Chapter Text
Having your mind rewritten and taken from you was a horrible experience. Not because the rewriting part was painful or traumatic, though it likely was if you could remember it. Not because living for who knew how long without an identity, nothing to call yourself and no way to know who you are, was a horrible feeling. As it's happening, you barely even notice that you don’t have a sense of self. You don’t remember the before, how could you know that the now was wrong? No. The part about being rewritten that was the most horrifying, the most traumatic was suddenly gaining yourself back.
It felt like waking up from a hazy, sickening nightmare. Except, all the memories and thoughts you’re suddenly flooded with happened and there is nothing you can do to change it. It was as if your body had been possessed, controlled by someone else. Made to do horrible, repulsive things. It was realizing that, while your decisions weren’t your own, your body still did them. The memories were real, the consequences were real. And most importantly, the disgust, anger and shame they invoked were very, very real.
All of those realizations hit Tech in a fracture of a second. The moment he remembered who he was, he realized everything he had been made to do. He had no idea how to react, how to even begin to process the guilt, remorse, mortification he was feeling. He didn’t know where to even start. So, he didn’t try, and instead focused on the burning, all-consuming rage he felt instead.
Rage that was geared towards Hemlock and Hemlock alone. It was a fury he had never felt before, and it was with no hesitation that he reacted to it. As the taller trooper in near matching armor dropped his electro staff and tore his helmet off, Tech stalked across the platform towards Hemlock, his knife unsheathed and stabbing upwards under the Imperial’s ribs and into his heart before the man was even able to register just how badly he had fucked up his own plans.
He let the handle of the knife go as Hemlock fell to the floor. Tech didn’t care to pull it back out. He wanted nothing to do with it anymore. He wanted it gone. Wanted every piece of armor on him gone. Wanted it burnt to nothing and his skin rubbed raw.
A desire that only grew when Omega spoke up in shocked awe, the Commando’s voice following seconds later.
“You killed him.”
“ You killed him?!”
Tech practically twirled the rifle off his back and had it pointed at Hemlock’s enforcer, snarling out quickly, “Back away from her.”
“I would listen to him, Scorch.” the other former assassin, his tone and way of speaking painfully familiar to Tech even if he couldn’t say why, says. “I get the feeling that, programing gone or not, he’ll shoot.”
“I will.” Tech said simply, grateful for the horrifying way his helmet modified his voice. At least he still sounded intimidating instead of as broken as he felt. “Away from her. Now.”
The Commando, Scorch apparently, raised his hands and stepped away from Omega. “It's an order I’m happy to follow.”
“What's happening?” Hunter’s groggy voice came from the torture pod, which prompted Tech to turn away and get all three of them open as the taller black clad man began to explain.
“I think Hemlock accidentally released a chemical that undid the other ones,” he said. “The ones that he used to rewrite us.”
“Affirmative.” Tech replied, refusing to turn his head and look at his beaten down brothers as he quickly looked through Hemlock’s systems. “It looks like sabotage? Whoever did it knew that Hemlock had an antidote to what he does in here and deliberately made sure he would release it.”
“Damn lucky.” the other man sighed as he helped Wrecker into a sitting position. “I’m sorry. I never would have hurt you without whatever nonsense Hemlock put in my brain.”
“S’okay.” Wrecker said, even as his hand massaged across his chest plate as if it would ease whatever pain he felt. “We knew you all weren’t in control.”
Tech barely stopped himself from clawing at the computer panel at his brother’s words, a shuddering breath leaving him instead. He wanted desperately to throw his helmet away and beg them for forgiveness himself, but he couldn’t. He wouldn’t.
So, he just spoke up softly, voice still modified. “We need to get out of here. Tarkin is on his way.”
“Of kriffing course.” Crosshair’s voice drawled and Tech swallowed thickly, refusing to look towards his twin and instead lifted his head to look out the viewport to the others.
To his utter surprise, Echo had both of the other assassins in a tight embrace against him, a large group of clones surrounding them. The sight surprised him enough that he startled when the taller former assassin appeared at his side and spoke into the intercom.
“Echo, we need to leave. Reinforcements are on their way.”
“Seventeen?” he called up loudly enough that they could hear, causing Tech to jerk his head to face the other man.
“Alpha-17?” he questioned. “How did Hemlock’s chemicals work on you ?”
“Your guess is as good as mine is, kid.” he replied.
“We have no way of finding out.” Omega told them. “Nala Se blew up the lab.”
“ Nala Se ?” Tech asked, finally turning to face his family, heart clenching at the complete lack of hostility on all of their faces.
“Were you ever told anything?” Hunter asked softly.
Tech’s posture turned rigid, his eyes falling closed as he replied. “Only what Hemlock wanted us to know. Which was not a lot.”
“We can discuss everything on the way out of here.” Seventeen said. “I think we all have a lot of questions.”
“Echo has been inside the systems.” Omega said with a small nod. “He should know at least something.”
“And what I won’t know, Emerie will.” he said as he appeared on the platform, two helmetless assassins and nearly thirty other clones beside him. He gestured towards the former assassins and said, “These are my vod’ike, Dogma and Tup. Guys, Hunter, Crosshair, Wrecker and Omega.”
“I’m so sorry!” Tup, the assassin Tech knew used to carry swords said quickly. “This has all been so horrible! I didn’t mean to hurt any of you.”
“We know.” Hunter said. “Like Seventeen said, we can talk about it all when we’re out of this hellhole.”
“I know where a shuttle is.” Echo said and the Sergeant nodded.
“We’ll follow you.”
Crosshair pointed at Scorch. “What about him?”
