Curate, connect, and discover
Once again, posting things from my fic that I think appeal to a wider audience. Ever since I saw Echo was alive, I knew I needed Fives to have been there. It was a pleasure writing this version.
Again, sorry my usual followers, this is stuff in the fics.
Today’s Sample: Fives learns what Rex discovers and comes along on the mission to rescue Echo.
The context: Fives lives and Ahsoka stays with the 501st. Also Ahsoka has super charged Force powers that cripple her if she uses them too much. She leads the mission to go get Echo. Also Fives and Crosshair one hundred percent got into a fight. (oh and Tup lives too)
Anyway, I hope you enjoy!
General Skywalker was serious as they explained what had happened.
“I’ll talk to the Council.” He said. “But we will be getting permission.”
Rex knew that meant they were going whether or not they got actual permission. For once, the General was acting as his old self again.
“Go and talk to Fives.” He said. “He’ll want to know.”
“Thank you, sir.” Rex said.
General Skywalker patted Rex on the shoulder.
“I’ll let you know when we can leave.” He said. “And I’ll see if that Bad Batch can give us a hand.”
Rex and Ahsoka turned to leave before the General spoke again.
“Oh, and Rex?” He said. “I’ll need your- help later, okay?”
Rex repressed a sigh.
“Yes, sir.” He said.
“You’re only back a few days, and he’s making you stand watch during his little meetings with Padme?” Ahsoka asked once they were on the way to the barracks, shaking her head.
“It’s all right most of the time.” Rex said. “Just as long as General Kenobi’s not around.”
Fives was waiting at the entrance of the barracks for them.
“Rex, Ahsoka.” He said as they approached. “Tup said you had something important to talk to me about?”
“Yes.” Rex said.
“We’ll go to my quarters to talk about it.” Ahsoka said.
Fives’ frown deepened, but he followed them to the small room Ahsoka stayed in.
“Take a seat.” Ahsoka said to Fives, gesturing to her cot.
Fives did so, looking between them.
“Whatever it is, I didn’t do it, okay?” He said.
It was a weak attempt to diffuse the tension, Rex knew, and Fives’ grin slipped away as Ahsoka and Rex continued to look grim.
Rex gave the outline of the mission: that they suspected an algorithm that could predict Rex’s plans.
“We found a live signal at the Separatist Cyber Center. From a being on Skako Minor.” Rex said. “When we asked who it was-”
Rex took a deep breath. He hoped he wasn’t wrong in opening this wound.
“It said it was CT-1409.”
Fives’ eyes widened, his nostrils flared, and he stood immediately.
“When do we leave?” He demanded.
Rex and Ahsoka shared a look.
“Fives, we are going, and soon, but you have to consider that this may be a trap.” Ahsoka said.
“Of course it’s a trap!” Fives said. “They’re using our dead brother to try and lure us in! They have to pay for it!”
“Fives,” Rex said, unsure on how to respond to Fives’ reaction. “Echo could be alive.”
“He’s not.” Fives’ voice had dropped to a low growl. “He’s not. It’s a trick and they have to pay.” “Fives-”
Fives whirled on them, eyes wild.
“Don’t you think I would know if my brother was alive?” He yelled. “I saw him die! I felt it! Echo is dead!”
He stared at them, daring them to say differently. Tears were leaking down his face, unnoticed.
“Just-just let me know when we leave.” He said.
He pushed past them and out the door.
“Ahsoka.” Rex said. “Can you- can you maybe feel Echo?”
Ahsoka shook her head.
“But that doesn’t mean he’s for sure dead.” She said. “I couldn’t really feel Master Obi Wan when he was pretending to be that bounty hunter, and sometimes a person can change so much that you can’t recognize them in the Force.”
“I have to believe he’s alive.” Rex said quietly. “It has to be him.”
"But if it's not?" Ahsoka asked.
"Then I say his name in remembrances again." Rex said. "And move on, like with every fallen brother."
It was a lie. If it was not Echo, Rex did not know if he could move on this time.
Fives shot again and again into the crowd of clankers. His face still throbbed from where Crosshair had landed his only decent punch from their fight earlier. Fives liked to think that the sniper had come off worse for wear from their scuffle. The idiot shouldn't have brought up leaving Echo behind.
That was why this couldn't be Echo. It was a trap, through and through. Because if Echo was alive, that meant Fives had left his injured brother behind, left him for dead. Fives could have never done that. So Echo wasn't alive. It was just a fact.
Ahsoka led the group through the Techno Union's base. Rex was at Fives' side. The Captain had been high strung and moody this whole mission. He'd nearly attacked Crosshair too and would have if Ahsoka hadn't stopped him.
Fives vaguely wondered how he'd been acting, if Rex was this bad.
