Hello! I am back with more Bad Batch stuff, I started out writing these as headcanons then got carried away and now they’ve sorta turned into drabbles/blurbs/mini stories. Maybe one day I’ll write an actual story.
You can find my other stuff here and here.
So this has been done before, but I wanna do my own spin on it. This is how I think the Bad Batch would react to Omega being unwell and how they would look after her. I love writing about the Dad Bad Batch interacting with Omega, it gives me life. Basically, they all encounter Omega sick at one point and this is how I think it would go. The boys won’t get sick since they are genetically engineered to withstand most illnesses, but Omega is not.
Warnings: Sickness (nothing explicitly described, just mentions of general unwellness), a plethora of fluff, some swearing, slightly AU possibly since Crosshair is in it. Some angst too. Also, it’s pretty long. I tried my best to look for spelling/grammar mistakes, but I may have missed some so sorry in advance!
Hunter:
Sergeant Hunter usually prided himself on his keen senses most of the time, they sure had gotten him and brothers (and Omega of course) out of some arduous situations. And this time was one of those times he thanked the Kaminoans for making him ‘defective’, because he sensed that something wasn’t right with Omega.
They were taking a break from mercenary life and were on a nice, warm planet to rest for a couple of nights. Omega was excited as they were gathering supplies for the trip. But the next day after they got there, Omega, usually the first to wake up, slept later than usual. Hunter knew for a fact that something was amiss. He could hear that her heart was beating faster than it usually did, and he could hear her quiet little whimpers and shuffling as she tossed and turned.
He immediately went to her little room on the Marauder to check on her. She was awake, and his heart broke at her little face, screwed up with obvious discomfort. Her hair was plastered to her forehead with sweat. Now, clones were genetically engineered to not get sick, but Omega, being an unaltered clone, clearly was not.
He immediately called on Tech, the squad’s de facto medic, to come and take a look at her. He concluded that she was suffering from the flu, and that she would recover in a few days, with plenty of rest, fluids, and medicine if needed. The rest of the batch offered to take it in shifts to look after Omega but Hunter, being the dad that he is, refused and insisted that he look after Omega until she was better whilst everyone else enjoyed the break, so that’s what he did.
He made sure that she drank enough water, and made sure that she was comfortable. He moved her to his bunk, and begrudgingly let his brothers take over when he could hardly keep his eyes open.
He held her hand and felt his heart clench when she moved to sit in his lap, clinging onto him. He adores his little Omega and it hurt him to see her unwell. He stroked her back and whispered comforting words to her whilst she drifted in and out of sleep. “Don’t you worry, ad’ika, I’m here to look after you,” he said gently, “I’ll keep you safe.” And from that moment on, any time Omega was unwell, she would usually seek him out first and he would stay by her side until she was better.
Wrecker:
Wrecker was using Gonky as a weight, like he always did. He always had so much energy and doing this helped. Gonky didn’t seem to mind either, kicking his legs lightly and beeping happily every time he was hoisted up. Having this routine helped focus his mind and calm him down, especially before or after a mission.
The ship was quiet, aside from the quiet chatter from his brothers. Omega was strangely quiet, and he put Gonky down, intending to ask her what was wrong. Suddenly, Omega let out a rather loud and obnoxious sneeze that had her rushing forward in her chair. It was an impressive sneeze, Wrecker had to admit, even Gonky chirped in what could only be described as awe (or the droid equivalent of awe, anyway).
He guffawed loudly and patted Omega on the back, whilst the others looked on. Hunter went to stand up to go to her, obviously sensing something that the others couldn’t, but immediately hissed in pain and sat back down again, as he had evidently aggravated his chest injury from a blaster shot by that damn bounty hunter who took Omega on Bracca. Wrecker’s blood boiled at the thought of those bounty hunters.
Hunter pointed out that Omega was coming down with a sickness bug, as he recognised the symptoms. Omega tried to insist that she was fine, but another loud sneeze followed by a slight coughing fit proved otherwise. Tech confirmed that she was coming down with a common cold and should rest for a day or two until she was better.
She tried to refuse, not wanting to go to bed and miss out on any fun, but after a few stern looks from the others and a pointed scoff from Crosshair, she stood up to make her way to her little room. Before she could get there, however, Wrecker scooped her up and carried her the rest of the way. He then went to his bunk to get his extra warm and fluffy blanket, along with Lula, who, in his opinion, was the best medicine and could make anyone feel better.
