook. How could she be gone? She was so young. So innocent. It should have been her.

There was a knock on the door, but Rominaria didn’t respond. She continued to sob into her pillow, almost missing the sound of the door opening. Anakin stepped into the room, his eyes only lingering on the mess for a moment. Stepping over a shattered vase, he moved towards Rominaria.

Rominaria pulled away from the pillow, just enough to see her best friend’s face. Anakin sat on her bed, placing his non-mechanical hand on her shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze. Rominaria stared at him, grateful for the lack of pity in his eyes.

She sat up, pulling her knees to her chest and trying to breathe steadily. Anakin wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her towards him. “When was the last time you ate something?” He asked her.

Rominaria shrugged. She couldn’t have cared less about that. Not when Aayla was gone. Anakin sighed, pulling her closer and wrapping both arms around her. The floodgates opened again and Rominaria sobbed against him.

Rominaria let out a shaky breath. When she raised a hand to her face, she felt the warm tears there. Being in the temple again was bringing up memories she had long suppressed. She continued through the hallways.

Rominaria found the room she was looking for and entered. Looking around the meditation chamber, she frowned. She sensed something dark, but couldn’t make out the feeling. Glancing down, she noticed what looked like dried blood. She stepped towards it, but something across the room caught her eye.

Rominaria squinted slightly, a deep frown on her lips as she approached the small object. Rominaria squatted down, picking up the small golden bead. She gasped slightly as her vision flashed white.

Rominaria’s vision was slightly distorted but she could make out the scene in front of her. Her eyes were on her old master, Shaak Ti, who was meditating in the center of the room. The door opened behind the woman, but she didn’t move.

Rominaria wasn’t sure if she had noticed or not.

A cloaked figure entered the room, two clone troopers behind them. They shifted their stance slightly and Rominaria saw their face. Anakin stepped forward, closer to Rominaria’s former master. The woman continued to meditate.

Anakin drew his lightsaber, igniting it and plunging it into Shaak Ti’s back.

The woman’s body slumped forward, a small gasp leaving her lips. Anakin turned away from her and back to the troopers. “Was that the last one, Lord Vader?” A trooper asked.

Rominaria’s eyes shot open, her chest heaving up and down as she tried to process what she had seen. He couldn’t have. He wouldn’t have. And what did the troopers mean when they called him that? Rominaria attempted to calm her breathing, standing and slipping the bead into her pocket. Her heart hammered violently against her ribs as she approached the door she had entered through.

She pressed an ear to the door and listened for the sound of boots. When it stayed silent, she opened the door and slipped back into the hallway.

Rominaria stood in the shadows, her eyes on the temple. She knew that she needed to go. That she shouldn’t have even gone inside in the first place. But she didn’t feel ready to leave this place, that had once been her home, behind.

She took a deep breath, bowing her head once at the building, before turning and quickly walking away.

Rominaria climbed onto the Marauder and was met with the sight of a very upset Hunter. “Where were you?” He asked immediately.

Rominaria grimaced slightly at the look on his face. She opened her mouth, about to lie, when she stopped herself. With a sigh, she told the truth. “The temple.” She said quietly.

Hunter let out a frustrated groan, running a hand across his face. “I don’t even need to tell you how stupid that was.”

“I know.” Rominaria said immediately, thinking back to what she had seen. “I’m sorry.”

Hunter nodded his head towards where Echo was standing, before turning and walking away. With a frown, Rominaria made her way over to the man. Her eyes scanned his face and she understood.

“You’re going with Rex.”

He nodded at her words. “The clones need our help now more than ever. I can’t turn my back on my brothers.”

Rominaria nodded at his words, a sad smile on her face. “You’re a good man, Echo.” She stepped forward, wrapping her arms around the man in a firm hug. Echo seemed slightly taken aback, but returned the gesture after a few seconds. “If you need anything, all you have to do is ask.” She told him as she pulled away.

He nodded, a fond smile on his face. “Goodbye, Aria.”

“Goodbye, Echo.”

Chapter Text

Rominaria sat on her bunk, staring at the metal floor beneath her feet. What she had seen must have been a mistake. Right? There was no way Anakin could have done such things. Her vision must have been flawed, she decided. Still, the image of her master’s lifeless body was there every time she closed her eyes. As did the name, Lord Vader. What had they meant by that?

The door to the barracks opened and she looked up, meeting Wrecker’s eyes. The smile on his face dropped when he saw hers. “What’s wrong?” He asked.

Rominaria shook her head, looking away from the man and to Crosshair’s bunk. Wrecker followed her gaze. He sighed, approaching her and nudging her to scoot over so he could sit down. She did, and the bunk groaned under the weight of the large man.

“I miss him too.” Wrecker said after a moment.

Rominaria frowned in confusion before realizing that that’s what Wrecker thought she was upset about. Granted, it was one of the reasons.

“I don’t understand what we did to make him leave. I know he and Hunter kept arguing, but-” Rominaria cut the man off, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“It wasn’t your fault.” She told him, looking up at the much larger man. It was mine. She didn’t verbally add, but the sentence hung in the silence.

Wrecker shook his head after a moment. “It wasn’t your fault either.”

Rominaria didn’t argue, leaning her head against the man’s arm.

When the Marauder landed, the batch all made their way off of the ship. Rominaria looked at the canyons surrounding her with distaste. They made their way to a large metal circular door. “According to Cid’s coordinates, this is the mine she purchased.” Tech told them.

“And we’re supposed to do what?” Omega asked. Rominaria glanced at the girl, reading the barely concealed emotions easily. The girl hadn’t taken Echo’s leaving well.

“Excavate the site for ipsium. It is tremendously valuable when refined.” Tech responded. “However, in its raw state, the mineral is highly combustible. Like a primed thermal detonator.”

Rominaria grimaced. “Lovely.”

Tech entered the key into a panel. “Sounds dangerous.” Wrecker said with a laugh. “I like it.”

Tech pulled a lever forward and the large door began to open, beeping as it did so. Rominaria turned towards the storm in the distance, but her eye caught on something else and she froze. Her eyes locked with Anakin’s. He was far enough away that if she hadn’t known him so well, she wouldn’t have recognized him.

She was sure it was him. She could feel his stare burning into her. His hand slipped into his cloak, drawing something out of it.

“Are you alright?” Tech’s voice cut in through Rominaria’s thoughts.

She glanced at the man who was now standing beside her.“What? Yeah. I just saw-” She didn’t finish her sentence, her eyes moving back to where they just had been resting. Anakin was gone. She shook her head slightly. Must have been a trick of the light.

She looked back over to Tech, who was watching her with curious eyes. “You said you saw something?”

Rominaria shook her head. “It was nothing. Sorry.” She apologized, moving past the man and towards the entrance of the mine.

Hunter watched her with curious eyes. When Rominaria made her way inside, he followed close behind her. “What did you see?” He asked in a low voice, only loud enough for her to hear.

Rominaria tensed. “Hunter,” She started, about to brush the man off when she changed her mind. “I just thought that I saw Anakin. That was all.”

Hunter’s helmet tilted to the side in confusion. Rominaria hadn’t told any of them what she had seen when she went back to the temple, and she didn’t plan on doing so. “Do you think he-” Rominaria cut the man off.

“No. I mean, I’ve tried looking for him through the Force before. It comes up empty every time.” She responded.

Hunter nodded at her words. “I’m sorry, Aria.” If only he knew the half of it.

Rominaria leaned against the wall of the cave, watching as Omega extracted the ipsium. Her eyes drifted to the side, frowning in confusion at the sight of someone down one of the passageways. She pulled away from the wall, following them.

She turned a corner, coming face to face with a very familiar figure. “Master?” She questioned. “I, I thought you were dead. How are you-”

“You failed me, Rominaria.” Shaak Ti told her, looking down at the woman with disgusted eyes. Her master had never looked at her that way before. “You are a sad excuse for a Jedi. And a worse padawan.”

Rominaria’s eyes watered as she stared up at the woman. “I don’t understand. What did I do wrong, master?”

Shaak Ti didn’t respond, just shook her head in disgust. Rominaria took a step towards the woman, but was shoved back by the Force.

The first thing that Rominaria noticed when her eyes opened was the pain in the back of her head. She looked around, confusion overtaking her features. She was still by the rest of the group and more importantly, she was on the ground, though she couldn’t remember how she ended up there. Hunter kneeled down beside her, placing a hand behind her head and scanning her face with worried eyes.

“You alright, Aria?” He asked, his voice full of concern. “You just dropped to the ground out of nowhere. It doesn’t look like you have a concussion, though.”

It wasn’t real? Rominaria thought to herself, frowning. It felt so real. “I’m not sure what happened.” She told him, deciding that right then wasn’t the time to bring up what she had seen. Still, the words played on repeat in the back of her mind. You are a sad excuse for a Jedi. “I’m sorry.”

Hunter stood up, holding out a hand that Rominaria gratefully took. He pulled her up from the ground and she swayed slightly, before steadying and letting go of him. “We finished extracting the ipsium so we’re good to go now.” He told her as he picked up the case of ipsium.

They made their way out of the cave, Omega and Tech beside them. Wrecker turned to look at them. “That storm’s changing course.” He told them.

“The weather patterns on this planet are most irregular.” Tech told them.

“We have what we came for.” Hunter responded. “Let’s get back to Ord Mantell.” He said as he handed the case to Wrecker.

They started to make their way down the stairs, when Hunter froze. “What is it, Hunter?” Rominaria asked with a frown, she hadn’t sensed anything. Hunter didn’t respond, jumping down the stairs and sprinting towards where the ship was parked.

After a moment, Rominaria heard it. The sound of the Marauder. “That sounds like our ship!” Omega exclaimed as the rest of them ran after Hunter. The Marauder sped off before any of them were close to it. “Stop!” Omega cried out.

Hunter whipped around. “You were supposed to be on lookout. ” He said to Wrecker.

Rominaria tuned the rest of their words out, her eyes focused on the ship that was now far in the distance. Her hands patted her sides, suddenly very grateful that she had kept her lightsabers in her pockets. Rominaria turned to Omega, who was staring up at her.

“There has to be a way to get it back? Right?” She asked, her eyes wide. Rominaria frowned at the girl. Her eyes drifted up, looking at the storm in the distance.

“Tell me, Wrecker,” Tech said after a moment. “How exactly did you miss our ship being compromised?”

“Maybe if you hadn’t docked it out of view, I would have seen someone approaching.” Wrecker shot back.

“Well there was no other suitable-” Rominaria cut Tech off.

“Will the two of you quit it?” She spat, effectively silencing the two men. “We’ve got a bigger problem on our hands right now.” She said, her eyes on the storm approaching. “Where’s the nearest town, Tech?”

Tech looked down at his datapad. “During our approach, I scanned a spaceport approximately forty clicks south of here.” He told her. “Perhaps we can acquire a transport there.”

“You know how long that would take?” Wrecker asked, his voice full of frustration.

“Well, since we do not have access to long-range communications without our ship, it is our only option.” Tech responded.

Rominaria nodded at his words, letting out a frustrated sigh. “Let’s move.” Hunter told them. 

They made their way through a canyon, passing around the water when needed. Rominaria took a sip, her mouth feeling dry. She passed the bottle to Omega, who took a long sip.

Wrecker took a gulp of the water, letting out an exhausted sigh. “How much further?” He asked them. Rominaria glanced at Tech, who was beside her.

“You will not like the answer.” He told Wrecker. Rominaria sighed, the pain from where she had hit her head still aching.

Omega raised her comm to her mouth. “Havoc-4, this is Havoc-5. Do you copy?” Rominaria frowned at the girl. “Echo? Are you there?”

“He’s too long-range, Omega.” Rominaria told the girl. “Echo won’t pick up our signal.”

“Especially since he disabled his communication device.” Tech added.

“What? Why?” Omega asked.

“I assume he’s on a sensitive mission.” Tech told her.

Hunter put up a hand, signaling for them to stop. Rominaria stopped beside the man. “What is it, Hunter?” Before he could answer, Rominaria sensed it as well. The ground began to shake and they all turned around.

“What’s that?” Wrecker asked.

“Run.” Hunter told them, pulling his helmet back onto his head.

They all sprinted in the opposite direction of the sound, running as fast as they could. Rominaria glanced behind her as she ran and saw a horde of creatures running towards them. The creatures caught up to them, slamming into them from all sides as they continued running.

“There.” Hunter pointed to an arch of stone. He threw his grappling hook onto it and they all began using it to hoist themselves up. Wrecker and Rominaria were the last on the ground and the woman used the Force to help Wrecker up onto the stone.

“Aria, come on!” Omega yelled down to her as she made to jump for the arch. One of the creatures knocked her to the side and she hit the ground hard. She tried to stand, but another creature hit her and she fell back down. “Aria!” She heard Omega scream.

Rominaria crawled to the side of the canyon, avoiding the creatures to the best of her ability. She pulled herself against the wall just as one of their hooves came down on her leg, causing her to cry out in pain.

Rominaria looked to her side, her eyes widening as another figure crawled away from the stampede and settled down beside her. Aayla stared at her, covered in blood and dirt. “Why did you let me die, master?” She asked. “Why didn’t you save me? You knew I was going to die. Why didn’t you stop it?”

Rominaria’s hand shook slightly, looking away from the girl. “I’m sorry, young one. I failed you.”

Rominaria’s eyes shot open, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Her eyes landed on Hunter, who was once again kneeling down in front of her. He looked slightly relieved to see her awake, but still extremely concerned. “Aria, are you alright? I got down to you as soon as I could.”

She looked up at the man, her head spinning as she thought about what she had just seen. What’s going on? “I, I think so?” She told him, making to get up when a sharp pain shot through her legs and she cried out.

Hunter followed her eyes and grimaced at the blood staining her pant leg. “Do you think you can walk?” He asked her as the rest of the group came over. Rominaria nodded, groaning in pain as Hunter helped her stand. She put a small amount of pressure on her leg to test it, and winced in return.

“Hunter?” Omega said slowly, drawing their attention. They followed her eyes to where the storm was rapidly approaching.

“Well,” Tech said and Rominaria noticed that he was now holding the case of ipsium. “That would certainly explain the stampede.”

The storm got closer and Hunter grabbed Rominaria’s arm, pulling it over his shoulder and helping her move quickly away from it. The storm enveloped them, making it hard to see. “We need to find shelter.” Hunter yelled to all of them.

“There is another mine.” Tech yelled back. “Thirty meters ahead.”

“I see it.” Omega yelled.

Rominaria cried out in pain as a rock slammed into her already hurt leg and she nearly fell, Hunter being the only thing keeping her up. The man quickly picked her up, carrying her as he sprinted to the mine. They heard a thud behind them and Rominaria looked over the man’s shoulder, seeing that Tech had fallen, the case of ipsium beside him.

Wrecker ran back, grabbing Tech and pulling him to the mine. “The case!” Tech yelled.

“Forget it.” Wrecker yelled back.

Hunter jumped inside the mine, setting Rominaria back down into a standing position as the rest of them ran inside. “Where’s the ipsium?” Omega questioned. They all looked out just as lightning hit the case.

“Get down!” Hunter shouted. There was a loud explosion and they were all knocked backwards.

“Wake up. Rominaria wake up.” A familiar voice filled the woman’s ears. She opened her eyes, the twi’lek child looking down at her.

“Koyi?” Rominaria said the name slowly, her eyes landing on the blood pouring out of the girl’s stomach.

“Why did you let them hurt me? Why didn’t you protect me?”

Rominaria’s eyes opened, her ears ringing as she looked around. She had been pulled up into a sitting position, a lantern set beside her. She glanced to the side and saw Hunter and Wrecker pulling away rocks from where the entrance had been.

Hunter turned towards her, seemingly sensing her stare. “What happened?” She asked. “Where’s Omega?”

“Ask Tech.” Wrecker told her. Rominaria looked over at the man.

“I simply told her that we will most likely not be able to recover the Marauder.” He paused momentarily. “And that this squad existed before Echo was a part of it, and will continue to exist after.”

Rominaria groaned. “Tech, why would you say that to her? You know she’s been struggling with him being gone.” She pulled herself up from the ground, wincing as she limped over to him and threw an arm around his shoulder. “Come on, you’re gonna go apologize.”

“But-” Rominaria shot him a look. Tech sighed. “Very well.” He said.

The two of them made their way through the mine. “We should see if there’s any ipsium in here.” Rominaria told him. “We could use it to blow our way out of here.”

Tech nodded in agreement. He glanced down at the datapad in his hand as it beeped. Following where it led them, they found an opening that was glowing slightly. Glancing inside, they found Omega extracting ipsium. “Omega,” Tech said slowly. He pulled his helmet off. “Omega.” He repeated.

“I’m busy.”

“I can see that.” He told her. “Are you aware that you are surrounded by enough ipsium, that if not handled correctly, could take down this entire cavern.”

“Then you better not distract me.” She responded, pulling a vial of ipsium out of the drill. “Is Aria okay?” She asked, her eyes on the ipsium.

“I’m alright, kid.” Rominaria told her. Omega looked up at her, seeming relieved.

She offered the vial to Tech. “Thought we could use this to blow our way through the cave-in.”

“We came to a similar conclusion.” He told her, looking at his datapad.

“Little help?” Omega asked, sounding annoyed when Tech didn’t take the vial.

“This vein appears to be much more pure than what we found in Cid’s mine.” He told her as he took the ipsium. “Perhaps you should extract as much ipsium as you can.”

Omega stared at him. “You trust me to do that?” She questioned.

“I am fully aware you are capable of the task.” Tech responded.

Omega shook her head slightly. “Grab the empty vials from my satchel.”

Rominaria sat down on the ground beside Tech as Omega passed him vials of ipsium, her mind wandering. “How many are left?” The girl asked as she handed him another vial of ipsium.

Tech passed her an empty vial. “This is the last one.” He told her.

Rominaria peeked into the cavern, watching as Omega stretched to try and reach a spot of ipsium. The girl nearly slipped and Rominaria grimaced. “Careful.” She told her.

Omega tried to reach it again and slipped right as the drill went in, clutching onto a rock. “Help!” She cried out. Rominaria jumped up, crying out at the sharp pain in her leg. She shot out a hand to grab the girl with the Force, but Omega’s hands slipped and she fell before Rominaria had the chance to.

“Omega!” Rominaria and Tech called out at the same time. Without a second thought, Rominaria jumped through the hole and plummeted down after Omega. She and Tech hit the water below at nearly the same time.

The water pushed them forward at a rapid pace and Rominaria searched for Omega. Her eyes landed on the girl. She was desperately trying to swim towards them and thus against the current. Rominaria and Tech swam as fast as they could towards her, the woman ignoring the piercing pain in her leg as she kicked furiously.

The two of them reached the girl and grabbed onto her, holding her in between them as the current pushed them further. They reached a portion of the water where there was no breathing room and Rominaria heard Omega let out a startled gasp before they were fully submerged.

Rominaria held on tighter to the girl, holding her breath and desperately trying to ignore the pain in her leg.

She glanced in the direction they were being pushed, and saw a huge drop. They tried to swim away from it, but the water was too strong and they fell.

Rominaria’s body hit the water and she swam upwards, gasping for air when she breached the surface of the water. She looked around for Tech and Omega, but her eyes landed on a familiar chiss woman instead. “You’re dead.” Rominaria said, looking around in confusion as Mira swam closer to her. “I killed you.”

“I wanted us to be close again. And you threw it away, for them .” Mira spat at her.

Realization hit Rominaria. “This isn’t real. You’re not real.” She said slowly.

Mira laughed. “If I wasn’t real, could I do this?” She asked as she grabbed Rominaria’s head, forcing it under the water and holding it there as the woman thrashed.

Tech and Omega swam out of the large body of water and onto the stone surface beside them, assuming that the woman was still behind them. Tech flopped down onto the ground, coughing up water and gasping for air.

After a moment, Omega’s voice broke the silence. “Tech, where’s Aria?”

Tech sat up quickly, looking around. He squinted, seeing something under the surface of the water. He got up and jumped back in, swimming towards the woman’s body. Tech grabbed onto her arm, pulling her up and against him as he swam back to the shore.

He pulled her body onto the stony surface, his frown deepening when her eyes didn’t open. “Tech?” Omega asked, coming up beside the two of them and looking down at Rominaria with worried eyes.

Tech opened the woman’s mouth, tensing when he realized that she wasn’t breathing.

Rominaria’s eyes shot open, water coming out of her mouth and directly onto Tech’s face as she gasped for air. Tech pulled his mouth away from hers, his hands pushing against her chest as he forced the water out of her lungs.

He pulled away, watching her with worried eyes as she caught her breath. “Thank you.” She managed to get out in between deep breaths. “What happened?” She asked, realizing she was no longer in the water.

“I am not sure.” Tech said honestly.

“ Tech? Aria? Omega? Do you copy? ” Hunter’s voice came in through their comms.

Tech raised his comm to his face. “Affirmative.” He answered as he helped Rominaria up into a sitting position. She leaned against his arm, still coughing from the water she had inhaled. “We took an unforeseen detour, but we are alive.”

“ Where are you? ” Hunter asked.

Rominaria looked over at Tech, unsure of the answer. “That is a good question. Stand by.”

Omega stood up, making her way towards one of the cave walls. Rominaria frowned in confusion as Tech helped her up and the two of them made their way over to the girl. There was a small crack in the stone and light was shining through it. “Look.” The girl said to the two of them.

Tech looked down at his datapad. “There is a passageway just beyond this wall.” He told them. “We can use the ipsium you mined to access it.” He added, looking at Omega. Tech raised his comm back up to his face. “Hunter, we found an alternate way out. But you will need to retrieve our gear.”

Rominaria glanced over at the man, her head pounding slightly. “ Alright, Tech. We’ve got the gear and the ipsium. ” Hunter’s voice came in through the comms.

“Good.” Tech replied. “Next you will need to carefully scale down the narrow crevice and descend into the aqueduct below. You will come upon us once the rapids eject you over the waterfall. And you must not compromise the mineral vials, or you will perish.”

“ Hang tight. We’re on our way. ” Hunter told them.

Tech helped Rominaria sit down, taking a seat between her and Omega. “We will be out of this cavern in short order once they arrive with the mineral.” Tech told the two of them. Rominaria leaned her head against the man, feeling completely exhausted.

“Except we still don’t have the Marauder.” Omega said. “Or a way off this planet. And we can’t contact Echo for help.”

“We do not need help.” Tech told her. “We will figure out a solution. As we always do.” Rominaria smiled slightly at the man’s words, glancing up at him.

“Everything is changing.” Omega said. She turned to Tech. “And you don’t even care.”

Rominaria’s eyes remained on the man’s face as he processed the girl’s words. “I am not sure how I should care about change.” He said slowly, sounding slightly confused. “It is a fundamental part of life.” Rominaria nodded at his words.

“Echo left. Why doesn’t that bother you?” Omega said, her voice raising.

Tech shot a confused glance at Rominaria before responding to the girl’s words, as if asking for help. “I am aware that you miss him.” Tech said slowly. “But we have to adapt and move on. That is what soldiers do.”

Rominaria opened her mouth to speak, but Omega broke the silence. “We’re more than that. We’re a family. Aren’t we?”

“Of course we are, Omega.” Rominaria said at the same time that Tech spoke.

“Well, uh, yes. Yes, of course we are.”

“Then why don’t you act like it?” Omega asked her brother. Rominaria frowned.

Tech was silent for a long moment. He let out a sigh before speaking. “Echo chose a different path.” He glanced over at Rominaria. “As did Crosshair.” She tensed, swallowing slowly and looking away from the man. “I have to respect their decision. Even though it can be difficult to understand, we must carry on.” Rominaria’s eyes watered slightly as the man continued. “I may process moments and thoughts differently. But it does not mean that I feel any less than you.”

Omega nodded slowly and Rominaria squeezed the man’s arm, a soft smile on her face. There were screams in the distance and Rominaria watched with amused eyes as Hunter and Wrecker fell down the waterfall. The two men swam over to them and Tech helped Rominaria stand.

Hunter and Wrecker crawled onto the surface, both of them coughing. “See, that wasn’t so bad?” Omega said to them, causing Rominaria to snort.

Rominaria watched as Omega placed the ipsium in the spot Tech had directed her to. They all moved far enough away before Tech raised his blaster. “How come he gets to blow it up?” Wrecker asked, sounding jealous.

“If the shot is not precise it will cause another cave in.” Tech answered. They all ducked behind a large rock as Tech fired his blaster at the vial. There was a loud explosion and rocks flew towards them. They peeked out from behind the rock and saw the large opening that Tech had created.

They all made their way through it, making their way back outside and looking down on what looked like a few buildings. 

“That is the spaceport.” Tech told them. “But there does not appear to be much activity.”

“Well, there better be some chow there, ‘cause I’m sick of rations.” Wrecker said.

“Let’s check it out.” Hunter told them.

They approached the spaceport, the sky now dark. There were no signs of life as they walked through. “Where is everyone?” Omega asked.

“It’s abandoned.” Hunter said with a sigh. “For a while, by the look of it.”

“We came all this way for nothing?” Wrecker asked, his voice full of frustration.

“Not nothing.” Tech told him. “I can send out a long-range transmission with that array.” He said, looking up at one of the large metal poles.

Rominaria glared at the holo-projection of Cid. “No can do, fellas.” She told them. “I’m tied up at the moment. You’ll have to figure it out yourselves.”

“Cid, you sent us on this mission.” Hunter told her.

“Well, I didn't tell you to get your ship stolen, did I?” She shot back.

Rominaria’s glare intensified. “Cid, we need your help.” Omega responded.

“Just like we helped you regain control of your parlor from Roland Durand. And when we cleared your sizable debt with Millegi.” Tech told her.

“I didn't ask for a recap, goggles.” Cid spat. She glanced over to Omega before looking back at them. “Alright, give me a few days and I’ll see what I can do.”

“We don’t have enough rations to last us-” Rominaria’s words were cut off as Cid ended the call.

“What do we do now?” Wrecker asked.

“We’ll figure it out.” Omega assured them. “Like we always do.” She finished, smiling at Tech.

Chapter Text

Rominaria winced as Tech did his best to disinfect her leg with the supplies he had. “You are lucky, your leg doesn’t appear to be infected.”

Rominaria opened her mouth to speak, but let out another cry of pain instead. “Sorry.” She apologized.

Tech looked up at her with a frown. “Why would you apologize?” He glanced over to the rest of the group. “I need something to wrap her leg with so no dirt can get into the wound.”

Hunter pulled his red scarf off of his neck. “Here.” He said, tossing the fabric over to Tech.

Rominaria frowned. “Are you sure?” Hunter nodded in response.

Tech tied the fabric tightly around the woman’s leg and she winced again. He looked up at her with worried eyes. “Do you think that you will be able to stand?” He asked.

Rominaria shrugged, her head spinning.

Rominaria leaned back against a wall, watching as the group worked on repairing a speeder bike. Her head was pounding and Tech had insisted that she try to rest. Wrecker groaned, setting the tool he was holding down. “I’m bored, I’m hot, and I’m starving.”

“I told you to preserve your rations.” Hunter told him.

“Well,” Wrecker started. “I got hungry.” He flopped onto the ground with a groan. “We’re wasting our time. This skiff’s a heap of junk.”

Tech looked up at his brother. “Yes, but with a few repairs, it’ll be a slightly operational heap of junk. The energy cells have just enough power to get us to the town on the other half of the hemisphere.”

“Power.” Omega said slowly. Rominaria looked over at the girl as she jumped up from where she had been sitting. “We forgot about Gonky. He’s still on the Marauder.” Rominaria understood what the girl meant and straightened.

