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darthzero22 · 1 month

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It is a very lovely and fun chapter! I really liked reading it, and I enjoyed it 💕💕

Well done, bestie! ❤️

"Sun and Rain Part 2: Age of the Empire"

Chapter 31

"The Koriena Way"

A "Bad Batch" fanfic!

Pairing: Hunter x fem OC, Echo (more best friend pairing)

A/N: Here we go again with another chapter! We're taking a break from a lot of the angst I've dealt out recently and having a bit more fun with this one 😊 And I say that sincerely! Love you all and I hope you enjoy!

Also, thanks to @l-lend for her help with some ideas in the beginning of this chapter as well as a little credit to my hubby, as well 😉😊

Lastly, if you play Baldur's Gate 3, there is a minor BG3 reference in here...if you're familiar with Minthara at all 😜

Taglist: @the-sad-batch , @nimata-beroya , @intrepidmare , @cole-kenxbi , @tech-aficionado , @ladykatakuri , @d1n0-dan , @sammi9498 , @darthzero22 , @scarlettrose9901 , @thebadbatchscyare , @chxpsi , @ilikemymendarkandfictional , @4pplecider , @locitapurplepink , @l-lend , @nekotaetae , @eternalwaffle , @merkitty49 , @avathebestx , @idoubleswearimawriter , @techs-stitches , @fantasyproductions , @sverdgeir , @totallyunidentified

《 Chapter 30

》 Coming soon!

All chapters (Part 2) (Part 1)

Explanation: The Bad Batch are off to Raxus for a mission while Omega and Kimber stay behind on Ord Mantell and end up spending a day with the Koriena Force.

“How's the Mantell Mix, kid?” Wrecker asked Omega, whom he was carrying on his shoulder.

“Better than ever,” she declared, dropping a piece of the sweet treat into his open mouth.

“Yeah, it is!” he agreed after chewing it up.

The Bad Batch had returned to Ord Mantell after a few days and were making their way back to Cid's parlor. Hunter's chest wound had fully healed, luckily, but Kimber's leg wasn't quite at a hundred percent. The damage done to her muscles as well as part of her bones were more severe than they’d realized. She was walking better, but still had a limp and needed support. She wasn't using her rifle as a crutch and instead had her arm looped through Hunter's and was using him to lean on as they maneuvered through the streets. They had also seen the Aurora still docked in the hangar, which meant the Koriena Force were still planetside. If the girls weren't at the parlor, then the Bad Batch would go back and see them at their ship after giving their report to Cid.

“So when's our next mission?” Omega asked the others eagerly.

Tech answered, “With two bounty hunters after you, it'd be wise to keep a low profile.”

Just as they reached the entrance to Cid's, Hunter added, “Tech's right. There's too much heat on us right now.”

He turned back and helped Omega down from Wrecker's shoulder to the ground. As he did so, Kimber sidestepped out of the way and Tech quickly moved forward to catch her arm just before using his other hand to steady Omega.

While Hunter quietly made some comments to Wrecker, who claimed having too much heat on them never stopped them before, Omega asked the other three, holding up her box of Mantell Mix, “You guys wanna try some?”

Tech simply held up a hand and shook his head, Kimber said “no, thank you” and Echo took a handful and started sniffing it cautiously, but then he ultimately declined, putting it back.

Afterwards, they saw Hunter walking past them towards the stairway leading to Cid's and knew it was time to follow. Tech kept his arm strong and steady for Kimber as they descended the stairs.

“You all right?” he asked her.

“I am. It twinges a little still going up and down stairs, but it's nothing too bad,” she told him.

“Hopefully another day with some bacta treatment and your leg will be back to normal,” commented Echo.

The doors to the parlor opened and they walked inside, hearing the familiar music of the jukebox overpowering the silence of the bar.

Or at least…it was silent until they heard an angry woman's voice yell out, “Sarge!”

