All the World in Front of Me

[small_compromise]

WHO: Omega, you!
WHERE: A young clone's dwelling place
WHAT: Calibrations
WHEN: Duration of event
WARNINGS: N/A


Waiting Room



It's a narrow space you find yourself in, flanked by a large console and screen on one side with a pair of chairs bolted into the floor, and some kind of hatch on the opposite side. The floorspace is cluttered with large storage crates and random detritus, the area dimly lit, save for the rear where a narrow, short flight of steps leads up to a smaller section with a single chair. The space is warmly lit by a string of lights, and in spite of the fact that it looks like the gunner's mount of some sort of ship once the rest of the place is pieced together, someone's made the effort to make it homey by adding a curtain across the opening and padding on the exposed bars along the sides of the entryway. Down at the base amongst trash and mechanical parts is a well-worn ball with seams that look handstitched. Atop one of the longer crates is a cylindrical item that a more technical-minded person might identify as some sort of capacitor. There's also some kind of flat, metal-like rectangular object that might not readily be identified as part of a lock where it lies. Sprawled out like it had been thrown or knocked to the floor is a wooden clone trooper doll, although this one's yet in its pristine white's rather than the modified version Omega's painted.

Strangely enough, when one looks towards the opposite end of the ship, it seems out of focus. But if one were to try approaching the cockpit, they'd find themselves in a very different space altogether. One of the crates overlap the two spaces, and against it rests a large blaster rifle about one-third Omega's size. Large windows take up most of the wall on one side, opening up to a dark, deep green-blue seascape as fish of some kind swim by. Taking up one of the benches against the window is a perhaps familiar-looking beefy tooka plush. On the opposite side of the room are a series of large, cylindrical tubes, pods of various sizes, with narrow computer pedestal in front of them. It looks to be some sort of lab.

Comments

[fatedsacrifice]

Noctis had absolute zero idea as to where he'd stumbled into. He wasn't even sure how he got here if he had to confess to the truth. But it seemed all of a sudden he was in an odd space, and noticed the ball. He didn't touch it, but smiled as he recalled finding such a treasure as a kid and forcing Ignis to play with him whenever he wanted.

Smiling as he continued his visual perusal of the room, he stopped at seeing the clone trooper doll. His blue eyes focused on it and he almost picked it up, but stopped himself before he could touch it. It seemed he'd seen something like that in a movie once. Prompto quoted from it at times.

Huh.

Moving on, he kept a hand on the wall and thought to call out.

"Hello? Is someone here?"

[small_compromise]

There was movement up in the gunner's mount, a familiar head peering around the seat there. The girl blinked before smiling a little, offering a wave. She slipped out of the seat to make her way towards the steps.

"Noctis! It's kind of strange seeing you here."

[fatedsacrifice]

He heard noises and somehow he still readied himself for a fight. The king had no idea who or what was here. But then Noct pulled back in surprise as he saw a familiar face and the little wave that Omega did.

Waiting until she caught up to him he nodded. "I'm in a really strange place. Where are we?"

Because he'd never seen this place before and he explored plenty.

[small_compromise]

"I guess it'd be strange to anyone not used to starships," Omega admitted with a shrug. She hopped down the steps, gesturing around. "Welcome aboard the Marauder. It's my brothers' ship, and our home." Not very spacious, but it was theirs, and all they had what with the Republic gone.

[fatedsacrifice]

"Well..ya I guess." Noctis admitted slowly. Their new world did have ships which Noctis was used to dealing with back home, but they were in the ownership of the enemy. But he never said that out loud here.

His dark blue eyes began to look around the ship as Omega introduced him to it. "You ended up getting your brother's ship to come here?"

How did that happen, and could he materialize something or someone from back home too?

[small_compromise]

That got a puzzled look from her. "What do you mean, come here?" The ship was where it was supposed to be so far as she was concerned. Although it was true there were some things out of place, other things missing.

Omega went to sit on the bottom step. "I wish Gonky were here at least. It's too quiet."

[fatedsacrifice]

Noct cocked his head to the side at her question and didn't reply. This ship seemed out of place, but if she had it here then it was here, right? He didn't recall her living here but maybe this had happened when he hadn't been looking.

Which made him feel guilty because he should be checking on her more often.

Kneeling down a little so that she remained a little taller than him, he smiled. "I know the feeling. If it got too quiet back home, we wondered what we'd missed."

Or what was coming for them, but Noct didn't mention that part. "Still, quiet can be a good thing at times even if takes some getting used to."

Like when he was fishing.

[small_compromise]

The girl frowned, shaking her head. "I don't like it. I've had enough quiet and being alone," she said as she hugged her knees. Her eyes glanced past Noctis towards the far end of the ship, or at least what should have been the cockpit of it, the frown easing from her brow into something not quite neutral.

"Anyway, when my brothers are around it's never really quiet. I've gotten used to that and I like the company much better," she said, pulling herself out of the slight dip of mood. She picked at the edge of the padding that wound around the railing beside her.

[fatedsacrifice]

The king looked at the girl and with the whole gesture of her hugging her knees made him worry. His gaze followed hers and nothing was there but the new knowledge had him turn to look back at her after a moment or two.