“I’m afraid since the thief disabled the ship’s transponder, we will not be able to locate him.” Tech told her as he continued to work on the bike.

“She doesn’t mean the ship, Tech. We can track Gonky.” Rominaria told him.

“Oh.” Tech said, sounding surprised. “Ingenious idea. Try doing a trace on his binary reference code.”

“On it.” Omega said.

Wrecker chuckled. “Don’t get your hopes up, kid.”

Rominaria watched as Omega ran over to the array that they had used to contact Cid. She plugged her datapad into it and tapped away. The woman’s eyes drifted over to where the rest of the group were, her eyelids feeling heavy.

Rominaria looked down. She heard the sound of footsteps approaching her. She glanced up just as the person sat down beside her. Rominaria’s eyes landed on Mira. She looked younger, much more like the girl Rominaria had been close friends with.

Mira turned to look at her, her red eyes locking with Rominaria’s. She frowned. “Why didn’t you come with me? We could have left the order together, Aria.”

Rominaria’s jaw tensed. “I couldn’t have left. They needed me. Aayla needed me. And I thought you died. How was I supposed to know you were alive?”

Mira scoffed. “I dropped hints about it constantly. You just never listened well enough.”

Rominaria squeezed her eyes shut, feeling a tear slip down her face. “I’m sorry, Mira.” Rominaria looked back over at the girl, her frown deepening as realization struck her. “This isn’t real, is it? I’m dreaming.”

Mira nodded, her eyes filled with sadness. She placed a gentle hand on Rominaria’s shoulder. “We could have run away together.”

Rominaria’s eyes shot open just as Omega's voice broke the silence. “I’m getting a reading.” The girl told them, unplugging the datapad. I think I found Gonky.”

“You, what? You found him?” Wrecker asked.

Omega made her way over to the men. “His signal is one hundred kilometers east.” She showed the datapad to her brothers. Rominaria slowly stood up, putting her weight on her uninjured leg as she limped over to the group. “If Gonky’s still on the planet, the Marauder must be too.” Omega finished.

“Let’s get this thing running and find out,” Hunter said, he glanced over to Rominaria who was now beside him. “Can you walk?”

Rominaria glanced down at where his scarf was wrapped around her leg. “I think so. It doesn’t hurt as bad.” She lied.

They stopped the speeder, much closer to Gonky's location. Rominaria looked down at the large building below. “Gonky’s signal is pinging from down there.” Tech told the group. “I’m reading minimal life forms in his proximity, but an unknown number in the subterranean level.”

“This place looks worse than the abandoned spaceport.” Wrecker complained.

“We’ll do a split approach. Stay alert.” Hunter told the group. He looked over to Rominaria. The woman didn’t notice, her eyes downcast as she grimaced in pain. “Maybe you should stay back while we get Gonky?” He asked.

Her eyes shot up to meet his. “What? No. I’m fine. I’m coming with you.” Hunter sighed.

Rominaria stayed beside Hunter and Tech as they approached a kid talking to Gonky. “What am I gonna do with a defective power droid?” The kid was saying.

“That’s our defective power droid.” Hunter said as the three of them stopped behind the kid. He tensed, turning to face them. “Now where’s our ship?”

“Oh, you see, the thing is…” The kid said slowly, his voice trailing off. He sprinted to the side, jumping onto a small one-person speeder. Rominaria rolled her eyes. There was a thud as Wrecker stopped the kid from going any further.

The three of them watched as Omega raised her bow at the boy. Wrecker picked him up, carrying him back over to where Gonky was before tossing him on the ground. “Hey, Gonky, you okay?” Wrecker asked.

“What do you care how that thing’s doing?” The kid questioned, sitting up. “It’s just a beat up old battery.”

“Not to us.” Omega said with a frown.

“Let’s try that again.” Hunter said, pulling his helmet off. “Where’s our ship?”

Rominaria’s eyes settled on the boy. She could practically feel the nervous energy radiating off of him. “Can you be more specific?” He asked slowly.

Rominaria rolled her eyes. “The ship that you stole from us yesterday.” She said, locking eyes with the boy.

“Oh, right. That ship.” He said, letting out a nervous laugh. “Well, Mokko has it. He gave me the droid as a gift.”

“And who is this Mokko?” Tech asked.

“Who’s Mokko?” The kid said, sounding confused as he stood up. “He runs this whole town. He’s the boss. Your ship’s his now.” He finished, poking Wrecker in the chest.

Wrecker looked down at him and the boy flinched. “Yeah, we’ll see about that.” He told the kid.

Hunter took a step closer to the kid. “Take us to it.”

The boy's eyes widened. “No way. I can’t help you go against Mokko.” Rominaria’s frown deepened. “You don’t know what he’s done for me.” Wrecker leaned down towards the boy. He flinched again. “Alright, alright. I can show you where your ship is. But if you get caught, you don’t know me.”

The group followed the boy, stopping at an overlook into the rest of the mine. “Techno Union ran this mine during the war, but Mokko took over when they were forced out.” The kid told them. “He’s kept this operation running ever since.”

“So you’re an ipsium miner and a ship thief?” Omega asked, sounding annoyed.

“Mokko says they’re useful skills.” He responded. Rominaria rolled her eyes.

“Stealing's not a skill.” Omega shot back.

“It is when you’re good at it.” The kid replied.

Tech pulled up a small projection of a map. “The central portal is ray-shielded.” He told them. “And all subterranean entrances appear to be guarded in shifts.”

“Ah, we’ve stormed tougher strongholds than that.” Wrecker said.

The kid shook his head. “You can’t use blasters inside an ipsium mine. You’ll destroy everything and everyone in there. Cut your losses now.”

Tech looked up from the projection. “There is one covert infiltration point.” He told the group. “From there.” He said, pointing up at a tower just as a burst of smoke came out of it. “The stack has a lower access hatch inside. If timed correctly, we can rappel down between exhaust cycles.”

Rominaria frowned. “How big of a window is there?” She asked.

Tech turned off the projection and glanced down at his datapad. “Sixty seconds.” He told her.

Rominaria nodded in thought. “That’s plenty of time.”

The kid turned to face them. “Glad you’re all so confident, but getting cooked alive wasn’t on my agenda. Good luck. I’m rooting for you.” He turned, trying to leave.

Hunter grabbed his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. “You can go once we have our ship back.”

Once they reached the top of the tower, Rominaria glanced down with a frown. Hunter attached his hook to the edge. “I can do it.” Rominaria said quietly to the man, glancing to make sure the boy couldn’t hear her. “I can jump down if you guys just distract him.”

Hunter frowned. “Your leg is hurt.”

Rominaria rolled her eyes. “Then I’ll try my best to land on the one that isn’t.” Hunter sighed, handing the rope to her. Rominaria glanced over at Tech. He nodded.

“On my mark.” He told her. A loud boom sounded as smoke came rushing out of the tower. Rominaria grimaced at the sight.

“This is a very bad idea.” The kid said, standing further away from the smoke.

Rominaria held the rope tightly, getting ready. The smoke faded. “Now.” Tech told her.

She jumped, holding onto the rope as she rapidly fell downwards. She was nearly to the bottom when a door opened below her and a droid walked into the tower. She froze, tightening her hold on the rope and staying as still as possible.

The droid tapped at its datapad, thankfully not looking up and seeing her. She tensed, silently counting the time that passed. Thirty seconds. She glanced up at her crew just as something slipped out of the boy's hand.

On instinct, Rominaria’s arm shot out and she caught it, sliding a little further down the rope as she did so. Twenty seconds. “Aria, you have to move.” Hunter’s voice came in through the comm on her wrist. She slipped the item in her pocket, her eyes drifting down to the grate that the droid stood on top of.

Thirteen seconds. The droid began to walk towards the door and Rominaria pushed herself off of the wall, leaping towards the droid and tackling it to the ground. They both stood and the droid began to swing the metal staff in its hand at her as she dodged. 

Five seconds. Rominaria rolled out of the way, grimacing as her injured leg shot a spike of pain through her body. The droid swung at her again and she caught the staff in her hand. Using all her strength, she threw the droid onto the center of the grate and ran to the doorway. She managed to get it open and slipped inside just as a burst of fire went up.

It knocked her forward and she fell to the ground, her head whipping around at the sight of the flames as her body froze in horror. She forced herself out of the trance, drawing out a blaster as she turned off the tower. She raised her comm to her mouth. “All clear.” She said, forcing her voice not to shake.

She slumped against the wall, taking deep breaths and trying to calm herself. She heard the rest of the group land and watched as they jogged over to her. Hunter patted her shoulder. “You alright?” He asked quietly as the group passed them.

Rominaria glanced over at him. “Yeah. Leg just hurts a little. Wasn’t expecting the droid.”

Hunter nodded. The two of them quickly caught up to the rest of the group, making their way through a long hallway. The kid opened a door and Rominaria glanced out into what appeared to be a central section of the mine. The boy turned to them, raising a finger to his lips.

Rominaria looked upwards, her eyes landing on the large amount of, what appeared to be, kids walking along bridges above them. “The conditions of this mine are less than ideal.” Tech said, breaking the silence. Rominaria nodded in agreement.

“It’s because the ipsium’s become degraded.” The kid told them. “Mokko had to lower wages just to keep this mine up and running.” Rominaria frowned at his words, the thought of a more sinister reasoning poking at the back of her mind. “At least we’re still working.” The kid added. “Your ship’s in the upper garage bay across from the central tower. Come on. I know a shortcut.” He started to move when Hunter grabbed his shoulder.

“No tricks.”

“Hey, I’m not trying to get caught either.” The kid told him.

Rominaria frowned as they approached the Marauder, her leg aching far worse than it had before. Her head had begun to pound not long after the fight with the droid. “Well, there’s your ship.” The boy said, pointing towards the Marauder. “I held up my end of the bargain, so I’ll be off.”

“Hang on.” Tech said, stopping the boy. Rominaria watched as he approached the ship, trying to stay upright as the pain in her head grew. “The hyperdrive has been removed.” Tech told them.

Rominaria’s eyes snapped over to the kid. “You didn’t ask me what condition it’d be in.” He said, raising his hands. “How’s that my fault?” They all glared at him. “Relax. It’s not a complicated fix.”

“It better not be.” Wrecker told him.

“Grab the hyperdrive, let’s make this quick.” Hunter told his brother.

Rominaria frowned, her head spinning. “What about the ray shield?” She asked.

Omega nodded. “Yeah, we still need to shut it down.”

The kid crossed his arms over his chest. “You can only do that from the central tower.” He told them.

“Let’s go.” Hunter said.

The boy shook his head. “No way. You stick out too much.” He told the man. “If you don’t trust me to go alone, she’ll blend in easily enough.” He said, nodding his head towards Omega.

Rominaria frowned, sharing a look with Hunter. The man sighed. “Well, don’t let him out of your sight.” He told Omega.

Tech approached the girl, holding out his datapad. “Transfer the data onto this, and I can access the shield remotely.”

”Let’s go.” Omega said, starting to make her way out of the hangar. The boy stopped her.

“Not looking like that.”

Rominaria looked over at Tech as he worked repairs on the Marauder. As if sensing her stare, he glanced over at her. “Are you feeling alright?” He asked.

Rominaria opened her mouth, about to say yes, when she stopped. With a frown, she shook her head. “My leg is killing me and my head is pounding.” She answered honestly.

Tech nodded in acknowledgment. “Once we enter hyperspace, I will treat your leg properly. There should be painkillers in the med bay.”

Rominaria nodded, pushing herself off of the ship and making her way inside. She only made it a few steps in before her vision went black.

Rominaria fell forward, a scream ripping out of her before she could stop herself. She slammed into the ground with a loud thud. She pulled herself up into a sitting position, looking around at the unfamiliar room. “Where am I?” She muttered to herself as she stumbled to her feet.

She made her way over to the door, frowning when she couldn’t get it to open. When Rominaria turned back to face the room, her eyes widened in horror. Flames covered the ground and crept towards her at a rapid pace.

She turned back to the door, slamming her fist against it and hoping that someone could hear her. She turned back to the fire. “This can’t be real.” She told herself, taking a shaky breath as a flame licked at her leg. The pain surely felt real.

Her pant leg went up in flames and she let out an involuntary scream. “This isn’t real. This isn’t real. This isn’t real.” She repeated through sobs as the flames ate away at her skin.

Rominaria’s eyes shot open, her head whipping around in confusion. She was on the floor of the Marauder. She sat up, taking deep breaths as she stumbled out of the ship just in time to see Tech and Wrecker running out of the garage.

Rominaria frowned in confusion, running after them as best as she could with her hurt leg. She caught up to them just as the door in front of them opened, revealing the center of the mine. A large man stood behind two droids on the bridge. “So, you think you can come here and steal from me?” The man asked them as the three of them raised their blasters at him.

“Technically, this ship belongs to us.” Tech responded as if on instinct.

“Not anymore.” The man, who Rominaria assumed to be Mokko, said to them. “And I’d rethink the blasters. One stray shot, and we’re all done for.” He added with a laugh.

The three of them took a step towards him. “We don’t miss.” Wrecker said, his voice filled with anger.

Mokko laughed. “I believe you, but I think you’ll reconsider.” 

At his words, Rominaria’s eyes drifted upwards just in time to see Omega being brought to the ledge of a higher up bridge by one of Mokko’s droids. Omega tried fighting back, but couldn’t overpower the droid. The door behind Mokko opened and more kids ran out.

“Lower your weapons, or she goes over.” Mokko told them. The three of them shared a look before slowly lowering their blasters. The kids and Mokko approached them. “Trespassing and attempted theft. Ten years in the mines seems like a reasonable punishment, if you survive that long. Take them below.”

Rominaria’s hands moved to her pockets, hovering over her lightsabers. The kids began to approach them and her jaw tensed. She had no desire to hurt a child.

The door behind Mokko opened once more and the kid from before ran onto the bridge. “Stop!” He yelled.

Mokko shook his head. “Not now, kid. I’m busy.”

“You lied to us, Mokko.” The boy yelled at him. “The ipsium’s not degrading. You’ve been cutting us out and keeping the profits for yourself.” He said, loud enough for everyone to hear.

“That’s a lie. Don’t listen to him.” Mokko yelled to everyone.

“You never cared about us at all.” The boy said. “And I have the proof right here.” He added as he held up Tech’s datapad.

“Let me see that.” A boy with a mohawk said, approaching him. He took the datapad from him, looking down at the screen with a deep frown. Mokko turned to look at him. Mohawk boy looked up from the datapad. “What’s going on, Mokko?” He questioned as he began to walk towards the man. “We toil down in the mines while you enjoy the spoils?”

Mokko looked around as the rest of the kids turned to face him, anger in their eyes. “I was taking my share.” He told them. “None of you would’ve survived without me. Don’t forget that.” He nodded at one of his droids and it moved to guard the other side of him. “Throw her over.” Mokko yelled up at the droid holding Omega.

Rominaria glanced over and her eyes landed on Hunter as he shot his grappling hook onto the bridge that Omega was on. The girl saw him and pulled the droid off of the edge, the two of them plummeting downwards.

Hunter swung by and caught Omega by the arm, pulling her and himself back up onto the bridge. Rominaria’s eyes moved back to the man in front of her as the kids approached him from both sides. “No one’s gonna take what belongs to me.” Mokko said. “Take care of all of them.” He told his two droids.

The droids turned on their electrostaffs at the same time that Rominaria and Tech raised their blasters. They each fired a shot, taking out the two droids. Mokko raised a large metal pole.

“I’ll deal with you myself.” He said as the kids ran at him. He swung, attempting to hit them but failing miserably. The man took a wrong step and fell over the railing. He grabbed onto the ledge with the curve of his pole, hanging there.

The boy from before ran forward. “Grab my hand.” He told Mokko. The man grabbed his hand.

“You never should have crossed me, kid.” Mokko told him, pulling the boy forward. Mohawk boy grabbed him and kept him on the bridge just as Mokko’s hand slipped and he fell with a scream. Rominaria grimaced, glancing downwards.

Her eyes landed on the lava below and the spinning in her head intensified as her knees buckled. She fell forward, slamming hard into the bridge.

Rominaria looked around with wide eyes. She took a deep breath when she realized she was in the medical bay of the Marauder. Tech looked up at her from where he was wrapping her leg. “Oh, good. You’re awake.”

She pressed a hand against her forehead, feeling a bruise forming there from when she had hit the bridge. “Did I pass out again?” She asked, already knowing the answer. Tech nodded, frowning as he did so.

Rominaria sat on her bunk, her knees pulled up to her chest as she remembered all the things she had seen on that planet. How real they had felt. The door opened and she glanced up, watching as Omega entered the room. The girl approached her, her hands behind her back.

“Did you need something, Omega?” Rominaria asked the girl.

“You seemed like you weren’t feeling the best and I thought,” She looked down and Rominaria could have sworn the girl almost seemed nervous. “I thought maybe Lula could help.” She finished, pulling her hands from behind her back and revealing the tooka doll she had been holding.

Rominaria’s eyes watered at the gesture. “Omega, you don’t have to-”

“She helps a lot when I can’t sleep, so maybe she could help with you too.” Omega told her.

Rominaria stared at the young girl in front of her with fond eyes. “Thank you, Omega.”

Omega smiled at her, closing the distance between herself and the woman and pulling her into a hug. Rominaria’s eyes squeezed shut at the gesture, her lip quivering as she attempted to keep herself from crying. She wrapped her own arms around the girl, holding her close.

Chapter Text

Rominaria’s eyes settled on Crosshair’s bunk, a frown on her lips. Her eyes moved down to her lap, where Lula sat. Rominaria’s frown softened as she looked at the doll. She closed her eyes, focusing her mind as she wrapped her hands around Lula.

Images flashed behind her eyelids. The batch as cadets. A young Wrecker holding the doll to his chest as he frowned. 

Rominaria’s eyes shot open, taking deep breaths. If she wanted to understand psychometry, she would have to practice. She stood up, setting the doll on her bunk before exiting the barracks. Rominaria made her way to the cockpit, grimacing at the sound of Cid’s voice.

“ Not sure what’s got you all twisted up in knots. ” The woman was saying. Rominaria rolled her eyes as she made her way over to the group, stopping beside Wrecker and staring at the hologram.

“We were stranded on that planet, Cid.” Omega responded. “We needed you, and you left us.”

“ You’re fine now, aren’t you? And you got your ship back. ”

“With no help from you.” Rominaria said, crossing her arms over her chest.

“ Do you wanna mope or make money? ” Rominaria felt anger rush through her at the lack of empathy the woman displayed. She took a deep breath, calming herself. “ Because I got a tip on a downed ship, which means cargo ripe for the taking. I’ll even give you thirty percent of the cut. ”

“That is our standard percentage.” Tech told the woman.

“ Alright. This one time, let’s say thirty-five percent. ” They all stared at her in silence. “ Okay, forty. ” Rominaria rolled her eyes. “ Fine, fifty percent as a token of my goodwill, that you seem to have forgotten. I’m sending you the intel now. Don’t come back unless you scavenge something valuable. ”

“What makes you think we’d come back at all?” Hunter questioned. Rominaria nodded in agreement.

“Don’t test me, bandana. Just get it done. ” Was all Cid said before ending the transmission. Rominaria sighed, leaning against the chair Wrecker was sitting in.

“Severing ties with Cid could be problematic, considering what she knows about us.” Tech said to the group. “Perhaps we choose a diplomatic solution and complete this one last mission for her.” He finished as he handed Hunter the datapad that he was holding.

“Cid only sent coordinates.” Hunter told them. “No ship transponder code of indication of what caused it to crash.”

“Limited intel. Huh. There’s a surprise.” Wrecker joked. Rominaria nodded in agreement.

“How hard could scavenging cargo be?” Omega asked.

Hunter sighed and nodded to Tech, who moved to change the Marauder’s course. 

Rominaria exited the cockpit, making her way back to the barracks. Her eyes landed on Crosshair’s bunk again, causing her jaw to clench. She took a step towards it, staring at the empty bed. She reached out a hand, brushing her fingers against the edge of the bunk.

The emotions attached washed over her.  

Frustration. Amusement. Hurt. 

Desire.  

Rominaria pulled her hand away immediately, her frown deepening.

Rominaria watched with wary eyes as the Marauder exited hyperspace, a planet coming into view. The ship entered the atmosphere, Tech following the coordinates that Cid had sent. They passed by what appeared to be a village of sorts built into the mountainside.

“There’s a village here.” Omega said, her eyes wide in wonder.

“That would explain how the wreckage was reported so quickly.” Tech replied, looking at the screen in front of him. “The crashed vessel appears mostly intact. The cargo aboard should be in fair enough condition to transport.”

The Marauder landed and Rominaria made her way off of the ship, eyeing her surroundings cautiously. She pulled the hood of her cloak over her head and turned on her flashlight. They followed Tech through the woods to the ship that had crashed.

“What kind of ship is this?” Rominaria asked, not recognizing the model.

“Don’t know.” Hunter told her. “No hull markings.” Rominaria frowned as she stepped closer to the ship.

“Based on the severity of the impact and the lack of communication signals, the crew aboard most likely perished.” Rominaria grimaced at Tech’s words.

“We don’t know for sure. They could be trapped inside.” Omega said, her face full of concern.

Rominaria shook her head. “I don’t sense anyone onboard.” She told the girl.

“We should still check.” Omega argued. “Come on.”

She opened the door to the ship and they all climbed on board. Rominaria looked around cautiously, one of her blasters raised as she held her flashlight in the other hand. It was eerily silent.

“Where is everyone?” Omega asked.

Rominaria took another step forward and her foot hit something. She looked down, her eyes landing on a discarded electrostaff. “Check it out.” Wrecker said, noticing it as well. He picked it up. “High volt electrostaff.”

Rominaria’s gaze moved to a wall as Tech’s light shined on it, revealing what looked like claw marks. “Something unfortunate happened here.” Tech said, staring at the wall.

“Whatever did this wasn’t human.” Hunter added. Rominaria stepped towards the wall, holstering her blaster and reaching out a hand.

“I will get the power restored and check data logs on the bridge.” Tech said as Rominaria’s hand connected with the cold metal. Whatever the man said next faded into the background as new sounds filled Rominaria’s ears. 

Screams. So many screams. The crunch of bones.

A cry for help.

Rominaria tore her hand away from the wall, her heart hammering violently in her chest as she felt bile come up in her throat. She covered her mouth with her hand, forcing herself to not throw up. She turned, coming face to face with Wrecker.

He watched her with a frown. "What’s wrong?”

Rominaria removed her hand from her mouth, taking a shaky breath. “I,” She started. “I think the entire crew is dead. And not from the crash.”

Wrecker stared at her, his mouth open in shock. After a moment, he spoke. “You got all of that from a wall?”

“I’m not exactly sure how it works.” Rominaria answered honestly.

The two of them made their way over to where Hunter and Omega were standing. The group approached a door and Wrecker pushed it open. Rominaria stepped inside of the room, her eyes landing on the center of the space immediately. There sat what appeared to be a large containment unit.

“Why is it so cold in here?” Wrecker asked.

“It’s some kind of lab.” Hunter said. Rominaria took a step towards the containment unit. She reached out a hand towards it as the others inspected the rest of the room.

“This medical equipment is Kaminoan.” Omega told the group.

Rominaria’s fingers brushed against the glass and she froze. 

Pain. Loneliness. Something young and afraid. And anger. So much anger.

She pulled her hand away, letting out a shaking breath as the emotions faded. Wrecker was speaking. “So, what’s it doing here?” He asked.

Rominaria made her way over to the group. She stopped beside Wrecker, looking around with a frown. “It’s their cloning technology, but this configuration is different than anything I saw in Tipoca City.” Omega said slowly.

“I think whatever they were holding here is what killed the crew.” Rominaria said after a moment of silence.

Hunter raised his hand to his helmet, turning his comm on. “Tech, find anything on the bridge?” He asked.

“ Not yet. ” Tech responded immediately. “ Still rerouting the reserve power. Stand by. The grid should be restored momentarily. ”

Rominaria tensed suddenly, sensing a life form she hadn’t previously. She looked around, but the room was empty except for her group. “These were reinforced walls. What were they keeping in here?” Wrecker asked.

“I don’t know. But it’s still on board.” Rominaria said, her nerves on edge as she looked around at the dark room. There was a moment of silence before Rominaria spoke, her whole body freezing. “Guys.” She said quietly, just as a wet noise sounded from above them.

They all slowly looked upwards, coming face to face with a large creature. It had a piece of the ship in its mouth, chewing as the electricity crackled between its teeth.

“Hunter, what is that?” Omega whispered.

“Back away slowly.” Hunter whispered back.

Rominaria raised a hand slowly, closing her eyes and trying to send peaceful emotions to the creature. They continued to back away. Something fell behind them and they all turned to look. Rominaria’s eyes opened. The creature had dropped to the ground and began crawling towards them.

Wrecker turned on the electrostaff that he was still holding, throwing it at the creature. It caught the staff in its mouth, eating it in a few bites. Rominaria’s eyes scanned the creature. Its armored skin looked extremely familiar, though she wasn’t sure where she had seen it before.

It roared at them and the group, minus Rominaria, started firing at it. “Stop!” Rominaria yelled at the group. They ignored her and the creature screamed, running up the wall and into an opening. They stopped firing and Rominaria looked at them. “I told you to stop. You only made it angrier.”

They looked around the room, but there was no sign of the creature. Rominaria opened her mouth to speak again, but was cut off by the lights coming on. She blinked, the sudden lighting shift disorienting her. That was when she noticed the painful ache in her head.

Rominaria pocketed her flashlight, the four of them looking around the room cautiously. She closed her eyes, trying to focus her mind on the creature’s energy. Instead, she got a painful thud in her head. Her eyes opened just as the creature pounced at Wrecker, knocking him to the ground.

It ran past the man, making it out of the room and disappearing down a hallway. Hunter raised his hand to his helmet to comm Tech. “Tech, we’ve got a problem. Get off of the ship. Now!”

“ I suspect this is some type of research vessel. ” Tech told them as the group ran down the hallway.

“We know.” Wrecker yelled.

“And whatever they were researching just got loose.” Omega added.

“It's headed your way, Tech.” Rominaria said as she brought her comm up to her face. They turned a corner and saw the creature, now much bigger, eating the ship’s power generator. They all froze.

“Does that thing look different to you?” Wrecker asked slowly.

Rominaria noticed Tech on the other side of the creature. It turned to face the man. Omega raised her bow and shot at it, drawing its attention back to them. Their blasters did nothing and Rominaria realized why she recognized the beast.

“Take cover.” Tech yelled over to them.

They ducked down, Hunter and Wrecker shielding the other two with their armored bodies. There was a loud explosion and the pressure knocked Rominaria backwards. Her head slammed painfully into the wall behind her.

Rominaria’s eyes opened, the back of her head aching from where it had slammed into the wall. She looked around. Her crew was nowhere to be seen. She brought a hand up to her face, rubbing her eyes as she looked around in confusion.

The more she looked, the more she realized that she was in a different room. She turned to the wall behind her, realizing a door was now in its place. She frowned and reached for the handle. There was a loud boom behind her and she turned back around.

Fire crept towards her and her heart started to hammer violently in her chest. She turned back to the door, but it was no longer there. The fire reached her and she screamed as it began to eat away at her flesh. Rominaria’s throat felt raw from screaming. What felt like hours passed, but the darkness wouldn’t take her.

“This can’t be real.” She sobbed, the pain never fading. “This isn’t real. This isn’t real. This isn’t real.”