All eyes looked in the direction the voice had come from and they saw Rina practically on top of one of the back tables with Kida, Irys and Lex sitting there with her, all of them with drinks on the table. Rina, for some reason, looked less than pleased to see them, to say the least. Namely Hunter.

Then she called out to him, “You. Me. Out back. Right now!”

“Rina, calm down,” said Lex.

The Clones and Kimber all exchanged bewildered glances, mostly directed at Hunter. What in the world was going on?

Rina climbed over the table to the other side and dropped to the ground. “I mean it. Let's go,” she challenged.

Still confused, Hunter finally asked, “What are you talking about?”

As she started moving forward, she said back, “You know what you did.”

The other three girls were scrambling out from behind their table and both Irys and Lex put their hands on Rina's shoulders to help keep her back, looks of almost worry on their faces.

“I really don't. Are you okay?” Hunter asked, genuinely concerned.

“Oh that's it!” Rina snapped and suddenly became enraged, shoving Lex and Irys away and charging full speed at Hunter, angry blades in her eyes.

Everyone instinctively took a step back in astonishment. With how quickly she was moving, it was almost as if she hadn't gotten badly injured just a few days prior.

“Whoa, there, Rina!”

Though, just as she was about to reach Hunter, Wrecker jumped between them and proceeded to grab her by the arms and lifted her up in front of him like a small child. She growled in frustration for a split second, but once he planted a big kiss on her lips and she found herself looking into the face of her favorite guy, all of her anger just dissipated almost immediately.

“Oh…h--hi, Wrecker,” she stammered, words suddenly failing her.

“Boy, you've definitely got your fire back,” he observed, impressed.

Kida groaned and put a hand to her forehead. “I swear, she's been like a ticking bomb waiting to explode,” she grumbled.

Wrecker chuckled in amusement and stated in reply, “Well, good thing I'm a demolitions expert.” Then he unceremoniously tucked Rina under his arm, who still looked dumbstruck, and announced, “Time to diffuse my favorite explosive. I saved your hide this time, boss.”

“I owe you one,” Hunter replied quietly.

“Be right back!” Without waiting for a response, Wrecker turned on his heel and just walked right out the door.

As the door shut, Echo looked at Hunter, still perplexed, and asked him, “What did you do?”

“What makes you think I know?” Hunter asked back.

Still flabbergasted at what they just witnessed, Omega commented aloud, “That was…bizarre.”

“What in the blazes is going on with her?” Kimber demanded, turning to the girls.

With a loud sigh, Lex explained, “A few days ago, she went off about feeling a disturbance in the Force and then suddenly, she just got irate and said, ‘I'm gonna kill him. He made her cry’.”

Then Irys came forward and inquired, “Did uh…something else happen on Bracca?”

Hunter and Kimber turned to each other and their expressions shifted to awkwardness. They began to realize that Rina must've somehow sensed the harsh disagreement they'd all had on Bracca. Then they recalled that she had warned Hunter that if ever he made Kimber cry or he broke her heart that he would answer to Rina. Now, her unexpected outburst made sense somewhat.

“Well…yes,” Kimber answered Irys. “We had some setbacks on Bracca that led to some contention between us. Things were said and done on both sides that were hurtful, but we all managed to work through it. I can give you all more details later, but I promise everything’s fine.”

“I just hope Wrecker explains things well enough to calm her down,” said Lex, who had moved over beside Echo and was holding his hand.

“I’m sure he will. Wrecker knows how to handle her pretty well by now,” Echo replied to her before kissing her temple.

Kida went on to tell them, “We had no idea Rina would be able to sense any of that through the Force. It was so unexpected.”

“Just goes to show how much we really don’t understand about the Force,” said Kimber.

“There are many aspects about the Force that are certainly even beyond my own comprehension,” stated Tech. “Any science behind any of it seems to defy all logical and pragmatic thought.”