"Ya I know how that is. I had three guys constantly around and when they weren't there anymore it was a quiet I didn't like either."

So he definitely understood.

"But if you didn't want to be alone..did you tell anyone that's how you felt?"

[kree_soldieress]

Well this was not the space she was expecting. Then again, this whole experience has involved a lot of things she hasn't expected. For now Lauri-Ell looks through the space carefully, moving until she enters a strange new area, something like a wide open room. How strange, to see the fish swim by.

What truly catches her attention, though, is the plush. Lauri-Ell moves to it, reaching out to stroke the thing because it looks so soft.

[small_compromise]

The already dim lab darkens even more as her touch invokes a memory.

Another storm rages outside, lightning flashing intermittently past the bay doors, not doing much to light up the space, but by now her eyes have adjusted enough to see the crates gathered there beside the ship belonging to Clone Force 99. She glances across the way, watching as the squad starts gathering their discarded gear and suiting up. Wrecker stands a full head taller than his brothers, and with his helmet perched atop his head rather than completely settled in place, he looks even more so, although his frantic movements make him look more comical than frightening at the moment.

"No, no...Where is it? Where is it?" he asks as he looks around desperately through the crates. "It's gotta be here somewhere!" Not that anyone answers, preoccupied with getting themselves ready.

Omega looks around as she hears Hunter tell Tech to power up the ship. Something catches her eye- a plush lying on the floor, suspecting this is what Wrecker seeks. "The rest of us will go after Crosshair," Hunter continues as she goes and picks it up, smiling faintly as she glances back towards the others. She's only just getting to really know them, to learn about them. And then she pauses, her head turning towards the main doors.

"...I don't think we'll have to go far," she says, and even the storm doesn't break the sudden tension that springs up with the brief silence after her words as she knows all eyes have followed hers as those doors slide open to admit a squad of Shock Troopers, with an all too familiar figure stepping after them.

[kree_soldieress]

A memory, and one Lauri-Ell understands she must go through. The only way, she had learned, was through. And, like a ghost, she follows the young woman, her friend, the one who helped her. Sure, Lauri-Ell had messed up the healing the girl had done for her,but she cared for the child anyway.

And so she watched, silent, as the memory played itself out.

[small_compromise]

Immediately the others take cover behind crates. It's Wrecker who speaks up first in disbelief. "...is that Crosshair?"

There's something colder to the usual indifferent expression the sniper normally wears. His rifle is propped upwards, his helmet under an arm. His armor's different, no longer sporting the dashes of red and the skull insignias that would identify him with their squad. Hunter rises from his cover, stepping out into the open, and Crosshair smirks.

"Best step down, sergeant. Make it easy on yourself," he suggests, almost casually.

"Have you lost your mind?!" Hunter shouts back. Crosshair ignores him, continuing. "You should have killed that Jedi. You disobeyed orders." His smirk is gone, twisting into a sneer. Omega remains ducked where she is, looking back towards Hunter, worried as he retorts, "I did what I thought was right."

"You never could see the bigger picture. Now surrender."

Hunter glances back at Wrecker and Echo, the former finally settling his helmet on properly as they both ready their weapons. The sergeant looks back at Crosshair. "Is that an order?"

Crosshair scoffs. "Heh. I guess it is."

"Well, I guess I'm disobeying that one too."

Omega watches Hunter anxiously as the quiet settles between the two parties, broken only by a flash outside as the storm continues on. The tension builds, both sides waiting for whoever will dare to make the first move. Crosshair finally acts, quickly shifting his rifle into a shooting position before taking fire. Hunter ducks as the bolt flies where his head had been but a second ago, striking the ramp of the Marauder. The rest of the Shock Troopers open fire after their commander as Hunter takes cover by Omega, Wrecker and Echo returning fire. Smoke suddenly erupts as the Shock Troopers deploy a smokescreen.

"Tech, we need to move, now," Hunter growls into his comlink. "Wrecker, clear the smoke on three. Omega, stay low." He begins the countdown, Omega bringing her hands (and Lula) up over her head as she hunkers against the crate. "One...

"...two..."

"Three!" Wrecker finishes, rising up with a pair of heavy covers from the crates. He smashes them together, the displaced air pushing the smoke away before he follows up hurling one, then the other at the troopers. Crosshair isn't so easily daunted, immediately firing a shot that strikes the big clone in the shoulder with enough force to knock his helmet off as he goes crashing down.

[kree_soldieress]

A battle. A battle around a child. Lauri-Ell follows the child, wanting to hunker down over her, wishing she had the power to step into the past to shield Omega with her own body. It would be so much easier to accept this if she could shield the child.

"Please be safe, my little friend."

[small_compromise]

Omega seems hardly concerned about her own safety in that moment as she darts out of cover for Wrecker the moment she sees him fall. "Omega, no!" She's just as quickly yanked back behind cover by Hunter, another shot from Crosshair's rifle sizzling through the air just a split-second after. "He's using Wrecker as bait!"

