Chapter Text
Brothers
~2925
Raucous laughter echoed from the Batch’s barracks on Kamino. It was a rare window of true downtime, no training, briefings or missions planned.
Well.
One thing was planned.
But the Batch weren’t going to let Echo’s imminent surgery disrupt their fun. They had managed to download a holo film, and Tech had set up a projector to screen it onto a plain sheet Crosshair and Echo had rigged in front of their bunks. Wrecker had dragged some storage crates together to make a sofa, of sorts, and Hunter had furnished it with the thin mattresses from their bunks to make it more comfortable.
Now the five of them were sprawled in various states of mirth, the cheesy action flick half-forgotten in the background as the brothers traded the inaccuracies they had noticed in the fight scene flickering on the screen.
“Did you see the way he held his gun? That man has never been near a battlefield in his life!”
“No way he could have made that shot. There’s just no way.”
“You coulda made it, Cross!”
“Well of course I could have. But there’s no way he should have been able to hit that target!”
Hunter sat in the left corner of the ‘sofa’, arm draped comfortably over the back, and Wrecker was on the right. Crosshair was in the middle, leaning against his large brother’s shoulder, smirking and looking as relaxed as he ever got. On the floor Tech leaned his back against Hunter’s legs, and his shoulder brushed against Echo’s where the two of them chuckled over the film and the others’ banter.
“Your turn, former ARC.” Crosshair nudged his knee into Echo’s side, rocking him against Tech. “These characters are supposedly ARCs. You must be able to spot something they’re doing wrong.”
“Well,” said Echo, taking a deep breath and trying to recover enough from his laughter to speak.
“Tear ‘em apart, Echo!” yelled Wrecker joyously. “These holo films are always so dumb!”
Echo laughed again, and Tech gripped his arm for support. “Well for a start, I don’t think they’re using real armour. ARC gear is heavy. Look at how lightly he moves! They’ve given him imitation armour, I’m sure.”
“I bet there’s someone waiting off screen to take his pack for him when it gets too heavy,” supplied Hunter, and the five of them dissolved again.
“Oh! Oh look!” Wrecker gestured excitedly to the screen, where a building was exploding in a vast plume of fire and flashy effects. “THAT would never happen! The detonator they used was far too small for an explosion that size!”
Echo was shaking his head, grinning helplessly as Wrecker and Crosshair launched into a deep discussion about the exact amount of firepower necessary to blow up the building in the holo, and where best to place the charges. He tilted his head back to direct his grin at Hunter, who reached out and cuffed his shoulder fondly.
“Sorry,” he said without a hint of remorse. “Film nights can be a bit rowdy.”
“It’s fine,” chuckled Echo, and leaned his left shoulder a little more into Tech. “I… I’m gonna miss this.”
“Miss this?” asked Hunter curiously. “What, do you think we’re never going to have another holo night?”
“No, I mean-” Echo tapped at his ears, “this. Hearing you all laugh like this.”
Hunter gave him a puzzled look, and Echo found himself awkwardly explaining.
“Once they implant the neural interface…” He hesitated, curling his fingers protectively around the outer edge of his ear. “You’ve seen it.”
He cast an apologetic look at them, not having meant to bring the mood down. Hunter was regarding him with a soft look, Tech with a concerned frown. It was Tech who spoke first.
“You will still be able to hear.”
“I’ll still have auditory processing capacity,” he amended. “I won’t be able to… hear. With my ears. They’ll be completely encased by the cybernetic implant.”
“Ah.” Tech nodded. “I understand.”
“I don’t think I do,” said Hunter. “Want to explain it to me, Echo?”
Echo glanced at Tech, his gaze downcast, and Tech supplied the answer. “Echo’s headset will have auditory receivers which capture sounds from the environment and transmit them directly to the centres of his brain responsible for aural processing,” he said, his best lecture-tone coming into play. He glanced around, realising that Wrecker and Crosshair had also fallen silent and started listening to their conversation. “Everything Echo ‘hears’ will be processed and sent directly to the auditory nerve. It won’t be the same as how you usually hear and interpret sounds. I imagine it will be more like listening to everything via the com-link in your helmet.”
“Gonna miss your voices,” said Echo with an attempt at a casual laugh which didn’t really play off. “Even Wrecker’s snoring.”
The Batch sat in silence, only the sound of the holo playing in the background, and Echo darted his gaze away, embarrassed to have brought the mood of their fun evening down so much. Then, unexpectedly, he felt himself lifted by his armpits. He squarked a little in protest at the assault, and found himself lifted into Wrecker’s bear hug.
“You’re the best vod I never knew I was gonna have,” Wrecker told him, his face pressed so close to Echo’s ear that the words practically hummed through him. Wrecker pulled back a little, grinning widely as he pressed his forehead to Echo’s. “Don’t you forget that.”
Sprawled across Wrecker and Crosshair’s laps, Echo flailed helplessly before bringing his hand and scomp to Wrecker’s shoulders and hauling himself upright. He curled his left hand around the side of Wrecker’s head, keeping their foreheads together as he smiled through the tears that stung his eyelids.