He then went to her room and tried his best to sit beside her, but being as big as he was, it was a struggle. But somehow, he managed. Tech brought Omega some water, and Wrecker busied himself with trying to cheer her up and make her feel better. He told her silly jokes, and funny stories about him and his brothers, and made her smile. He let her cling to Lula as he recited funny stories about him pranking Crosshair when they were cadets on Kamino.
He loved making Omega smile and it made his heart soar when she did. He knew that he and Omega had a special bond, and he was glad that they escaped with her from Kamino. He was relieved that they managed to get her back from that bounty hunter, and he was impressed that she had actually managed to escape on her own. She was a little ray of sunshine in their small family, always full of curiosity and wonder and he couldn’t imagine life without her.
Tech:
Tech knew a lot about, well, everything. From fixing the hyperdrive on a ship, to the benefits of giving someone a hug. The knowledge that he held within his exceptional mind was important to the squad, and Omega loved to listen to what he had to say. She would often follow him around the ship when he was making repairs and ask him question after question, which he didn’t mind because it was refreshing to not be brushed off for spouting out ‘useless info’.
On one such day, Omega was dutifully helping him around the ship whilst Echo was holed up in the cockpit and the others were out gathering supplies. However, he could tell something was off about her as her movements were rather sluggish and she wasn’t enthusiastically asking about anything and everything like she usually did. He quickly came to the conclusion that she must be under the weather.
He checked her over and deduced that she was over-tired and needed to get some rest. She tried to protest, but was cut off by a large yawn. He helped her to her room and made sure she was comfortable, fluffing her pillow and tucking her into her blankets.
As he made to climb back down the ladder, Omega reached out and held his wrist in her little hand and asked him to stay. He hesitated for a moment, as there was work to be done on the ship, but when he looked into her tired, pleading eyes, he didn’t have the heart to say no, so he climbed into her room and she made room so that he could sit beside her.
He put his arm around her shoulder and sighed, racking his brain for some information on how he could help her get to sleep. He remembered reading that dim lighting can help a child sleep, so he used his datapad to dim the little lights Wrecker had installed in her room. He also remembered reading that reading or telling stories to a child can help them sleep, so he again racked his brain for a story he could tell her.
Before he could think of something, Omega spoke up. “Tech.. could you tell me a bit about the Jedi?” she asked shyly. He paused for a moment, thinking about the Jedi and what had happened to them, a pang of guilt finding its way into his heart. But he powered on and began to tell her about the Jedi and their powers, harnessed from the Force. After around ten minutes, she was fast asleep.
He slowly and quietly got up and left Omega’s little room, pausing briefly to brush hair away from her eyes. Who would’ve guessed that in the midst of the fear and turmoil in the galaxy a group of ragtag clones, bred for the sole purpose of fighting, would adopt a child into their ranks, especially one as pure and special as Omega? Tech would never have guessed that in a million years. But as he continued with his work around the ship, he thought about how happy he was that she was with them.
Echo:
Echo spent a lot of time in the cockpit of the Marauder. He liked to watch the stars, and he liked the swirling mass of brightness when they were hurtling through hyperspace. He also liked to stare out of the viewport when they were planetside, watching the comings and goings of the natives, or watching the sunsets and moons. When he first came aboard the Marauder, he wasn’t quite sure how he would fit in with the ragtag group of clones who had named themselves the Bad Batch, but they had let him aboard their ship and even made him his own bunk, and made him feel at home. And when Omega came aboard, he made sure to make her feel at home too.
On a quiet night on a quiet planet, Wrecker, Tech and Hunter had gone out to do an easy job for Cid, whilst he remained on the ship with Crosshair and Omega. Crosshair was outside of the ship sitting on the grass, cleaning his rifle, as he always did. Omega was in her room, electing to stay behind because she was tired. Echo thought nothing of this, as she was only a child and needed more rest than he and his brothers did.
He was starting to doze in the co-pilot's seat when he heard hesitant footsteps approaching behind him. Now, if this was a few months ago, his reflexes would have kicked in and he’d have launched himself out of his seat with alarming speed, blaster at the ready. But he knew that the only other person on the ship was Omega, and that Crosshair was keeping watch out front, his sharp eyes scanning for possible danger. “Echo?” Omega asked, her voice quiet and strained, a strange lilt to it as if she was on the verge of tears.