Rominaria’s eyes shot open. She felt the fire still on her skin, but when she looked down there was no trace of it. Her head whipped back and forth. She took a deep breath, realizing she was on the Marauder. Memories of what had happened filled her and she looked over to where Hunter was piloting the ship.

“Hunter.” Rominaria said, catching the man’s attention. “The creature. It’s a zillo beast. One attacked Coruscant during the Clone Wars.” She grimaced at the sound of blaster fire, realizing the Wrecker was shooting at the creature. “Our gun won’t do anything to it. Its skin deflects it. It deflects lightsabers, Hunter.”

Rominaria leaned forward, looking out the viewport and watching in horror as the beast climbed onto an electric tower. It consumed the energy and Rominaria’s eyes widened as it grew larger. She raised her comm up to her face. “Tech. It’s a zillo beast. And it’s getting bigger. There’s nothing we can do.”

“ It is the same species that attacked Coruscant during the war? ” Tech asked.

“Yes.” Rominaria answered immediately, her hands shaking as she watched it grow.

“ You must not let it get near the power grid, or it will increase exponentially in size. ”

“It’s too late Tech. It already has.” She responded as she watched it jump onto the grid, tearing into it with its teeth. The creature grew again as the village in the mountain went dark. The beast roared at the Marauder, hitting the ship with its tail.

Hunter steered the ship away from the beast, getting out of its range before turning towards it again. He glanced back at Wrecker. “Stop it before it gets any larger.”

“I’m trying.” Wrecker responded.

“It’s not going to work.” Rominaria said. 

Hunter opened his mouth to respond, but something on the dash caught his eye. “We’ve got ships on our tail.” He said as he swerved the ship again.

“Where’d they come from?” Wrecker yelled over to them.

“Hold on.” Hunter called out. He turned quickly, speeding away from the approaching ships. “Tech, Omega, you’ve got Imperials inbound. Get out of there.” Hunter said over the comms.

“ On our way. ” Omega responded immediately.

Hunter piloted the Marauder over to the crashed ship, dodging blaster fire as he did so. Rominaria grimaced as she watched the ship explode, praying to the Force that Tech and Omega made it off. She glanced back to where the beast was just in time to see a large ship extracting its unconscious body.

Wrecker saw the same thing. “They’re not killing it.” He said slowly. “They’re taking it.”

“Let’s not be next.” Hunter said, steering the ship upwards and away from where the beast was. 

“ Hunter, we are clear of the vessel and heading to the landing zone. ” Tech’s voice came in through the comms. Rominaria let out a small sigh of relief.

“Copy that.” Hunter responded.

Wrecker shot down the remaining two ships following them. Hunter flew close to the landing zone, lowering the ramp. Omega and Tech jumped inside and rushed to the cockpit as Hunter shut the ramp. He turned the ship skyward once more.

More ships began to chase the Marauder, firing at it. The ship exited the planet’s atmosphere and Hunter made the jump to hyperspace. Rominaria let out a sigh of relief, leaning her head back against her seat and closing her eyes.

She brought up a hand, rubbing her temples as another headache began to surface. 

“The crashed vessel was part of an Imperial cloning operation.” Tech told them.

Rominaria’s eyes opened, looking over at Tech with a mixture of shock and confusion. “The Empire cloned the zillo beast?”

“Yes and no.” Tech answered, only confusing the woman more. “The directive came straight from the Supreme Chancellor before he became Emperor.”

Rominaria’s stomach dropped. “What’s he want with it?” Wrecker asked, leaning against Rominaria’s chair.

“The creature’s genetic material has the potential to be weaponized in the hands of the right scientist.” Tech told them.

Rominaria’s frown deepened. “Where were they taking the creature?” She asked.

“Unknown.” Tech responded. “The ship did not have a destination logged.” He turned to face the whole group. “There is far more to this than we realized. From what I have gathered, I suspect the Empire did not destroy the cities on Kamino to end cloning.”

Rominaria understood what the man meant, and felt her stomach drop once again. “They wanted to control it.”

Hunter looked down for a long moment, lost in thought. Eventually, he turned to them. “Send the data to Echo and Rex. See what they can find out.”

Rominaria stood up, swaying slightly as her headache grew. Wrecker noticed and placed a hand on her shoulder, looking down at her with a frown. “You’re not gonna pass out again, are you?”

Rominaria shook her head. “No. I think I’m okay.”

Tech glanced up at her. “You should attempt to get some rest.” Rominaria opened her mouth to argue, but he cut her off. “When was the last time you slept more than an hour? Collapsing from exhaustion does not count.” He added when she opened her mouth to speak.

Rominaria sighed. “Fine.” She said, stumbling to the barracks after insisting to Wrecker that she could walk there on her own. She entered the room and sat down on her bunk, looking at the ground with a frown. Her mind wandered. The fire must mean something. She thought to herself.

Rominaria pulled her legs up onto the bed. She folded them under her and closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she repeated the familiar mantra to herself.

There is no emotion, there is peace. 

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. 

There is no passion, there is serenity. 

There is no chaos, there is harmony. 

There is no death, there is the Force.

She took steady breaths as she attempted to focus her mind. A splitting pain in her head caused her eyes to shoot open. Rominaria let out a shaky breath, her hand coming up to the side of her head as the pain dulled.

With a sigh, she pulled her boots off and leaned back against her bed.

Chapter Text

Rominaria grinned as she entered 79’s. She looked around for the batch, finding the table easily by the sound of Wrecker’s loud laugh. She approached the round booth, sliding in next to Crosshair.

“There you are, general.” Wrecker said with a grin. “We were wondering when you were going to show up.”

Rominaria smiled at the man. “Sorry. I had to report to the council on a matter.”

Wrecker grinned back at her. “S’alright.” He said, turning to Hunter.

Rominaria glanced over to the man beside her, finding that his eyes were already on her. “Need something?” Rominaria asked.

Crosshair frowned slightly. “What did you have to report to the council about?”

Rominaria opened her mouth, about to tell him. She stopped herself. “I would tell you, but I’m not supposed to speak about it currently.” She said in a low voice.

Crosshair hummed in acknowledgment. He slid a glass over to her. “Here. I ordered what you always get.” The man didn’t seem phased by the statement, turning to say something to Tech.

Rominaria stared down at the glass, feeling her cheeks flush slightly at the sentiment. She looked back over to Crosshair, a fond feeling filling her body. He turned to her, as if sensing her eyes. He glanced at the glass for a moment before looking back at her.

Rominaria could have sworn that he almost looked nervous. “Is that not what you wanted?” He asked, frowning slightly. “I can get you another-” Rominaria cut him off.

“It’s perfect.” She could have sworn that his face flushed slightly. Rominaria’s smile widened. She placed a hand against his arm. “Thank you, Cross.” She added, her voice soft.

Crosshair looked away from her. “Don’t get all weird and sappy.” He said in his usual annoyed tone, but his words lacked any real malice.

Rominaria laughed, taking a long sip of her drink. She looked at the man again. He was already looking at her, his eyes holding an emotion within them that Rominaria didn’t quite recognize.

He didn’t speak, his eyes remaining locked with hers. Rominaria found herself entranced. Had his eyes always been that shade of soft honey brown? Rominaria opened her mouth to break the silence, but stopped as Crosshair’s eyes flicked down to her lips for a mere second.

She felt her face flush and looked back down at her drink, fighting a smile. “You guys get up to anything fun while I was gone?” Rominaria asked after a moment, feeling his eyes still on her. She glanced at him for a second, before taking a long sip.

“Why?” Crosshair asked. “You scared you missed out?”

Rominaria laughed. “Yes. I am deeply troubled and only your words can reassure me.” She said in a faux-genuine tone.

She felt her heart flutter slightly as she watched him attempt to not smile. “We just waited here for you.” He said, answering her question. Rominaria hummed at his words, taking another sip and leaning her head against his shoulder. She closed her eyes, meditating where she sat.

The emotions radiating off of Crosshair started to distract her, but she took a deep breath and ignored them. Growing curious, she started to focus on the emotions, wanting to read them and maybe gain insight on the man. Rominaria frowned in confusion when she didn’t recognize the emotion. It felt similar to want, but it was different.

Her brows furrowed in thought. “Did the council say anything about our next mission?” Wrecker’s voice broke her train of thought. Rominaria opened her eyes, looking over at the man.

She frowned, remembering the council’s words. “They need me here for a while.” She told him, feeling Crosshair turn to look at her as she spoke. “Something big happened and they need the opinion of someone who wasn’t here and couldn’t have been involved. They told me that you four can either take time off, or take a mission without me.”

Tech looked up at her from his datapad. “I presume the event that you are referring to was the bombing of the Jedi temple.”

Rominaria’s jaw tensed. She looked around, hoping no one else had heard him. “Wait. The temple was bombed?” Hunter questioned.

Rominaria nodded. “Yes.” She told them. “They want me to help find who did it.”

When the batch came back to Coruscant after the mission they had taken, Rominaria met them at the landing pad. She felt drained after the events that had taken place. Drained after fighting for Ahsoka to be proven innocent. She didn’t understand how the council could have been so misguided.

More than anything, Rominaria was grateful that Anakin had found the evidence in time. The things the senate was willing to do to Ahsoka, a child, deeply unsettled Rominaria. How deep did this corruption run?

She climbed onto the Marauder, her jaw tense as she ran through the events in her mind. “What’s wrong?” Hunter asked her as soon as he saw her. Rominaria looked up at the man, her eyes feeling heavy as exhaustion crept through her.

“I’d rather not speak about it right now, Hunter.” She said, her voice soft. The man frowned, but nodded. Rominaria made her way to the barracks, opened the door, and stepped inside. Crosshair looked up at her from where he was sitting on his bunk.

His eyes scanned her for a moment before he spoke. “Did something happen?” He asked.

Rominaria sighed. “I don’t want to talk about it right now, Cross. I just want to sleep.” She told him as she pulled off her boots and began to strip into her undergarments. Rominaria grabbed the blacks she slept in and pulled them on. When she was finished, she climbed into her bunk.

Rominaria pulled the blanket over her body, glancing back over at Crosshair. His eyes were still on her, studying the expression on her face. He met her eyes again in silent question. Rominaria smiled slightly, nodding.

Crosshair stood up, making his way over to her bunk and crawling over her body. He settled down behind her, wrapping a long arm around her waist and resting his face against the back of her neck. Rominaria suppressed a smile, closing her eyes and letting some much needed sleep take hold of her.

Chapter Text

Rominaria looked around. Trees surrounded her, bathed in the soft light of a setting sun. She smiled slightly, a sense of peace flooding through her. “Hello, my dear.” A familiar voice said. “I have heard that you have been struggling. I can help you harness your power and be in control again. No more fainting and no more nightmares.”

Rominaria turned towards them, frowning slightly. “How do you know about that? Who are you?”

The person laughed. “I’m just a friend.” They took a step closer to her, placing a gentle hand on Rominaria’s shoulder. A warm, comforting feeling filled her as they spoke. “But I can help you. I can make you feel safe again.”

“Really?” Rominaria asked.

“Yes, really. I will help you. But you must come to me.” They told her.

“Where are you?” Rominaria asked.

The person chuckled softly. “Follow your instincts. They will lead you to me, my dear.”

Rominaria’s eyes shot open, an assured feeling spreading through her. For the first time in months, she knew what to do. Still working out the contents of her dream, she made her way into the cockpit of the Marauder.

Hunter looked up at her, his brow furrowing. Rominaria just smiled at him, the feeling of surety still coursing through her veins. She took a deep breath. “I have to go somewhere.” She told the man. Hunter’s look of confusion grew.

“We were about to help Phee with a mission.” He reminded her.

Rominaria nodded. “I know.” She told him. “You can drop me off somewhere on the way. I just need a ship. I have the credits saved.”

Hunter frowned. “You’re not going somewhere alone. It’s not safe.”

“I have to do this alone, Hunter.” Rominaria told him. Hunter stood up, taking a step towards her.

He opened his mouth to speak again. The cockpit door opened and Tech walked inside. He looked between the two of them, a brow quirking upwards as he took in the expression on Rominaria’s face. “What’s going on?”

Rominaria turned to the man. “I have to go somewhere. Alone.” Tech opened his mouth to speak, but Rominaria continued. “I’ll be back. You can’t get rid of me that easily. But I have to do this, Tech.” The man’s brow furrowed for a moment.

He sighed, nodding. “If that is your choice, I will not stop you.”

Rominaria smiled brightly at the man. “Thank you, Tech.” She looked back to Hunter. The man had a defeated look on his face.

“I’m not breaking the news to Omega.” He told her.

Rominaria’s smile dropped a fraction. The girl was already taking Echo’s absence hard. “I’ll explain it to her.”

“Where are you even going?” Hunter asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Rominaria paused. “I’m not sure exactly. I just have this feeling-”

“You’re going somewhere alone on a feeling ?” Hunter questioned.

Rominaria rolled her eyes. “I have to trust the Force, Hunter.” She sighed, taking a step closer to the man and placing a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll be okay.”

Hunter shook his head with a sigh. “Okay.” He said after a moment of silence. He turned to Tech. “Where’s the nearest place she can get a ship?”

Rominaria heard Omega wake up and made her way to the gunner’s mount. The girl was about to exit the space when she saw Rominaria. “Hey.” She said, smiling groggily at the woman.

Rominaria smiled softly, stopping right in front of Omega. “I’m going to be gone for a few rotations.”

Omega frowned. “What?” She asked. “What do you mean?”

Rominaria placed a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “There’s something I need to do. I have to trust in the Force.” Omega looked confused. “I’ll comm you guys when I get there.” She assured the girl.

Omega nodded slowly. “If it’s what the Force wants you to do, I guess you have to do it.”

“It’ll all be okay, you’ll see.” Rominaria told her.

Rominaria sat in the copilot's chair as the blue and white of hyperspace whirled by. She glanced over at Tech. He frowned at the viewport. “You don’t think that I should go. Do you?”

Tech sighed, the light reflecting in his eyes. “I do not think that it is safe. You are correct.” He told her. “But, if it is what you wish, then I must respect that.” He turned to face her, a serious expression on his face as he spoke his next words. “This squad will be waiting for you when you get back from wherever you need to go.”

Rominaria’s eyes filled with tears before she could stop them. She leaned towards the man, placing a hand over his. Rominaria blinked and she felt a tear slip down her cheek. With a shaky breath, she spoke. “Thank you, Tech.” She took a deep breath, pulling her face into a smile. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

Tech returned the smile.

Rominaria approached Wrecker while they waited for Hunter to purchase the ship. The man had suggested for himself to do so, in fear that someone may recognize her. “You sure you’ll be alright?” Wrecker asked her, a slight frown on his face. “One of us can come with you.”

Rominaria sighed softly, placing a hand on the man’s arm and smiling up at him. “I’ll be okay, Wrecker. You know that I can handle myself.”

“I know that.” He agreed. “Still,” He started, his frown deepening. “It’s dangerous for people like you to go places alone.”

Rominaria sighed. “Nowhere is truly safe for me anymore.” She agreed. “But, I’m sure that I’ll be fine."

She watched as the man forced a grin on his face. “Okay. Just let us know when you get there. And when you’re coming back.”

Rominaria smiled softly. “I will, Wrecker. I won’t be gone long.”

Wrecker opened his mouth to speak, but glanced behind her and stopped. His smile dropped slightly. Rominaria turned, facing Hunter. The man sighed.

Rominaria stood beside the ship, looking at the four of them with a fond smile on her face. She took a step forward, pulling Omega into a tight hug. After a long moment, she pulled away and smiled at the girl. “I’ll see you soon.”

She hugged Wrecker next, the man lifting her off of her feet and clutching her tightly to his chest. He set her down after a moment. Rominaria grinned up at the man. She turned to Hunter, pulling the man into a tight embrace before he had the chance to object. The man wrapped his arms around Rominaria, pulling her close to him. “Stay safe.” He muttered in her ear.

She pulled away, smiling at the man. “I will.”

She turned to Tech, wanting to hug the man but not wanting to make him uncomfortable. After a moment, he seemed to understand. “I suppose I wouldn’t mind if you were to-” Rominaria cut him off, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him close. She felt her eyes water as the man slowly wrapped his arms around her. She pulled away by a fraction, smiling up at the man as a tear slid down her cheek. “May the Force be with you.” Tech told her, a genuine look in his eyes.

Rominaria pulled away, smiling at the four of them. She made her way over to her ship. “I’ll see you soon.” She told them, climbing on board.

Rominaria exited hyperspace, landing her ship on the planet she had seen in her vision. She sent the batch a quick message containing her coordinates, before making her way out of the ship. Rominaria closed her eyes, willing the feeling of certainty to lead her in the right direction.

She opened them, her eyes landing on a small building in the distance. She pulled her cloak over herself, and made her way towards the structure. When she arrived, she pushed the door open and stepped inside. The entrance was dark, and she frowned slightly in confusion.

Rominaria took another step into the room, reaching for her flashlight when a sound stopped her. She turned towards the source just as a flash of blue light flew towards her.

Everything went black.

Chapter Text

“Hey, Aria? Do you want to train?” Anakin asked the girl, running over to her.

She smiled at him. They had been friends ever since they had first met when he joined the children at the temple. He may have started later than the rest of them, but he was already excellent at combat training by the age of fourteen. “My master wants to see me in an hour, but until then I can.” She told him, grinning.

They walked together to the training room, laughing at a story that Anakin was telling her. “I have the best master.” He was telling her.

“That,” A voice behind the two of them said. “Is subjective.” Rominaria spun around, grinning at the chiss girl.

“Mira!” She exclaimed. “I thought you wouldn’t be back yet.”

Mira grinned. “We just got back and I came to find you.”

“Me and Aria were about to train.” Anakin spoke up, crossing his arms of his chest with a frown.

Rominaria suppressed an eye roll. Her two friends hardly got along. "And we will." She assured him. His face softened slightly and she smiled at him. "It's good to see you Mira, I'll find you later today."

Mira smiled at her before heading off to study. "I don't like her." Anakin muttered for the hundredth time. "You were my friend first."

"Jealousy is not the Jedi way, Anakin." Rominaria reminded him, a small frown on her face. "And Mira is a good friend."

Anakin stared at her as if he were waiting for her to continue.

Rominaria let out an exasperated sigh. "Anakin, you know that I am closer to you than I am to her."

He grinned and continued walking to the training room with her. She rolled her eyes, following after him.

“I’m so excited to meet my padawan.” Rominaria said as she and Anakin walked down the halls of the temple. She had submitted her application to take on a padawan less than a week ago and the council had already called her to meet her new apprentice.

Anakin shot a grin her way. “I think you’ll do well.” He told her. Rominaria’s smile widened.

“Thank you.” She said as she reached the door she was looking for. Rominaria took a deep breath, pushing it open. The two of them walked inside. Rominaria smiled at the familiar green man in front of her. “Master Yoda. It’s a pleasure to see you, as always.”

“Returned, the sentiment is.” The small man replied. “Here to meet your apprentice, are you?” Rominaria nodded, her smile wide. She heard shuffling to her right and turned towards the noise. Rominaria smiled softly as the young twi’lek girl approached her.

Rominaria let out a scream of pure despair into her pillow. Tears streamed down her face as she violently shook. How could she be gone? She was so young. So innocent. It should have been her.

There was a knock on the door, but Rominaria didn’t respond. She continued to sob into her pillow, almost missing the sound of the door opening. Anakin stepped into the room, his eyes only lingering on the mess for a moment. Stepping over a shattered vase, he moved towards Rominaria.

Rominaria pulled away from the pillow, just enough to see her best friend’s face. Anakin sat on her bed, placing his non-mechanical hand on her shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze. Rominaria stared at him, grateful for the lack of pity in his eyes.

She sat up, pulling her knees to her chest and trying to breathe steadily. Anakin wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her towards him. “When was the last time you ate something?” He asked her.

Rominaria shrugged. She couldn’t have cared less about that. Not when Aayla was gone. Anakin sighed, pulling her closer and wrapping both arms around her. The floodgates opened again and Rominaria sobbed against him.

“Come on, Aria. I think you’ll really like them.” Anakin told her as they walked to the landing platform.

“It’s not that I don’t think I’ll like them, it's just,” She trailed off slightly, the thought of the young girl making her heart heavy. She took a deep breath and calmed her emotions. “It just all feels so sudden, that’s all.”

Anakin looked at her for a long moment before responding. “I miss her too.” He told her. Her jaw tensed slightly at his words but she didn’t respond. “Maybe working with these guys will be a good distraction though.”

“Yeah,” She finally responded as they walked through the doors to the platform. “Maybe.”

“Trust me on this.” He told her with a grin. “Remember, I’m the wiser one.”

She snorted. “I don’t know about that.” She told him with a smile.

“I’m older, which makes me wiser.” He said, nudging her shoulder playfully.

“Yeah, by a year.” She shot back with a laugh, feeling much happier than she had moments ago.

“All I’m hearing is that you agree.” He stated, his grin wide.

“Yeah, okay. Old man.” She said with a smirk. He lightly shoved her shoulder and she shoved his back, laughing as they walked up to the group that was waiting for them. She turned to them with a smile.

Her eyes scanned the group of four clones as Anakin introduced them to her. "This is Hunter, Tech, Wrecker, and Crosshair." All but the last one smiled at her. "Boys, this is General Rominaria Scara." Anakin finished.

The first thing Rominaria noticed when her eyes opened was the sense of cold surrounding her.

Chapter Text

The first thing Rominaria noticed when her eyes opened was the sense of cold surrounding her.

Rominaria’s head pounded as she looked around the room she was in, confusion flooding through her. She was in what appeared to be some kind of holding cell. She looked down at her wrists, which were cuffed. She let out a small relieved sigh as she realized that her lightsabers were still in her pockets.

Rominaria maneuvered herself into a sitting position, her eyes scanning the room for any way to get it. Her heart began to pound and every instinct went on edge as the cold grew more potent, a chilling fear settling through her body.

The door in front of Rominaria opened and four troopers stood outside of it. She stood up quickly, getting ready to fight them off. Rominaria’s eyes landed on a figure as they came into sight. They wore all black. Their armor was shiny. A black cape hung from their shoulders.

Their helmet tilted downwards, taking in the sight of Rominaria. The cold emanated off of them and Rominaria realized that her hands had begun to shake slightly. “Remove her cuffs.” Said the mechanical sounding masculine voice. Rominaria’s eyes widened in confusion.

A trooper stepped forward, reaching for Rominaria’s wrists. She stepped backward and away from the man, her heart hammering loudly in her ears. The trooper cornered her and aggressively grabbed her arm, holding her still while he undid her cuffs.

The minute they hit the floor, Rominaria grabbed the trooper’s arm and threw him to the ground. She settled into a defensive position, her hands coming out in front of her. She did not draw her sabers, not wanting to reveal that she still had them just yet.

Rominaria kept her eyes on the trooper as he stood back up. He lunged towards her, but abruptly stopped. His hands shot up to his throat. “What did I say about harming our guest.” The man in the black armor said.

Rominaria’s head whipped over to him. His hand was outstretched. Her eyes widened as she realized that the man in front of her was a force wielder. The trooper apologized between gasps for air and the man eventually released him.

He turned to face Rominaria. “Walk with me.” Was all he said before he turned and began walking down a hallway. Rominaria looked around in confusion. After a moment, she shook her head and quickly caught up to the man.

“Who are you?” Rominaria asked. “What do you want with me?”

The man stopped walking and turned to face her. “I want you to join me.” Rominaria tensed but stayed silent. “I know what you have done. What you did to the last person we sent to recruit you. She was once your friend, when you were a Jedi, wasn’t she?”

“I’m still a Jedi.”

“Your actions say otherwise. You know what you truly are.” He told her.

“I’m not like you.” Rominaria spat at him. “I will never be like you.”

“You are correct. I would have ended her life in a much more efficient way. You went a more messy route. What was her name again?”

Rominaria’s mouth felt dry. Mira.  

Rominaria spun around, grinning at the chiss girl.

“Mira!” She exclaimed. “I thought you wouldn’t be back yet.”

Mira grinned. “We just got back and I came to find you.”

“Me and Aria were about to train.” Anakin spoke up, crossing his arms over his chest with a frown.

Rominaria suppressed an eye roll. Her two friends hardly got along. "And we will." She assured him. His face softened slightly and she smiled at him. "It's good to see you Mira, I'll find you later today."

“Hey, Aria?” Mira said from where she was sitting across the table.

Rominaria looked up from the book she was reading. “Yes?”

Mira glanced around, before leaning forward and lowering her voice. “Do you ever think that what we’re doing is wrong?”

Rominaria frowned in confusion. “What do you mean?”

Mira sighed. “The war. I don’t think that we should be involved with it. It goes against everything we’ve been taught since we were children.”

Rominaria frowned, her eyes glancing around the room to make sure that no one had heard Mira’s words. “You doubt the council’s decision?”

“I believe that the dark side has clouded their vision.”

Rominaria gaped at the woman sitting across from her. “That is a bold accusation.” She said, her eyes wide. “If someone heard that you had said that-”

Mira let out a frustrated noise. “Think about the bigger picture, Aria. How can you not sense the tides shifting? This is bigger than us.”

She was broken out of her thoughts by the sound of laughter. Glancing upwards, her eyes found Mira. The woman’s armor was smoking slightly, and she had discarded her helmet entirely, but she seemed otherwise unharmed.

“How interesting.” The chiss woman said, a wide smile on her face. “Originally, I did not understand why he wanted you. But it makes so much sense now. You’re angry, aren’t you?” When Rominaria didn’t respond, she continued. “You have been for a long time.”

Rominaria stood slowly, using the Force to pull her lightsabers back into her hands. “You have no idea.” She growled, the all-consuming rage filling her once again.

Mira’s smile widened even further. “Join us, sister.” Rominaria heard herself laugh.

She placed one of her sabers in her pocket, igniting the other and extending her empty hand. The rage flooded her body as she stared at the woman she once called a friend. She closed her fist slowly, reveling in the feeling of control that filled her.

Mira gasped for air as her body was lifted from the ground, her hands dropped her lightsaber and clawed at the invisible force surrounding her throat. “Please.” She said, her voice barely audible over the sound of Rominaria’s heart hammering violently in her ears.

She lifted Mira further from the ground, the woman kicking her feet violently. Rominaria used the Force to pull the woman towards her, raising her saber and driving it into Mira’s throat. The woman let out a strangled noise, before she fell silent.

The rage didn’t dim and Rominaria slammed Mira backwards, her body hitting the metal wall with a sickening crunch. 

She repeated her movement, driving the woman’s body into the wall over and over again.

She looked away from the man. “What are you?”

“I am the only reason you are still alive. But that can change.” He told her. Rominaria’s hands shook slightly, moving closer to her pockets where her lightsabers rested. “Now, join me and learn the true power of the dark side.”

The man took a step towards her and Rominaria grabbed her lightsabers. She ignited them and held them in front of her. “Stay back.” She spat at him.

The man didn’t move, just watched her in silence. The troopers around her raised their blasters and Rominaria tightened her grip on her lightsabers. “Stand down.” The man told the troopers. One of them had already pulled their trigger and Rominaria deflected the fire immediately.

The blaster fire struck one of the troopers in the chest and they fell to the ground. The other troopers started firing at her and Rominaria deflected the fire easily, her eyes locked on the man in black. A trooper lunged at her and Rominaria didn’t hesitate to plunge one of her sabers into his chest.

Rominaria saw her opening and lunged at the man in black. Just before her hit would have landed, he drew and ignited his saber. Rominaria swung her lightsaber again. The man easily parried her attacks. His fighting style felt almost familiar, though Rominaria couldn’t place where she recognized it from.