“I won’t, vod,” he assured him, unable to help the smile that spilled across his face. His chest ached with the conflict he felt about this final upgrade, and the surge of affection he felt at Wrecker’s display of support.
Then he was being pulled away from Wrecker and found Crosshair’s steely eyes filling his gaze, as the sniper took his turn to press their heads briefly together.
“You’re not bad, for a reg,” he said with a thin smile and Echo shoved him playfully.
“Neither are you, for a C-99,” he said, trying to keep his voice from becoming choked. Crosshair released him quickly, nothing like the prolonged hug Wrecker had initiated, but emotionally he reeled from it just as much as the first.
Sliding from his position atop Crosshair and Wrecker, Echo found himself wedged in the gap between Cross and Hunter. Tech had knelt up and turned to face them on the sofa, brown eyes thoughtful behind his goggles.
“I must say, I have enjoyed having a brother who can keep up with some of what I am thinking,” he supplied, eyes darting to the side as though he couldn’t admit it and meet Echo’s eyes at the same time. For a moment he hesitated, then looked back to Echo and tipped his fingers to his forehead in a quick salute. Echo returned the gesture, grinning widely.
“Thanks, Tech,” he said, knowing that the emotionally conservative clone had paid him a huge compliment. Then he turned to look at Hunter.
Hunter was smiling proudly, arms folded across his chest. “You’re a good soldier, Echo,” he said, offering Echo a reassuring nod. “And an even better friend.”
Echo barely thought about it before launching himself into a hug, arm and scomp folding under Hunter’s arms around his back. Hunter stiffened a moment, surprised, then wrapped his arms around Echo’s shoulders and pulled him close, one hand gently cupping the back of his head.
“You’re going to be alright,” he murmured directly into Echo’s ear, his voice low and strong and full of command. “Everything’s going to be alright.”
For his part Echo squeezed as hard as he could, feeling Hunter’s arms tighten in response, clinging on to his new CO, his new brother, leeching all the strength he needed from Hunter’s calm, reassuring presence.
Nobody commented on Echo’s outburst. When his emotions settled and he released Hunter from the vice-like hug, the Batchers just smiled and readjusted on the improvised sofa. Even Tech rose up from his seat on the floor to wriggle in beside his brothers, crammed between Echo and Crosshair, the five of them jostling for space with good-natured bickering as they settled back to watching the holo.
The film had rolled on during their diversion and nobody bothered to rewind it. Before long they were back to poking fun at the plot holes, but this time their banter was quieter, calmer, littered with reassuring touches that told each other we are connected. We are brothers.
Tech’s datapad pinged and he scooped it from the floor, tapping at the screen. “It’s a message for Echo,” he said, passing it over. “From Rex.”
“Rex!” grinned Wrecker. “What does he have to say?”
Echo opened the attachment, a slow smile spreading as he read the message aloud. “Rex says hi,” he told the others, “And says he’s had some new troops transfer to the 501st.”
The attached holo pic showed Rex stood with a handful of clone troopers, the blue paint on their armour brand new and unscuffed by battle. Echo’s gaze riveted on the clone stood beside Rex, young face shining with enthusiasm, hair shaved close to his scalp and… a pattern of circular tattoos around the side of his head, evenly spaced, two rows of them sitting above his ears.
“Hah,” he laughed softly, “kid looks like he’s doing well.”
“Who is it?” asked Wrecker, half-crushing his brothers as he leaned closer to look at the holo.
“It’s Sabre,” grinned Echo, tilting the pad so they could each look in turn. “He’s been transferred to Torrent, under Rex’s command.”
Crosshair narrowed his eyes as he peered at the picture. “Doesn’t look like it to me. But then, all regs look the same.” But his sneer wasn’t as strong as it usually was, and he shot a quick glance at Echo before turning away to hide a smile.
Hunter clasped a hand to Echo’s shoulder with a soft shake. “Looks like he’s been inspired by someone he met,” he said warmly. Then, “You did the right thing, Echo.”
“Yeah. I know I did.” Echo nodded, smiling as he looked down at the picture. It was good to hear from Rex. He hoped one day he could tell him exactly what went down on that mission; then wondered if Sabre would have filled him in anyway, despite Hunter’s best efforts at falsifying the official report.
The door to the room chimed, then hissed open. A medical droid hovered in serenely.
“CT-1409, you are scheduled to attend the medical wing for your final system upgrade.”
Echo took a deep breath, extracting himself from the sofa, and turned to face the others as he stood. His gaze rover over each on them in turn, seeing pride, reassurance, stubbornness, determination reflected there.
“Well boys, I’ll see you on the other side.”
He was taken aback when they stood, crowding in around him, arms folding about him until he was the centre of a tangled hug.
“We’ll be waiting for you, Echo. Come back to us soon.”