“He is still chipped.” Echo said. “We can’t force him to come with us, though.”
“I don’t know what that means, but it doesn’t matter. I want to find my brothers,” he said, voice low and firm. “I’ll get my own shuttle off of here.”
“There's a control chip in your head. It was in all of our heads. It's why the Order happened.” He explained quickly and the Commando took a harsh breath in.
“Of course. That explains, a lot.”
“I’ll find a way to get more information to you. Good luck, Commander.” Echo told him softly.
“Thank you, ARC. You as well.” he said with a small dip of his head before moving past them and across one of the bridges.
“Alright, let's get out of here.” Hunter said, reaching over to take Omega’s hand.
Everyone else eagerly began to file after Echo, but Tech hesitated, watching them behind his helmet with a heavy, gripping sadness. Seventeen stilled when he noticed Tech wasn’t moving and gave him an unimpressed look.
“You coming?”
“I do not feel as if I deserve to.”
Seventeen sighed. “Kid, whatever Hemlock made you do, it wasn’t you.”
“It was my body.”
“And if you stay, the Empire will just use you again. You want that?”
Tech huffed and said, “You have an annoying way of pointing out the obvious, still.”
“Still? We know each other?”
“Yes.” Tech said, finally moving away towards the others. “We do.”
“Not from this?”
“No.”
“Kid.”
Tech sighed and shot him an irritated look the man couldn’t see. “I’m not taking the helmet off. Or telling you my name. Or, or anything that has to do with an identity I am unsure I deserve.”
“I don’t think you have to. Only one of Ninety-Nine’s could be this stubborn.”
He reached out and grabbed ahold of Seventeen’s arm. “Do not tell them.”
“Of course not, you should.”
“No.” he adamantly shook his head. “I cannot.”
“You could at least turn the voice modulator off.”
“No.”
Seventeen sighed. “Okay, kid. Just know that you are not alone.”
“It is not the same.” he stared sadly at the backs of his brothers ahead of them. “They are not your batchmates.”
“They easily forgave us; you don’t think they would do the same for you?”
“ You did not cut off your twin’s hand!” he hissed, an icy feeling suddenly sliding down him as he fully realized that was exactly what he had done.
Terror and panic began to grip his chest, and without really thinking about it, his hand shot out towards where the controls to his ship were strapped to his arm. Seventeen’s hand was suddenly stopping his, a sad look in his eyes as he shook his head.
“Don’t run away, Tech.” he whispered. “You need your family, and they need you.”
“It is a superior ship. And I blew mine up .” he took a shuddering breath and added, “I can’t face him. Can’t face them. Not now. Not yet.”
Seventeen stared at him for a long time and then called out, “Echo?”
“What are you doing!” Tech hissed, but Seventeen ignored him as Echo appeared at his side.
“What's wrong?”
“Our friend here made a very good point that you are all down a starfighter. His ship is apparently really good. You two should take it.”
“What are you doing?” Tech repeated again and Seventeen looked over at him.
“Echo will understand.”
He apparently even understood that, as his eyes softened, and he looked over at Tech. “I do like your ship.”
Tech sighed, knowing he wasn’t getting out of this, and quickly called his ship to the hanger they were headed towards. Seventeen gave him what could only be called a smug look and Tech gave him another hidden glare.
“I hate you.”
“Mhhm. Sure kid.”
“Will you two be alright alone?” Hunter asked, having slowed down enough to be in step with them.
Tech’s heart hurt that Hunter didn’t trust him, but he wasn’t surprised. He wouldn’t trust him either.
“Echo is perfectly safe with me.” he said without looking over at him. “I am aware that it means nothing, but I promise.”
“That isn’t what I meant.” Hunter said quickly. “It's just, the flight isn’t short. And you both have to be as exhausted as I am. Are you sure you don’t need more with you for flight rotations?”
“I have no intention of sleeping.” Tech replied simply, the last thing he wanted was to let his mind fall into sleep. He knew without a doubt he would be plagued by endless night terrors if he even tried.
“I think we need to be alone for now, Hunter.” Echo said quietly. “I think he needs a bit to process.”
“Okay.” Hunter nodded and turned his full attention on Tech. “We don’t blame you, for any of this. They weren't your choices, and besides, you killed Hemlock. You’re the hero of the day.”
“You should.” Tech said tightly, still refusing to look at him, hurrying past him towards his landing ship. He faintly heard Echo say something to their brother before he was catching up with Tech, walking up the ship’s ramp only a step behind him.
Tech paid him no mind as he got the ship prepared to take off, heart once more hurting as Echo easily fell into position beside him, like they had done hundreds of times. Except, Echo didn’t know that.
Or, at least, Tech thought he hadn’t. Not long after they had hit hyperspace headed for Pabu, he spoke up, proving him wrong.
“You can take the helmet off now, Tech.”
He nearly jumped out of his seat as he spun around to face his brother. He had no idea how Echo knew, how long he knew, or if it was just a guess. He was too paralyzed with fear to ask, either. Too terrified to do anything, really.
Of course, it meant Echo decided to do it for him. Tech was also too scared to stop him, no matter how much he wished he could. So, his hand gently grabbed the seal of the helmet, lifting it up and off of Tech’s head. Tears appeared in the corner of Echo’s eyes as he dropped it down to the ground, gentle fingers carding through Tech’s hair before the palm rested against his cheek, glove pressing carelessly into the tear tracks that streaked across his skin.
“There you are, vod’ika.” he whispered, and Tech burst into horrible, body-wracking sobs as he fell forward against his ori’vod’s chest.