“On that, we can agree,” said Irys. “To be able to feel something clear on another side of the galaxy and know what is happening…it shouldn’t be possible…and yet, we just witnessed it for ourselves and I have no sensible explanation for it.”

“Needless to say…she’s been ready to put you in the ground for days, Hunter,” said Kida, flashing him a look that said “you got lucky this time”.

With a timid half-grin, he replied, “I could tell.”

“But we’re glad you’re all back,” said Lex, hugging Echo’s arm while looking at everyone else.

“It’s good to be back…though I get the feeling it won’t be for long if Cid has another job for us,” Kimber supposed.

Right then, they heard a familiar, nasally female voice call out from the back, “I’ve got another mission for you guys!”

As everyone rolled their eyes, Echo remarked to Kimber, “You had to say something, Kim.”

As Cid came into the room, she waved her arms at the girls and cried, “Get outta here, broads! Don’t you have somewhere better to be?”

“You know, a little politeness and the word ‘please’ can go a long way, Cid,” Lex retorted.

Rolling her eyes, Cid fired back, “Yeah, yeah, tell it to someone who cares, Spike. Now, get a move on and take Goldie and Bluey with you.”

Kimber took a threatening step forward, but Hunter placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her. She already couldn’t stand hearing Cid back-talk her boys, but she drew the line when it came to the girls. They didn’t deserve to be treated like that. That and it annoyed her hearing the new condescending nicknames Cid now had for Lex and Irys. She’d heard Kida’s before and it was still no less irritating to hear it again now.

However, the girls seemingly just brushed Cid off and started walking out of the parlor. “Stop by the Aurora before you all head out,” Kida told the Bad Batch as they walked out.

After the ladies left, Cid went on to explain the Bad Batch’s next mission to them: an extraction mission on Raxus, which Tech explained was the former center of the Separatist government...which meant the mission meant helping a Separatist. It seemed both Hunter and Kimber were on the same page when Cid tried giving them the datadisk with all the details.

“Help a Separatist? Not gonna happen,” Hunter refused, giving the datadisk back.

“You seem to have forgotten who we are and what we did during the Clone Wars,” added Kimber. “We fought the Separatists and we’re certainly not going to start helping them now.”

“I don’t care what you did before, Dollface,” Cid snidely remarked. “You’re working for me and that’s what you’re doing now.”

Kimber’s fists clenched at her sides as she glared at the Trandoshan. “One shot…one shot is all it would take…,” she thought to herself.

Then Cid stated to Hunter, “Your debt’s still not paid, remember? A job’s a job.”

Hunter then pulled Cid over to the other side of the parlor to speak privately, leaving everyone else by the bar.

After the two of them moved away, Kimber turned to Echo and grumbled quietly, “Just say the word and I’ll put an end to that miserable lizard. We’d be praised as heroes.”

“Easy, Kim,” Echo urged her, putting his hand on her shoulder.

“She may not be amiable, but eliminating her would make us no different from the Separatists we once fought against,” added Tech.

She groaned through gritted teeth. “I hate when you’re right. I’m just tired of all the abuse she throws at us and the girls and yet she still expects us to do her bidding. She doesn’t deserve our help.”

“I know, but this is what we’re going to have to do for now,” said Echo, albeit begrudgingly.

Just then, they heard Cid exclaim to Hunter as she walked away from him, “Yeah, yeah, Bandana. Just get outta here, will ya?” With that, she just sauntered by the rest of the group towards the back in the direction of her office, ignoring the less-than-pleased glances the rest of the Batch cast her way.

Omega was strapping on her belt with her bow as Hunter came over to her. “Ready when you are, Sergeant,” she said, saluting him.

He knelt down to her level and said back, looking a bit down, “Not this time, Omega. You’re staying with Cid.”

Kimber’s eyebrows shot up, astonished.

“But th--the mission! I’m part of the squad, too,” Omega tried to argue.