Fives was forced to admit, the Bad Batch was good. He wouldn't choose to take any of them on missions, as they were all pretentious shebs'e. Except the big one. Wrecker was all right, and was worth a squad of his own.
He’s a bit like Hardcase Fives thought as he yanked a droid's head from its body and chucked it at another oncoming clanker. He never thought this much during missions. He had a laser focus, only deviating for a well timed joke.
"The signal is coming from in there." Tech said, pointing to a door.
He had been calling it Echo's signal until Fives had threatened to shove his datapad up his unmentionables. It wasn't Echo's signal. It was a trick.
"Open the door!" Rex ordered.
An ugly, amphibian like mug appeared on a screen next to the door.
Fives tuned out most of what Wat Tambor had to say and shot more clankers.
"Your friend is dead." Fives managed to catch Wat Tambor's words over the blaster fire.
He knew it.
"Liar!" Rex snarled.
Fives wanted to scream at Rex. He didn't know how the Captain would react to finding out that Tambor was telling the truth. Rex needed to let the delusion go.
"Fives!"
Fives looked back to see an open door. Rex was beckoning to him.
"You're with us!" He said.
Fives ducked in with Tech and Rex. Hunter looked back at them.
"I hope you find what you're looking for." He said.
The door closed behind them. They were in a dimly lit chamber with several control desks. The focus of the room seemed to be a strange- Fives couldn't think of any other word than casket.
"I don't like the look of this." Tech said as they moved slowly into the room.
He tapped at his datapad.
"I'm definitely picking up a lifeform in there."
"Signals can be faked." Fives said.
No one responded. Rex was staring at the casket.
"I think I can get it open." Tech said.
He worked at the controls. Fives stood next to Rex, ready to pull him away from whatever trap was contained in the casket.
The casket opened.
A body fell forward, hanging from a jungle of cords and wires.
For a horrifying moment Fives thought it was a corpse. Then he saw the flickering of the eyes.
It was alive.
Echo was alive.
Fives moved faster than Rex, ripping his helmet off and climbing up to where Echo was attached. An anguished noise he couldn't remember making echoed around the chamber. He pulled Echo down into his arms.
"Echo!" Fives said.
Echo made no movement. His skin was freezing, even through Fives' armor and blacks. Fives clutched him harder into his chest.
"Ey'ika, wake up." He said.
Hot tears were dripping off his nose onto Echo's back, melting the frost.
"Ey'ika, please." He begged. "We're here, we're here. You can wake up now."
He was openly crying now. He was vaguely aware of Rex giving Tech instructions, but he didn't care what the others did. Echo had to wake up.
Then Echo began to speak.
"We-we have to get to the shuttle-" Echo mumbled. "To escape the Citadel."
Fives' already cracked heart broke into two.
"No! I'll go first."
"No, Echo." Fives said in a rush, rocking Echo back and forth. "No, you're not there."
"No, no!" Echo struggled weakly against Fives' grip.
"You're with me. It's Fives. I'm here." Fives babbled.
"No!" Echo pushed against Fives one last time before falling back. "Fives?"
His eyes finally focused on Fives' face.
"You- you came back for me." He said.
A fresh wave of tears overcame Fives. He pressed their foreheads together.
"I'm sorry." Fives choked out. "I'm sorry."
Echo shifted against Fives' grip.
"Rex?" He asked.
Rex knelt next to them.
"Yeah, it's me." He said softly.
"What- what happened?" Echo asked. He pulled weakly away from Fives and looked around. "Where am I?"
"It's okay, Echo." Rex said. "You're safe now."
Fives wondered how Rex was staying so calm. How could he reassure Echo that it was okay? It wasn't okay. Didn't he see what they had done to Echo? And they were the ones who left him.
"Just sit tight trooper." Rex said. "You're going home."
He beckoned and suddenly Tech was with them. Fives instinctively wrapped his arms tighter around Echo.
"Fives." Rex said. "We gotta make sure he's okay."
Fives swallowed. He felt if he let go of Echo, then his brother would suddenly disappear and Fives would find that it was a dream. He released Echo and gently positioned himself so that Tech could get a look, but kept one arm around Echo's shoulders.
Tech was surprisingly gentle as he checked Echo over. Even still, every so often Echo would shudder or flinch.
Fives took in Echo’s condition as Tech worked. Echo was so, so thin. He was ghostly pale and his now faded eyes were too large in his face. But the worst thing was what they had added. Metal studded the skin of his back, his stomach, his chest, his head. Wires were screwed into his left arm, and his right- Fives swallowed bile as he looked at the inhuman scomp they had replaced his right hand with. As far as Fives could tell, Echo’s legs were also mechanical. For a second, Fives was overwhelmed with how little of his brother was left.
"Unfortunately there isn't much I can tell without a good scanner." Tech said after a moment. "As I suspected, most of the useful information will come from the data here."