She swung again and she flinched as his saber split one of her own in half. The pieces dropped to the ground as the man swung his saber at her again. Rominaria blocked the attack and stumbled backward. The man’s attacks were ruthless and Rominaria realized that he must have been going easy on her.

Flashes of green and red filled the hall as Rominaria struggled to keep up with the man’s relentless attacks. Suddenly, Rominaria’s throat felt tight and she reached towards it as the feeling grew. Her eyes found the man’s outstretched hand.

Rominaria’s vision turned hazy and she felt her lightsaber slip from her hand. The man approached her and the feeling faded. Rominaria gasped for air, her body shaking. The remaining troopers all looked to the man in black, waiting for orders.

Rominaria stared at the man in black, waiting for him to strike her down. Instead, he unignited his lightsaber. “You’re angry. Good.” His modulated voice said. Rominaria didn’t attempt to refute the man’s words, feeling the rage coursing through her. “Join me.” He held out a gloved hand towards her.

Rominaria looked down at his hand, her instincts split between saying yes and fighting the man. Her jaw tensed and she glanced down at her saber. It rested near her feet. Would she be able to grab it before he could stop her? Rominaria doubted it.

One of the troopers took a step towards them, looking down at one of the men the Rominaria had killed. “What are our orders, Lord Vader?”

Rominaria froze. Her entire body went rigid as she processed the words she had just heard. Surely it couldn’t have been…

“Anakin?”

Chapter Text

One of the troopers took a step towards them, looking down at one of the men the Rominaria had killed. “What are our orders, Lord Vader?”

Rominaria froze. Her entire body went rigid as she processed the words she had just heard. Surely it couldn’t have been…

“Anakin?” Rominaria said slowly, staring up at the man in black armor with wide eyes. Rominaria realized that what she had seen in the Jedi temple was real. Anakin truly had turned.

“Anakin Skywalker is dead.” The man said, the distortion in his voice almost convincing her of the words he was speaking. “I am what remains.” She wanted to believe him.

Rominaria stared up at him, her mouth parted slightly in realization. She swallowed, her throat feeling tight. “You killed my master.” She said in a slow and measured voice, fully aware that that was not what she should have been worrying about at that moment.

Anakin stared at her through the mask, the only sound his distorted breathing. Rominaria felt anger rush through her as she glared up at him. How could he do this?

“And for what? Power?” She spat, grabbing his wrist before she could so much as consciously make the decision to do so. Her vision flashed for just a moment.

“Where is Padme? Is she safe, is she alright?”

Anakin ripped his wrist out of her grip and she stared up at him, the realization hitting her hard in the chest. “You did it for her.”

Anakin didn’t move.

Rominaria’s jaw tensed, raising her voice as she spoke her next words. “Say something.” She demanded. “You did all of this. All of these awful things. And you know she would have hated it. How can you disrespect her name like th-” Her next words couldn’t seem to come out and Rominaria’s hands shot up to her throat as she struggled to breathe. Her body was lifted from the ground and she kicked her feet frantically.

“You will choose your next words wisely.”

“Anakin.” Rominaria gasped, staring at him with pleading eyes. “Please-”

“Choose.”

The grip loosened around her throat and she gasped for air, her body still suspended in midair. “Anakin, the Empire is evil. Can’t you see that?” She stared at the man she had once called friend, but was only met with the emotionless facade that the mask presented. “I won’t join you. I can’t.”

The hold on her neck tightened again. Rominaria felt as if her throat was being slowly crushed. “Then you will die.” 

Rominaria kicked her legs frantically, her vision becoming spotted. There was an explosion in the distance and the hold on her neck loosened slightly as Vader turned towards the sound. Rominaria looked around frantically, her eyes landing on her lightsaber at her feet.

Scrunching her face in concentration, she stretched her arm out and used the Force to pull it towards her. Vader turned back to her just as the saber met her hand. The hold on her throat tightened and her vision went spotted once more.

Rominaria ignited her lightsaber and threw it as hard as she could toward the man.

The hold on her neck disappeared as Vader used that hand to stop her lightsaber. She dropped to the ground, landing on her feet. Rominaria took her chance and ran as fast as she could, unsure of where she was going. I have to get out of here. I have to survive. Her feet slammed against the ground as she ran. She turned a corner, coming face to face with a door.

She could hear the boots echoing behind her as she slipped inside the room. She shut the door quickly behind herself, using the Force to punch the panel beside it as hard as she could. Rominaria winced as her knuckles ached from the impact.

Her eyes searched the room and her stomach sank. Weapons lined the walls. She realized why she recognized the room. I have to get out of here. Now. Rominaria rushed across the room, her eyes landing on another door. She grabbed the handle and tried to twist it.

It wouldn’t budge and Rominaria let out a frustrated scream. She tried again. Nothing. More explosions echoed, closer this time. Rominaria’s hands shook as she balled them into fists. She slammed them against the door.

She turned and rushed to the door she had entered through. Perhaps she could get it back open. Risk her fate with Vader. As if the universe were against her, the door panel she had smashed began to spit sparks towards her. There was another explosion, this time sounding as if it were directly outside of the door.

Rominaria’s heart hammered in her chest as she outstretched her hands. She used the Force to try and force the metal doors apart. She succeeded and they cracked open. Rominaria froze at the little she could see through them.

Fire filled the hallway and started creeping through the crack. Rominaria ran back to the other door. She slammed her fists against it and screamed for help. Her hands ached but she didn’t stop. Rominaria looked behind herself and saw that the fire had spread into the room and was inching towards her. Pieces of equipment fueled the flames.

Rominaria turned to face the fire, her hands shaking as it closed in around her. She held out an arm, using the Force to keep the flames at bay. With her other hand, she tried to get the door open once more. Smoke crept into her airways and Rominaria let out an involuntary cough.

Rominaria’s head began to pound as she struggled to keep the flames back. She slammed her fist against the door once more, screaming for help. Rominaria began to sway where she stood, but forced herself to stay upright. She thought she heard voices outside of the door.

Rominaria’s focus faltered as the pain in her head grew. She stumbled closer to the door, the flames creeping towards her once more. She held out an arm again. Nothing happened. The flames drew closer. Rominaria outstretched her other arm, confusion flooding through her as nothing happened again.

The flames started to lick at her ankles and Rominaria let out a scream as she felt her pant leg catch on fire. The smoke surrounded her and her vision grew hazy. Rominaria slammed a fist against the door, not as hard as she had before. She felt any hope she may have had leave her at that moment.

Rominaria felt herself begin to slump against the door as everything went black.

Tech’s body went rigid where he was standing in the cockpit of the Marauder, his hands shaking and nearly dropping the data pad he was holding. His eyes were wide, his jaw clenched.

"What's wrong?" Hunter asked, immediately noticing the mood shift in his brother. 

"I just got into the Imperial database." Was all Tech said before he set down the data pad and exited the room. 

Hunter frowned, standing up and making his way over to the device to see what had upset his brother so much.  He read the screen quickly, his whole body going tense. He scrolled down and the images made him so nauseous that he rushed to the refresher. The first image was of two lightsabers, both broken.

The second image was a charred human corpse. Almost completely unrecognizable. The only reason Hunter could make out who it was at all was from the small amount of fabric that hadn’t fully burned. The blue fabric from the jumpsuit that Omega had picked out for the woman. The realization hit him hard in the chest.

Rominaria was gone. Hunter would never see the woman he had grown fond of again. The woman he had grown to call a friend. To call family.

She was dead.

END OF PART THREE

Chapter Text

The group of four people in stormtrooper armor made their way through the hallway of the imperial facility. Their pace was quick. The man leading the group kept his head facing forward, attempting to not look suspicious in the slightest.

The group had received information that a terrible weapon was being built there. Saw was determined to stop it. He was still walking when the comm in his helmet turned on. “ The bombs are all ready. ” One of the rebels, Vital’s, voice came in through the comms. “ Get out of there and then give me the word. ”

Saw was about to respond when another trooper approached him. “Where are you headed, trooper?”

The lie came instantly. “We have orders to report to the weapons bay, sir.”

The trooper stared at him for a long moment, the silence thick. Saw’s finger twitched towards the blaster at his side. He heard the rebels behind him shift slightly. The trooper finally spoke. “Orders from who?” Apparently, Saw’s pause was too long. The trooper grabbed his blaster and fired at one of the rebels.

He heard Mariana’s voice grunt in pain through her helmet. Saw drew his blaster immediately and shot the trooper. The man fell to the ground. Dead.

He turned to look at the group. Mariana’s arm was slung over another trooper's shoulder. “Can you walk?”

“I think so.” She answered. Her tone was tight and he could tell that she was in extreme pain. Saw nodded in response.

They heard the sound of troopers heading towards them and quickly started walking in the opposite direction. Saw turned his comm back on. “There was an incident. We’re headed out now but I need you to set off the first bomb.”

Vital responded immediately. “ You want me to set off a bomb while you’re still inside? ” 

“Yes.”

A long sigh came in through the comm. “ Fine. But get out of there. And fast. ” She told them. “ The bomb will most likely set off the others and cause a chain reaction. You won’t have long. ”

“Okay. Just get the ship ready.” Saw responded.

Moments later they heard the first explosion. He quickened his pace.

Saw made his way past troopers who were running in the opposite direction. He knew that he had concealed their exit well enough with the explosives. 

He passed a door just as someone behind it screamed for help. It was a terrified, guttural scream. He held up a hand, signaling the rebels that were with him to stop.

He approached the door, placing a hand against the handle. He pulled his hand away from it quickly, the metal hot. The person behind the door had begun to slam their fists against it as they screamed. Something about their voice felt familiar. Extremely familiar.

He turned back to the uninjured rebels behind him. “Help me get this door open.” The other rebels helped Mariana lean against a wall. They made their way over to the door. In a few moments, the door was open and Saw gaped at the amount of fire inside of the room in front of him.

He looked down and saw Rominaria, unconscious and partially on fire. He crouched down immediately, pulling her away from the flames and trying to pat out the fire on her pant leg. What is she doing here? Is she dead? He pressed two fingers to her pulse point and felt a faint movement. He let out a small relieved sigh.

“Is that a Jedi?” Saw heard Mariana ask from behind him. The woman stumbled closer to take a look. “We have to help her. She needs to get out of here.”

Saw nodded to the other rebels, gesturing for them to pick up the woman.

“Wait.” Mariana said. She pulled off her helmet and Saw saw the exhaustion in her face. Her black hair cascaded across her shoulders as she began to unclip the stormtrooper armor that she was wearing. “Saw, I’m not going to last long. And I’m only slowing you down. Give me her outer clothes. If the Empire thinks that my body is hers, she’ll be safer.” She told him, staring at the man with a determined look in her eyes.

Saw stared at the woman, shock coursing through him. “But, you’ll die.”

“I’m already dying.” She responded immediately. “And she will live. It’s for the good of the cause.” 

Saw sighed.

Rominaria was still unconscious as they all rushed onto the ship. “What happened? Where’s Mariana? And who is she?” Vital asked, rushing to the group as the ship took off.

Saw sat down, passing Rominaria off to two medics and looking up at the woman. “Mariana is gone. She gave up her life for that woman right there. She’s a Jedi. I know her. She’s good.”

Vital’s eyes opened to a level of wideness that was almost comical. “She’s a Jedi. ” She whispered loudly. “But, I thought they were all dead?”

“She’s not. At least not yet.” Saw told her. “We need to get her back to base soon.” Vital nodded in agreement.

“We should get her to a bacta tank. Her leg looked rough.” Saw nodded.  “So,” Vital trailed off, looking down as a pained expression flashed across her face. “Mariana’s really gone.”

“She died for the cause.” Saw said, frowning slightly.

Vital’s jaw tensed and she nodded.

Saw entered the medical room, frowning at the bacta tank that Rominaria was submerged in. It had been a week since they had found her. He turned to the medic who was in the room. “Any update on her condition?”

The woman looked up from her datapad. “Her wounds all appear to be healing normally. I am unsure as to why she hasn’t woken up yet. Or if she will.”

Saw made his way over to the bacta tank, grimacing at the sight of someone that he admired in such a vulnerable situation. Her black hair was loose and floating all around her. He couldn’t make out much of her expression due to the mask, but what he could see made her look terrified. He brushed his fingers on the glass of the tank. “You’ve got to wake up.” He murmured. He turned to face the medic once more.

Saw sighed, exhaustion creeping through him as he ran a hand across his face. “When, not if, she wakes up, make sure I’m the first person to know.” The medic nodded.

“Of course, sir.”

Chapter Text

The flames started to lick at her ankles and Rominaria let out a scream as she felt her pant leg catch on fire. The smoke surrounded her and her vision grew hazy. Rominaria slammed a fist against the door, not as hard as she had before. She felt any hope she may have had leave her at that moment.

Rominaria felt herself begin to slump against the door as everything went black.

Rominaria’s eyes shot open. Her heart was thudding in her chest. She looked around, frowning in confusion when she didn’t recognize the room that she was in. She stumbled to her feet. The walls were bare and a dark metallic gray. That was when she realized that there was no exit.

Rominaria tensed, hearing footsteps behind her. She spun around, coming face to face with Anakin. Not the Anakin in the black armor, but the Anakin she had grown up with. The Anakin who had always been there for her. Who had been her closest friend.

Rominaria raised her hands, moving herself into a defensive position as she stared up at him. “What do you want?”

Anakin frowned. “I wanted you to join me. I thought that we were friends.”

Rominaria’s eyes watered slightly. “I thought the world of you, Anakin. I looked up to you. I fought by your side. I cared for you. You were my brother, Anakin. I loved you.” She took a shaky breath. “And you threw all of that away. How could you do this?”

Anakin’s jaw clenched. “I wanted to save Padme’s life. You wouldn’t understand-”

“I do, Anakin. I do understand wanting to save her. I understand that you love her. But there were far better ways in which you could have done that. Now everything is gone. And she’s still dead.” Rominaria took a deep breath, feeling a tear slide down her cheek. “You were selfish, Anakin. She would have hated what you’ve become.”

Anakin lunged at Rominaria, swinging his fist towards her. She dodged the blow and stared at him with disappointed eyes. “You know nothing .” Anakin spat at her. He swung again and successfully collided his fist with her shoulder.

Rominaria sighed. “Anakin, you can attack me all you want. This isn’t real.”

Anakin stopped. He looked up at her, confusion filling his features. Rominaria sighed, closing her eyes as she ran a hand through her hair. She opened them again. Anakin was gone. In his place stood Mira. Rominaria’s frown deepened.

“What?” She questioned, staring at the Chiss woman with tired eyes. “If you’re going to attack me too, can you just get on with it already?” Mira frowned, looking confused.

“Aria, why would I attack you?”

It was Rominaria’s turn to look confused. “You tried to kill me, Mira.”

She frowned. “I know. I’m sorry. I was so angry.” Rominaria stayed silent, letting her continue. “When I left The Order, I wanted you to come with me. I dropped hints constantly, but you never seemed to pick up on them. It came to a point where I assumed that I just didn’t mean the same thing to you that you did to me. You meant so much to me, Aria.” Mira paused, seemingly stopping herself from saying something.

Rominaria sighed. “Mira, I couldn’t have left The Order. They needed me. Aayla needed me.”

Mira let out a frustrated sigh. “I needed you, Aria. I needed you.”

“Well did any of you ever stop to think about my needs?” Rominaria said, feeling the words rush out of her before she could stop them. She took a shaky breath.

Mira’s frown deepened as she seemed to take in the woman’s words. She took a step towards Rominaria. Mira placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “I know that it won’t change what was done, but I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Aria.”

Rominaria looked down, sighing as tears welled in her eyes. “I already forgave you, Mira.” Mira squeezed her shoulder gently and then her touch faded away.

Rominaria looked up once more, realizing that she was now standing in her old room in the temple. Rominaria frowned, turning around. Her eyes landed on herself, looking up at her from where she was sitting on the bed.

Rominaria sighed. “What? Am I supposed to believe that you’re me now?” She asked, staring at the woman.

The woman laughed. “Of course not. But I thought this was a form that you may actually listen to.”

Rominaria sighed. “Who are you?”

“You know who I am. Deep down you know.” She paused for a moment, pulling herself off of the bed and approaching Rominaria. “Now tell me. What is the last thing that you remember?”

Rominaria frowned, her mind searching. Her eyes went wide as it hit her. “There was a fire. I- am I dead?”

The woman laughed softly. “No, you’re not dead. Not yet at least.” She added with a wink. “You are currently inside of a rebel base, submerged in a bacta tank. The medics don’t understand why you haven’t woken up yet.”

Rominaria’s frown deepened. “Why haven’t I woken up yet?”

“Because this is the only chance I have gotten to speak to you directly.” The woman placed a hand on Rominaria’s shoulder. “Our relationship has been strained. I know that you have felt it.”

Rominaria nodded slowly.

“I have a way that you can fix it. A way for you to reconnect with the light side once more.”

Rominaria’s eyes went wide. “How? I’ll do anything.”

“I need you to go to Dagobah. There you will find someone. He will help you mend your relationship with me. Do as he says.” Rominaria nodded in acknowledgment. “There’s something else I need you to do as well.”

The room morphed into another and Rominaria frowned as she recognized it as the cockpit of the Havoc Marauder. She looked at the woman, confusion in her eyes.

“You have grown far too attached, Rominaria. It is affecting your decisions and therefore affecting our relationship. So, I need you to choose.”

“Choose?”

“You can either wake up and go back to them, but not fix our relationship. Or you can choose to forget, and in doing so, begin to heal your relationship with me.”

Rominaria stood frozen. She stared at the depiction of herself, her eyes wide as she took in the woman’s words.

Rominaria stared at her, her frown deepening in confusion. “What do you mean I would have to ‘forget’?”

She could have sworn the woman almost looked sad. “You need to heal our relationship. That means letting go of all of your attachments.” Rominaria’s eyes watered slightly. Her jaw clenched.

“I don’t understand.” She said slowly, her throat feeling tight. “Can’t I let go of my attachments without forgetting?”

The smile the woman gave her was a bittersweet one. “I don’t have to answer that. You know the answer, Rominaria.” Rominaria looked down, her eyes brimming with tears. “You have to learn that you can function without them. You did before.”

Rominaria took a shaky breath, looking back up at herself. “Will I ever see them again?”

The woman took a step towards her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Maybe.”

“Will I ever remember them?”

“If it is the will of the Force.” Was all the woman said in response.

Rominaria swallowed slowly. “Will I at least remember this conversation?”

The woman smiled sadly. “No, you will not.”

Rominaria took a deep, shaky breath. She closed her eyes briefly, feeling a teardrop slide down her cheek. Rominaria looked around at the cockpit of the Marauder. The ship she had grown to call a home. The memories made in this space flashed behind her eyes as she took another deep breath. “Okay.” She said, her voice hardly above a whisper. “Okay.” She repeated, sounding more sure of herself this time.

She took another shaky breath. The woman placed her palm against Rominaria’s forehead. She had one last thought before everything faded to black. If it is the will of the Force, I will find them again.

The first thing that Rominaria noticed when she gained consciousness was the liquid around her. She kicked her feet, bringing herself upwards. She noticed the oxygen mask next. She broke the surface of the liquid and looked around, realizing she was in a bacta tank. One thought rang consistently in her mind. I have to go to Dagobah.

“She’s awake.” Rominaria heard someone nearby say.

Chapter Text

“She’s awake.” Rominaria heard someone nearby say.

Rominaria pulled the oxygen mask off of her face. She hauled herself out of the bacta tank, taking in her surroundings. Her bare feet hit the floor. She was in what looked like a medical bay. She couldn’t remember how she had gotten there. She turned in the direction that the voice had come from, her eyes landing on a woman in a medic's uniform.

Rominaria frowned, wracking her brain for any reason that she would be in a stranger's med bay. Now that she thought about it, what was the last thing that she remembered? Rominaria’s face pulled together in thought. She had a faint memory of the clones turning on her, but every thought around that area felt fuzzy and incomplete. Somehow she had escaped. Somehow she had been taken to an Imperial facility and…

No.

Oh, Maker, no.

Anakin.

How could he have done that? After everything that they had been through, he had thrown it all away. Which meant that Padme and the child were both gone. Was Rex alright? Rominaria could have sworn that she had seen him but she wasn’t sure. The more that she thought about it, the more fuzzy her thoughts felt.

“How are you feeling?” Rominaria hadn’t even realized that the woman had approached her. She looked at the pantoran woman. She was pretty. She had pale purple hair that was pulled away from her face, showing off her golden pantoran facial tattoos. Her thin eyebrows matched her hair color and Rominaria watched them raise at her. She realized that she was staring.

Her eyes moved to the woman’s, they were a soft golden color. “Where am I?” Rominaria asked. Her throat felt hoarse, as if she hadn’t had water in weeks. “How did I get here?”

The woman typed something on the data pad in her hands before responding. “Gerrera brought you here. He found you unconscious inside of an Imperial facility.” Rominaria nodded. “Your body has healed the best that it could with the resources that we have here. The burn on your leg caused it to scar but that is the extent of external damage that remains.” She told her, gesturing towards Rominaria’s bare leg.

She looked down, bracing herself for a gruesome sight. Her eyes landed on the skin. It wasn’t as bad as she thought it would be. Rominaria shivered slightly. The combination of wearing minimal clothing and her wet skin making it hard to maintain heat.

The medic seemed to notice her reaction. “I’ll be right back with some clothes for you. I sent a message to Gerrera and he should be here within a few hours.” Rominaria nodded. The woman stepped out of the room. Rominaria was alone.

Her eyes landed on an empty medical bed and she made her way over to it. Rominaria sat on the edge, searching her mind. She couldn’t put the feeling into words, but she was sure that something was missing. The only problem was that she couldn’t figure out what it was.

There was a knock on the door. It opened slowly and the medic peeked her head in. She smiled as her eyes found Rominaria. “Here. These looked like they’d fit you.” She told her. She brought a small pile of clothes over to Rominaria.

Rominaria took them from her. “Thank you.” She said, her voice still hoarse. The pantoran’s eyes widened slightly as if she had forgotten something.

“I’ll go get you some water and food right now. You can get dressed while I’m gone.” She said, rushing back out the door. Rominaria smiled slightly. She looked down at the clothes in her hands. There was a thick black long-sleeve top and a pair of black sweatpants.

Rominaria pulled herself off of the bed, her bare feet hitting the cold floor once more. She stripped the wet undergarments from herself and pulled on the clothes. They were soft and, more importantly, warm and dry. Rominaria took a deep breath, calming herself. She closed her eyes, reaching out into the Force.

She opened her eyes with a frown, feeling a blockage in her connection. The thought popped into her mind once more. I have to go to Dagobah. She wasn’t sure what exactly was there, but that was the only piece of certainty in her mind.

There was a knock on the door. “Can I come in?” The medic’s voice asked.

Rominaria managed a strained ‘yes’ and after a second, the door creaked open. The woman entered the room, carrying a bottle of water and a bowl of what appeared to be soup. Rominaria took the water first. She opened the bottle and gulped it down, the cold liquid soothing her throat. Before she knew it, the bottle was empty.

The pantoran woman was watching her with the beginnings of an amused smile on her face. Rominaria smiled at the woman. “Thank you.” She said, her voice feeling slightly less hoarse.

The woman smiled back at her. “Of course.” She held the bowl of soup out to Rominaria. “Here. You should eat.”

It had been a few hours since Rominaria had woken up. The medic, who Rominaria had learned to be named Kilora, had wanted to run a few tests to make sure that she was fully healed before Saw showed up. Rominaria frowned at the thought. She hadn’t seen the man since Onderon and she wasn’t fully sure that he was to be trusted, as much as she wanted to believe that he could be. 

“Okay,” Kilora said, regaining Rominaria’s attention as she set down the data pad that she had been looking at. “You should be good to go.”

Rominaria smiled at the woman. “Thank you, Kilora.”

There was a knock on the door and Rominaria’s smile faltered slightly as she glanced towards it. “Come in.” Kilora called out.

The door opened and a moment later Saw Gerrera stepped into the room. He looked older than Rominaria remembered. Older and much more tired than she had ever seen him look. She frowned slightly as he approached the two of them.

“I just cleared her.” Kilora told the man. “I’ll let you two talk.” She added, excusing herself before slipping out of the room.

The door closed behind her and Rominaria’s eyes landed back onto Saw. He was already looking at her. “How are you feeling?” He asked her.

Rominaria smirked slightly. “Like shit.”

Saw cracked a smile at that. “You looked like shit when we found you. What were you even doing there?”

Rominaria paused at that, frowning as she tried to remember. “I’m actually not sure.”

“It’s good to see you again. Alive. After we dropped you off on Alderaan-” Rominaria cut him off immediately.

“Alderaan? What are you talking about? I haven’t seen you since Onderon, Saw.”

Saw’s smile completely vanished, a concerned look taking over his features instead. “Rominaria, what are you talking about? You came to me after stowing away on your old squad’s ship and then I dropped you off with Rex.”

“Squad? What squad? Saw, I’ve never had a squad.”

“I thought the medic said that you were fully cleared?”

“She did. I am.” Rominaria remembered the words floating in her mind that she had woken up with. “I need a ship. I need to go somewhere.”

“Where?” Saw asked, his frown deepening as he stared at her.

Rominaria opened her mouth to answer, but decided against it. “I’m not sure yet. But I have this feeling. Maybe I’ll be able to figure out what’s going on once I get there.” Saw sighed.

“And I assume that you’re planning on going alone.”

Rominaria flashed him a smile.

“Just comm me if you’re in trouble. Or if you need anything.” Saw said as they walked to where Rominaria’s ship was waiting. Her hair was damp. She had taken a shower and cleaned away all of the grime and bacta from herself. Feeling refreshed, Rominaria smiled at the man.

“Of course. Thank you, Saw.”

He returned the smile, though Rominaria saw the exhaustion that lingered behind it. She took a step towards the man, placing a hand on his shoulder and giving him a reassuring smile. He looked anything but reassured. “You sure you’ll be okay alone?” He asked.

“Of course.”

Saw sighed. “May the Force be with you.” He told her as she climbed into the small ship. She watched Saw walk as her mind raced. Were pieces of her memories missing? And if so, could that have been caused by the blockage she felt in the Force? Rominaria sighed, closing her eyes for a moment before punching coordinates into the navicomputer.

Rominaria took a deep breath as she exited hyperspace, her eyes resting on the planet in front of her. She steered the ship through the planet’s atmosphere and then through the trees, following the feeling in her gut. She found a clearing large enough to land the ship. Rominaria took another deep breath. She climbed out of the ship, looking around at the swampy terrain.

Find him.

Rominaria knew that she was looking for someone. Though, she wasn’t quite sure who. But she trusted the Force. It had never led her astray.

She made her way, following her instincts as she walked in between trees. She was grateful for the boots she had been given as she navigated the muddy ground. There was a rustle behind her and she froze. 

She felt his presence before she even saw him. A smile began to spread across Rominaria’s face as she turned to face the man.

“Finally arrived, you have.”

Chapter Text

There was a rustle behind her and she froze. 

She felt his presence before she even saw him. A smile began to spread across Rominaria’s face as she turned to face the man.

“Finally arrived, you have.”

“Master Yoda,” Rominaria said slowly. “You survived. The Force guided me here.”

The man hummed in agreement. “Sent, you were. Told of your arrival, I was.” He gestured for Rominaria to follow him and began to walk away. Rominaria matched pace with the man. She looked around at the terrain again. It was as if she could feel the Force moving all around her.