He swiveled around in his chair to face her. The lighting in the cockpit was dim, but he could still see her. She was standing holding her stomach, and everything about her stiff posture and hunched shoulders told him that she was in pain. He immediately stood up and went over to her, kneeling down in front of her. “What’s wrong, little one?” he asked her gently. She heaved out a little sob and told him that she had a sore tummy.
He then guided her to sit down in the co-pilot's seat that he had just vacated whilst he went to look through the medical supplies they had on the ship. He returned a minute or so later with pain medicine and some water.
He sat down in the pilot’s seat and gave her the medicine, and then gave her the water to take a sip. She sighed slightly and slouched back in the seat.
It appeared she was starting to fall asleep, so he tried to tell her to go to bed but she said she wanted to stay with him, and he just couldn't say no to her. So they both sat in comfortable silence in the cockpit, the only sounds to be heard being the odd beep from Gonky. Echo leaned back in his seat, glancing over every so often to check on Omega, who was just tiredly looking at the sky from the viewport.
He was starting to doze off himself again, his eyes closed, when he heard Omega stir beside him. He opened his eyes and saw that Omega had vacated her seat and was standing in front of him, rubbing her eyes. He watched her for a second and was about to ask her if she was alright, when she climbed onto his lap and curled herself up to his chest.
Echo froze for a few moments, unsure of what to make of this new turn of events. He had hugged Omega before when she had awoken from a nightmare or if she was upset, but this was something new.
Before the Citadel, physical touch was normal for him. He often hugged his brothers and found that he enjoyed the comfort it gave him. However, after he was rescued from Skako Minor, it was like he had to relearn some things, what he liked and disliked, and physical touch was one of those things. The Bad Batch didn’t regularly hug each other, but touches to the shoulder and other such things were not uncommon. But he found that after Omega joined them, hugging her had made him realise how comforting it can be for both him and her.
He slowly put his arms around her, and rested his chin on her head, rubbing her back soothingly. Soon enough, Omega was fast asleep and Echo found himself falling asleep too, happy that Omega was safe in his arms. When Crosshair came back onto the ship, he saw them both sleeping in the cockpit and he couldn’t help but let a soft smile grace his features at the sight of them. He grabbed a blanket from the bunks and gently laid it over them, before going back outside to resume his watch.
Crosshair:
Crosshair sat on his bunk, an ever-present toothpick hanging from his mouth whilst he disassembled, reassembled and cleaned his customised 773 Firepuncher sniper rifle. It was second nature to him and he didn’t even have to think about what he was doing. He enjoyed and took pride in setting up and cleaning his rifle. It was a part of him and who he was, and he enjoyed the routine.
The ship was quiet, the only people on it being himself and Omega, as the others had gone to gather some much needed supplies. He preferred staying behind, not liking going to stall after stall and store after store, looking at item after item and listening to his brothers haggling, so he decided to stay behind with Omega, who said she wasn’t feeling great. Hunter had tried to stay behind with her but Crosshair pointed out that he was the best at haggling and Hunter reluctantly left, only stopping to get Omega tucked up in his bunk under a mountain of blankets, with some water nearby and some medicine.
At first, Crosshair wasn’t sure what to make of Omega. But he had grown used to her presence and even began to enjoy it. They had grown closer and they bonded over him training her how to shoot her bow more accurately and he had even comforted her when she was upset. She usually always wore a smile on her face and it was enough to even bring a smile to Crosshair’s usually scowling face. His heart hurt a little at seeing her huddled under the blankets, looking so small.
He paused to look over at her every so often, making sure she wasn’t getting worse. He could hear her steady breaths as she slept, and he put his rifle to the side and stood up, flicking his toothpick into the waste-bin next to his bunk as he did so. He gently pressed his hand to her forehead and noted how her temperature didn’t feel as if it had gotten higher, but it didn’t seem like it was getting lower either.
He picked up the cup of water Hunter had left and gently roused Omega from her slumber. She looked up at him with bleary eyes, scrunching her little nose up in confusion. “Kid, it’s time for a drink of water,” he spoke softly to her. He put his hand behind her head to support her and tipped the cup slowly to her mouth, making sure she took a few small sips, before laying her back down again. He brushed her hair away from her head and began to stand up again, but she made a small noise of protest when he went to move.