He stood and handed Fives a canteen.
"He is dehydrated." Tech said. "Make sure he drinks."
Then he turned back to the controls and started tapping away.
Fives unscrewed the canteen and held it to Echo's lips. Echo grimaced and turned his head away.
"Come on, Ey'ika." Fives encouraged. "Just a little."
Echo opened his mouth and Fives poured a little of the water in, careful not to make his brother choke.
Echo drank slowly at first, and then hungrily. Both his hand and his robotic attachment came up to steady the canteen as he gulped.
"Slow down." Fives said.
Echo's eyes widened and he pushed away at the canteen. He only moved it a little bit, but it was enough space for him to hunch over and vomit the water over his and Fives' laps. It hadn't had time to warm in Echo's stomach and the cool, yellowish liquid soaked into Fives' blacks.
"S-sorry." Echo mumbled, attempting to wipe at his mouth.
"It's okay." Fives soothed.
Echo stared at the canteen. His throat bobbed up and down as he swallowed, his thirst evident.
"Hey Tech!" Fives said. "He threw up the water."
Tech glanced at them.
"His stomach's size has been reduced considerably." He said. "Only let him take sips every few minutes."
"You hear that, Echo?" Rex asked.
Echo nodded.
"Do you remember how you got here, Echo?" Rex asked after Echo had had a few sips.
Fives shot Rex a glare. Echo didn't need to be interrogated right now.
"No." Echo said softly. "I-I just remember trying- trying to get to the shuttle and then- and then-"
He clutched at his head with his hand. He was trembling under Fives' arm.
"That's all right, trooper." Rex said. "Just relax. Do you think you can stand?"
Echo put his hand on Fives' shoulder, pressing down. He managed to get to his feet, but he swayed. He took a step but immediately lost balance. Fives caught him and helped him back down.
"It'll be fine." Fives said. "I'll carry him."
Rex nodded. He placed his hand on Echo's shoulder again for a moment before standing and taking a defensive position near the front of the room.
It wasn't long before Ahsoka came into the room.
“Things are almost under control out there.” She said. "How's it going in here?"
"I'm still trying to decrypt Echo's cerebral interface." Tech said promptly. "Until I do, we cannot disconnect him from this computer system."
She came forward and knelt in front of Echo. “Echo.” She called softly.
Echo, who had retreated into his own mind, started and looked up.
“Com-commander?” He stuttered. “What-what happened to you?”
Ahsoka gave a small laugh. Fives’ own smile disappeared when he saw the look on Echo’s face.
“How long have I been here?” Echo whispered.
“We can talk about that later.” Ahsoka said. “How do you feel?”
“I-” Echo swallowed. “I’ve been better, sir.”
Ahsoka glanced at Rex and Fives.
“He’s too weak to walk.” Rex supplied. “He’s very disoriented. Can’t remember how he got here.”
Ahsoka nodded.
“Have you called in the extraction squad?”
“I tried.” Rex said. “Signals are-patchy here. I don’t think I got through.”
Ahsoka grimaced.
“Well, we’ve been in worse binds.”
The rest of the Batch had come into the room.
Fives ignored their reports and turned back to Echo. His brother was shivering and damp from the melting frost. All Fives could do was hold his brother close.
Echo seemed to fade in and out of reality. Occasionally he would jerk and whisper his number again.
"I've got it!" Tech declared. "We can unplug him now."
Rex approached and Fives helped Echo turn around. Fives held him steady as Rex ripped the connections out. Echo jerked and gasped after each one. The last one sent him sprawling onto Fives' shoulder, coughing. He lay still for a second.
"Echo?" Fives asked.
He pushed Echo off of him and held him at arm's length. To his surprise, Echo was sitting upright by himself. When he looked into Fives' eyes, there was a light that wasn't there before. A smile touched his lips.
"I got a big headache." He declared.
Fives gave a laugh that verged on a sob. Echo was free.
Fives helped Echo up the Marauder's ramp, despite his brother's protests.
"I can walk, Fives."
"Just because you can, doesn't mean you should." Fives replied.
Echo's snort of laughter made Fives' heart swell.
Behind them Rex carried Ahsoka. Saving all of their shebs'e had put her firmly out of commission.
Fives figured that spewing forth masses of lightning would take it out of anyone.
The battle alongside the Poletec had been going badly. Fives had had the traitorous thought of wishing they had a Jedi with real lightsabers. Ahsoka's electrostaffs had been useless against the tri-droids. Hunter and Rex had been making some progress on them, courtesy of Wrecker chucking them on top of the droids.
Then one had made the mistake of turning its sights on Crosshair and Echo.