“This planet is strong in the Force.” Rominaria said, more to herself than anything.

Yoda nodded. “One of the purest places in the galaxy, it is.” He hummed and abruptly stopped walking. He gestured his cane towards a cave that was in front of them. Just looking at the cave gave Rominaria a bad feeling. “Walk through there you must. Confronted with that which you fear you will be.”

Rominaria stared at the cave in front of her, taking a deep breath. She took one last glance at the small green man before stepping into the cave. It was dark inside and filled her with a sense of unease. She thought she saw something move in the corner of her vision, but when she turned towards it, no one was there.

A black fog crept towards her and Rominaria watched it move with cautious eyes. It surrounded her and images began to flash by Rominaria’s vision. Images of dead people. They looked familiar but Rominaria couldn’t place why. Among them was a child. Her blonde hair was speckled with dark red blood.

The images morphed into a more familiar scene. One that Rominaria had relived in her dreams countless times before. She watched Aayla’s life force fade away over and over again. Rominaria was sure that she screamed for it to stop, but she couldn’t hear herself over the hammering of her own heart.

Everything went black.

Rominaria’s eyes shot open. She faintly registered the feeling of a small cane poking her in the side. She stumbled to her feet, looking at the man beside her. “Only a small portion of the power the dark side now holds you felt in the cave.”

Rominaria’s frown deepened. “Is there any hope that the remaining Jedi will prevail?”

“Always hope there is. In forms we are not looking for it often comes. ” Rominaria nodded slowly, her mind racing. “Knowing how to see it and seizing that opportunity the key is. Yes.” He hummed to himself again. He began walking and Rominaria hurried after him.

Rominaria glanced over to the man. “Why am I here, Master?”

“Know the answer, you already do.”

Rominaria frowned in confusion, her mind wandering. “I think a part of my memories are missing, Master. Though, I’m not sure why. And I feel as though I am cut off from the Force. So, I must be here to heal that relationship?”

Yoda hummed again. “Heal your relationship with the Force, you must. Clear, your path after that is. Chosen, you have been..”

Rominaria’s eyebrows drew together. “Chosen for what?”

“Learn to preserve your Life Force, you will. Able to manifest a consciousness you will be, able to commune with the living after death so that you will be.”

Rominaria felt even more confused. “What? How is that possible?”

“Possible through the force many things are.” Rominaria’s mind was racing at this information. “In dark times we are. Remain the forces of light must. The path of only a few Jedi this is. You will travel to one of the origins of all life in the galaxy.”

“Where is this place, Master?”

“Your guide the force will be.” It was then that Rominaria realized they had arrived back at her ship. She took a deep breath.

“Thank you, Master Yoda.” She climbed into the ship, staring down at the controls as Yoda walked away. She closed her eyes, her hand hovering over the navicomputer. She felt a small pull in the Force. Rominaria smiled. “There you are.” She muttered to herself.

Rominaria frowned as her ship approached the coordinates she had entered. It was glowing a bright orangey hue. Tendrils of light reached out in all directions. She looked down and realized that the gas in front of her was blocking her scanners. There could be a planet inside. She could have sworn that she sensed something. Though, she wasn’t sure what it was.

She piloted the ship forward, weaving through the bright light. Her ship controls started moving on their own and her eyebrows drew together in thought. She remembered Yoda’s words and took a deep breath. Rominaria closed her eyes, extending a hand and attempting to use the Force to guide her and the ship.

When she opened her eyes again, she was inside of the light. She looked at the planet in front of her, a small smile forming on her face. She reached the planet’s surface and guided the ship in between what almost looked like geysers of light erupting from the ground.

She closed her eyes once more, using the Force to guide the ship. The ship landed and she opened her eyes. She had landed in a small crater, directly beside one of the geysers. “This place is strong with the Force.” Rominaria said to herself. She could feel the thrum of raw energy coursing through the planet.

She steered the ship directly down into the center of the geyser. When it exited the small space, Rominaria was deposited in a giant cave of sorts. She looked around, surprise filling her as her eyes traveled across the various floating islands.

She landed on one of the lower islands and climbed out of the ship. There were multiple large fungi-adjacent plants with large yellow spores on them. She looked ahead and saw a large creature flying by. A smile formed on her face as she looked around in awe.

“Rominaria.” A voice said.

Rominaria looked around, but saw no one. “Hello?” She questioned.

“Rominaria.” The voice repeated. A large glowing orb began to float towards her and Rominaria watched with interest.

“I’m looking for those who can teach me.”

“The question is, are you worthy of being taught?” The voice asked. The orb landed in front of her and a masked figure in long robes appeared. The mask appeared neutral of any emotion. It glided over to her. “You are late. We have been waiting for you, Rominaria.”

She frowned at that. “You knew that I was coming?”

“We watch and study all who are strong with the Force in the universe.” The being told her. Rominaria’s frown deepened. I don’t feel all too strong in the Force right now. “Now, come, if we are to begin.” The being began to glide away and Rominaria followed them.

Rominaria looked around with wide eyes as the plants and fungi around her moved out of the way, allowing a path for her to walk through. They arrived at a cylindrical shaped domicile and the circular door opened for them.

Rominaria stepped inside. The room seemed bigger on the inside. Circular and dark. There were strange markings on the walls that Rominaria didn’t recognize. “Cousins, I have a guest.”

The room went completely black and the markings began to glow orange. Rominaria looked around in awe. A glowing orb floated towards them. “You should not have brought her before us. You saw the things that she did before.” The orb turned into another of the cloaked, masked figures. This mask seemed angry.

Another orb floated towards them. “Oh, nonsense. Can’t you see that she is different now? And she is full of the Force.” It transformed into another figure, this one’s mask seemed to smile at Rominaria.

Yet another orb glided towards her, turning into a figure with a distraught-looking mask. “Why is she here?” It turned to Rominaria. “Why are you here?”

“I was told that I am to learn from you.” Rominaria told them. “That you could show me how to manifest my life after death.”

The distraught masked figure spoke first. “Oh, it’s impossible.” It shook its head. “She will fail with the great gift. She will disappoint us. She will disappoint herself.”

The joyous mask spoke next. “Oh, no. No, I do not see that.”

The neutral mask spoke up. “Her destiny is already set. It is not for us to decide.”

“But why her?” Distraught asked.

“She will guide others through the Force. She will aid in the light side prevailing against the dark.” Neutral answered.

“She has no idea what she seeks!” Anger spat. “Nor the responsibility that she will have.”

Rominaria nodded. “You are right, I do not understand or know. But I do know that you will guide me.”

“Do you realize what you must do? What you must face?” Anger asked her.

“No.” Rominaria answered honestly.

“Good.” Anger responded. “Then you won’t be afraid.” All of the figures laughed at that.

“Do I have a blessing that the training can begin?” Neutral asked their counterparts.

All of the beings floated above Rominaria. “It is so.” They all spoke at the same time. “We are one, and one is all.”

Neutral glided back down towards Rominaria. “Do you come to us with only good intention and light in your heart?”

Rominaria nodded. “Yes. I do.”

“Then I give you the blessing, and the training will begin.” They glided back up to the other figures and they began to rotate, gaining speed and spinning around Rominaria.

“Do not disappoint us, Rominaria.” They all said. A bright light grew in the room and Rominaria had to close her eyes. When she opened them again, she was on the ground. Outside. She sat up and looked around. She moved back onto her feet as Neutral approached her.

“What is this place?” Rominaria asked.

“All that surrounds us is the foundation of life, the birthplace of what your science calls midi-chlorians, the foundation of what connects the Living Force and the Cosmic Force. When a living thing dies all is renewed. Life passes from the Living Force into the Cosmic Force and becomes one with it. One powers the other. One is renewed by the other.”

Rominaria nodded. “I know this.”

The figure began gliding forward. “Come with me.” Rominaria followed them, jumping across from one island to another, a smaller one. “At death, in order for you to preserve your identity, you must know yourself, your true self, and then let go. You have already begun that part of the process.” They gestured towards an island with a large tree on it. “On that island dwells all that remains unconquered, what, in your existence, some call evil, otherwise known as fear, all which must be finally overcome before the journey can be taken. You must free yourself.” Rominaria nodded. “You must face your evil on that island and defeat it.” They glided away, turning back into a glowing orb.

Rominaria jumped from one small island to the next, making her way over to the large one that the being had directed her to. When she arrived at the island, she could sense the darkness within. Rominaria frowned. Lightning crackled within as she walked through.

“Rominaria.” An all too familiar voice called out. The voice laughed as Rominaria continued to walk. “Rominaria.” It called out again in a sing-song voice. She felt something run behind her and spun around. No one was there.

“Show yourself.” Rominaria called out.

A figure appeared from within the shadows, walking towards her. Rominaria stared at the depiction of herself. Donned in dark black robes, her eyes glowing a dark red. “You hate me. Don’t you?” She laughed before breaking out into a sprint and tackling Rominaria to the ground.

Chapter Text

A figure appeared from within the shadows, walking towards her. Rominaria stared at the depiction of herself. Donned in dark black robes, her eyes glowing a dark red. “You hate me. Don’t you?” She laughed before breaking out into a sprint and tackling Rominaria to the ground.

Her body slammed into the ground and Rominaria grunted in pain. She shoved the figure off of her, rolling out of the way when they lunged at her again. Rominaria got back on her feet, raising her hands in front of her in a defensive position. 

The figure ran at Rominaria and she grunted as its fist connected with her gut. “You’ve always resented me.” Another punch. “You never wanted to play with me.” Another punch. “And the one time that you truly did, you resented me even more afterward.”

Rominaria stumbled backward, confusion filling her. “What are you talking about? When did I ever-”

The depiction of Rominaria laughed, cutting her off. “You know what we did. Don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten about her .” Rominaria’s mind raced. When it hit her, her jaw dropped slightly. She felt sick to her stomach. Mira. “There you go. Took you long enough to remember that.”

“How could I have… Why did I…” Rominaria’s hands shook at her sides as the memory came crashing back into her mind. Had she enjoyed taking her life? The woman who had been so close to her when they were young.

They laughed again. “Face me. Or I will consume you.”

Rominaria sighed. “I’m not going to fight you.” She answered honestly. “I’m tired of the violence.”

The figure raised an eyebrow at that. “Says the child soldier.”

“I never wanted to be a soldier. I didn’t ask for this. It wasn’t supposed to be like this.” Rominaria took a shaky breath, attempting to calm herself. “I was supposed to be a keeper of the peace. So no. I’m not going to fight you.”

“I was always a part of you, Rominaria. You know it to be true. Especially after Aayla passed.” Rominaria closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. “You were so angry with the order, weren’t you? And rightfully so. How could they have sent children out to fight in battles they were never supposed to be a part of? It went against everything that they had taught us when growing up. The Sith didn’t destroy the Jedi. They did that themselves.”

“That may be so,” Rominaria said slowly. “But it does not mean that I will give into the temptation of the dark side just because they did.”

“Oh but Rominaria, you already did.”

“Then I vow right now to never give into it again.” She took a step forwards, toward the depiction herself. Rominaria placed a hand on the figure’s shoulder. “I accept that you are a part of me. You have always been a part of me. But I do not give you any power over me.”

The figure’s red eyes widened, something adjacent to fear filling them. They tried to back away from her, but Rominaria’s hold on their shoulder was strong.

Rominaria used her other hand to grab the figure’s chin. “You have no control over me. My dark side, I reject you.” Her grip on the figure’s face tightened and it screamed. Glowing orange cracks spread across its skin, and then it crumbled into black ash and floated away.

Rominaria collapsed onto her knees, catching her breath. She looked up and saw one of the orbs of light floating towards her. Neutral appeared in front of her once more. “You have conquered your hubris.” Rominaria let out a shaky breath, feeling exhausted. “Now you must face the temptations.” Rominaria nodded, rising back up onto her feet. She followed Neutral towards the outer edge of the island. “What you faced was a reflection of your hubris and the shadow of your soul.”

Rominaria frowned, but nodded.

“The beast is you, and you are the beast.” Neutral told her. “To deny it simply gives it power.”

“I see.”

Neutral turned back to face Rominaria. The other four beings appeared behind them. “You must trust in our teachings if you are to exceed.”

“I’m ready.” Rominaria told them.

Neutral floated towards her. “You must enter the valley of extinction.” They gestured behind Rominaria and she turned to see a wide tunnel. “Pass through without emotion, without attachment, for you will see all of our faces there, and they will seduce you.”

The five of them floated around Rominaria and she nodded again. They all spoke before drifting into the tunnel ahead.

“For we are Confusion,”

“Anger,”

“Sadness,”

“Joy,”

“And serenity.” Neutral finished.

Rominaria stared at the tunnel for a moment. She took a deep breath and began to make her way through. It was dark inside and gave Rominaria an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach.

She heard a scream behind her and spun around. She was no longer in a tunnel. She was on Umbara again. Aayla laid on the ground at Rominaria’s feet. Rominaria squatted down immediately, her heart hammering loudly in her ears.

“Master,” Aayla said, her voice shaky. “Master, I don’t want to die.”

“I’m so sorry, Aayla. I failed you.”

Aayla opened her mouth as if she was going to respond, but her eyes unfocused and Rominaria felt the all too familiar ache in her chest. She looked up from the twi’lek girl and realized that she wasn’t the only body on the ground.

There were other people. Some that Rominaria recognized. Some that she didn’t. Rominaria’s hands shook by her side. A woman appeared at Rominaria’s side and her eyes widened.

“Master?”

Shaak Ti smiled at her, holding out a hand. “Take my hand and I can take you away from all of this. No more pain. No more death. No more having to be a soldier.”

Rominaria didn’t realize that she was crying until that moment. She shakily took the woman’s hand and everything glowed white for a moment. When Rominaria opened her eyes again, she was in a grassy field. The field was full of people.

Her eyes landed on a young twi’lek girl and Rominaria froze for a moment. The girl turned around, a grin forming on her face as she ran towards Rominaria. “Master! We were wondering when you’d arrive.”

Rominaria felt a tear slide down her cheek. “Aayla.” She said softly.

A hand grabbed her shoulder and Rominaria turned, her eyes landing on Anakin and Padme behind her. There was a baby in the woman’s arms and bright smiles on both of their faces. Rominaria smiled. There was a hearty laugh behind Rominaria and she turned again.

A group that Rominaria didn’t recognize was approaching. Five men and one young girl. Their bodies had just been among the dead that she had seen.

Rominaria looked back over to all of the people, feeling almost as if she were coming out of a trance. “This isn’t real.” Everyone in the field turned to her, glaring. “This isn’t real.” Her eyes landed on Anakin. “You turned to the dark side.”

It was as if everyone else in the field faded away. Anakin’s eyes glowed red as he stared at Rominaria. A thick black fog surrounded them. Anakin lunged at her. Rominaria shook her head, her eyes closing.

“This isn’t real. You can’t hurt me, Anakin.”

Rominaria’s eyes shot open. She was on the ground. As she sat up she realized that she was now on the edge of one of the islands. Away from the darkness. Neutral floated over to her. “You have done well, but to succeed, your life must be spent learning, practicing.”

Rominaria nodded. “Who are you?” She asked.

Neutral raised a hand to their face and drew away their mask. For a moment, their face appeared to be a glowing light. Then, the light faded and the robes and mask fell to the ground. Empty. Neutral’s voice echoed around Rominaria. “Now you see. We have achieved what you seek, and live between the realms.”

“You’re dead?” Rominaria asked.

“Yes.”

“How am I to complete my training?”

“Go back to Master Yoda. He will show you all that you must know.” The voice faded away and Rominaria felt that she was alone again. Her ship rose up to the side of the island, waiting for her.

Rominaria climbed into her ship and made her way back out of the planet, headed for Dagobah.

When Rominaria landed on the swampy planet, the man was already waiting for her. She smiled at him and she climbed out of the ship.

“Ready you are. Begin we will.”

~~FIVE MONTHS LATER~~

Rominaria bowed her head towards the man. “I have somewhere new to go now. There are people who need my help. Thank you, Master Yoda.”

He hummed. “May the Force be with you.”

“And with you.”

Rominaria’s mind wandered as she climbed into her ship. Her lips upturned slightly as she looked over the planet one more time. She placed the coordinates into the navicomputer.

When Rominaria exited hyperspace, she frowned. Something wasn’t right here. She navigated her ship through the planet’s atmosphere and as close to the temple as she dared. Rominaria was certain that the Empire was there.

Rominaria landed the ship, grabbing a thick coat from the small pack that Saw had given her. She pulled it over herself, already warmer. Rominaria took a deep breath and climbed out of the ship. Her boots hit the snowy ground and Rominaria grimaced for only a moment. She had never been a fan of the cold.

She made her way to the temple in the distance, moving silently through the ice and snow. When she got close enough to the temple, she noticed the guards outside. Imperial troopers, blasters in hand. Rominaria slowed her pace to a halt, watching the troopers with quizzical eyes. She had assumed that they would be here, but she still wasn’t sure why.

Rominaria slowly slipped behind large points of ice, approaching the two troopers without them knowing it. She was close by when one of the troopers turned in her direction. Rominaria froze, waiting for them to turn away.

After a few moments, they shook their head and muttered something to themselves. Rominaria crept closer. She looked around for a diversion. Her eyes landed on a small rock. Rominaria used the Force to lift the rock and carried it to the opposite side of the troopers. She dropped the rock and smiled to herself as they both moved to investigate the sound.

Rominaria slipped through the entry and made her way into the main chamber. This temple, like all temples that Rominaria had been to, had always given her a sense of safety. That feeling was gone as Rominaria looked around.

Something was off here and she needed to move quickly. She made her way over to the large ice wall and closed her eyes, reaching out a hand. Her fingers brushed the surface, and then made their way through it. Rominaria stepped forward and into the hallway.

She walked to the entrance of the crystal caverns and looked around, a small smile making its way back onto her face as memories flashed behind her eyes. Rominaria closed her eyes, waiting for the call. After a moment of silence, Rominaria felt it. She opened her eyes with a smile, following the call.

Rominaria looked down at the drop with wary eyes as she climbed one of the mountains of icy rock in the cavern. She was shaking slightly from the cold and wanted nothing more than to get out of there as soon as possible.

She knew she was close. She could feel the crystal calling out to her through the Force. Rominaria reached the top of the rock and pulled herself up on top of it. She stood up slowly, her eyes landing on the small glowing crystal that was lodged in the top of the rock. Directly beneath her feet.

Rominaria squatted down, ghosting her fingers over the crystal with a small smile. She found a loose edge and grabbed the crystal, pulling it out of the rock and holding it in between her fingers. Her smile grew for a moment, before she felt another pull in the Force. A warning. She needed to leave.

Rominaria scaled back down the rock and ice formation as quickly as she dared and began to make her way out of the cavern. Near the exit, Rominaria’s eyes landed on another glowing crystal and she couldn’t help but grin. She felt the call from it as well and grabbed it quickly.

 When she reached the exit, she quickened her pace through the hallway until she found the room she was looking for. Rominaria opened the door, knowing that she would have to build the saber elsewhere.

She stepped into the storage room and grabbed more than enough of the necessary supplies. She found a satchel under a group of discarded modulation circuits and put all of the parts into it. She closed the bag and exited the storage room.

Rominaria made her way back out into the main chamber and to the entranceway. The guards were there again and Rominaria rolled her eyes. Her eyes found a small rock in the distance and she used the Force to move it, just enough to make a sound.

The guards fell for it. Again. And Rominaria quickly slipped by and made her way back over to her ship. She climbed inside of it and took off. Rominaria was typing the coordinates into the navicomputer when a Venator exited hyperspace and began to make its way closer to the planet.

Rominaria grimaced and looked at Illum one last time before entering hyperspace.

Chapter Text

Rominaria smiled as she landed her ship. Saw was waiting for her and returned the smile. She climbed out of the ship and approached the man. “I wasn’t sure you’d be back.”

Rominaria smirked at that. “Well, I am. I won’t be here for too long, but I need to do something.”

Saw frowned but nodded. “What do you need?”

“Right now I just need a workbench of sorts to build my saber.” She told him. “Honestly, even a table would work.”

“Of course. I’ll have someone take you there.” He glanced to the side as a woman with a short blonde pixie cut walked past and raised a hand, grabbing her attention. She walked over to them, looking confused. “Rominaria, this is Vital. Vital, this is Rominaria. You already know of her.” Rominaria shot Saw a confused look. “Vital was on the ship when we rescued you.” He explained. Saw turned back to the woman. “Can you show Rominaria to a workspace? There is something that she needs to construct.”

Vital’s jaw ticked slightly and Rominaria noticed immediately. She nodded. “Yes sir.”

She turned away, gesturing for Rominaria to follow. “So, you were on the ship when I-”

“That’s what he said, isn’t it?” Vital snapped, cutting Rominaria off. Rominaria frowned, staring at the woman beside her in confusion. Vital glanced over to her, regret flickering in her eyes momentarily. “I’m sorry. What happened wasn’t your fault.”

Rominaria’s confusion grew. “What do you mean? What happened?”

Vital looked over to her again. “Did they not tell you? The Empire thinks that you’re dead. My- Someone that I knew gave up her life for you. She looked similar to you. She was dying and she went into the fire so that they would think that she was you.” Vital let out a shaky breath. “She was a good woman.”

Rominaria frowned. “I didn’t know. I’m sorry for your loss.” Rominaria could feel the pure grief radiating off of the woman beside her. “What was her name?”

“Mariana.” Vital said, her voice shaking slightly.

“That’s a beautiful name.”

Vital smiled slightly at that, seemingly losing herself in thought. “It is. She was amazing.” She snapped out of the trance, her smile falling. “We were going to have a life together.” Rominaria opened her mouth to speak just as Vital stopped, gesturing towards a door in front of them. “You can work in there.”

Rominaria nodded, smiling at the woman. “Thank you, Vital.” She nodded in return, turning and walking away.

Rominaria stepped inside of the room, looking around. It was small, but it would work. She approached the workbench that was in front of her, setting down the bag of parts. She took them each out carefully. 

She started arranging them on the workbench in the order that they would connect. Blade emitter, focusing lens, cycling field energizer, hilt, energy core, hand grip, inert power insulator, a belt loop, and the pommel cap at the bottom. She repeated the order once more, arranging the second saber. She slipped the two kyber crystals out of her pocket and placed them on the table as well.

Rominaria closed her eyes, having done this many times before. She reached out through the Force and lifted all of the pieces. She felt them click together and smiled to herself. She gently set them back on the table and reopened her eyes.

She looked down at the few extra parts still in the bag, an idea popping into her mind. She grabbed a part and unscrewed it into two, attaching one part to the end of each saber. Rominaria grinned as she twisted the sabers together, connecting them at the hilts. She held the center, testing the weight.

“That’ll work.” She said to herself, sliding the saber into the deep pocket of her coat and exiting the room. She followed the route she had taken with Vital, finding her way back to the main hanger easily enough. Her eyes scanned the area, eventually landing on Saw. He was across the room, talking to a man that she didn’t recognize.

Rominaria made her way over to them. Saw smiled when he saw her approaching, excusing himself from the conversation he was having and coming over to her. “You build it?” Rominaria nodded.

“Could you do me one more favor?” Rominaria asked the man.

“Of course.” Saw responded. “What is it?”

Crosshair still couldn’t believe that she was gone, try as he might. It had been months since Omega had broken the news to him. Tech and Rominaria. Both gone. He wasn’t there and they paid the price. When Crosshair really thought about it, it was his fault that they were gone. That they were dead.

He hadn’t wanted to believe Omega when she first told him. But he saw the look of grief that her eyes shared with his own, he knew that her words were honest. He watched his brothers and Omega talk to each other in silence as they made their way back from that maker-forsaken icy planet.

His heart ached dully in his chest. He felt like a piece of him was gone. It would never come back. Because they would never come back. Crosshair’s eyes fell to his lap. He could feel the weight of his eyelids, but didn’t allow himself to rest. When he slept he dreamt of her.

He swallowed, his throat feeling tight as tears pricked at the back of his eyes. If only he had stayed, not been so selfish, maybe they would still be there. Still laughing with his brothers. Maybe he’d still see her smile outside of his dreams. Her hand resting gently on his arm as she laughed at something stupid one of his brothers had said. Crosshair had ruined everything. He had no hope left inside of him.

Some sick part of him ached over her death more than Tech’s. Maybe it was because he had accepted long ago that he and his brothers would die. They were made to be soldiers. Made to be expendable. She wasn’t. She wasn’t supposed to die young. And a selfish part of him had always thought that she'd be there through his entire life, until death.

He never expected for her to be gone first.

Crosshair’s train of thought was broken as he felt the ship land on Pabu. He slid out of his seat and began to make his way off of the ship. Just as he started to step into the bright sunlight, Echo called out to the rest of them.

“There’s a ship entering the planet’s atmosphere.” He warned. Crosshair stepped outside, his eyes finding the small ship in the distance. It headed towards one of the nearby mountains, landing inside.

The five of them, plus Batcher, ran in the direction that the ship had landed. As they turned the corner, facing the cave, they grabbed their weapons and raised them. Crosshair’s hand shook slightly as he raised his rifle.

A figure appeared, walking out of the cave and towards them. Crosshair couldn’t make out any of their features through the black armor that covered their whole body. They raised their hands. “Stand down.” A modulated feminine voice called out.

“Stay back.” Hunter warned, blasters in hand.

They took another step forward and Hunter fired, the rest following suit. The armored individual reacted instantly, dodging the first shot and grabbing something from their side. There was a flash of yellow light as they ignited their lightsaber. Then another flash as the other side of it ignited.

They deflected the blaster fire with ease. “I’m not going to say it again. Stand. Down.” The figure warned.

The five of them shared a look. Hunter nodded and they lowered their weapons slowly. The lightsaber-wielder took another step forward. They clipped their saber back onto their belt and slowly raised their gloved hands to their helmet.

Crosshair felt his entire body freeze at the first glimpse of black hair. Rominaria stood in front of them, helmet in her hands as she watched the group with cautious eyes. Omega moved first, breaking out in a sprint and shouting the woman’s name. She reached the Jedi and wrapped her arms around her waist, hugging her.

The rest of them moved over to her as well, hugging her and grinning in disbelief. Crosshair stood frozen. He could hear his heart hammering in his ears as he forced himself to move. He reached her just as the rest let go. Crosshair had no hesitation as he wrapped his arms around the woman and pulled her close.

She tensed and he frowned against her hair. Is she still angry? He pulled away slightly, looking down at the woman. “I thought you were gone. I thought that I lost you too.”

That was when he noticed how confused the woman looked. “I’m sorry,” She started, taking a small step back and away from him. “But I’m not sure that I know who you are.”

Chapter Text

Rominaria landed her ship in a cave. The planet was sunny and she smiled to herself as she climbed out of her ship. She sensed people approaching and quickly put her helmet on. Rominaria made her way out of the cave, just as the people turned the corner and saw her.

It was the group from Rominaria’s visions. She was sure of it. She recognized them immediately, though the one with goggles was nowhere to be seen. There was a hound of sorts with them as well. They all raised their blasters at her and Rominaria rolled her eyes. “Stand down.” Rominaria called out to them.

“Stay back.” The long-haired one yelled back.

Rominaria rolled her eyes again and took a step forward. He fired immediately and she dodged the shot easily. The rest of them began firing as well and she grabbed her lightsaber, igniting each side individually as they bathed her armor in yellow light. She deflected the fire with ease, making sure to direct it away from them.

“I’m not going to say it again. Stand. Down.” Rominaria warned. She watched as the group shared a look before they all begrudgingly lowered their weapons. Rominaria smiled to herself. That wasn’t too hard after all.  