By the way she looked at him, he knew that she wanted him to sit with her. After all, that’s what the others did when she was unwell. He hesitated for a moment, then let out a soft sigh, moving onto the bunk and leaning his back against the wall. Omega shuffled closer to him and reached out her little hand to take his. At first, he did nothing, he just looked at her small hand grasping his. Then he sighed quietly again and held her hand, rubbing his thumb gently across her knuckles.
“Please... don’t leave me,” Omega breathed, sounding scared. Crosshair’s breath hitched in his throat, and he swallowed thickly, having never heard Omega sound this way before. She was usually the life and soul of the group. “I’ll never leave you, Omega. I promise.” he replied, the words coming out oddly strangled. His heart clenched again and he tipped his head back against the wall, a surge of affection and protectiveness going through him, thinking about how he would do anything for Omega.
tags: @eyecandyeoz @kratosfan6632466 @radbatch @crashbandicute @by-the-primes @justalittlecloud @itsjml
YES!!! AND the put the CHILD into one by herself! Only makes sense for her to try and save AZ (thank you Crosshair...love anything with Crosshair and Omega for some reason)!!!
Dave really put the two problem children in a "get along" pod lol
So in this POST here I talk about how I woke with the theory that Omega is not the fifth enhanced clone but Emerie was.
WELL today a game called 'Star Wars Shatterpoint' release information on an expansion with figures and cards of the Bad Batch.
The cards each have the characters names and CT numbers. The CT numbers are the important part
Now we don't get to see Crosshairs, Echo or Tech's cards, but we know at least two of their Numbers. Crosshair CT-9904 and Echo CT-1409.
We do get to see Hunter, Omega and Wrecker's cards.
Hunter is CT-9901, Oldest boy.
Wrecker is CT-9903, funny enough not youngest
And Omega is ... Omega ... no CT number.
Which brings up the question, who is the fifth enhanced clone?
My theory is still. Emerie Karr
My Kronk style sleep epiphany is starting to feel less crazy
Two of some of my favorite SW characters of all time! Ahsoka and Omega....just need to add for sure Grogu as he’s so beloved he’s like my child lol (I have about 3-5 absolute favorites but I think these three are my favorites).
Ahsoka and Omega find themselves in the middle of the Second Sister’s attack once again.
Determined to protect Vah'nya, Quinlan Vos pulls her from the scene to safety, but concerns about Sacher’s status are taking a turn towards darkness.
https://archiveofourown.org/works/32691364/chapters/84462355
Love this
Hunter - Dad
Echo - also Dad. The one she goes to when she knows Hunter will say 'No'.
Wrecker - cool big bro :D strong and funny!!!
Tech - the nerd uncle
(Crosshair - the one semi-racist uncle who has stress with the family and no one wants to invite him to family events anymore)
Hunter - Daughter. No one touches her. Would do everything for her.
Echo - Guess I raise this kid now? There there nO DON'T TOUCH THAT
Wrecker - the lil sis he always wanted. Can carry her around but it's probably her who tells him goodnight stories
Tech - Hunter said she's with us now so that's okay with me??? There are no disadvantages we gain from that so yeah that's fine?? She's smart though
(Crosshair - LiTtLe BrAt )
If I see one more thing villainizing Crosshair for everything he’s doing while literally being mind controlled it is ON SIGHT
Yes this big bad villain who WANTS to gun down his SQUAD, the only people that ever accepted him for the SNARK that he is, when you can see so many times how soft he is with them
“Relax, Wrecker. You’ll top him next time.” “No he won’t.”
After one upping Wrecker he clearly is having fun teasing him. You can hear the grin on his face. He loves being with them even though he’d probably rather die than admit it.
“But OP!” You might say. “OP, he hates regs! He antagonized CAPTAIN FREAKING REX how can you say this??” Now I’m not one to ever tolerate someone smack talking regs and certainly not Rex. But I’m gonna surprise y’all, he was justified. Yeah he was extremely harsh and was absolutely gunning for Rex’s buttons, but A. He just said what literally everyone else on that mission was thinking (that maybe Rex was getting too emotionally involved) and B. We see from Aftermath that many regs honestly treated TBB like GARBAGE. Of course Crosshair wouldn’t find it worthwhile to go out of his way to help one.