Resting his hand on her shoulder like he always did, Hunter said back, “Then following orders shouldn't be a problem. Stay close to Cid and don't leave this parlor. Got it, soldier?”

She still wasn’t happy with that decision, but Omega just rolled her eyes, groaned and answered, “Yes, sir.” Afterwards, she walked back to the bar and sulked on one of the barstools.

Kimber didn’t like Hunter’s choice anymore than Omega did and she quickly stepped in, saying quietly to Hunter, “Are you crazy? We can’t leave Omega with Cid. I wouldn’t trust that dragon alone with her for even a minute.”

“I don’t trust Cid either, but I’m not taking Omega to a Separatist planet. She’d be safer here,” Hunter replied.

“Then leave her with the Koriena Force, not Cid. They’re still here and even if they’re given another mission, Omega can assist them,” she implored. “She’s fully capable of doing so.”

“They’ve already got one child to look after,” he said.

With a scoff, she replied back, “Oh come on, Rina will be just fine.”

He raised an eyebrow at her. “I’m talking about the baby.”

“Yeah…and like I said, Rina will be fine.”

“I meant Kori, Kimber,” said Hunter, shaking his head.

She snickered, highly amused at her joke even though he didn't seem to be. Then she became sincere again by saying, “Seriously, though, leave her with the girls…and if it'll help ease your concerns any more, then I'll stay behind with her, too.”

He reared back slightly at that suggestion. “Why would you stay? We need you.”

She mustered up a small smile. “I appreciate you saying that, my love,” she said back, “but let's face it: my leg still isn't fully healed and I’m still limping. I can’t move around properly for a mission and would only hold you guys back. Besides…after what I did on Bracca, I don't feel like I've earned back my place fighting at your side.”

“Sweetheart, we talked about this,” he said. “I forgave you and so did the rest of the lads.”

“I know…but I haven't forgiven myself,” she replied. “I just…need a little time. Even still, my first point still stands: I can't actively help in the mission when my leg isn't back to a hundred percent. I would only cause problems for you. It's better if I stay anyway.”

Hunter sighed heavily. “I guess you're right. If that's your choice, then I'll respect it.”

She gave him a grateful nod in return. “Good luck and be safe, okay?”

“Of course. I have to come back to you, don't I?” he asked, touching her cheek lightly.

He kissed her cheek and turned away, signaling for the others to follow him out the door. Hunter walked out, but Echo and Tech hung back by the door for a moment, unbeknownst to Kimber and Omega.

As Kimber went over to talk to Omega, Cid cried out, “Hey, tiny, I got a mission for you. Now get scrubbing.” Then she threw a cleaning brush at the kid.

Kimber reached out and caught the brush one-handed in midair before it reached Omega. “Change of plans, Cid. She's coming with me,” she told the Trandoshan, a smug smirk on her face at not letting Cid have her way.

“Seriously?” Cid questioned.

“You got a problem with that?” Kimber challenged back with a raise of her eyebrows as she carelessly tossed the brush over her shoulder and behind the bar.

Frowning, Cid snapped, “Yeah, you're taking away my free labor.”

That one short sentence made Kimber's blood boil. If Omega hadn't been next to her, she would've screamed and ripped Cid a new one for sure, but decided to be more calm about it for Omega’s sake.

Instead, with a no less icy tone, she spat in Huttese, “E chu ta!”

Cid frowned even more. “What did you say to me?” she demanded.

Then Kimber heard Tech answer behind her, “You don't want to know.”

She grinned to herself. Only Tech would've known what she'd really said and it amused her even more that he was going to leave Cid in the dark just as much as she was. It's what the old lizard deserved.

Then she gave Omega a light pat on the arm and said, “Come on, dear. I'm taking you somewhere else.”

The kid gave no objections, slipped off her barstool and started heading for the door where Echo and Tech were waiting. Kimber cast one last distasteful glance at Cid before whipping around and following Omega, still limping slightly.