She unignited her lightsaber and hooked it to her belt. Rominaria raised her hands to her helmet, sliding it off and watching the group with cautious eyes. The young girl was the first to move. She broke out into a sprint, calling out Rominaria’s name. When she reached her, she wrapped her arms around the woman’s waist, rambling about missing her. Rominaria stood still, extremely confused.

The rest of the group, except for one, made their way over to her as well. They each took turns hugging her tightly. She continued to stay still, questions rushing through her mind faster than she could process them.

Just as the largest of them let her go, the other man approached her. He looked at her differently than the rest of them did, though Rominaria wasn’t sure why. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. Rominaria tensed slightly when she felt his arms shake around her.

The man pulled away slightly, just enough to look at her. That’s when she noticed the tears starting to form in his eyes. “I thought you were gone. I thought that I lost you too.”

Rominaria felt guilt creep into her stomach as she tried desperately to remember the man in front of her. She backed away slightly when her search came up short. “I’m sorry.” She apologized. “But I’m not sure that I know who you are.”

The man flinched. Hard. It was as if she had slapped him across the face. The rest of them around her stared at her with pure confusion in their eyes. “What do you mean you don’t know?” The long-haired one asked. “Aria, what are you talking about?”

Rominaria looked between the five of them, her eyes taking in each one. She couldn’t remember a single thing about them past what they looked like in the visions. “I don’t know. I saw you all in a vision but that’s as much as I know. Did we know each other?”

After quite literal hours, Rominaria finally felt as though she were somewhat caught up on her relationship to the group of odd clones. Hunter, Echo, Wrecker, Crosshair, and Omega. She hadn’t asked where the goggles wearing one was. She had a gut feeling that she already knew the answer.

Rominaria now sat alone on the beach of the planet she had learned was called Pabu. Her helmet was beside her on the sand. Her eyes drifted over the waves in the distance, a small smile forming on her face at the serenity of the scene. She felt a presence approaching her and glanced to the side, her eyes landing on one of the clones. Crosshair, she remembered. Rominaria tried again to bring forth any memories of the man, but failed once again.

He sat down beside her in the sand, not speaking as his eyes rested on the waves. There was a deep pain in his eyes. Rominaria sighed softly. “I’m sorry that I don’t remember you.”

His eyes found her then. They held the same emotion that they had earlier. When he had held her close. He was silent for a long moment, his eyes studying her face. “Not much good to remember about me anyways.” He said finally, his eyes moving back to the ocean.

Rominaria frowned, shaking her head. “I don’t believe that. You’re not a bad person, Crosshair. I don’t need memories to know that.” She saw a muscle in his jaw twitch. He stayed silent. Rominaria slowly placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “I can feel your energy through the Force.” She started, her eyes drifting to the ocean as well. “You’re in pain. Maybe I could help.”

Crosshair shook his head at that. “You can’t.”

Rominaria sighed. “You said that you thought you lost me too. Who else did you lose?”

Crosshair let out a shaky breath and Rominaria felt the grief radiating off of him fluctuate. After a few minutes of silence, he finally spoke. “His name was Tech.” Rominaria nodded for him to continue, giving him a soft encouraging smile when he finally looked at her again. “He was my brother. We lost him not long after you died. Or we thought you died at least. I wasn’t there. I wasn’t there to save either of you.” He struggled to say the last sentence through the shaking of his voice.

Rominaria cautiously raised her hand up to the man’s face, brushing away the tear that slid down his cheek. She didn’t miss the sharp inhale of breath that came from the man. Rominaria slowly pulled her hand away from him, feeling something shift in the energy surrounding them.

“I’m sorry for your loss, Crosshair. Truly.”

His eyes bore into hers and Rominaria found herself struggling to look away. “Yeah.” He muttered. Rominaria felt a strong tug in her chest, a feeling she wasn’t in the slightest used to. She swallowed slowly as she reached out, intertwining her gloved fingers between his. She heard his breath catch again.

She looked away, back to the waves. “We were close?”

He breathed out a small laugh at that. “Yeah. Yeah, we were close.”

Rominaria nodded. The sun began to set over the waves. Shades of yellow, orange, red, and pink washed over the two of them. Rominaria watched in awe. A wide smile began to form on her face as she watched it unfold. “It’s beautiful.” She breathed out.

“It is.” Crosshair agreed. Her eyes flicked over to the man. He was already looking at her. She smiled at him.

She wasn’t sure how or why, but sitting there on the beach beside him with their fingers interlocked felt right.

Chapter Text

Rominaria’s eyes were on the wooden floor of the small hut that had been given to her. Her mind was still racing. She had been on Pabu for a few days and didn’t feel any less confused than the first day. She had built a routine of sorts. She would eat breakfast, watch the sunrise on the beach, and stay there for hours meditating. Then, Omega would find her and they would all eat lunch together. Afterward, Rominaria would walk along the beach until dinner. It was simple. Rominaria didn’t mind.

Her favorite days were the ones when Crosshair would join her on the walks. She felt at ease with the man. She could sense that they had been close. Good friends. If Rominaria wasn’t a Jedi, she would assume there was something more to the way he looked at her. She knew better than that, though.

Rominaria stood up, stretching and beginning to make her way over to her bed. There was a knock on the door. She turned towards it, sensing a presence that she didn’t recognize. She slowly made her way to the door, opening it a crack and peering outside.

A beautiful dark-skinned woman stood in front of her. She smirked at Rominaria. “So it’s true then. You are alive.”

Rominaria frowned slightly from confusion. She could sense that the woman wasn’t a threat. “I’m sorry, who are you?”

The woman sighed. “So the memory thing is also true.” She smiled again. “I’m Phee.”

Rominaria laughed as the woman finished the story she was telling. There was a moment of silence before she spoke again. “I’m glad you’re back. One heartbreak was more than enough for the poor kid.”

Rominaria felt the shift in the woman’s tone. “Were you close to him? Tech, I mean.”

Phee smiled at that. “You could say that..”

Rominaria hesitated only a moment before asking. “What was he like?”

"Well, I should let you get your beauty sleep." Phee said after a few more hours.

Rominaria smiled. "Thank you for stopping by, Phee."

"Anytime." She responded with a genuine smile. She stood up and made her way over to the door. Phee glanced at her as she placed her hand on the door. “I’ll see you around, Jedi.” She exited the hut, the door shutting behind her.

Rominaria sat in silence for a long moment, before standing and making her way over to her bed. She changed into her sleep clothes, and slid under the covers.

Rominaria rolled out of bed, glancing at the small clock she had placed on her bedside table. She grabbed a pastry from the kitchen and ate it, smiling at the sweet flavor. When she was done eating, she undressed and made her way over to the small bathroom. She went through the simple routine quickly.

After showering and brushing her teeth, Rominaria made her way back into the main space with a towel around her body. She was about to reach for fresh clothes when someone knocked on the door. She sighed, making her way over to the door and opening it slightly.

Crosshair stood in front of her. She watched as his face flushed when he saw her appearance. He averted his eyes quickly. “Kriff. Sorry.”

Rominaria couldn’t help the smirk that came onto her face. “Did you need something?”

“I wanted to join you this morning.” He said, his tone awkward as he continued to look at anything except for Rominaria.

She snorted. “Sure, just let me get dressed.” He mumbled an affirmation and she shut the door again. Men are so weird.  

Rominaria rummaged through the clothes that had been given to her, settling on a pair of comfortable shorts and a sweatshirt. She also grabbed a two-piece swimsuit to wear under her clothes, wanting to swim.

She got dressed quickly. When she was finished, she grabbed a towel and made her way back to the door. She opened it and smiled up at Crosshair, who still looked tense. He visibly calmed at the sight of her smile and nodded for her to lead the way.

They walked in silence for a few moments before Rominaria spoke up. “I was thinking,” She started, glancing over to the man beside her.

“That’s never good.”

She smirked. “Oh, shut up. Anyways, I was thinking about the issues you’ve been having with your hand. What if it’s less of a physical thing, and more of a mental one.” He frowned.

“You think my heads messed up?” He sounded offended.

“Not what I said.” Rominaria sighed. “But, maybe meditation could help.” She suggested, looking over at him with hopeful eyes. His eyes met hers and he sighed. He looked away.

“Fine.”

Rominaria’s smile widened as they arrived at the beach. She laid out her towel and sat on it, leaving room for the man. He seemed to contemplate it for a moment before ultimately deciding to sit as well. Their knees bumped as they both sat cross-legged.

Rominaria looked over to the man and moved his hands into the right position. Neither of them spoke. When she was done, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, clearing her mind and focusing on the Force radiating around her.

Rominaria could feel how tense he was. The energy radiated off of him in waves. Not opening her eyes, she reached beside her and placed a gentle hand on his forearm. She projected an air of calm through the Force and felt his muscles relax. Rominaria smiled.

“Crosshair, get Aria, and get to Echo’s ship. I’ll explain when you get here. ” Hunter’s voice came in through the man’s communicator. Rominaria opened an eye, frowning.

Rominaria looked over at Echo as the ship traveled through hyperspace. “Where exactly are we going?”

“It’s a base of sorts.” He responded.

“I thought your rendezvous with Gregor was top priority.” Hunter spoke up.

“Yeah, well, I’ll pick him up after dropping you lot off.” Echo replied.

Rominaria glanced over to Crosshair. He was sitting in the seat next to her, already looking her way. She smiled softly at him. She closed her eyes, leaning her head against the seat.

When the ship landed, Rominaria pulled her hair back into a bun and placed her helmet over her head. They all filed off of the ship, Rominaria staying near the back. Her eyes landed on Rex and she smiled softly, grateful that she at least had her memories of him. Another clone followed behind. He looked familiar and Rominaria tried to place where she knew him from. Ryloth? Howzer?

“They don’t look happy to see us.” Wrecker said from in front of her. “Just like old times, huh?” He added, slapping Crosshair’s shoulder.

“Thanks for coming.” Rex said to them when they stopped in front of him.

“Good to see you, Rex.” Hunter said.

“Wish I felt the same.” Howzer cut in, his eyes on Crosshair. “I have unfinished business with this one. Remember me?” Rominaria glanced over at the man as he stayed silent. “Surprised I’m alive? Most of my squad from Ryloth is dead because of you.” He moved to take a step forward, but Rex put an arm out to stop him.

“Easy, Howzer. I know you two have history. But we’re all on the same side now.” Now?

“And who’s this?” Howzer questioned, his eyes now on Rominaria’s masked face.

She extended a hand towards the man. “Mercenary. You can call me Ghost.” She answered immediately. Howzer looked at her for a long moment, his eyes full of distrust. Rominaria focused on the Force around her, projecting a sense of ease towards the man. His eyes finally flicked down to her hand, still extended. Howzer sighed, reaching out and shaking her hand.

“Why’d you call us here, captain?” Hunter asked, breaking the silence.

“We have something to show you. Follow me.”

As Rominaria, Crosshair, and Hunter followed the two men into the base, she had a strange sense of unease hit her. The clones around them watched with eyes full of distrust. “Your numbers are growing.” Hunter said.

“Well, we need all the help we can get.” Rex responded. “Once we find the exact coordinates of the Tantiss Base, we have to hit it hard if we’re gonna pull our brothers out of there.” Rominaria had heard very little about Tantiss, but what she knew disgusted her. Rex reached a table and turned to face them. “I have questions about the facility, but that’s not the only reason why I sent for you.” He grabbed a small disk-shaped device off of the table and tossed it over to Hunter. “We recovered a target list from an imperial operative. And Omega’s on it.” Hunter pressed a button on the disc and a hologram of the young girl appeared. Rominaria’s jaw clenched.

“Not a surprise. She escaped imperial custody.” Crosshair responded immediately, placing a toothpick in between his lips.

“So did you. But you’re not on the list.” Howzer said, glaring at the man.

“Guess I’m not as valuable to them.”

“Or you’re feeding them information.” Howzer suggested.

“You’re gonna have to back down, captain.” Hunter said in a low voice, taking a step forward.

“You expect us to believe he was held on Tantiss for months, but he doesn’t know how to get back there?”

Crosshair walked up to Howzer. “Whether you believe me or not, it’s the truth.” He glanced at Rominaria for a moment before continuing. “But I’m not loyal to the Empire any longer.”

“Your squad may trust you. But I don’t.”

The door opened and Omega and Wrecker walked in, Batcher in between the two of them. Omega took one look at the scene and frowned. “What’s going on?”

Rominaria felt the odd feeling again and excused herself. She exited the room and followed the tug, the Force guiding her movements. She walked through the facility, receiving odd looks from the clones. Rominaria opened a door, and looked outside. The hangar was in front of her, multiple ships docked.

She looked around, her eyes searching for anything out of the ordinary. There was nothing but ships and clones. She closed her eyes momentarily, searching for any other Force signatures. Still, only clones. Rominaria sighed, turning around and heading back inside.

She made it back into the room, her eyes finding Omega and Wrecker eating something. Rominaria walked over to the two of them. “Where’d Hunter and Crosshair go?” She asked.

“They’re in another room. You should eat some of this.” Wrecker said, continuing to shovel spoonfuls into his mouth as he spoke. Rominaria smiled slightly.

“I think I’m okay.”

“But it’s a special recipe.” A voice from behind her said. She turned around, watching as a clone walked towards her. He looked her up and down, his eyes glinting with humor. “And who are you, gorgeous?”

Rominaria snorted. “You can’t even see my face.”

He extended a hand out towards her. “The name’s Fireball.”

Rominaria rolled her eyes, a smile on her face. She shook his hand. “Ghost.”

Fireball opened his mouth to speak. There was a loud boom and the two of them turned towards it immediately. Fireball’s hand hovered over the blaster on his thigh. There was another boom. Rominaria tapped the comms button on her helmet, trying to get in contact with Crosshair and Hunter. All she could hear was static.

Her eyes flicked over to Wrecker and Omega. “Comms are down.” She told them.

A door opened and there was the immediate sound of a blaster shot. Rominaria’s eyes landed on a clone with a hole in his chest. Rex, Howzer, Hunter, and Crosshair all ran into the room.

“There’s a shooter in here,” Wrecker yelled, grabbing his blaster and firing it in the direction that the shot came from. They all crouched behind crates.

“Shots coming from the back of the room.” Omega said.

Rominaria peeked out over the top of the crate, her eyes landing on a figure in dark armor. One of the clones crept towards the large center table, working on getting their comms back online. Another shot was fired and the table exploded.

“Backup plan.” Rex said. “Into the command post! I’ll cover you.”

They started to run towards the door Rex had pointed at. Rominaria glanced over her shoulder just as Fireball grabbed a flamethrower and fired it at the shooter. She turned back to the door, picking up Omega as she passed her and rushing the two of them through the door.

Rominaria pulled the young girl behind her, shielding her with her body. There was an explosion in the room and the doorway crumbled just as Rex jumped through.

Chapter Text

They started to run towards the door Rex had pointed at. Rominaria glanced over her shoulder just as Fireball grabbed a flamethrower and fired it at the shooter. She turned back to the door, picking up Omega as she passed her and rushing the two of them through the door.

Rominaria pulled the young girl behind her, shielding her with her body. There was an explosion in the room and the doorway crumbled just as Rex jumped through.

The ground around them shook. Rominaria held Omega against her, holding the girl steady. Once the rumbling ceased, Hunter turned on his flashlight and looked around. Rominaria let go of Omega, squatting down to help Rex up. He groaned in pain, accepting her hand and pulling himself up.

“We need to get moving before their reinforcements get here.” Rex told them.

“Is there another way off of this spire?” Rominaria asked the man.

Rex let out a dry chuckle. “There’s always another way.” He kicked aside a crate, revealing a hole in the ground. One by one, they jumped down through the hole.

Rominaria clicked her flashlight on as they entered a large circular stairwell. She approached one of the ‘windows’ and peered down. The drop was far. Rominaria started to move backward, not realizing that Crosshair was behind her. She bumped into the man.

“Sorry.” Rominaria apologized, making her way over to the rest of the group.

“Our leech vessel is docked about ten levels down.” Rex told them.

“Doesn’t have a hyperdrive though. We won’t get far.” Howzer told them.

“We can use it to contact Echo.” Rominaria spoke up, catching on to Rex’s plan. Rex nodded.

“Who are you again?” Howzer questioned.

Rominaria bit the inside of her cheek. “You can call me Ghost.”

Howzer seemed to be about to question further when Rex shook his head. “We’ve got to keep moving. You can interrogate her later.”

The group rushed down the stairs, moving as quickly as they could.

“The ship’s docked just down this corridor.” Rex told them after they had run down several flights. Rominaria froze, sensing something.

“Stop.” She and Crosshair said at the same time.

“What is it?” Another clone, Nemec, asked.

Crosshair slowly approached the closest window, and Rominaria followed behind. The two of them looked down, their eyes landing on flashes of light coming through the lower windows. “They’re coming.”

Rominaria sensed the man right as he fired, her eyes locking on the same operative from before. He shot at the two of them and Rominaria yanked Crosshair out of the way, the blaster fire hardly missing him.

“I’ll handle it.” Crosshair told them. Rominaria stayed beside him as the rest of the group ran down the stairs. Crosshair turned back to the window, firing shots at the operative. He took cover as they sent fire his way.

Crosshair shook his hand and Rominaria understood. She placed a gentle hand over it for a moment, nodding at him. “You can do this.”

Crosshair attached a device to the end of his rifle and took aim once more. He fired it and it stuck to the wall beside the operative, exploding and knocking him down. He grabbed onto a lower window and slipped inside, dodging the rest of Crosshair’s blaster fire.

The two of them sprinted to catch up with the rest of the group, making it just as the rest ran into the ship, “We’ve got to go. Now.” Rominaria said, catching her breath.

“We were waiting on you.” Wrecker said, running in after them.

“Prepare to launch.” Rex said. Rominaria stayed near the back of the group, keeping her helmet on. The ship took off, flying away. Rominaria had an odd feeling in her stomach and grabbed the wrist of the person closest to her.

Crosshair glanced over at her. “Something’s wrong. Crosshair, something’s wrong.” Rominaria said, her words quick.

A moment later, blaster fire hit the back of the ship. The alarms began going off, the ship fell downwards. Rex turned on the comms. “ Remora -one, we’ve been compromised. Heading to marker 025 for an extraction. Repeat. Marker 025.” The ship’s descent accelerated slowly and Rominaria watched out the viewport with wide eyes. “We’re going down. Strap in!”

Rominaria took one of the seats, quickly doing the straps and taking slow breaths to remain calm and level-headed. Crosshair took the seat beside her, glancing over at her before placing a hand on top of her knee.

Rominaria looked over at him, a nervous smile on her lips. The ship slammed into trees, slowing them down, before hitting the ground.

Rominaria groaned as she pulled herself out of the ship. She grabbed her blaster off of her hip, holding it in front of her as her other hand hovered over a second blaster. She squatted down next to Crosshair and Omega, looking over her blasters for any damage.

“You good?” She heard Crosshair ask the girl.

“Uh huh.” Omega responded.

“Got your crossbow?”

“Yep.” Crosshair stood, extending a hand to help Rominaria up. She took it.

“Sure you can carry those supplies.” An amused smile crept onto Rominaria’s face as she watched the exchange.

“Yes.”

“Stay close. It’s easy to get lost in this terrain.” He warned the young girl. Rominaria felt a fondness bloom in her chest.

“You’re as bad as Hunter.” Omega responded, her voice filled with exasperation.

“Oh, I’m much worse.” Rominaria smirked under her helmet, shaking her head slightly in amusement. Crosshair’s helmet tilted in her direction. “Something funny?” He questioned, only loud enough for her to hear.

Rominaria was glad that her helmet covered the wide grin that had crept onto her face. “Of course not.” She said, trying to sound serious even as a small laugh escaped her. She looked over to the rest of the group as Rex spoke.

“Echo should meet us at the extraction point. We’ll have to continue on foot.”

“How far?” Rominaria asked.

“Five klicks north.” Nemec responded. She nodded. She heard a ship in the distance.

“We’ve got attack shuttles inbound.” Hunter warned them.

“This way.” Rex said, turning and running deeper into the forest.

Batcher led the way as they walked towards two large rocks. She started to bark. “I hear it too.” Hunter told her.

Rominaria was about to ask what he had heard when a large ship flew above them. It started to lower beside where they were. Troopers poured out of it. “We have to knock through their line to reach the extraction point.” Rex told them.

“We’ve got these.” Omega said, passing something to Wrecker. He turned them on and tossed them past the rocks they were behind, directly at the troopers. The smoke grenades went off. Rominaria grabbed her blaster, peering over the rock and closing her eyes as she fired, keeping track of the troopers through their signatures in the Force.

Crosshair, who was beside Rominaria, turned to Omega. “Stick by my side, and stay down.”

They split up, taking on different angles around the remaining troopers. Rominaria closed her eyes again. She sensed a trooper moving in her direction and spun, firing at them before they knew she was there. She navigated the smoke with her eyes closed, trusting the Force to guide her.

She opened her eyes for a moment and saw Crosshair firing up at the ship. One of the bolts hit the pilots and another hit the back. The ship started to fall, away from them. It exploded in the distance as it hit the ground.

They moved after Rex, stunning the few remaining troopers that they came across. “How much further to the landing zone?” Hunter asked.

“Just ahead. Almost there.” Rex told him.

Rominaria and Crosshair spun around at the same time, the man flicking down his heat-sensing visor. “What is it?” Howzer asked as the two of them raised their blasters. A blaster bolt flew at them, hitting Nemec. He fell down. “Nemec!” Howzer yelled.

Rominaria grabbed the man’s arm, pulling him down and behind a rock. “Get down.” She peeked out from behind the rock, aiming her blaster to shoot. Another shot came at her and she moved out of the way and back into cover.

They continued to exchange blaster fire with the operative. “ I’ll draw his fire. Get to the rendezvous. ” Crosshair said through the comms. Rominaria shook her head, not moving.

“I’m staying as well. We’ll meet you there.” She told the group.

“ I don’t like that idea. ” Omega said.

“ Too bad. ”

Rominaria and Crosshair ran in the opposite direction. “He sees us.” She told him.

“Good.”

The operative climbed on top of the rock they were beside, seeing the rest of the group escaping. He raised his rifle to fire, but Rominaria and Crosshair jumped out and fired at him. The operative fired at them and Crosshair shot his rifle, knocking it out of his hands.

The two of them ran forward, stopping when they reached the side of a waterfall. They looked around slowly. The operative ran at them, appearing from behind a rock. He slammed into Crosshair, knocking the two of them off the edge and down into the waterfall.

“Crosshair!” Rominaria yelled, watching with startled eyes as he fell.

There was no hesitation as she ran forward, jumping in after the two of them. The current was strong and harsh. Rominaria felt herself being pulled forward at a fast pace. She sensed the drop ahead and braced herself, tensing slightly as she fell downwards.

Her armor smacked against the water below with a large splash. She looked around, seeing the operative swinging a vibroblade at Crosshair. Rominaria ran at him, jumping on his back just as the blade nearly hit Crosshair. She knocked him forward and down into the water.

The operative lashed out immediately, catching her off guard. His vibroblade sank into the plating between her arm and shoulder. Rominaria groaned in pain, kicking him away from her. Crosshair lunged at the operative as Rominaria glanced down at her shoulder, grimacing as she watched blood drip through her armor pieces.

She looked over, her eyes widening as she watched the operative force Crosshair’s head underwater. She ran towards him, grabbing her blaster and firing a stun at him. He fell forward, letting go of Crosshair. Rominaria grabbed Crosshair as he nearly got pulled off of another waterfall. He gasped for air, holding onto her tightly.

The rest of the group ran towards them, helping to pull the two of them out of the water. Crosshair coughed as he leaned against Rominaria. Hunter turned to her as they all climbed out of the water and back onto land. “You're bleeding.”

 “I know.” Rominaria responded. Crosshair looked down at her, his eyes full of concern. “I’ll be fine.”

The group climbed onto a large rocky area. “This is the extraction marker.” Rex told them, pressing some buttons on his vambrace.

Rominaria’s shoulder ached as she waited. Her eyes flicked up, catching on a ship flying towards them. “That’s not Echo.” She said slowly, grabbing one of her blasters. The ship landed in front of them, the door opening. Rominaria frowned for a moment before the recognition hit her. Wolffe?

“Drop your blasters. Now.” Wolffe yelled at them. Rominaria glanced over at Rex, watching as the realization hit him as well.

“Wolffe?”

“Rex?” Wolffe sounded equally surprised. Rex nodded to the rest of them before putting his blasters back in their holsters. The rest of them slowly lowered their weapons. Rex took off his helmet, staring at his brother. “I,” Wolffe started, holstering his blasters as well. “I thought you were dead.” He took off his helmet. “Reports said you were killed in action. That you went down aboard an attack cruiser.”

“Oh, I did. I lost a lot of good men that day.” Rex told him. “And today.”

“What are you doing here, Rex?” Wolffe asked him. “Don’t tell me you’re fighting against us.”

“No. Not against you. Against the Empire. They’re imprisoning and experimenting on our brothers, killed others.” He explained.

“The Empire wouldn’t do that to us.”

“She has seen it.” Rex said, gesturing towards Omega.

“It’s true. That’s what’s happening on Tantiss.” Omega said.

“We have to stop them.” Rex stepped closer to Wolffe. “You can help us. You can stand with us.”

“I am a soldier of the Empire. I have my orders.” He took a step towards Rex. “Hand the girl over, and I’ll make sure you’re given a fair trial.”

Rominaria took a step closer to Omega, shielding her from the soldiers. Rex held out a hand, stopping them from raising their blasters again. “Think about what you’re doing Wolffe.” He said. “I know you’ve been trained not to question orders, but open your eyes. You’re hunting a child. I know that’s not who you are. As your brother, I’m asking you to do the right thing.”

Rex’s vambrace started beeping and they heard a ship start to approach. “Sir, there’s an unmarked vessel inbound.” The clone commando told Wolffe.

There was a sharp pain in Rominaria’s shoulder and she winced, her focus dimming as blood continued to pour out of the open wound. Crosshair turned to her, looking at the blood before grabbing her uninjured arm and putting it across his shoulders.

Echo’s ship lowered behind them and Rominaria looked over to Rex. He was still watching Wolffe. The clone commando turned to Wolffe. “Commander?”

Wolffe held up an arm, stopping him from moving forward. “Stand down.”

Crosshair kept Rominaria’s arm over his shoulders and wrapped an arm around her from the side, helping her up and onto the ship.

Rominaria was sitting in a separate part of the ship. Alone. Her arm was wrapped and already starting to feel better. She heard the door open and looked up, her eyes landing on Rex.

He walked over to her, a quizzical look on his face. “So,” He started, crossing his arms over his chest. “Who are you really, Ghost?”

Rominaria slowly raised her hands up to her helmet, removing it with a click. She looked up at Rex with a sheepish smile on her face. Rex’s eyes went huge. “Hey.” Rominaria said slowly.

“I thought you were dead.”

“So does the Empire. I didn’t tell you earlier because I worried about the reactions from the other clones.” Rominaria told him. Rex nodded in understanding.

“You don’t need to worry about Howzer or Gregor. Both of their chips have been removed. They won’t hurt you.” Rex assured her.

“Thank you.”

When Echo’s ship landed on Pabu, the group gathered near the exit. Rominaria looked at the group of odd clones with fond eyes. She took a deep breath, preparing for what she was going to tell them. She locked eyes with Crosshair as she spoke.

