On The Run || A Bad Batch Story || Hunter X Reader

After some searching, Hunter and Tech were able to locate Sugi, the bounty hunter. The Bad Batch had encountered Sugi a number of times on their missions. They had been known to help each other out every once in a while. It seemed that Sugi always tried to do the right thing, even if it wasn't the most profitable; an odd characteristic for a bounty hunter.

When not working on an active job, many bounty hunters could be found at one of the guild hubs. That's precisely where they were hoping to find Sugi. They arrived on Carajam, a desert planet in the outer rim, and home to one of the guild hubs. With there being so much activity from bounty hunters and other nefarious sorts, it was extremely risky for them to be there.

"It's not worth the risk," Y/N explained to Hunter, "Please don't endanger yourselves for me." The group was huddled just inside the Marauder, awaiting orders.

Hunter looked to his brothers and then back at the Jedi, "It's already been decided. Removing your bounty is well worth the risk of exposure." They all knew the risks. They all knew that there was a strong likelihood that someone would recognize them. Based on what they could gather from the holonet, their run in with the pirate Hondo had not gone unnoticed. There were increasing patrols in that area and they could only assume that locals were alerted to be on the lookout. But Hunter wanted to do this for Y/N. He wanted to ease the heavy burden of loss, even if just a little. And with them all traveling together, taking action to remove Y/N's bounty was in the best interest of all of them.

Before Y/N could protest anymore, Hunter began to give everyone their orders. "Wrecker, Echo, you're with me. Tech, Omega, Y/N, stay with the ship and be ready for a quick pick up."

Omega crossed her arms, "Why do I always have to stay with the ship?" she complained.

Hunter knelt down to be on her level, "Look, kid... it's too dangerous for you to go out there right now. It's best if only a few of us go in so we don't draw too much attention." A look of disappointment still hung on Omega's face. Hunter sighed, he felt sorry for her, but there were too many things that could go wrong. He couldn't risk anything happening to her. He wouldn't admit it, but that was why he insisted that Y/N stay with the ship as well. If they were anywhere but in the safety of the Marauder and the capable hands of Tech, he would be so worried about their well-being that he wouldn't be able to focus on the task at hand. Of course, he would never admit it to any of them so he had to come up with something. "You can join us on the next mission, I promise," he swore to Omega as he patted her on the shoulder. Omega's shoulders dropped as she walked away, moping the whole way to her small room.

                                           ***

Hunter led the way through the dusty streets with Wrecker and Echo following close behind. They had donned hats and hoods to reduce their risk of being seen. The cantina was filled with clientele of all types, many of whom they assumed to be bounty hunters. Hunter scanned the crowd and rested his eyes on the Zabrak woman resting her legs on a table in the corner. Sugi.

The three clones made their way over to her. When she noticed their company, she removed her boots from the table and motioned for them to join her. "Didn't expect to see you lot here," she said with surprise, "shouldn't you be out serving your new Empire?"

Hunter took the seat adjacent to her, "We had some disagreements."

Sugi laughed, "Why am I not surprised?"

Echo claimed a spot behind the table, leaning against the wall surveying the establishment. Wrecker took the seat opposite of Sugi, blocking the view of the conversation happening at the table.

Sugi noted the positions of the clones, "I take it you're not here for a visit," more of a statement than a question.

"We have a favor to ask of you," Hunter explained, "and before you protest, remember the last time we saw each other and where you would be now if it weren't for us." Sugi opened her mouth to make a snide remark, but then seemed to remember their last encounter and gestured for Hunter to continue.

"And why is it so important for this bounty to be removed from the system?" she asked after hearing Hunter's request.

Hunter looked to Echo, needing a silent reassurance before sharing the truth. Echo nodded in approval knowing that they didn't have much of a choice. "The bounty is a Jedi," he whispered as quietly as he could.

Sugi's eyes widened, "I thought they were all dead."

"Not all of them," responded Hunter.

Sugi contemplated the request, weighing the options. Hunter had put a lot of trust in her just now and she knew it. She could very well go report them to the Empire, or capture the Jedi and claim the reward for herself. Hunter stared at her, muscles tense, while she thought about the choice she would make. After a few stressful moments of silence, she finally spoke up, "I'll do it." Hunter let out a breath of relief. "The Jedi were good people, it's not right what happened to them," she explained as she put her legs back on the table.

Hunter gave her the rest of the information she would need, but before they could celebrate their success, Echo spoke with grave concern, "We've got company."

Hunter looked across the cantina and adrenaline pumped through his veins as he laid eyes on Crosshair standing in the doorway. Someone must have recognized them, unfortunate but not unexpected. He knew they only had mere seconds before Crosshair spotted them, "Get back to the ship," he ordered Echo and Wrecker with urgency in his voice.

Hunter looked to Sugi who seemed to be comprehending the situation, "I promise I'll take care of the bounty. Now get out of here," she said as she pointed them in the direction of the back exit.

"Get down, now!" Hunter yelled to his brothers as they were making their way through the door. They followed orders without hesitation and a blaster shot flew through the air above them. Crosshair had spotted them, but Hunter was able to sense the blaster fire before it made contact with them, saving them and giving them the added seconds they needed to get out of the building.

Hunter knew their priority was getting back to the ship as soon as possible and watching his brothers' backs while on the way, but he couldn't help but think about who he had left on the ship and hoped that they had remained unseen.