We jump straight from Rex literally DECKING him (valid on Rex’s part) over Echo to CROSSHAIR PROTECTIVELY PUTTING HIS HAND ON ECHO’S SHOULDER TO STEADY HIM. Why would it matter to let one more reg fall to his death? Because Crosshair isn’t the emotionless, heartless, and callous soldier he spends all of his time convincing everyone he is.
To everyone saying he’s not pulling his shots in the recent episode, I rewatched every episode he was in back to back. He did not miss once. Not a single time. And now suddenly he’s missing shots on Tech and Hunter? Twice? Sounds like he’s fighting the chip if you ask me. Just like Rex did when he told Ahsoka to find Fives; it’s possible to get bits of himself through the cracks, if only for a split second before he’s gone again.
And I’m ending this with the gif of when Hunter invites Echo to be a Bad Batcher. Despite Crosshair’s obvious distaste for regs, he clearly has no problem following Hunter’s lead and accepting someone new into their very niche squad. He never questioned Hunter on anything that we saw, and I doubt he did very much prior to Order 66 judging by Hunter’s horror at Crosshair’s lack of acknowledgment on Kaller. He is not a villain. He’s yet another clone that never deserved the life he was constructed for, another clone with no agency or choice. I will die on this hill
yes
YES
LAY THAT COMPLICATED REDEMPTION ARC ON ME FILONI YOU GLORIOUS STORYTELLER
IT MAKES SO MUCH SENSE NOW WHY HUNTER AND THE REST ARE TAKING SO LONG TO PICK A SIDE
THIS IS NO ADVENTURE OF THE WEEK WITH PRE-DETERMINED MORALS
YOU TRUELY ARE ALL FINDING YOUR WAY IN THE GALAXY AND I LOVE YOU FOR IT
---
CROSSHAIR YOU STUBBORN CONFUSED SELF-VALIDATING FOOL, YOU'RE A BLOOMING ZUKO AND I'VE NEVER BEEN SO HAPPY TO BESTOW THAT TITLE IN ALL MY LIFE
TECH YOU GLORIOUS ANALYTICAL ODDBALL, YOU'RE MAKING SO MUCH SENSE NOW, I'M SLOWLY BEGINNING TO UNDERSTAND YOU AS A PERSON RATHER THAN A STEREOTYPE
WRECKER YOU OVERZEALOUS SOFTY, I AM DELIGHTED AND DEVISTATED AT YOUR DEPTH
HUNTER YOU POOR CONFLICTED DAD-BOY, YOU'RE TRYING SO HARD, AND I KNOW IT'S ROUGH TO BE MADE TO QUESTION THE VALIDITY OF THE NEW IDENTITY YOU'VE BEEN POURING YOURSELF INTO
OMEGA YOU DARLING SISTER, SPENDING SO MUCH TIME LONGING, WILLING YOUR BROTHERS TO GROW UP WITH YOU, WANTING EVERYONE TO BE HOME AND BELONG
We’re back at it, here with the second post in this father-daughter-space-duo series! You guys responded to the first post better then I expected in all honesty! I didn’t think my insights were viewed as so important lmao. I don’t really think much introduction is needed here, the post itself is very self explanatory.
(Pasted paragraph: I would just like to add a disclaimer here. I am, in no way whatsoever, slating the other batchers for having differing relationships with Omega. I absolutely adore everything single one of the boys, and I think they all have wonderful and unique interrelations with her. Although I may point out these different approaches in comparison to Hunter’s, I am not stating these engages are wrong, just different is all!
I’m going to separate this into a little series- covering each episode in a separate post, which I’ll have tagged as the series progresses. Once I’ve tackled these two, as they’re my favourites, I’m going to move on to each individual Batcher and perhaps a few other dynamics such and Hunter and Crosshair, or Wrecker and Omega! Let me know what you guys would like to see!)
We kick off this episode with Hunter walking in on Echo inspecting Omega and Wrecker fast asleep on the floor. His face is very relaxed and he clearly finds it very sweet that her childlike curiosity has tired her out. His line, “ha, well this is a first,” while holding a strong gaze in Omega’s direction, suggests that she’s been exploring for quite some time, unleashing her endearing juvenile inquisition in the batchers presence. Hunter continues to claim she’s curious, using the same lighthearted tone he has always used in her regard, sparing the conversation in the medical wing on Kamino. This continues to confirm his gentle approach and concern towards the young clone.