“I'm staying to help Rex.” Rominaria said slowly, her eyes watching for a reaction from the man. His jaw clenched. He stayed silent. Her eyes traveled over the rest of the group. Omega seemed sad but gave her an encouraging smile.

“If that’s what you feel you need to do, none of us will stop you.” Hunter told her, placing a firm hand on her shoulder.

She smiled. “Thank you.”

Her eyes flicked back over to Crosshair. He was staring at her, a strange look on his face. Hunter glanced between the two of them for a moment, before speaking up. “Alright, well we should probably let you go.” He said, gesturing for the group to walk away, his arm shooting out to grab Crosshair’s shoulder when he began to move. “Not you.” He said in a low voice.

Rominaria watched the three of them walk away, before looking back over to Crosshair with a raised brow. He was silent for a long moment, before speaking. “Why?” He said slowly, as if he were measuring the word.

Rominaria’s smile dropped a fraction of an inch. “What?”

“Why are you leaving again?”

It suddenly became difficult to swallow. She let out a sigh. “It’s the right thing to do. Rex needs help to rebuild his numbers. I can find people through the Force.”

“What do you want?”

Rominaria’s brows furrowed slightly. “Crosshair, my wants don’t matter here. Doing the right thing does.” He sighed, shaking his head slightly as he placed a toothpick between his lips. “I need to grab some things that I have stored in the Marauder.” Rominaria said, hoping the man would understand what she meant.

He nodded and the two of them made their way over to the ship. They boarded the vessel and Rominaria grabbed the spare cloak she needed. “Your arm.” Crosshair said as she was about to exit the ship. Rominaria turned to look at him, a confused frown on her face. “You should rebandage it before you leave.”

“Alright.” Rominaria said, the two of them heading to the med bay instead. Crosshair began to grab items out of the cupboards. Rominaria sat down on the medical bed, her hand coming into contact with the metal of it.

Her vision flashed white for a moment. A scene began to play out in front of her, slightly distorted.

Crosshair was lying on the medical bed, Rominaria standing beside him as he spoke to her. “How are you always like this?” He asked her, his voice quiet.

Rominaria looked confused. “Like what?”

“You’re always so understanding and calm.”

“I’m a Jedi.” Rominaria responded with a shrug.

Crosshair shook his head slightly. “No, you’re different than them.”

Rominaria frowned. “No, I’m not.”

Crosshair let out a frustrated groan. “Yes, you are.”

“How?”

“It’s different with you,” His voice sounded exasperated. “It always has been.”

“Different how?” Rominaria asked slowly.

Crosshair looked at her for a long moment. When he spoke, his voice was quiet. “You never treated me like I was expendable.”

He leaned forward, pressing his lips against hers. Rominaria leaned into the kiss. Crosshair’s hands moved up to hold her face.

Rominaria pulled away to catch her breath. “Cross,” She started.

He shushed her, pulling her back in. He sat up, trying to be closer to her. She placed a firm hand on his chest, pushing him back onto the bed and leaning down to kiss him again. Something changed and Rominaria went tense, pulling away from him with a startled cry.

Rominaria’s eyes shot open, her heart hammering as she tried to take in what she had just seen. Crosshair was beside her, a hand on her shoulder as he watched her with concerned eyes. She looked up at him and felt her face flush slightly. There was no way that had been real. Right?

Rominaria averted her eyes as he rebandaged the cut on her arm. “Done.” Crosshair said after a moment. “What’s wrong?” He asked as he watched her avoid his eyes.

She met his stare after a long moment. Her heart nervously thudded against her ribs. “Nothing’s wrong.” She said, too quickly. Crosshair watched her with skeptical eyes and she slid off of the medical bed. He took a step towards her.

“You’re acting like something’s wrong. Are you hurt somewhere else?” Rominaria opened her mouth to say no just as he stepped closer and placed two fingers against the pulse point on her throat. Rominaria froze. Crosshair’s eyes flooded with concern.

“Your heart is beating really fast.”

Rominaria felt her cheeks flush under his gaze. Her body was frozen in place. Crosshair’s brows were knit together with worry. “I’m fine, Crosshair.” She managed to say after a long moment. He didn’t look like he believed her.

Rominaria was suddenly very aware of his fingers that were still pressed to her pulse point. She let out a nervous breath, pulling away from him.

“I’m okay. Goodbye.” She said quickly, turning on her heel and exiting the ship as fast as she possibly could.

Chapter Text

Rominaria sat on the floor of the ship. Her legs were crossed under her. Her eyes were closed. She kept her mind focused, taking slow and deep breaths. She searched through the Force, looking for a location. Coordinates. Anything. So far they had no leads on Tantiss. She had hoped she could fix that but, as it was turning out, may have been wrong.

Every time that she focused her mind on the area, she felt a pushback from the Force. It was as if something, or someone, wasn’t allowing her to see it. Rominaria took another deep breath, turning her focus away from the planet and to an easier search. 

She silently recited the mantra she had been using ever since meeting with Master Yoda. She preferred this one. It felt less restrictive. More true to the ebb and flow that was the Force.

Emotion, yet peace.

Ignorance, yet knowledge.

Passion, yet serenity.

Chaos, yet harmony.

Death, yet the Force.

She raised her hand slowly, eyes still closed. Rominaria moved the pencil in front of her, writing down the names on her notepad as they appeared in her mind. Clones who weren’t as blindly loyal as the Empire thought them to be. Clones they could recruit.

Rominaria had been with Rex for a little over a week. It was hard to keep track of time while moving through space so often. She didn’t mind. She was helping to make a difference. That was what mattered. Rominaria heard the door in front of her open but continued to focus on the task at hand.

After a few more minutes, Rominaria set the pencil down and opened her eyes, looking up at Howzer. He was watching her, his expression neutral. She stood up slowly, stretching her limbs before leaning down and picking up the notepad. “Is there something you need, Howzer?” She asked as she straightened once more, looking at him with interested eyes.

Howzer sighed. “No, nothing.” He glanced down at the notepad in her hands and Rominaria noticed the bags underneath his eyes.

“You should get some rest. You won’t be able to help anyone if you’re not at full mental and physical capacity.”

Howzer smiled slightly at her words but Rominaria sensed a deeper emotion beneath the surface. His eyes glanced down at her lightsaber, clipped to her belt. His jaw clenched slightly and she felt the emotion intensify. “What happened?” His eyes met hers again, confusion sparking within them. “With the Jedi on Ryloth.” Howzer’s eyes immediately narrowed, his demeanor turning more guarded.

“How did you-”

“Relax,” Rominaria said softly, extending a sense of calm towards him through the Force. “I didn’t read your mind or whatever you think. I can just sense the emotions surrounding you. It’s okay to be in pain, Howzer.” His shoulders loosened slightly, but his look of distrust didn’t fully drop. “Do you want to talk about it? Maybe that would help.”

Howzer looked at her for a long moment, clearly debating whether or not to leave the room. He sighed, looking down and away from her. “He was just a kid.” He said slowly, his jaw clenched as he paused. “We couldn’t control it.”

“I know,” Rominaria said softly, stepping towards the man and placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. “It wasn’t your fault, Howzer. It wasn’t any of your fault.” She sighed. “The whole Republic was deceived. Not just by the sith lord, but also by the people. Power corrupted them. The creation of the clone army shouldn’t have happened. I mean, I’m grateful to have met so many of you and fought alongside you all, but it was wrong. None of you had a choice. It wasn’t your fault.”

Howzer met her eyes again. His eyes were full of exhaustion. “I can’t sleep without seeing his final moments.” He said quietly.

Rominaria’s heart ached for the man. “Maybe I could help you sleep. Do you want me to try? I can take your watch.” He seemed hesitant to take her offer. “I don’t mind. Truly.”

Howzer didn’t respond, just nodded slowly before exiting the room. Rominaria followed after him. When they entered the sleeping quarters the two of them slowed their movements slightly so as not to wake the other three. Howzer climbed into his bunk, lying down and glancing over at the woman.

Rominaria didn’t need to use the Force to see how tense the man was. “Try to relax.” She said quietly. Howzer took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Rominaria placed her hand on his forehead, closing her eyes for a moment as she focused. When she opened her eyes again, Howzer’s chest was rising and falling steadily, his face relaxed.

Rominaria smiled softly to herself. She turned away from him and quietly made her way out of the room, closing the door behind her. She walked through the ship and into the cockpit, taking a seat in the pilot’s chair. Her eyes landed on the blue and white swirls of hyperspace.

Her eyes widened slightly as the memory hit her, hard.

Rominaria’s eyes were resting on the viewport, watching as hyperspace swirled by. She glanced to the side, the rest of her squad beside her. They were playing a card game, rather loudly. Rominaria didn’t mind. She preferred moments like these. Moments where it was easier to not think about the war. To not think about her. Just the thought of the loss created a painful stab in her chest.

“Hey, Aria. Do you wanna play?” Wrecker asked from his place on the floor. She glanced at the viewport again, before getting up and walking over to them.

“I’m not sure I know how to play this one.”

“It is quite easy,” Tech said, diving into a thorough explanation of the rules. Rominaria sat down on the ground beside them, her eyes lingering on them as they dealt her her cards. She smiled softly, feeling more at home than she had in a long time.

Rominaria blinked rapidly, taking shaky breaths as she tried to process the memory. It felt wrong, having only certain pieces back. She didn’t understand what had happened to her, but she was determined to find out.

Chapter Text

Rominaria rolled her neck back and forth, stretching as she pulled herself out of bed. She glanced over at the rest of the men, all still asleep. After she had taken Howzer’s watch, Rex had found her in the cockpit and told her to get some sleep.

She grabbed her armor pieces and made quick work of changing and putting her armor on. She kept her helmet off, settling it under an arm and against one of her hips as she exited the sleeping quarters and made her way to the pantry. 

Rominaria grabbed the container of instant caf and put a kettle on. When it was done, she poured into a mug and made her way into the cockpit. Rex turned to face her, a thoughtful look on his face as he sipped from his own mug.

“Mornin’.” Rominaria said, smiling softly at the man. She noticed how the look hadn’t left his face. “What are you thinking about?”

Rex’s eyes met hers. “You know how you were telling me about that ability? The echo thing?”

“Psychometry?” Rominaria asked. “Yeah. What about it.”

Rex turned away from her, setting down his mug and grabbing something from the seat next to his. He held it out to her slightly as she took it in. It was a black mask, one of the operatives. “I was thinking that, maybe, you could use it to find Tantiss.”

Rominaria’s eyes widened momentarily, looking back down at the helmet. That might work. “I’ll try.”

Rex held out the helmet to Rominaria. She looked at it for a moment, before carefully extending a hand. Her fingers brushed it and she winced. The pain this soldier went through. The training. Bits and pieces flashed by. She closed her eyes, taking the helmet into her hands and focusing as she tried to grasp onto a piece. 

A man, strapped to a medical bed of sorts. There were all types of devices above the bed. Another man walked into the room, a data pad in hand. He pressed a button on it and one of the devices started up, electrocuting the man in the chair.

Rominaria dropped the helmet and it hit the floor of the ship with a loud clang. Her breaths came out in short gasps for air as the man's screams echoed in her ears. She shakily moved her hands back to her sides, eyes opening slowly. Rominaria shook her head, frowning at Rex.

"I'm sorry." She said slowly, taking a deep breath. "I can't find it. There is a darkness surrounding the whole planet. Every time that I search for it, all I find is pain and suffering."

"It's alright. Was worth a try." There was a beeping sound and Rominaria looked down, realizing the comm on her vambrace was going off. She frowned, pressing the answer button and pulling her helmet on.

" Aria? " It was Crosshair.

"Yeah, it's me."

" We need you. It has to do with Omega. " He sounded urgent.

"What is it? Is she alright?" Rominaria's heart rate spiked at the thought of the young girl in pain.

" She's okay. For now. There are people after her. "

Rominaria’s jaw tensed. "Why?"

Crosshair was silent for a long moment. " It's safer if you come here. Someone could be listening to the comms. "

Rominaria frowned. "Okay, I'll see if I can get there soon."

" Thank you, Aria. "

The call disconnected and Rominaria pulled her helmet off, her frown deepening. Rex saw the look on her face and mirrored the expression. "What is it?"

"I need to head back to Pabu. They need me for something." Rominaria told him, already beginning to walk towards the barracks. She glanced back towards the man. “Hopefully I won’t be gone for long. Can you just drop me off? My ship is still on the planet.” Rex nodded.

Rominaria waved as the ship flew away. She smiled to herself as she turned in the direction of the cave that her ship was in. Her eyes narrowed as they landed on a group of people in front of the cave. Rominaria quickly made her way towards the group, placing her helmet over her head as she turned the corner and faced the group.

Rominaria’s eyes scanned over them, before landing on another familiar face. One she hadn’t seen in a long time. She walked towards them all, her pace quick. When she reached them, Rominaria crossed her arms over her chest and stared at the woman. “What are you doing here, Ventress?”

The woman, appearing to be amused by the question, raised an eyebrow. “And who might you be?”

Rominaria’s jaw clenched as she reached up and pulled her helmet off, staring at the woman through narrowed eyelids. She sensed the Force around them, but felt no malice or bad intentions. Taking a slow breath, she relaxed herself and watched as recognition flicked over the woman’s face.

“Ah. A Jedi.” Then, catching Rominaria completely off guard, she started to laugh.

“What’s so funny?”

She turned towards the clones, the amusement twinkling in her eyes. “You fools had access to a Jedi all along and you never thought to ask her?” Ventress laughed and Rominaria jaw clenched. “You should keep a better eye on your pet clones before something bad happens to them.”

“I haven’t been around for a while,” Rominaria said slowly. “And, ask me what?”

“It was why we called for you.” Hunter slowly. “The Empire is after Omega. Something to do with m-count.” Rominaria’s brows furrowed.

She turned to Ventress. “You tested her blood?”

“How perceptive of you.”

Rominaria ignored this. “What did you find?” Ventress crossed her arms over her chest, her disdainful eyes flicking back over to the clones. Rominaria sighed, turning towards the men. “I need to speak with her. Alone.” They each opened their mouths to speak and Rominaria’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Go. Now.” She turned back to Ventress, sensing the men beginning to walk away. Rominaria raised an eyebrow at the woman.

Ventress held out the small datapad that she was holding and Rominaria eyed it for a moment. She took it from the woman’s hand and scanned the screen, her brows raising in surprise. “I tested the girl. As of now, she cannot use the Force in any way.”

“Most people have to be trained to do so.”

“She’s too attached to the other clones. I wouldn’t recommend training her.” Rominaria glanced in the direction that the group had left in, feeling their eyes on her.

“She deserves a childhood. When she’s older, if she shows any signs, I’ll give her the choice.” Her eyes flicked back over to Ventress, glancing down at the saber on her side. “New saber?” Ventress looked at her as if she couldn’t believe that that was what Rominaria cared about. Rominaria held up her hands in mock defense. “Just curious.” She glanced towards the group in the distance again, before looking back to the woman. “I don’t think I have to warn you not to say anything about this place.”

Ventress looked Rominaria up and down, placing a hand on her hip. “You expect to stay safe here? It wasn’t hard to find you.”

“If someone comes, I’ll deal with them.” Ventress rolled her eyes.

“One little Jedi against the Empire?” She laughed. The sound was cold but Rominaria sensed no real malice behind it. “You truly think you can beat them?”

“Maybe not. Probably not. Doesn’t mean I won’t try.”

“The Jedi always were fools.” Rominaria smiled slightly at the woman.

“Yeah okay, ex-sith assassin.” She sighed. “And what about you? I doubt being alone and a Force user is safe. What will you do when someone inevitably comes for you?”

“Well, if someone comes I guess I’ll have to deal with them.” She sneered as she repeated Rominaria’s previous words. She turned as if to head back to her ship.

“Ventress, wait.” The woman turned to face her, an eyebrow raised. “May the Force be with you.”

The woman gave one single nod, before turning and making her way over to her ship. Rominaria watched her climb inside and after a moment, the ship took flight and left the planet’s atmosphere. She sighed, raising her helmet to her head before stopping.

“Crosshair.” She said softly, not needing to turn to know that the man was there. After a moment of silence, she did turn.

“We weren’t sure that you would really come.” He said, the words almost sounding as if they were spilling out of him faster than he could keep them in.

Rominaria’s brows furrowed. 

“You called. Of course, I came, Crosshair.” Crosshair’s heart lurched slightly at the woman’s words, the tone of her voice stirring the all too familiar feeling in his stomach. He stared at her for a long moment, slowly repressing all of the words he wanted to say to her.

Instead, he settled for, “We didn’t want to make you feel like you had to choose between-” He stopped talking abruptly, his eyes widening as Rominaria suddenly went tense, hunching over slightly as her breathing increased rapidly.

“We didn’t want to make you feel like you had to choose-” Choose. Something about the way the man said the word triggered something in Rominaria’s mind and her whole body went tense, the rocks around her fading as a new scene took place.

“You have grown far too attached, Rominaria. It is affecting your decisions and therefore affecting our relationship. So, I need you to choose.”

“Choose?”

“You can either wake up and go back to them, but not fix our relationship. Or you can choose to forget, and in doing so, begin to heal your relationship with me.”

Rominaria stood frozen. She stared at the depiction of herself, her eyes wide as she took in the woman’s words.

Rominaria stared at her, her frown deepening in confusion. “What do you mean I would have to ‘forget’?”

She could have sworn the woman almost looked sad. “You need to heal our relationship. That means letting go of all of your attachments.” Rominaria’s eyes watered slightly. Her jaw clenched.

“I don’t understand.” She said slowly, her throat feeling tight. “Can’t I let go of my attachments without forgetting?”

The smile the woman gave her was a bittersweet one. “I don’t have to answer that. You know the answer, Rominaria.” Rominaria looked down, her eyes brimming with tears. “You have to learn that you can function without them. You did before.”

Rominaria took a shaky breath, looking back up at herself. “Will I ever see them again?”

The woman took a step towards her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Maybe.”

“Will I ever remember them?”

“If it is the will of the Force.” Was all the woman said in response.

Rominaria swallowed slowly. “Will I at least remember this conversation?”

The woman smiled sadly. “No, you will not.”

Rominaria took a deep, shaky breath. She closed her eyes briefly, feeling a teardrop slide down her cheek. Rominaria looked around at the cockpit of the Marauder.  The ship she had grown to call a home. The memories made in this space flashed behind her eyes as she took another deep breath. “Okay.” She said, her voice hardly above a whisper. “Okay.” She repeated, sounding more sure of herself this time.

She took another shaky breath. The woman placed her palm against Rominaria’s forehead. Everything went black.

Rominaria’s eyes shot open. Wide. She could hear her own heart hammering violently in her ears as she struggled to calm her breathing. Her eyes rapidly took in her surroundings. She was on Pabu. Crosshair was by her side, a hand on her shoulder as he stared at her with eyes full of worry.

“I- I chose to forget?” Rominaria said slowly, more to herself than anything. Her mind raced as she went through the memory again, feeling as though some part of it was missing, though she wasn’t sure what. Rominaria straightened, running a hand down her face as the wheels in her mind continued to spin at the speed of light. After a long moment, Crosshair’s voice broke her out of the practical trance.

“Rominaria, what do you mean you ‘chose to forget’?”

Chapter Text

Rominaria’s eyes shot open. Wide. She could hear her own heart hammering violently in her ears as she struggled to calm her breathing. Her eyes rapidly took in her surroundings. She was on Pabu. Crosshair was by her side, a hand on her shoulder as he stared at her with eyes full of worry.

“I- I chose to forget?” Rominaria said slowly, more to herself than anything. Her mind raced as she went through the memory again, feeling as though some part of it was missing, though she wasn’t sure what. Rominaria straightened, running a hand down her face as the wheels in her mind continued to spin at the speed of light. After a long moment, Crosshair’s voice broke her out of the practical trance.

“Rominaria, what do you mean you ‘chose to forget’?”

Rominaria’s eyes shot over to the man, jumping slightly. She had forgotten that he was there. “Crosshair, I think that me losing my memory was my choice.” She said in a slow and measured voice. She watched in silence as the slow recognition of her words passed over Crosshair’s face.

After what felt like an hour, but was more likely only a few minutes, he finally spoke. “Why would you do that?” He didn’t sound angry. He just sounded hurt.

“I was too attached. I wasn’t handling it the way that I should have been and it was putting a strain on my relationship with the Force.” She told him, her mind still racing. “So I made the hard choice. I think it was the right one, though. I hope, at least.” Her eyes met his again and she placed a hand on his arm. “I’m sorry, Crosshair.”

His eyes searched hers for a long moment. “Is there any way to get your memories back?”

“If it is the will of the Force.” Rominaria answered, repeating the words from her memory.

Crosshair looked like he wanted to say something, but he stayed silent. His jaw clenched slightly. His eyes flicked down to her hand that was still on his arm. He looked back up to her, an unreadable emotion in his eyes. Rominaria frowned slightly, feeling something in her stomach.

She held his stare for a long moment, not knowing what to say or how to navigate the shift that she had felt happen. His eyes flicked down to her lips for a moment and she felt her heart jump into her throat. “Crosshair?”

His eyes shot back up to hers and he seemed to have snapped out of the trance he had been in. “We should head back to the others.” Rominaria frowned but nodded in agreement. 

They walked in silence, Rominaria’s mind still trying to understand what she had felt. She glanced over to him as they reached the town and she felt her face warm slightly as her eyes met his. Rominaria looked away quickly, her eyes drifting over the sight of the town in front of them.

“When will you be leaving?” Crosshair asked, breaking the silence between the two of them. Rominaria looked back over to him, frowning slightly.

“I’m not sure. Rex is on a mission right now so most likely after that. Why?” Crosshair didn’t respond, just shook his head slightly. He changed the direction he was walking in and Rominaria followed him, smiling slightly as she realized that he was headed towards the beach. “This planet is so beautiful.” Rominaria said softly, more to herself than to him.

“It is.” Rominaria looked over at the man and found his eyes on her already. She looked back towards the waves, an idea sparking in her mind. Rominaria began to pull off her armor, piece by piece, and gently set it in the sand.

Crosshair’s confusion was immediate. “What are you doing?” He asked as she pulled the last piece off.

“Going for a swim. You should join.” She gave him one last glance before turning away from him and running over to the ocean. She stepped into it slowly, the cold water soaking her blacks immediately as she grinned. She turned back to Crosshair, calling out to him. “Come on, it’s not that cold.” She watched him shake his head and her smile grew as he started to remove his armor.

When he waded into the water, she moved over to him. “You lied. It is freezing.”

Rominaria giggled. “Okay, yeah. It’s really cold. But it’s still nice.” She argued playfully, splashing water in his face. He stared at her in shock for a moment, before winding an arm back and splashing even more water in her face. “Rude,” Rominaria muttered as she blinked rapidly to remove water from her eyes. It was nearly impossible for her to suppress the smile on her face.

Crosshair stared at the woman in front of him, the all-too-familiar feeling in his stomach growing. More than anything, he wished to share how he felt with her. He had done it once, but she no longer remembered those words. Perhaps this was another chance. A chance to tell her without messing things up again.

Rominaria waved a hand in front of his face. “Hello? Did you hear a word that I just said to you?”

Crosshair felt his face grow warm and was suddenly very grateful for the cold water against his skin. “What did you say?” Rominaria just laughed and he watched in awe as the action transformed her face into something that was somehow even more beautiful than before.

“It doesn’t matter. I was just rambling.”

“I don’t mind it.” The words slipped out before he could stop himself. Rominaria just grinned at him, playfully slapping his chest with her hand. Her expression changed slightly and she met his eyes again.

“Hey, Crosshair?”

“Yes?” He found it almost hard to get the word out.

Rominaria opened her mouth to speak, but all that escaped her lips was a sharp gasp. Her whole body went tense in the water and she started breathing in quick gasps for air.

He took a step towards her. “We can’t keep doing this.” He said slowly.

Her brows furrowed. “What do you mean?” She questioned.

“We can’t keep acting like we don’t feel how we feel about each other.” He said and she looked away from him.

“I don’t know what you mean.” She said, keeping her voice void of emotion. Her heart was pounding in her chest.

Crosshair took another step towards her. “Rominaria, you do. You know how I feel about you, I think I’ve made it quite obvious.” Rominaria swallowed slowly, staring at the man with wide eyes. 

“You just feel comfortable around me.” She told him, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’m one of the few women in your life, of course you’d mistake those feelings for something else.” She said in a calm voice, her own words hurting her.

Crosshair tensed at her words. “That’s not true. I care for you, Aria. And not in the same way that I do for the rest of this squad.”

Rominaria let out a shaky breath. Attachment leads to the dark side. “You don’t.” She said quietly. She knew he was telling the truth but it didn’t matter. It couldn’t matter. “Even if you did, it wouldn’t matter. You’ll move on.”

“Rominaria, you’re not hearing me.” He said, his frustration clearly growing as he pinched the bridge of his nose with a frown. She frowned back. Didn't he understand that no matter what she wanted to feel, she couldn’t. He knew the Code just as she did.

There is no emotion, there is peace. 

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. 

There is no passion, there is serenity. 

There is no chaos, there is harmony. 

There is no death, there is the Force.

She reminded herself silently, before slowly looking up to meet his eyes. “I’m hearing you just fine, Crosshair.” She said in a slow and measured voice. 

“No, I don’t think that you are.” He told her, clearly exasperated. “I’m here at your beck and call. I search for you in every room, every crowd. I hang on to every touch, every conversation, every time you so much as look at me, Rominaria. As if you are the planet and I am the moon destined to always orbit you. Always near you but never close enough for something more. For something real.”

She stared at him with wide eyes, her mouth suddenly feeling very dry. She tried not to let her voice shake as she spoke. “Cross,” She said slowly. “You don’t understand.” She finished poorly.

He stepped closer to her. So close that if she wanted to, his lips were right there. She shook off the thought as he opened his mouth to speak again. “I thought, after everything. Everything we’ve been through. That you felt the same.”

“What do you mean?” She asked him, silently begging him not to say the words. She forced herself to look into his eyes, to see the pain she was causing him. The same pain that she seemed to cause for everyone around her.

“How do you not see it?” He asked her, his hands slowly moving to cup her face between them. Her heart began to pound so loud that she almost didn’t hear his next words. Almost. “I love you, Rominaria. I have for so long now.”

Rominaria’s eyes shot open, locking with Crosshair’s. She was no longer in the water, but on the sand beside the man. He looked concerned, one of his hands resting on her shoulder, but it was hard for her to focus on that at all. She exhaled a shaky breath, her mind still racing over the words still replaying in her mind. Her brow furrowed as she slowly processed it all.

Slowly, she spoke. “You love me?” Something about saying those words felt right to Rominaria—She brushed aside that thought. The reaction was almost immediate. Crosshair flinched slightly, his face flushing in a way that was almost impossible for Rominaria to not notice.

“What?” Was all that escaped him.

“I had a memory. You said you loved me.”

Crosshair swallowed slowly, looking past her. “I did. Yes.”

Rominaria hesitated for a second before asking the question that was screaming to be spoken in the forefront of her mind. “Do you still?”

Crosshair’s jaw clenched and she felt a slight guilt begin to grow in her stomach. She shut it down quickly. He didn’t speak, but somehow that was more than enough of an answer. Rominaria nodded slowly, placing a gentle hand on the man’s arm.

“I’m sorry, Crosshair.” She said slowly. “I’m so sorry.”

“You have no reason to be sorry. You’ve done nothing wrong.” He said slowly, his eyes reconnecting with hers.