"But he needs help!" Omega looks at him desperately. Hunter looks back where Wrecker is as he addresses Tech aboard the shuttle. "Tech, we're out of time!" She can't hear if he answers Hunter, but the thrusters of the ship blaze to life in response then. Both of them look then to the bay doors as the metal groans and begins to shudder, but refrains from lowering. No time to question that now when it's in their favor. Hunter sets a hand on Omega's shoulder.

"When I say go, you head for that ramp and don't stop, got it?" When Omega nods at him, he lets her go, turning to the other trooper across the way. "Echo, we go for Wrecker." Getting a nod, they all prepare. "Go!" Hunter shouts, dashing from behind the crates. Both he and Echo move as one, laying down some cover fire and immediately met with retaliation. Omega runs, still clutching the tooka plush as she looks anxiously back, stray blaster bolts flying past her as she makes for the shuttle's ramp. She ducks behind another crate, looking back at the firefight before her eyes alight upon the blaster rifle lying there atop the crate in front of her. With Echo and Hunter struggling to haul their larger brother aboard, they're left quite open. She grabs the blaster, so large in her hands, and she can see Crosshair across the way, taking aim. She'd only watched the others do it before, but she does her best to mimic, taking aim...

Crosshair's rifle flies out of his hands, and for a moment everyone pauses, turning to see where the shot had come from. They see Omega with the blaster in her hands, tense, scared, but determined to help protect her brothers. Crosshair moves again first, whipping out his sidearm, but she doesn't give him the chance to fire, shooting off several more blasts to cover for Hunter, Echo and Wrecker as they hustle up the ramp, forcing Crosshair into cover himself. It's enough time for them all to get aboard before he's out again and shooting, but by then the ship is moving, and in no time they're off and away. Free...for now.

Omega sits by the window when the imagery fades. Her hair's the way it usually is, bangs loose and left down than how it had been in the memory, pulled back and held in place by an ornament. Her eyes look out at the deep waters beyond.

"That's when we escaped Kamino," she says softly.

[kree_soldieress]

"You were so very brave," Lauri-Ell tells her, voice soft. For a Kree youth that firing would have been second nature. But she is not Kree. She is... She is a sad child who deserved better.

"Was Wrecker okay?"

[small_compromise]

The girl smiles faintly. "I was just doing what I had to. I wanted to protect my brothers." She nods then. "Wrecker's tough. But Crosshair's a good shot. Tech said he was lucky to survive."

Sorry for the very late.

[lionunchained]

This was not quite the place that Shiro expected to find himself with these calibration rooms. Not that he really had an idea of what he was going to walk into when he entered the rooms, but still. This looked more like when they had had to evacuate the castle and everything of value that they could obtain had been shoved into the lions. Part storage and part home.

As he walked through the room, he didn't immediately see someone in there, but as he looked around at the different objects, he spotted the wooden doll on the floor. He was fairly certain he had seen that before...

"Omega?"

Always welcome!

[small_compromise]

While it was nice to be in a familiar place, it just wasn't quite the same without the people who made it home. So when Omega heard a familiar voice, she perked up. It wasn't a voice that belonged here normally, but it belonged to someone she'd befriended, and that was good enough for her.

Her head peeked out from around the gunner's seat up at the top of the steps at the rear of the ship's hold. "Shiro?"

Woohoo!

[lionunchained]

Shiro had been looking around for her after spotting the doll and soon didn't have to look to far as she peeked out at him.

"Hey there. Long time no see. Of course it has to be here."

[small_compromise]

The girl slipped off of the chair, stepping around it. It was good to see him and it showed on her face for the smile there.

"Well, maybe it's not so bad. You can see where I live. Kind of, anyway." She looked around. "Some things are different, and..." her gaze drifted towards the front half of the ship, or rather where it should have been, although from this point it was weirdly out of focus. Omega shook her head, stepping down the short flight of stairs to the main floor of the hold.

[lionunchained]

"It's nice. In a living in a ship sort of way. Don't get me wrong; we lived inside the cargo space of our lions for quite some time while trying to get back to Earth. We made it as homey as possible given the circumstances. Very similar to this."

It was oddly nostalgic somehow.

He glanced back when she looked towards the front half of the ship.

"I guess that's what happens when it isn't entirely real."

[small_compromise]

"It's an attack shuttle- so it wasn't really made for living in. But my brothers are soldiers, and were usually out on missions so I guess they made do," Omega said. She pointed back up towards the space she'd just come down from, the lights that had been strung up within giving it a warmer feeling compared to the rest of the hold. "Wrecker set the gunner's mount up to be my room. I'd never had my own room before this." She smiled fondly at it.

"...but I guess over there was home too," she admitted as her attention shifted back towards the other side. "It's where I came from. I don't ever want to go back, though."

[lionunchained]

"Makes sense. Gotta do what you gotta do after all." He smiled and glanced towards the area she indicated. "It's nice."

At the direction towards the other side of the ship, he looked as well. "Ah. Then I would say that you don't have to."

[small_compromise]

That made Omega relax a little. It was a little troubling to see the old lab there where the rest of the ship should have been. Staying up in her room here had been a subconscious effort to distance herself as much as possible.