As they went through the door and it shut behind them, Echo inquired, “What did you say to her?”

“Words I shouldn't repeat in Basic with a child present,” Kimber answered. “And that was me being calm.”

That made Echo chuckle as he offered her an arm to help her up the steps.

“Will you be all right without us?” Tech asked her.

She scoffed and replied, “Don't you worry about us. We'll stay with the girls until you get back.” As they reached the top of the steps in the alleyway, she looked down at Omega and stated with a smile, hoping to lift the girl’s spirits a little about being left behind, “We’ll have some fun on our own, won’t we, Omega?”

The blonde girl looked up at her and couldn’t help but grin at seeing Kimber’s encouraging smile. “Yeah, we will,” she agreed.

“Well, we’ll head to the Aurora before we leave since Kida told us to stop by first,” said Echo.

“I would also assume Wrecker is still there with Rina,” added Tech.

“Don’t let me hold you back. I’ll be a bit behind you because of my leg,” said Kimber, giving them a dismissive way. “You lads get going. Be safe on Raxus.”

They both gave her and Omega affirming nods before jogging off in the direction of the hangar.

“You can go with them, Omega. I’ll catch up,” Kimber urged the young Clone.

However, Omega shook her head and replied, “I’m not gonna leave you alone. I’ll walk with you.”

Kimber certainly wasn’t going to say “no” to that.

“What did I tell you, Kimber?” Irys chastised her.

Now on the Aurora, after the Bad Batch had left for Raxus, Kimber had just relayed to the Koriena Force the details of everything that had gone down on Bracca after Kida and Rina had departed and Omega had also informed them of what had happened to her during her brief capture.

Irys kept going, “Did I not warn you of what could happen if you continued to keep in contact with Crosshair?”

“You did,” Kimber admitted.

“Yet you didn’t heed that warning and brought him to you and your squad anyway,” said Irys.

Then Kida spoke up, “Oh, lay off, Irys. It wasn't her fault. Crosshair took advantage of her feelings. That was his choice, not hers. She thought there was hope and took a chance. I’m sure anyone would’ve done the same.”

“Not when the other person still has a chip in their head that’s keeping them under the Empire’s control,” Irys rebuttled.

“Okay, unnecessary,” commented Lex, who was lounging on the couch and flourishing her vibroblade. “She's already gotten enough from the boys and they've forgiven her. No need to throw it back at her.”

Irys simply groaned, irritated.

Then Kida looked over at Omega and declared, “And you, Omega: what a brave young girl you are to have escaped from a bounty hunter all on your own!”

“Yeah, you definitely got brains as well as guts, kid,” Rina added.

“Thanks,” said Omega, looking pleased with their approval.

“I’ve definitely heard things about Cad Bane. He’s a nasty one. You’re real smart if you managed to outwit him,” stated Lex.

“As well as the gal we dealt with on Pantora,” said Rina. “She does not play around.”

“We're all just glad you're safe,” said Irys.

Omega nodded. “Me too. Though, I don't like being left behind now because I got taken.”

Kimber came up beside her and laid a hand on her shoulder. “The boys just want to protect you. I'm sure it'll only be this one time. I'll make sure of it.”

Then Rina spoke up, “In the meantime, us ladies have a quick job to run for Old Dragon Lady. You two wanna come with?”

Omega's eyes lit up at the prospect of another mission. “Yes! Where are we going?”

“Don't get too excited,” Irys warned her as she took out a datapad and started typing on it. “It's only here in the city. We're not going off-planet.”

Then the girl groaned in disappointment and her smile faded.

Lex, however, added, “Well, only if the target chooses not to run and escape on a ship…which is highly unlikely because people always run.”

“I know, why is that?” Kida asked, putting a hand on her hip.

Irys answered, not even looking up from the datapad, “Guilt, fear, basic human instinct, fight or flight response.”

“That was rhetorical, Goldie,” Kida responded, rolling her eyes.