Rominaria snorted at that. “I wish that that were true.” Hesitantly, she reached out a hand and slowly placed it against the side of his face. She heard his breath catch and watched as his eyes closed almost instantly. She stared at him for a long moment. “I wish that I could be that for you. But I just, I don’t remember, Cross. I don’t remember any of it.”

He hummed at her words, eyes still closed. Rominaria took the opportunity to study the man’s face. To say he was attractive would have been an understatement. Her face flushed slightly at the thought. Rominaria’s eyes flicked down to his lips after a moment, before quickly returning to the rest of his face. She felt a strange tug in her chest, pulling her towards him.

She leaned closer to him, eyes on his mouth again.

“ Crosshair are you with Aria right now? ” The moment shattered instantly and Rominaria jumped back at the sound of Hunter’s voice. Crosshair opened his eyes, looking at the comm with eyes full of disdain. After a moment of silence, he grabbed it and pressed a button.

“Yes,”

“ Shep said to head up for dinner. ”

Crosshair rolled his eyes. “Copy that.”

After she had finished eating and the sun had begun to set, Rominaria stood up and stretched. “I’m going to head back to my place.” She told the group.

“I’ll walk you back.” Crosshair said almost instantly. He stood up and made his way over to her. She said her goodbyes to the rest of the group, and then she and Crosshair began to make their way through Pabu. When they arrived at the small hut, Rominaria stepped inside and looked back at the man.

“Could I actually talk to you about something?” Crosshair frowned, but nodded and stepped inside. Rominaria crossed the room, pulling her armor off, and sitting down on her bed. Crosshair stood by the door, watching her. She patted the bed beside her. “Sit.”

The man crossed the room and sat down beside her—His eyes scanned her face in what was most likely an attempt to figure out what she wanted to speak to him about. Rominaria took a deep breath before speaking.

“What was I like? When I was with you guys before, I mean.” Rominaria asked, a hint of hesitancy in her voice.

Crosshair frowned slightly. “Similar to now. You hated me when you met me.”

“Why?” Rominaria asked, brows furrowed in confusion.

A hint of a smirk grew on Crosshair’s face. “I wasn’t very nice.”

“Makes sense.” Crosshair rolled his eyes but Rominaria could tell that he was amused. “Can I ask you something?”

“Anything.” He answered immediately.

Rominaria took a slow breath, feeling her face grow warm from the thought of the question alone. “Why did you love me?” Crosshair was quiet for a long moment. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.” She assured him.

“You’ve always been so kind, even in the face of awful things. You were, are , radiant. I was grateful for every day with you around, even though it didn’t show. You never treated me or my brothers like we were expendable.”

“You’re not expendable.” Rominaria cut in. “No clone ever was to me. Sometimes I wish that the clones were never created. It wasn’t fair to any of you. It wasn’t right . You’re people too.”

“I didn’t mind.” Crosshair said sosoftlyRominaria opened her mouth to speak, but stopped as he continued. “I’ve never known a life that wasn’t one of war. And, besides, I would have fought hundreds of wars if that meant that I got to be in your presence.” Rominaria felt her pulse jump.

“Crosshair,” She said softly, unsure of what else to say. “I don’t know what to do to make up for the pain that I’ve caused you.”

“Stay.” He answered almost instantly. Rominaria frowned slightly. She had noticed a feeling in her stomach when she had landed on Pabu, as if the Force was telling her that this was where she needed to be.

She searched his eyes for a long moment. The energy surrounding them felt charged and she wasn’t fully sure how to navigate it. “Okay,” She said—Her voice was so quiet that she was surprised the man heard her at all.

She saw the change in demeanor immediately. His shoulders relaxed and he almost looked like he wanted to smile. She saw his eyes flick down to her mouth. Rominaria looked away from him, feeling warmth spread across her face.

She looked back over to him, her eyes scanning his face. The bags under his eyes were dark, as if he hadn’t been sleeping well. “Crosshair, when was the last time you slept?”

He looked down. “It’s been a while.” He eventually answered. Rominaria frowned.

“Are you having trouble falling asleep?” She knew the answer before he had the chance to open his mouth. “I can help. If you’d like.” She said, her voice soft. Crosshair looked confused, but nodded. “Here, take your armor off and lie down.” She said, standing up and staring at him.

Crosshair swallowed. “What?”

Rominaria rolled her eyes. “Just do what I said. Please.” She added, softening the tone of her voice. Crosshair still looked confused but followed her instructions, standing and stripping away his armor until all he was left in was his blacks. He hesitated near the bed. “Lie down. I can sleep in my chair.” He crawled under her blankets, lying on his back and watching her with curious eyes.

Rominaria walked back over to the bed, sitting on the edge and turning towards the man. She reached out a hand to place against his forehead. Crosshair stopped her, catching her wrist. “Wait,” He said. Rominaria frowned, but let him continue. “You could sleep here too.” He said, his voice hesitant.

Rominaria sighed. She slipped under the blankets, rolling onto her side to face the man. He did the same and she willed her face not to flush as she felt his breath against it. Rominaria reached out a hand, placing it against the side of his head and focusing her mind. She heard his breathing relax and smiled.

“Goodnight, Crosshair.” She said softly, before closing her own eyes and letting sleep take hold of her.

Chapter Text

Rominaria opened her eyes, feeling something firm wrapped around her waist. She blinked rapidly, confusion flooding through her. She turned, coming face to face with a very much asleep Crosshair. Her face flushed slightly at the proximity, before she calmed herself. More than anything, she was grateful that she had been able to help the man sleep.

Rominaria turned from the man again, starting to slowly slide out from under his arm. She was almost off of the bed, when Crosshair grabbed her waist and pulled her back against his chest. “Don’t go.” He muttered against the back of her neck.

Rominaria’s breath hitched. “We have to get up, Cross. You heard what Hunter said at dinner. Pabu isn’t as safe as you guys thought it was.”

His hold around her tightened. “Just a little longer.”

Rominaria turned to face the man, raising her eyebrows at him. “Crosshair, we have to get up.” Her eyes searched his and suddenly she didn’t want to get out of bed. His face was close. So close that if she wanted to, she could lean forward and-

“Fine,” Crosshair said with a sigh, begrudgingly removing his arms from their place around her.

Rominaria smiled, pulling herself out of her bed and stretching her arms. Crosshair crawled out of the bed, his eyes lingering on the woman. “What?” Rominaria asked when he continued to stare at her.

A hint of a smile passed over his face. “Nothing.” He walked past her, moving over to the pile of armor he had left on the floor. He glanced over his shoulder at her as he started to put the pieces on. Rominaria realized she was staring and looked away quickly, beginning to put her own armor on.

When the two of them were finished, they made their way out of the small hut and headed down to where the Marauder was. Rominaria was going to see them off and then head over to her own ship and then meet them at the coordinates Rex had provided them with.

Rominaria leaned against the side of the Havoc Marauder, watching with a fond smile as Wrecker carried things onto the ship. “Need any help?”

“S’alright.” He grinned.

Crosshair and Hunter approached, each rolling a cart carrying multiple crates. The two of them lifted the crates onto the ground beside Wrecker.

“That’s got to be all of it, right?” Wrecker questioned.

“We still need to grab the rations.” Hunter told him. “Keep loading up the ship. We’ll be back.”

Wrecker groaned. “Fine.” The two of them started to walk away. “But at least bring me back an ice cone. No, no, no. Make it two.” Wrecker called after them.

Rominaria pulled herself away from the side of the ship. “Here, I’ll help.” She told him, extending her arms and using the Force to lift one of the crates. She followed Wrecker onto the ship.

Rominaria stood at the entrance of the Marauder, watching Wrecker walk over to where Gonky was. He grunted, placing his hand on one of the crates. “I don’t even think there’s room on this ship for all this gear.” Gonky beeped in response. “Oh, yeah? Well, maybe I should leave you behind.”

When Rominaria stepped outside, she was hit with a sharp pain in her chest. She doubled over, letting out a startled gasp. She felt Wrecker’s hand on her shoulder. “You alright, Aria?”

Rominaria straightened slowly, letting out a shaky breath. She reached out an arm, using the Force to pull her helmet towards her from its place on one of the crates. The metal connected with her hand and she quickly placed the helmet over her head. She turned to Wrecker. “We should leave soon. Something’s wrong.”

Wrecker frowned, but nodded at her words. “Just have to finish loading everything.”

Rominaria walked over to Crosshair, one hand against the side of her helmet. He looked at her for a long moment, frowning. “What’s wrong?” He asked.

“I’m not sure. I sense something.”

Crosshair nodded. “Hunter sensed something as well. We’re about to leave.” Rominaria nodded, heading back over to where Wrecker was finishing loading crates. She used the Force to start to carry one on board. Wrecker walked behind her, holding a crate as well.

Rominaria froze. Her whole body went tense as her head whipped to the side. Her eyes landed on the explosive. Wrecker saw it as well and grabbed her, jumping away just as it went off. Rominaria’s helmet smacked the ground hard, Wrecker landing on top of her. Everything went black.

Rominaria was in a room she didn’t quite recognize, though it felt familiar. She looked around and saw that there was a door on the other side of the room. Rominaria walked toward the door, her hand ghosting over the handle.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

Rominaria’s body whipped around, her eyes widening. “Master?”

Shaak Ti smiled warmly at her. “Come, my apprentice.”

Rominaria walked towards the woman, suddenly feeling like a small child again. Shaak Ti placed one of her hands against the side of Rominaria’s face. “Where am I, Master?” Rominaria asked slowly.

“You are currently unconscious. Your ship exploded and left you injured.”

Rominaria frowned as the memory of the explosion came back to her. “The Empire is here, aren’t they?” Shaak Ti nodded solemnly. “Why haven’t I woken up yet.”

“A choice is going to be put in front of you. It will be a hard choice and you will not want to go through with it, but it will be the correct choice.”

“If I’m meant to do it, is it really a choice?” Rominaria asked.

Shaak Ti frowned, placing both of her hands on Rominaria’s shoulders. “Rominaria, as long as you are alive, you will always have a choice.”

Rominaria’s eyes shot open. Her chest heaved up and down as she attempted to calm herself.’ Crosshair was already at her side. “How do you feel?” He asked. His voice was full of worry.

Rominaria sat up slowly, looking around the room they were in. Wrecker was lying unconscious. Rominaria could feel that he was still alive, though. Omega and Crosshair were in front of her. “I’m okay. The Empire-”

“We know,” Crosshair told her, helping her stand up. Rominaria put an arm over his shoulders, using him to support herself.

“What do we do? Troopers will be here soon?” Omega asked the two of them.

“Hunter would want us to stick to the plan,” Crosshair told the young girl.

“There’s no hiding, Crosshair. The Empire knows I’m here. We can’t risk them knowing that she’s here too.” Omega said, gesturing to Rominaria. Crosshair’s worried eyes flicked back and forth between the two of them. “They won’t stop searching until they find me.”

Rominaria frowned. “What are you suggesting, Omega?”

The girl sighed. “Our only choice is to let them capture me.”

“What?” Crosshair asked immediately.

”Look at what they’ve already done.” Omega said. “I can’t let the people here suffer more because of me.”

“You’ll be taken back to Tantiss.” Rominaria said slowly.

“Exactly,” Omega told her. “We’ve been trying to find those coordinates, and nothing’s worked. But if I keep my comm on me and turn myself over, you can track me to Tantiss.”

Oh.

Oh.

The realization hit Rominaria. This is the choice.

“This is our chance.” Omega told them. “Our chance to finally rescue the clones imprisoned there.”

Crosshair shook his head. “No. They’ll search you and find it. It won’t work.”

Omega let out a frustrated groan. “Well, then shoot a secondary tracker onto the ship that they take me away on.”

“Too many unknown variables. It’s not a viable plan.” Crosshair responded. Rominaria could feel the worry and anxiety radiating off of the man. She squeezed his shoulder with her hand that was resting against it.

“It’s all we’ve got.” Rominaria said slowly, agreeing with the girl. Crosshair glanced over to her, his jaw tense. “I would much rather them take me. But even if I were to escape, they would know I’m alive and we would be in constant danger.”

“And it’s my choice.” Omega told her.

“Omega,” Crosshair said softly, his voice pained.

“Focus on the bigger mission, Crosshair. I’m just a small part of it.” Rominaria felt pride bloom in her chest at the young girl’s bravery.

Rominaria and Crosshair looked down from their position, watching as a trooper cuffed Omega. They scanned her and then took her tracker. Rominaria’s jaw clenched. She and Crosshair moved quickly, running up stairs and sneaking past troopers to get to a better spot.

Rominaria’s eyes darted to the side, watching as Omega was escorted onto a ship. Crosshair lined up the shit. “Over here!” A trooper yelled.

Rominaria grabbed her blasters and Crosshair and her shot at the troopers. Once they were down, Crosshair ran back toward the ledge, aiming his rifle as the ship started to take off. He fired the tracker but the ship moved upwards and the two of them watched as it fell into the water.

Rominaria went tense. She glanced over at Crosshair. The man was staring up at where the ship had taken off.

Omega was gone

Chapter Text

Rominaria’s eyes were on Crosshair as he stood frozen. She heard the Empire’s ships. She was more focused on the emotion radiating off of the man. It was almost suffocating. Slowly, Rominaria took a step closer to the man.

She slowly brought her hands to his helmet, finding the latch and pulling it off of the man. Crosshair’s eyes flicked down to hers. They were full of emotion. His jaw was clenched. He looked like he was shaking. Rominaria placed his helmet on the ground.

“Oh, Cross.” She said softly, bringing up her hands to hold his face.

His expression softened momentarily. In an instant, it was gone. Crosshair looked angry. “You said it was a good idea.” He spat, pulling himself back and out of Rominaria’s hold.

She breathed out a soft sigh. “I said it’s all we had. And it was. We’ll find her, Crosshair.”

Crosshair’s fists balled at his sides. “And what if we don’t? I told you I didn’t want that. You let her do it.”

“Yell at me then, Crosshair,” Rominaria said, her eyebrows raised at the man. “If snapping at me helps you deal with the emotions you’re experiencing, then go for it. But I would rather find Omega.”

The anger slowly faded from Crosshair’s face. His jaw shook slightly. “I’m sorry, Aria. I-” His voice broke. Rominaria took another step toward the man, closing the distance and gently wrapping her arms around him.

She felt him rest his head on top of hers, his arms snaking around her and holding onto the woman in a tight embrace. “It’s okay,” Rominaria muttered against his armor. “I’m not mad at you, it’s okay. We’re going to get her back, Cross.”

Crosshair pulled away slightly, just enough to look down at Rominaria. She smiled reassuringly at the man. Rominaria placed a hand on the side of his face. Slowly, she stood on her toes and placed a soft kiss on his cheek.

“We’ll get her back.”

Rominaria stood in between Crosshair and Wrecker. The door opened and Hunter stepped into the room, taking his helmet off. “The troopers have pulled out but the cruiser’s still jamming our comms.”

Wrecker looked over at Rominaria and Crosshair. “I still can’t believe you let Omega turn herself in.”

Rominaria watched Crosshair’s jaw tense. She slid her hand into his as he spoke. “The Empire would have destroyed this whole town.” Rominaria squeezed his hand reassuringly. “She stopped them.”

“Yeah, and they’ve got her again.” Wrecker reminded him. “And we’re stuck here without a ship.”

“Mine is only big enough for one person,” Rominaria said, frowning as she nodded in agreement.

“Even if we get our hands on a ship, we still have no way of finding Tantiss base. ” Hunter said slowly.

Rominaria’s eyes flicked down, watching as Crosshair’s right hand shook slightly. She squeezed the hand she was holding again. “That’s not exactly true.” Rominaria frowned.

“Wait. You’ve known where Tantiss is this whole time?” Wrecker asked.

Crosshair rolled his eyes. “I didn’t say I know. There’s someone who might have the coordinates?”

“Who?” Rominaria asked the man.

“Admiral Rampart.” The name felt familiar but Rominaria wasn’t sure of where she had heard it. “He sent Nala Se there when we decommissioned Tipoca.” His grip on Rominaria’s hand tightened slightly.

Hunter took a step forward. “Why didn’t you say anything before?”

“Because, Tantiss isn’t a place I ever wanted to go back to.” Crosshair said slowly, glancing down at his hand again. “And Rampart’s not particularly trustworthy. He is a last resort, but he’s also our only option.”

“Where’s Rampart now?” Hunter asked.

“I was still in the Empire when they arrested him. He was sent to-” Batcher started growling and they all turned in the direction. A cylindrical shape in the center of the room lowered into the ground. A moment later, it rose back up. Phee and AZI were on it.

AZI waved his metal arms at them. “Do not shoot!”

“I second that.” Phee told them, placing a hand on her hip.

“I found Phee during my scout.” AZI told them.

“I saw the Imperials on my approach.” Phee said. “When I landed, Doc here briefed me on the situation.”

“How did you get in here unseen?” Hunter asked the woman.

“Used the hidden cavern access when I docked my ship.” Phee informed them.

“We’re gonna need to borrow that.” Crosshair cut in. Rominaria smacked his arm lightly.

Phee turned towards the man, an amused glint in her eyes. “You must be Crosshair. Tech told me all about your sparkling personality.” Rominaria’s lips quirked slightly in a small smirk.

Crosshair crossed his arms over his chest. “Is that a no?”

“Any friend of brown eyes, is a friend of mine.” Phee told the man. Rominaria smiled softly at that. Crosshair shot the woman at his side a confused look, before turning his attention back to Phee. “Where are we heading?”

Crosshair let out a small sigh. “An Imperial labor camp on Erebus.”

“Ooh, I like this already.” Phee replied.

Rominaria followed the rest of the group into the lounge of Phee’s ship. “I called in a favor with one of my contacts.” Phee told them. “It cost me a hefty sum, but I’ve got an overview of the labor camp on Erebus.” She pressed a button on the holotable and a landscape appeared in front of them.

“Do you think that you can get us close enough to the perimeter undetected?” Rominaria asked the woman.

Phee smirked at her. “I know I can. Tricks of the trade. But once you’re past the perimeter, they’ve got guards sensors, and scouts.”

Wrecker chuckled. “Give us a real challenge.”

“Once we hit the ground, we have to tap into the prison data bank and pinpoint Rampart’s location.” Hunter told the group. 

“We can use a terminal at one of the checkpoints.” Crosshair said, pointing at the map.

Hunter pressed a button, zooming in on the image of the checkpoint. “Phee, when we acquire the target, we’ll comm you for a pickup.”

Rominaria sat cross-legged on the floor of the lounge. The rest of the crew were in the cockpit, getting ready to approach Erebus. Her eyes were closed and she took slow deep breaths. She focused her mind, calming herself and focusing.

Emotion, yet peace.

Ignorance, yet knowledge.

Passion, yet serenity.

Chaos, yet harmony.

Death, yet the Force.

She repeated the mantra in her mind. She heard the door open and sensed Crosshair slowly approach her. He was silent and he sat down beside her. Despite herself, she felt her lips quirk up in a small smile.

Rominaria glanced over at Crosshair through the visor of her helmet as the group crept onto the bridge. They turned a corner, stunning two troopers before running to a panel. “Plug in and find out where Rampart is.” Hunter told them.

Wrecker passed Crosshair the device and the man made quick work of hooking it up to the panel. Rominaria moved over to Hunter, the two of them keeping an eye out.

“Found him.” She heard Crosshair’s voice behind her. “Rampart’s tagged to be transported back to the prison from the mining structure.”

Rominaria turned around, pulling her binoculars away from her face. “The prison’s on the other side of the bridge. Our best shot at grabbing Rampart is to intercept them when they’re en route from the mine.”

“Take on a turbo tank?” Wrecker asked. “Yeah. Now you’re talking.”

“We can’t hit it head on.” Crosshair told them. “They’ll see us coming.”

Rominaria watched the transport ship slowly approach through her binoculars. Hunter turned toward the group. “Get into position.” He told them. “I’ll secure the controls. You three handle Rampart.” They moved quickly, moving closer to the transport.

Hunter, Wrecker, and Crosshair shot their grappling hooks onto the ship. Rominaria used the Force to speed up her run, using the energy to propel herself high enough to land on top of the ship. She grinned at the feeling of adrenaline pumping through her veins.

The four of them ran across the top of the ship, moving with a practiced ease.

Rominaria smiled as she heard Wrecker yell. “Clear.”

Rominaria and Crosshair moved over to the door. The man pressed his hand against it. “It’s magnetically sealed.” He turned to his brother. “Wrecker, remember plan fifty-five.”

Wrecker was silent for a long moment. “Oh. Yeah. Fifty-five. Waitin’ on you. Go.”

Crosshair opened the door and the three of them ran through it.

The door in front of them opened and Crosshair shot immediately. The blaster fire bounced off of the walls, taking out multiple troopers. Wrecker raised his blaster, taking out the remaining two. The three of them stepped into the space, looking around.

A voice came from Rominaria’s left. “CT-9904?” Her eyes landed on a man sitting to her left. Crosshair turned toward the man as well.

“You remembered? How touching.” He said slowly. Rominaria could feel the disgust for the man radiating off of him. “Crosshair pressed his comm. “The target’s secured.”

“The target?” Rampart questioned. “What is this? Are you here to kill me?” Rominaria resisted the urge to say yes.

“Tempting, but no.” Rominaria smirked at Crosshair’s words.

“What about them?” Wrecker asked, gesturing toward the rest of the prisoners on the transport.

Rominaria couldn’t resist the small smile on her face as they ushered the prisoners off of the transport. “Go! Now!” Wrecker called out. “Come on. Move it!”

She made her way back onto the ship as Wrecker hurried the rest of them out. Rominaria stopped beside Crosshair, glaring down at Rampart through her visor. She watched as the man scanned his eyes over her, most likely trying to figure out who she was.

She noticed the moment his eyes snagged on her lightsaber, still on her hip. Rominaria’s jaw clenched. “Is that a lightsaber?” He questioned, sounding very interested.

Rominaria hardly hesitated before giving her answer, the lie falling easily from her lips. “I took it off of the last person I killed. Would you like to be next?” She spat. Rampart raised his hands.

“No need.”

Wrecker came running back into the space. “That should distract the Imperials for a bit.”

“And what about me?” Rampart asked.

“You’re fine right where you are.” Crosshair said slowly.

“If you’re not here to execute me, and you’re not letting me go, then you must need something from me.” Rampart said, smirking at them.

Crosshair took a step toward the man. “Tantiss base. Where is it?”

“Ah, Tantiss.” Rampart sounded almost amused. “And how much is that information worth to you?”

“You’re not in a position to bargain.” Rominaria reminded him.

Rampart hummed in thought. “I disagree. I’ll talk after you get me off this planet. You don’t get what you want if I don’t get what I want.” Rominaria rolled her eyes.

“ We’re approaching the bridge. ” Hunter’s voice came in through their comms. “ Wrecker, man the cannon. ”

Rominaria watched the man in front of her with tired eyes. Every so often, he tried to get information from Crosshair and her. He was insufferable. She felt the tank speed up and explosions rock the vessel. Rominaria glanced over at Crosshair.

The man shrugged and the two of them looked back over to Rampart. The man opened his mouth. Again. “So, who are you?” He asked Rominaria. She ignored him. Again. “Interesting for you to be with this group.”

“Maker, were you dropped on your head as a child? How hard is it to stop talking for one minute?” Rominaria spat.

The ship lifted off the ground momentarily and the three of them fell. Rominaria watched Rampart grab a blaster. Crosshair shot it out of his hands immediately. The two of them stood up, looking down at the man. “Oh, please. You’re not going to kill me.”

Crosshair hummed. “Not yet.” He shot a stun blast at the man, knocking him out. Rominaria grinned at Crosshair. She was grateful for her helmet as she felt her face flush slightly. She leaned down to grab the man’s collar.

The ship jerked again and Rominaria lost her balance stumbling. Crosshair’s arm wrapped around her waist, anchoring her to him and keeping her upright. Rominaria felt her heart jump in her chest. “Thanks.” She muttered, pulling away from him and looking back at the unconscious man.

The two of them grabbed the man and dragged him back into the cockpit where Hunter and Wrecker were. “Phee, we’re past the perimeter and need that pickup.” Hunter said. The comm was silent in response.

Ships started to shoot at the tank they were in, shaking it as Hunter kept it moving on the small ledge. Wrecker fired the cannons at the ships. One of the ships crashed to the ground. Rominaria sensed a new presence.

“We’ve got troopers on the roof.” She told them.

Wrecker looked at the console in front of him. “Cannons are offline!” He told the group.

Hunter swerved the ship, knocking off the troopers. The last ship shot at them again. Hunter glanced down. “Controls are dead.”

“We’re running out of road!” Wrecker yelled.

Rominaria’s jaw clenched, getting ready to try and lift the tank to slow their fall. She felt the ship approach and grinned. Phee shot down the last ship and it fell from the sky.

“ Not exactly a stealth exit, boys. ” Phee’s voice called out through the comms.

“Let’s move.” Hunter ordered. The group rushed up the ladder onto the top of the tank, dragging Rampart as they went. Phee lowered her ramp and one by one they jumped onto it. Crosshair threw Rampart before jumping himself. Wrecker and Rominaria were left.

The distance between the tank and the ramp was further. “Jump, I’ll boost you!” Rominaria yelled to the man. Wrecker nodded, jumping. Rominaria pushed him forward, smiling as he landed on the ramp. She rolled her shoulders, running quickly and leaping toward the ramp.

The four of them surrounded Rampart as their ship entered hyperspace. Crosshair kicked the unconscious man and he jolted awake. “We got you off the planet. Now tell us where Tantiss is.” Crosshair said in a low voice.

Rampart sighed. “It’s more complicated than that.” Rominaria’s jaw clenched.

“Complicated how?” She asked.

“No one knows the coordinates to Tantiss.” Rampart told them. “It was designed that way. But I might know how to get around that.”

“Either you tell us now, or we drop you back in that Imperial prison.” Crosshair said.

“Now, now. No need for threats. After all, we’re in this together.”

Chapter Text

Rominaria slid her hand into Crosshair’s as they waited for Echo to arrive. His face softened slightly as he glanced down at her. “We’re gonna get Omega back.” She told him, squeezing his hand.

She turned her head, looking over at where Rampart was complaining to Hunter. She glanced up, watching as Echo’s ship approached them. He landed and Rominaria slid her hand out of Crosshair’s, walking over to the ship.

The ramp lowered and Echo stepped down and made his way over to them. Hunter nodded at his brother. “Nice work.”

“A stolen shuttle is the best I could do on short notice.” Echo explained. “The supplies we need are aboard. You really think we can trust that hydrosnake?”

Rominaria heard Rampart scoff behind her. “I can hear you.”

“No,” Hunter answered. “But he’s our best chance at finding Omega.”

The group made their way onto the ship. Wrecker shoved Rampart into one of the seats, glaring down at the man. “Now, start talking.”

“Oh, how many times do I have to explain it?” Rampart rolled his eyes. “Hemlock put safeguards in place to keep his base’s location a secret.”

“But you’ve been there before?” Rominaria glared down at the man through the visor of her helmet.

“Any ship going there must first dock at Imperial Station 003, in orbit over Coruscant, where the coordinates are transmitted directly to the navicomputer.”

Echo pressed a few buttons, bringing up a holo image of Coruscant. “Well, his intel about the orbital station checkers out. But I can’t confirm the rest of his story.”

Rampart scoffed. “Do you think I’m lying?”

“Yes.” They all said in unison.

Echo pressed another button, zooming in on the image of the station. Hunter turned to them. “Once we reach the station, we can find a ship departing for Tantiss and pull the coordinates.”

“We’re going to need Imperial clearance codes.” Crosshair told them.

“Got that covered.” Echo responded.