The Bad Batch: Tech and Vel

3. Interdependence

The team executed the next mission flawlessly, working as one to procure some data records from a mine on Garban and disappear without raising any alarm. Spirits were high as they returned to the Marauder. Wrecker gave Crosshair a fond smack on the arm, nearly knocking him over.

"That would have been perfect if we had just blown up the entire place on our way out!" he yelled, completely unaware of his volume. 

"That would have entirely defeated the purpose," Crosshair replied, scowling harmlessly.

"Yeah but it would have been fun," Wrecker concluded, kicking a stray rock in his path.

As they neared the ship, Hunter squinted at the underside. "Tech, did you start a repair project before we left?"

"Negative," Tech responded, looking up from his datapad to follow Hunter's gaze to the ship. "Oh... It would appear that someone has taken some parts. The Jenets, native to this planet, are notorious scavengers. I thought we were far enough away from any of their Community Heaps, but it appears we were not."

"Great," Crosshair said, with his usual amount of enthusiasm. 

Panels hung open and various pieces were strewn about the ground; the door was still shut but the entire underside of the ship was in complete disarray. Hunter grimaced as they got closer, lowering the stairs and heading straight for the hold. 

The lift opened and he went for Vel's corner, fully expecting to see it empty and assuming that she was the culprit. But to his surprise, and perhaps dismay, she was sitting cross-legged on her cot, watching him with folded arms. 

"Sounded like someone was busy out there," she remarked primly, pursing her lips.

"What happened?" Hunter asked, "The ship is a mess."

"Well, from my great view in here," Vel snarked, "I couldn't see a thing. I had to content myself with merely sitting and listening."

"Did you hear any voices? Languages? Anything?" Hunter asked.

"Just garbled snarling and lots of banging around," Vel responded listlessly.

Hunter sighed deeply, leaning on the bars of her door. There were too many messes to clean up at once. "Look, I don't know what to do with you. Where can we take you, once the ship is up and running?" 

Vel's heart sank as she realized she didn't have an answer. Her mechanic days on Corellia were long behind her and she had burned that bridge entirely. She couldn't remember her home planet, other than a source of comfort in her dreams, and her father was no longer around for her to ask about it. She was useless to the Jedi, useless to this team. 

She shrugged, "Anywhere, I guess. I'm starting from scratch, anyway."

Hunter felt some compassion, absently running a hand back and forth across the door frame. He had some sense of what it was like to not belong, but he also always had his squad. He had no words of encouragement to offer, so he simply nodded.

"You could start by letting me out of here though," Vel continued, "I'm not a danger."

"Maybe not," Hunter agreed, eyeing her thoughtfully, "But I don't trust you. Better safe than sorry, you know?" 

She frowned and shrugged, turning her back to him as if she couldn't care less, and Hunter returned to the lift. 

Outside, Tech was elbows deep in the ship, rummaging through mixed wires while simultaneous directing Wrecker, who was rearranging the elements on the underside. Crosshair welded the finished panels shut behind them, sparks flying in front of his face shield. He paused his work for a moment, lifting his head to examine the trees around them.