That made Irys’s head snap up, her bright pink eyes flashing with contempt as she threatened, “Call me by Cid's ridiculous nickname again and I'm shoving this datapad down your throat.”

Kida lifted her eyebrows up and down as she replied, “Mmm, don't threaten me with a good time.”

As Irys huffed in annoyance, Kimber commented, smirking, “You know, you walked right into that one.” Then she turned to Omega. “You still wanna go?”

With a shrug, she said back, “Well, it's better than sitting around doing nothing. Besides, I'd like to see how the Koriena Force does things.”

Giving a final twirl of her vibroblade, Lex responded with an amused grin, “Now, you're talking, kid. We're gonna show you how we do things the Koriena Way.”

A burly man with dark skin and covered in tattoos, now winded from running so much, found himself cuffed and shoved into a chair in a small, empty warehouse in another part of Ord Mantell with several blasters, a vibroblade and an energy bow all pointed at him.

“It’s just like I said: they always run,” Lex commented, giving a spin of her blade.

“I’m not scared of a bunch of girls and a kid!” the man snarled at them with a deep voice.

Cracking her knuckles in front of him, Rina responded, “Maybe not now…but you will be.”

Kida stepped up in the middle of them, a devious expression on her face as she faced their target. “You’re Jido Berym, are you not?” she asked him.

“Yeah…what about it?” he questioned, trying to appear stoic.

“You owe our employer, Cid, a hefty sum of credits…and have failed multiple times to deliver. Which is why we have come to collect it on her behalf,” Kida informed him.

Then Kimber chimed in, “I’m guessing he still doesn’t have the money, seeing how he ran from us.”

“Either that or he’s hoarding all the money for himself and just playing dumb, acting like he don’t got it to get out of paying,” Rina put in.

“Start talking,” Omega ordered the man, stepping closer with her bow.

Jido’s eyes darted back and forth frantically and the ladies could all tell they were on to him. He was still trying to appear like he didn’t care or know anything, but his poker face was terrible.

“Look, I told Cid I’d give her the money when I have it,” he tried to argue.

However, Irys spoke up and refuted, “Oh, you have the money.” She held up her datapad, which was showing a list of transactions on it. “You’ve made quite the killing selling weapons on the black market. I even see people listed on here, too, so you’re dealing in slavery and human trafficking, as well.”

At hearing those words mentioned, Kimber’s grip on her two blasters tightened and her teeth clenched so tightly, she thought her jaw would crack.

“That’s a lie!” Jido cried out.

“It isn’t. I have all your financial records right here,” Irys said back.

Rina had sensed Kimber’s anger immediately and tried to divert the conversation by saying, “You’ve got some dark marks in your ledger, Berym, and refusing to pay your debts will only add another against you. How about you save us the headache and yourself a great deal of pain by just paying up? I’d really hate to mess up your face over something that could be solved pretty easily.”

There was an audible gulp that sounded from his throat, but he still held firm to his act and responded, “I don’t have the money. Tell Cid she’s still gotta wait.”

Kida bent over in front of him and said in a calm tone that still had some bite to it, “Listen, Jido…I’ve got a sleeping baby to get back to whose due to wake up anytime now, so if you could just speed things up already and give us the money, that would be much appreciated, okay?”

He scoffed, unamused. “What makes you think I’d care?”

“Well, it’s one parent appealing to another, seeing as how you have a son, too,” said Irys, who now had an image of Jido and a young brown-haired boy on her datapad.

Jido’s eyes widened in horror.

“Though, since you don’t seem to care or have the money for Cid and you’re involved in human trafficking, perhaps you could simply sell your boy to get the money you need,” Irys suggested nonchalantly.

“Irys…! Read the room, for Force sake!” Rina chided her through gritted teeth.