Fives had shouted, but Ahsoka had acted. Fives could still see in his mind her flinging her hands forward in a desperate attempt to stop the tri-droid from firing. Instead of an invisible push, a barrage of green bolts of electricity had sprung from her fingers. It had overwhelmed the tri-droid and it toppled over into its fellow, bringing them both down.
After they'd taken out the rest of the droids, they'd found Ahsoka unable to move, but able to curse loudly. Rex had carried her the entire way back.
Fives had been impressed, but Ahsoka seemed somewhat upset about it. General Skywalker had told stories about Dooku's ability to use lightning. Allegedly it was something only Sith could do.
Fives figured there was a first time for everything. Ahsoka was the furthest thing from a Sith one could get, at least according to Fives' limited understanding.
Echo stumbled and Fives quickly steadied him.
"You okay?" He asked.
"Yeah." Echo said. "Just a little tired."
"I suspect you are feeling more than 'a little tired.' Tech said. "The adrenaline that has kept you functioning the last several hours should be wearing off."
Fives had Echo sit on one of the Marauder's seats. Looking into his brother's eyes, Fives guessed Tech was right. Echo's eyelids were drooping.
On the other side of the ship, Rex was lifting Ahsoka onto one of the sleeping racks.
"Does this happen to you a lot?" Wrecker asked Ahsoka. "Cause this is the second time-"
Rex shot Wrecker a look, but Ahsoka laughed.
"It's a recent development." She said. "Doesn't happen as often as it used to though."
"Here." Fives looked up to see Hunter holding out a set of blacks and a blanket.
"Thanks." Fives said, accepting them.
He nudged Echo, who'd been staring into space.
"Tech says he shouldn't eat anything right now." Hunter went on as Fives began helping Echo get the blacks on. "But he's getting nutrition and saline shots ready."
Fives nodded his thanks. Echo kept zoning out, making dressing him a little difficult. Finally Fives got Echo settled with the blanket wrapped tightly around him. Fives removed his own upper armor and put an arm around Echo. For the first time since they'd freed him from that casket, Echo stopped shivering.
It wasn't until the Marauder had taken off that Tech came by with several hypos.
"Echo." Fives said softly.
Echo blinked at Fives and then saw the needles. His eyes widened.
"No-" He croaked and jerked away from Tech. "No more, get away from me-"
"Echo!" Fives held his brother firm. "Echo, you're safe. These are going to help you."
Echo shook his head.
"No more." He said again. "No more."
"You will have to hold him." Tech said. "I will administer a sedative first."
"I'm not gonna hold him down!" Fives said. "Not like they did!"
Tech pushed at his goggles and frowned.
"Echo." Ahsoka said. "Be calm."
Fives could feel the power in her words. Echo stopped struggling. He meekly allowed Tech to roll up his sleeve and give him the first shot, though he was trembling. He flinched hard as the needle pierced his skin. Fives let out a breath as Echo's head fell onto his shoulder.
"Excellent." Tech said.
He administered the other two shots. Fives tucked his brother in closer and settled down.
The Batch migrated to the cockpit. Fives suspected they were uncomfortable with their ship so overtaken by strangers. There were a few minutes of indistinct conversation before the only sound on the ship was the hum of the engines.
Fives looked down at Echo. The shadows under his eyes were so dark. Fives wondered why. Wasn’t stasis like sleeping? He’d have to ask Kix when they returned. Maybe they just looked dark because of Echo’s ghostly skin.
Clones didn't have much to lose in terms of body weight. They were slim, efficient machines. But Echo was skeletal. His bony shoulder dug painfully into Fives' side.
Fives suddenly became terrified for Echo. Did he meet the standards anymore? Could he do what was required of him as a soldier?
That thought made Fives even more sick to his stomach. Echo, if he wanted to live, had to become a soldier again. Looking down at him, Fives thought that he'd never seen anyone who looked less ready to go to war. Fives didn't want him to, either. He wanted Echo to have the chance to forget about what he'd been through. The war would make that impossible.
Echo twitched in his sleep and let out a soft groan. Fives didn't want to imagine what horrors lurked behind Echo's eyelids.
"You're safe, Echo." Fives muttered. "I'm here."
Echo stilled again. Fives mentally prepared himself for a long trip. Echo would need him and Fives would be there. It wouldn't make up for the years he'd left Echo alone, but he would be there.
He would not sleep. Not when there was the chance of waking and finding that Echo’s return was a dream.
Mando’a:
shebs’e: asses
Ey’ika: Little Eyayah, Fives’ special nickname for Echo
Eyayah: Echo
And then later they fight about Echo going with the Bad Batch and it’s the last conversation they have before Fives takes a blaster bolt for Ahsoka after Rex’s chip activates. And then Fives nearly dies because they don’t have enough bacta. But then he recovers and bullies his way into the Bad Batch. And somehow I torture him less than in my other fic.