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The mission was a simple one that went wrong faster than either of them had expected. What was meant to be the easiest retrieval mission in the galaxy turned into the most disastrous fight for their lives. Tech was the one who was injured. He had shrapnel all up his side from an explosion that had caught the trooper off guard. Wrecker, Hunter, and Echo had huddled him into cover in order to keep him safe. Hunter was still with him, patching him up the best he could. Wrecker had moved on to fight back the droids. Echo… Tech hadn’t seen Echo since the ARC Trooper had let out a string of very colorful curses in multiple different languages at his wound. Where was Echo?
“Ec-cho?” Oh, wow. He was really screwed up, wasn’t he? It felt like he had been run over by a Walker! Crimson pooled from his mouth, getting his armor dirty, his glasses were cracked and foggy. Hunter’s hands tightened the bandages around the worst of the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. “Hun-ter. Where’s… Echo?”
There was a very loud explosion from the battlefield. Tech wanted to shift to see what had made that noise, but he didn’t. Hunter glanced up from his wound to look at the battlefield before returning his gaze to Tech. Why did he look like he was both worried for him and terrified of whatever was happening?
“Hunter?”
“He’s tearing apart the droids. Karking ARC Troopers,” Hunter replied sharply. He sounded almost… fond and impressed. What was Echo doing? There was another explosion that made Tech reach out and hold on to Hunter. “You scared him, and he’s taking it out on the droids. Karking overprotective shabuir of an ori’vod.”
Tech snorted, a delirious giggle falling out of his mouth. It hurt his side, but he didn’t really care. Hunter had just cursed out Echo for being overprotective. Hunter! Tech winced lightly as his giggling started to cause more pain than humor. Hunter scoffed quietly, rechecking his bandages. Hunter presses on his wound slightly and Tech fell into darkness. The last thing he sees is Echo coming up to him and Hunter, covered in scorch marks and a sparking battledroid in hand.
When he woke up, he was back on the Havoc Marauder, laying on one of their medical cots. He didn’t have his glasses on from what he could tell. The soft beeping of the heart monitor filled the room, the dim light on the ceiling making it easier for his eyes to adjust. There was a dip in the cot as well, and a hand on his arm. Tech turns his head and is frozen. Echo was sitting in a chair beside him, his head laying down over his arms, and a hand on Tech’s forearm. He was knocked out, snoring softly. Tech shifted his arm lightly and Echo reacted quickly, sitting up in alarm and looking over Tech in concern.
“Vod’ika? Me’vaar ti gar,” Echo asked quietly, voice soft and concerned, and eyes full of worry.
“Haryc… a’jate. Vor entye, ori’vod,” Tech responded softly, smiling up at Echo who softened at the words.
“Jate. Gar shuk meh kyrayc,” Echo laughed softly, leaning over to press a soft kiss to Tech’s head.
“Don’t be an asshole, ori’vod.”
“Never. We have Crosshair for that.”
Some missions went wrong, and sometimes someone got hurt. When it happened though, their ori’vod was always there to protect them. The Bad Batch had taken Echo in as their fifth, but Echo had taken them in as his vod’ika. They couldn’t be happier.