When Irys turned her head, all of the ladies except for Kimber were giving her looks that said “Are you serious?” Then Lex motioned subtly with her head to Kimber, whose eyes were tightly closed and hands were briefly shaking, her face writ with intense discomfort. Irys realized her faux pas in the moment and regret overcame her.

However, before she could say anything, Jido exclaimed, “Don't you lay a finger on my son! I don't have the money, I swear!”

“He's really holding onto that act, isn't he?” Lex asked.

“So what do we do?” Omega asked, looking up at the other ladies while still holding her bow at the ready.

“Boss Lady…you good?” Rina questioned Kimber, concerned.

Kimber inhaled deeply and released her breath, remembering to breathe to avoid having a panic attack at the mention of slavery. Just like she and Echo had always done. It took a few seconds for her heart rate to slow down and for her to feel herself again. Once she did, her eyes opened and her usual look of determination returned.

“Yeah, I'm fine,” she answered.

Just then, a device on Kida's wrist beeped and they then heard the sound of a child's cries coming from it…Kori's cries.

She sighed, irritated, as she silenced the device. “All right, time's up for you,” she stated, looking at Jido. “I've got a baby to feed, so we need to wrap this up. Lex, you know what to do.”

Needing no further instructions, Lex proceeded to pull an explosive from her belt, toss it onto Jido's lap, activate it with a remote and state, “Ten seconds.”

Jido yelped in a panic at the now beeping explosive.

Kimber and Omega exchanged astounded looks. Were they really just going to blow this guy up?

Quickly, Rina said, “Give us the money.”

“I can't!” he cried.

“You're running out of time,” she warned him.

“Five seconds,” said Lex.

“Now, Jido!” yelled Kida.

He let out a frightened cry as the beeping sped up rapidly and then shouted hastily, “Six-one-five-two-one! That's my account code! Take the money! Please don't kill me!”

The beeping got faster before the bomb went off…releasing a cloud of smoke right up into his face and making him momentarily choke on it.

“See? That wasn't so hard, was it?” Kida asked mockingly with a pleased grin as she knocked the smoke bomb off his leg and onto the floor.

“We smoked you out, scumbag…literally,” Rina added.

Once again, Kimber and Omega shared surprised yet impressed glances. That had been a clever plan that they didn't anticipate.

Then Irys stated, “For the record, I figured out the code to your account two and a half minutes ago just after I accessed your financial records and already transferred the credits.”

Flabbergasted, Jido yelled, “Then what was the point of the bomb?”

Lex flashed a cocky grin and replied, “We wanted to hear the information from you directly…and just to see you squirm.” Then she went over and sliced off the cuffs on his wrist with her knife.

“Thanks for that, Jido. I'm sure you'll be hearing from Cid very soon,” Kimber spoke up as Jido stood up from the chair, rubbing his wrists. “It would be wise for you to not get on her bad side again.”

“Y--yes, ma'am. Thanks for not killing me,” he replied.

“You won't be so lucky if we get sent after you again,” said Rina, crossing her arms and glaring at him threateningly. “Now, scram.”

Without any more encouragement, Jido took off running out of the warehouse, still whimpering in fear.

“And that's how you handle a job the Koriena Way: quickly and efficiently,” Kida declared with pride.

“Wow! That was amazing,” Omega replied in awe.

“Glad you're impressed, dear,” Kida told her, ruffling the girl's hair.

Holstering her blasters, Kimber commented, “You know, I forget sometimes how scary you girls can be.”

Giving her a light shove in the shoulder, Lex responded, “Then you need to hang around with us more, princess.”

“Would if I could, Lex. You know that,” Kimber said back. “Though, if you're with Echo now and Rina’s with Wrecker, we'll be seeing you plenty, I'm sure.”

“You better believe it, boss lady,” agreed Rina.

They then heard Kida, who had gone over to the door of the warehouse without them really noticing, call out, “Hey, I wasn't kidding when I said I have a baby to feed! Move it or lose it, ladies!”