When Echo confronts him over the situation at hand, it’s evident that Hunter hasn’t actually thought about what he’s going to do with Omega, yet by the look of quizzicality on his face. I personally took this as a sign that his initial thoughts were always “we’re going to lay low with her, look after her, while keeping everybody else safe.” It’s clear here that Echo has differing ideas that Hunter hadn’t even began to consider, and I think that’s what perplexes him in this moment. He needs to consider everybody.
The kid is up and awake! (Let the havoc commence aha.) Omega’s reaction to sunlight and dirt is definitely one of my favourite developmental moments of hers, it really sets in place that this little girl may have been an intelligent medical assistant, but she lacks experience, and still needs a guiding hand to help her through this new world she’s never endured before. I’d like to point out that it is, in fact, Hunter who stops to watch Omega’s reactions, and his FACE when she’s playing in the dirt! I’ve never seen such a parental smile on a man so stoic! I feel like I’m repeating myself a lot, but he is so endeared by her! She’s a breath of fresh air in Hunter’s very toxically routined life, and I love that for both of them. When they finally reach Cut’s land, Hunter is the one to pull her back, despite the fact she had to run between Echo and Tech to get to him. And upon Suu and Cut’s arrival, I actually didn’t realise that Omega creeps behind Hunter, most likely because these are strangers she doesn’t know and she feels she needs the protection. This confirms a clear bond between them has already began to flesh out.
There isn’t too much to say about the introduction and inhibitor chip discussion, as Omega spends a decent amount of that time exploring Cut and Suu’s house, but I will just say that it’s a nice touch that she ends up back at Hunter’s side when her part of the conversation is needed, she always seems physically drawn to him. Which brings me to my next point. Upon Shaeeah and Jek’s arrival, Omega once again creeps behind Hunter out of fear, only deciding to approach when formally addressed to do so. *Sigh*, and when Shaeeah pulls Omega out to play, and she halts to ask for Hunter’s permission, which is clearly given through a series of comforting smiles, is a plain indication of a trusted child-parental relationship. I must admit, Hunter’s face is pretty hilarious when everybody practically calls him out on his parental role- it’s just “why are you all staring at me..?” Because you’re acting like a dad, my dude.
Okay! Down to Cut and Hunter’s discussion. It’s a nice touch that Hunter is the first one outside to watch Omega play, swiftly followed by Cut, who, rightfully so, questions her existence. Although instead of explaining Omega’s origin (and by that I just mean that she’s a medical assistant clone from Kamino), he states that it doesn’t matter what the Kaminoans created her for, because she’s with them now, and to be with them she doesn’t need a purpose, she’s just a kid and should be allowed to act like one. Cut goes ahead to tease him over the ins and outs of raising a child, but to Hunter it was a no-brainer, Kamino wasn’t safe, so she was coming with them, as I’ve said previously, he saw NO negotiations. And as Cut says, “I (you) have to do what’s best for them.” This adds sentiment to the narrative of Hunter’s commanding role within the squad and Omega specifically.
So I’m shifting ahead slightly to the ball incident, and I have a LOT to say about this scene. First of all, it’s clearly evident that Hunter is the first to leave the house, along with Cut and Suu following closely behind. Associating this trio together is purposeful on the animators part in my opinion, they intentionally exclusively had Hunter leave with the other parents in the situation, isolating him specifically with that role in Omega’s life. When he finally reaches her, we see the protective hand come straight out to guard her against the Nexu, a typical trait they’ve established between them.