***
Echo blinked slowly as the world blurred in front of his just-waking eyes. Everything was bathed in a soft white glow, the edges bright and soft as the sedative clutched at his mind.
His head felt heavy, thick with sleep and a strange weight that hummed by his ears, sending faint vibrations along his sensitive spine. He tried to roll his neck, lolling his head to one side, wondering about the odd way his head didn’t fully connect with the pillow. Experimentally he tried to wake the rest of his body, twitching fingers, twitching – toes? His prosthetic feet flexed a little and he squeezed his eyes shut, willing the tired and foggy feeling away.
When he opened his eyes again a coloured blur bled from the edge of his vision to the centre. A... a person. A face? Another few blinks resolved the impression into something almost recognisable, with brown eyes and blonde hair and all the edges indistinct like he was looking through thick glass...
Rex? When had Rex had time to grow his hair out?
His Captain's name felt thick in his mouth and the attempt forcing the name past his lips wasn't so much a word as a sound, a faint growl of longing. Rex, here to visit him. Of course Rex would be here to check on him, make sure he was okay.
"Echo?"
Despite the odd reverb of his new synthetic hearing, something in his consciousness sat up to take note, even as his sleepy body refused to respond. That wasn't Rex's voice, it was far too young. A cadet's voice. A... a girl's voice?
The same voice again, quiet and urgent. "Nala Se, he's waking up-"
Where am I, Echo asked, and wasn't sure if the thought had made it out past his lips. Then tendrils of anaesthesia were ensnaring him once more and he gave one last, puzzled frown at the young girl-Rex blur as he slipped back into unconsciousness.
***
It was hard to believe how far he had come since waking up from the stasis chamber on Skako Minor so many months ago. New body. New brothers. New purpose.
Echo had learned to deal with so much over those difficult weeks of his recovery. He had tested his endurance, his resilience, and at times his patience. He had learned to let his new brothers in. How to work seamlessly with Hunter, fitting effortlessly into the role of second in command. How to respond to Tech’s analytical approach to problems, and manage Wrecker’s exuberance. He had even learned to handle Crosshair, with all his sharp edges, without getting cut.
And now they were ready to ship out, properly this time, their first full mission since Echo had been assigned to Clone Force 99.
Self-consciously he touched his fingertips to the edge of the cybernetic implant that wrapped about his skull, right arm going a little tighter around the modified helmet that he carried under his scomp arm.
The implant was lightweight – it had taken him only a few days to get used to the unusual pressure of it being present at all times. It had taken him longer to adjust to how he could now link into the computer systems with abandon, barely concentrating as the processing unit did its job of taking the mental load. The fact he could talk, fight, plan even as a part of his mind delved into the computer systems was a liberation he hadn’t known he needed until this upgrade had been installed.
He wasn’t good as new, not better than new, just… different. Different, and ready to take to the battlefield like he had been bred for.
“Ready to head out?” asked Hunter, coming to stand beside him.
“Seems like we should do something to commemorate the occasion,” joked Echo, tilting his head to Hunter with a smile. “It’ll be a while before we’re back on Kamino.”
“What do you mean?” asked Hunter.
Echo was quiet a moment, inwardly reflecting on the last time he had shipped out with a new squad. “When Fives and I finished ARC training,” he said softly, “We took a holo pic. Cody and Rex were there. Me and Fives fought alongside them at Rishi, and again at the battle of Kamino. It seemed right, to have something to remind us of when we were all together.”
Of the last time we were all together, he thought, but didn’t say it.
Hunter raised his com to his lips, smiling as he sent the command. “Tech, Cross, Wrecker, get down here. One last thing we need to do before we leave.”
It didn’t take them long to cluster in front of the Marauder. Tech removed his goggles, setting the timer on the recording device and balancing them atop a crate before retreating to crouch in front of his brothers.
The device flashed as the picture took, and the Batch broke from their poses. Tech quickly refitted his goggles, tapping at his datapad to download the picture.
“There you go,” he said, showing it to Echo.
A smile ghosted across Echo’s face as his fingertips skimmed the picture, turning to a slight grimace as he took in his new appearance. It still surprised him to see himself with the implant each time he caught sight of his reflection. He had only just begun to get used to seeing himself without hair, with pale skin and metal studs in his skull. He wondered how long it would take to get used to seeing himself with the metal semi-cylinder on his head, lights blinking softly where his ears used to be.
He wondered if he would ever get used to it.
“Time to go, Echo,” Hunter’s voice broke into his thoughts.
“Yeah. Sure. Just…”
Hunter clasped a reassuring hand to his shoulder. “Tech can send us each a copy of the picture. You can forward it to Rex. I’m sure he’ll be glad to hear from you.”
Tech nodded in agreement, quickly typing into the datapad and then nodding. “Done.”
Echo sighed, then straightened his shoulders and looked up towards the Marauder.
“Alright,” he said firmly, mostly to himself. “I’m ready.”
And to his surprise he found that he meant it as he walked up the steps to the Marauder and fully into his new life.