“Well, you heard Mom. Let's go,” said Rina, already running with the rest moving after her.

They decided they would report to Cid after things with Kori were taken care of first. The baby's needs came before the grouchy Trando's needs, according to Kida, which everyone else agreed with. While she was in her room on the Aurora feeding the baby, Rina had gone into the kitchen to make a quick bite to eat for everyone and Omega had gone with her to help. Lex was lounging on the couch with a datapad along with Kimber and Irys had gone into the cockpit where she liked to be.

A few minutes later, though, Kimber heard Irys's voice say over the ship's speakers, “Kimber, can you come to the cockpit for a moment?”

She figured she'd oblige, got up from the couch and made her way to the cockpit of the ship, where she found Irys working on the main computers.

“What is it?” Kimber asked her as she walked in.

Irys turned in her chair, looking uneasy. “Listen…I wanted to apologize,” she said.

Taking a seat in the chair next to her, Kimber questioned, “Apologize for what?”

“For my comments earlier to Jido…about selling his son for money,” Irys admitted, wringing her hands together nervously, which was very unlike her.

Then Kimber remembered what she was referring to and gave a small nod in understanding.

The gold Togruta went on, “It was insensitive of me to say such a thing around you. I was caught up in the moment and temporarily forgot your past as a slave, which I know is no excuse. I nearly caused you to have a panic attack back there. I was in the wrong and I'm sorry.”

“You're forgiven, Irys. I know you didn't mean anything by it towards me,” Kimber told her calmly. “I pulled through and I'm getting better at handling those things.”

Irys seemed a bit surprised that Kimber had forgiven her so quickly, but she smiled gratefully nonetheless.

“It's a pity Tech isn't here. He'd be shocked to hear you actually apologize for something,” Kimber then teased her.

That made Irys snicker. “Well…thank you for not thinking badly of me.”

Kimber smiled back. “I could never.”

Just then, Omega came running in and informed them, “Rina says the food's ready.”

Both Kimber and Irys stood up, gave each other one last friendly grin and then Irys went ahead and left the cockpit. Kimber stayed behind for a moment, looking down at Omega.

“Did you have fun with the ladies today?” she asked.

Omega nodded gladly. “I did! They're great. They definitely do things differently than we do, but that's what makes them a lot of fun.”

“You know, I was their leader at one point in time,” Kimber told her. “I could still be leading them now, if I wanted to.”

“Why aren't you? What changed?” Omega asked.

Kimber knelt down to her level. “Your brothers,” she said with a bright smile. “These girls helped me get them out of a tight situation once. Rina convinced me to lead the Koriena Force since it was my squad we were going after, as well as some other Clones that were involved, too. They all wanted me to stay with them, but…I couldn't leave the boys.”

“Especially Hunter,” Omega commented with a smirk.

With a chuckle, Kimber remarked, “You're not wrong there. The girls understood my position…but I know I always have a place with them, too. They're my family just as much as you and the boys are.”

“I really like them, Kimber, and I'm glad they came here for us,” said Omega. “I'm glad they're your friends because now they're all our friends.”

Kimber chuckled again. “Well…some are definitely more than friends with our squad.”

Omega giggled, putting a hand over her mouth. “I know. They're all so cute. Rina and Wrecker, Echo and Lex, Rex and Kida…even Tech and Irys, even though they're not a couple, but their bickering is entertaining.”

“Trust me, we all feel the same way,” said Kimber.

“The girls make our squad happy…and that makes me happy. That's what matters to me,” Omega said sweetly.

Smoothing Omega’s hair a little, Kimber replied, “You and me both, dear. Now, come on. Let's get some food. I'm starving.”

“I can't wait for you to try what Rina and I made!” Omega responded eagerly as they walked.

Kimber grinned and stated, “I'm looking forward to it.”

#the bad batch #sergeant hunter #hunter x oc fic #sun and rain #hunter x oc #hunter x original character

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