Oyuba’din - Chapter 27: Focus
Summary: As the Batch struggles with the loss of one of their own, Hunter tracks something the others can't see.
Warnings: discussion of major character death, grief, mention of torture and near death experiences
Author’s Note: Hope y'all don't hate me right now 😅 btw there’s going to be an epilogue 🤘
3 4?! chapters remain
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“‘How many time’s she’s’ what?” Hunter asked.
Sinya shook her head rapidly. “I said too much, I can’t-”
Hunter moved in close. “Tell us…now,” he growled.
The intimidation sunk into the twi’lek, and she appeared to become more uncomfortable by the second. She swallowed, her fingers fidgeting.
“How many times she’s died.”
“She- that’s not possible,” Echo muttered, eyes wide.
“It’s a curse,” Sinya shrugged. “It happened when she was young. She doesn’t like to-”
“Unless she was resuscitated, it would have been impossible for her to have died,” Tech interjected.
Crosshair shook his head. “But that blaster shot she took before she was assigned to us; she couldn’t have survived that, right?”
“I mean, she’s here, isn’t she?” Sinya replied. “Obi Wan told me about that one. It was pretty rough.”
“You can say that again; that shot knocked her out of the frontlines for six weeks,” Echo scowled.
“We’re still not sure what she lost that time,” she hummed, mouth pulling into a tight line. “She won’t go through the list with me, not that she’s added anything to it recently anyway.”
“Jainey loses stuff, too? I lose stuff all the time,” Wrecker chuckled nervously, earning a sharp look from Hunter.
“She doesn’t lose objects like that. She loses memories. Obi Wan told me that the first one she lost was of her first love.”
Tech cleared his throat. “Her-”
“That isn’t something I’ll tell you,” Sinya interrupted, her words forming a sharp edge. “That story is hers to tell if she wants.”
Wrecker shifted his weight between his feet, eyes trained at the floor. “What if she- will she forget us?”
“Wrecker-” Tech’s voice came, vague irritation along with it.
“I don’t know,” Sinya answered, the corners of her mouth coming up in a reassuring smile. “But I don’t think she could forget you boys if she tried.”
Wrecker nodded, a small grin matching hers.
The rest of the recording included Sinya saying her goodbyes and a brief squabble over taking watches.
“So it’s true then; she has to come back. She’s cursed to come back,” Crosshair rasped, his voice still shaky, as he combed Jaine’s hair away from her face, her head in his lap. “She has to come back.”
“Cuir’ika,” Tech said, his voice low. “We cannot begin to understand how this supposed curse works, or if it exists at all.”
“She has to come back,” Crosshair repeated, making it clear that he wasn’t listening to his twin any longer.
Tech sighed, pulling himself to his feet. Camp had been made here at the bank of the river, despite Tech pointing out that it was not an ideal place to set up, even for a short period of time. But there was no moving his brother.
Tech walked the short distance to the small shelter Hunter and Wrecker set up.
“Still won’t budge?” Hunter asked, already knowing the answer.
Tech gave a small nod. “His vitals show no sign of deterioration, even if he seems to be in shock.”
Hunter hummed an acknowledgment.
“Have Echo and Wrecker had any luck finding a signal?”
Hunter sighed. “Last he checked in, he was trying to find a tall tree to climb. We managed to get a partial message through to Cody, but it wasn’t much.”
Tech nodded. For the first time since- well, ever in his life, everything seemed still. The numerous sounds that always surrounded him, constantly pulling him in and whipping his brain into a faster pace, seemed to be somewhat quieter now. He could still hear them if he listened; the rush of the water flowing down the river, the leaves rustling as the wind shook their branches, Crosshair’s quiet, reassuring mantra.
“You look tired,” Hunter noted, having watched Tech’s eyes close as he concentrated on what he could hear. “You should rest.”
“I have the most training in field medical aid out of the rest of us,” Tech replied. “I should be alert if anything were to happen.”
“Tech-”
“I am fine, Hunter,” Tech asserted as he began to tap rapidly at his data pad.
Hunter sighed heavily. “Tech, don’t you think it’s time you stopped lying to me?”
“I am not-” Tech began, but was cut off by the tired incredulous look on Hunter’s face.
“We’ve never…lost one of our own,” Hunter lamented, his eyes focusing on Crosshair by the riverbank. “Years of testing and training and torture, hundreds of missions, too many close calls, but we made it through it all. But now…”
Tech watched as Hunter’s eyes squeezed closed, noticed the way his jaw and fists clenched, saw his shoulders slump almost imperceptibly, heard his breaths quicken. He always had to see the details- all of the details. He put it together in his head; it had been a long time since he had seen these tiny clues on his eldest brother. Hunter was scared- terrified, really.
“Sol’ika,” Tech whispered, knowing it would be loud enough for his brother to hear. “This is not your fault.”
Before Hunter could begin to respond, a small ping sounded from his vambrace, followed by a shout from Wrecker, not far away.
“It’s Cody,” he said, standing up.
“Sergeant,” Cody greeted, the sound of blaster fire and explosions in the background. “Heard you boys are out on Damussa, but you said this was urgent?”
“Yes, sir,” Hunter uttered. His heart had dropped into his boots and his mouth felt drier than the sands of Tatooine. “Commander, Is the General available? This message concerns both of you.”
“We’re a bit busy,” Cody hummed, his head snapping towards some sound that barely came through the static. “Can this possibly wait?”
“Commander, it’s-”
Another explosion sounded through the comm, followed by a crash and a loud grunt.
“Hello dear,” Obi Wan’s voice dripped like honey. “Fancy meeting you here.”
“Sergeant Hunter, you’ve got your window now. Make it quick.”
Hunter tried to steady his breath. “General Kenobi, sir. It’s J-...I regret to inform you that Lieutenant Vale-”
The words choked in his throat, the air in his lungs seemed to turn to lead.
Through the static of the signal, the blaster fire, the bombs, Hunter could make out Kenobi’s faint voice. “Jainera?”
The line continued with simply the background noise of war.
“Thank you for informing us, Hunter,” Obi Wan finally answered, his voice a schooled calm, but lacking its usual character. “We are less remote and will have better luck getting a message through to Sinya on Coruscant. Stay safe, Sergeant.”
With that, the line cut, and Hunter sank back down onto the log he’d been occupying before, praying to gods he couldn’t believe in for…someone- anyone to guide him through this.
Starlight, a quiet voice hummed in his ears, causing his whole body to tense up. His hair stood on end as his eyes darted around.
“Hunter?” Tech questioned, but his voice seemed distant.
Relax, the voice called again.
Hunter scowled as he stood up, eyes searching the area. He couldn’t see anyone - or anything - that could be calling to him like this. He was vaguely aware of Tech vying for his attention, asking if he was okay or what he was hearing, but right now he could hear a threat and he needed to gather information.
I’m no threat, Starlight.
Hunter just about growled, somewhat startling Tech.
“Hunter,” he repeated, placing his hand on his brother’s shoulder, following his line of sight towards Crosshair and Jaine.
“There,” Hunter breathed, slowly approaching the riverbank. The unshakable focus in his expression and the way his stance adjusted reminded Tech of a predator stalking some prey, and not for the first time.
Thanks for reading! - River
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