The Bad Batch: One Shot Collection

Whumpay Day Fifteen: "Stay With Me Please"

Author's Note: This came out nothing like I wanted, but hey, it came out! :D

~ Rivana Rita

Hunter is on Kamino, recovering from his injuries from Bracca when Omega is captured and asks his help. For the first time, that's enough for him to break free. (Imperial Hunter AU)

He's awoken by a scream. The voice is familiar. Very familiar, and it jars Hunter's brain instantly back to consciousness, despite the ache throughout his entire body.

Bracca.

Bracca was the last thing he remembered. The explosion.

Falling.

Hitting – something. Then pain. Just pain.

But someone's here. Someone's calling him.

Hunter.

The name filters in from far away, a name he hasn't heard in weeks.

He knows that voice, even if he's barely even heard her. Omega.

His head is throbbing, and his ribs are burning. Breathing is hard, but he pulls his eyes open, anyway. The room is spinning. It shouldn't be, because all he sees is the ceiling, but everything is blurred.

There's a hand on his arm now, small and familiar. She touched him in the detention cell. Hunter knows her, knows her scent and heartbeat. But what in all the stars is she doing on Kamino? She's not supposed to be here.

"Omega?" he rasps out, trying to turn his head to focus on her.

"I need you," she says, begs, her voice desperate. "Hunter –" Someone grabs her arm, yanking her back, and Omega shrieks, flailing. She's trying to fight, but she's too small. Untrained.

"What's happening?" he demands, trying to push himself up. What's Omega even doing here? She must've been captured, somehow, but he doesn't remember that from Bracca. Maybe it happened after he passed out. He thought there was a space battle, but he doesn't really remember any of it.

His mind feels fuzzy. It's flickering in and out of consciousness still. Moving hurts.

The most he can make out is a "she is scheduled to be terminated" and his heart lurches.

"I need your help," she says, struggling against reg holding her.

She's crying. When he looks at her, all he can think about is Crosshair. Desperate and terrified, begging Hunter to protect him, for help, for – for something. And he already failed Crosshair. He tried to kill him. He can't make up for that.

But – but he can save her.

Hunter knows he's not following orders. He knows he's not supposed to do this, but does it really matter? He already hurt his entire squad.

The one order in Hunter's life that's always mattered is protecting his family, and now, that's the farthest from what he's doing. He's tried, but he fought them. Shot at them. Hurt them.

Maybe it's instinctive, maybe it's partly because his head is throbbing badly enough that he can't think about anything at all, but either way, Hunter moves. He stands and the world spins and blurs.

Doesn't remember much of the next few minutes. Just – he tackled one of the guards and Omega grabbed a blaster.

He grabs the edge of a medtable to stay upright once the three regs and droid present are down.