Now we move on to the confrontation. This is the first time Hunter raises his voice at Omega, and immediately she turns herself away from him, curling into her shoulder and making herself small. Omega is going through a lot of emotions right here, she’s afraid, anxious, and she’s being forced to deal with the fact that for the first time, Hunter is mad at her, for something she didn’t even intend to do wrong. Whereas from Hunter’s perspective, he hasn’t acknowledged she’s already in a bit of a state, and instead feels the need to immediately lecture her for her mistakes….although this lasts all but thirty seconds. Upon Cut’s attempts to diffuse the situation by having him pull Hunter away and reiterating that “she’s (Omegas) not a soldier”, his face immediately softens, he forgot for a moment, but now he realises and instantly the features are set in a regretful frown, he clearly feels awful and misrepresented. Hunter continues to observe Cut’s behaviour as he comforts Omega, who seems to take to the attention like a kicked puppy, lip trembling, eyes shaky, shoulders hunched, and I honestly think as Cut carries her away- is the exact moment Hunter realises he isn’t good enough for Omega. (I’ll further out on this in a moment)
I only want to briefly touch upon Omega’s gunners nest scene because I don’t think it has too much impact on her relationship with Hunter, however I would like to address the symbolism. I personally see the removal of her headpiece and the addition of her bangs as a new beginning, attaining the contrasting yellow light of Salucemi in comparison to Kamino, where she would’ve been given her jewel. Considering the episode’s outcome, Omega is no longer the tightly held, quivering little girl from Kamino, and instead she brings a slight unruliness to her aura, a little cheeky, definitely her brother’s sister. Still a sweetheart of course, but with a matter of confidence and boisterous behaviour to her. She seems to bounce out of her sadness quite easily here, as she seems suddenly awkward- yet curious- over Tech’s plan later on.
Furthering out into my previous point about Hunter believing Omega deserved much better in comparison to what he could provide: his conversation with Suu. “Protecting them is what we do.” The realisation on his face when she says this, it’s so…raw, something he’s taking time to comprehend. He heeds her words because he knows she and Cut are experienced in this field, they are better suited for Omega than he and the boys are, he believes he isn’t good enough for her, and this is projected when he insists ‘Mega leave with the family of four. Although Suu questions his sincerity, and he does indeed dodge the straightforward answer, this is what Hunter anticipates is best for Omega. He’s putting her needs above his happiness, no matter the heartache.
Moving along slightly, as Omega and Hunter spend a short period of time away from each other during the ship impoundment, I briefly wanted to touch upon the tone of Hunter’s voice when he learns Omega is on route to their position…by herself in a heavily armed spaceport. His eyes widen in a moment of fear, his voice is suddenly strained, he is struck with another raw emotion, something he frankly can’t obtain right now, and it’s let out in a minor threat towards his brothers- “if something happens to her-“ a clearly indication of worry.
This next point absolutely breaks my heart, the poor dears, both of them. Upon Omega’s arrival, Hunter is left to explain his forced proposal that she should leave Salucemi with Cut and Suu. As usual he completes his little ritual of taking her shoulders and crouching to her level, although this time he can’t quite look her in the eyes, a clear sign of regret and guilt, because he doesn’t want to give her away, he knows deep down she belongs with them, but he doesn’t believe he has what it takes to raise and protect her. The way Omega’s eyes crumple really catches me here, she’s being left, again… All this kid has ever known her entire life has either been abandonment, abuse or isolation, and she’s being passed on to strangers by the only people she’s ever been able to trust, and not only is it clearly breaking her heart, but she’s taking it personally, she thinks she’s at fault, much like Hunter does. Her line: “but, I want to stay with you.” compressed with the quivering tone and her precious accent really aides her desperation here, it conveys her in an adequate and very precise way.
Starting a brief new point to split these up slightly: I bring us to the continuous glances shared between them. Omega consistently looks over her shoulder to Hunter, she doesn’t want her eyes to leave him for one moment, she’s savouring his face, his details, for the very last time. And equally, Hunter is letting go of something he doesn’t want to leave behind, he likes the kid, to the point where his own self depreciation and doubt have been forced ahead in order to protect her, he can’t risk anything at this point. I’d also like to quickly mention how beautifully Omega’s eyes are animated, they intel so much, those precious little doe irises hold such story to them.
Moving on to a little jump cut enduring the batch’s escape and Omega’s return: Hunter’s tone of voice when addressing Wrecker is so pained, and his facials match it perfectly “she’s not com-“ it’s almost as though he’s biting back the urge to sprint headfirst into the gunfire if only to catch up to the little clone before it’s too late.
However, seeing as she’s managed to find her own way back that wouldn’t be exactly necessary. I think it’s a nice point that Hunter is the one to rush to Omega’s aide after she is grabbed by the trooper (flowing a brief flash of concern crossing his face), although Wrecker might’ve been closer, it’s a nice hint to their subtle closer bond. He, once again, crouches to her level although an unnecessary step in the situation, and I see this as another nod to their familiarised dependancy.
Finally, my last point for this episode, is their final conversation within the last few minutes. It’s faint, but the fact that the other batchers are all busying themselves in the cockpit, leaving Omega and Hunter to chat privately, is a very distinct use of separation. It also should be noted that Omega is the one to approach Hunter, this shows a decent level of not only maturity on her part, but trust between them as family, she trusts both him and herself enough to advance on a delicate situation, we even see her hesitate slightly, before pushing forward with a slip of confidence, and that takes a lot of gut from a little kid. She stands her ground, but with compliment. She very much reminds me of Hunter himself in the brig, assertive yet respectful. And speaking of Hunter, his face is just absolutely guilt-ridden when talking to her, because he too made the mistake of attempting to give her away, no matter how much good he thought it would do them both. While Omega is admitting she has a lot to learn in regards to safety and tactility, Hunter is suggesting he has a lot to learn about raising a child and providing the necessary care for her. It’s a brave moment for both of them, to be honest and open, and yet its received extremely well on both ends.
“If this is where you want to be…then this is where you’ll stay.” The admiration in his voice, the admiration in her eyes! They absolutely adore one another, and it melts my heart every time it’s displayed!
I hope you liked my analysis of Hunter and Omega’s relationship in episode two of The Bad Batch! Of course, I’d love to discuss these two with anybody who might be interested, so please feel free to drop me an ask or a DM, and if you’re captivated enough I’d totally recommend looking out for my future posts on the topic!
As always, much love to our ‘Megs and Hunter, thank you for reading! 💛
Part One: Aftermath
Anyone who follows me knows I am OBSESSED WITH CROSSHAIR AND OMEGA ANYTHING!!!!!!!!! This is absolutely well done and gives me all the feels and is approved by the obsessed Crosshair and Omega fan girl lol. I need MORE of this and ANYTHING Crosshair and Omega, pretty pretty pretty please help me and make more pictures/fan art but especially FANFICTION!!!!! Thank you for making this, made my day!!!
Summary: While the group’s ship is landed, a loth-cat stumbles into the ship. Shenanigans ensue.
Genre: Fluff
Warnings: None
“I got it!” Echo exclaimed, reaching out for the loth-cat before tripping and face-planting onto the floor.
“How did it even get in the ship?” Hunter shouted, still chasing after the creature.
Tech side-eyed Wrecker, “Probably because someone forgot to close the doors while we were gone.”
“Well why don’t you-”
Hunter ignored the two, running after the creature. Then he noticed something hanging out of its mouth - Omega’s clone trooper doll.
He stopped chasing the creature, approaching slowly and holding his hands up, “Alright, just…drop it. Okay? Drop it.”
The loth-cat tilted its head to the side.
Once Hunter got close, he tried to gently take the doll from its mouth, but the creature jolted, tearing the doll and running outside the ship. He sighed.
Echo closed the doors once the creature was outside, “Well, that could have gone better.”
“If it’s any consolation, it also could have gone worse,” Tech tried.
“The ship is a mess.”
“Ha!” Wrecker laughed, “When is it not?”
Hunter cleared his throat to gain the attention of the group.
“Guys, bad news,” he said, holding up Omega’s doll, which was now missing its legs.
“Do you have any cloth?” Tech piped up, “Perhaps I could fix it.”
“Fix what?” Omega said, coming out of her bedroom.
“Uh, sorry, kid,” Hunter leaned down and gave her the doll, along with a sympathetic look.
“Tech said he could, ah, try to fix it, if you want?” Wrecker said, Echo nodding in agreement.
Tech perked up, “Yes, indeed. It would be no trouble at all.”
The batch waited nervously as Omega inspected the doll. It was one of the small comforts for the child in all this mayhem, and now it was broken.
“No,” Omega shook her head, “I like it like this! She looks kinda like Echo now, see?” Omega smiled, holding up the doll proudly.
Echo flushed, taken aback.
Hunter chuckled, smiling at Echo, “I guess she does, huh?”
“In that case,” Tech chimed in, “Would you also like her to have prostheses? I believe we have some tinfoil.”
Wrecker scoffed, “Tinfoil’s weak! Give ‘er some metal ones so she can do some real damage!”
“Metal isn’t a very suitable material for a doll,” Tech pointed out.
Omega wasn’t paying much attention to the conversation, instead happily fidgeting with her doll like she always did.
Echo looked down at his prosthetic legs, and then at Omega happily playing with her doll, and smiled.