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“Hopefully it’s gonna be just like old times,” Rex said with a smile. He turned and walked to the ship, but Echo didn’t follow. Not right away.
He watched Rex climb up the steps on the ship. The rush he felt from the rescue was beginning to wear off, and he was able to take in his surroundings. There was Rex, there was Anakin, and there were the four members of the Bad Batch, but something didn’t feel right.
Fives. Of course it was Fives. He wasn’t there. Echo never had much hope anyone would find him. After all, anyone would’ve logically believed him to be dead. He understood that, but out of all the people who could have rescued him, Fives was sure to be the first one to come after him. No one would want to believe he was alive more than Fives. They’d been through nearly everything together.
“Yeah. Just like old times,” Echo replied, even though he knew no one would hear him. He smiled a sad and quiet smile, knowing the words that left his lips were not true. There was no going back to the old times. Not when he was literally half the man he used to be, and certainly not when Fives, his brother, his closest friend, was dead.
Echo followed the rest of the group into the ship, feeling his heart sink. He was rescued, but what happened next? What would his life be like now that nearly everything he knew was gone? Was there anywhere he could belong?
***
Echo and the group arrived safely back at base. Rex called for Kix’s assistance immediately, and the medic wasted no time helping his long lost brother.
“Echo, I can’t believe–” he hesitated.
Echo tried not to flinch at his reaction. “I know, Kix.”
“Well, it’s good to see you again, it really is.”
“You too.” Echo raised an eyebrow. “You grew out your hair.”
Kix ran a hand through his dark locks. “Yeah, I did.”
“You can’t even see your tattoo anymore! Come on, what happened to ‘a good droid is a dead one’?” Echo chuckled.
Kix shrugged shyly. “Well it’s good to see you haven’t lost your sense of humor.”
When Echo was given ample time to rest and was allowed to have visitors again, Kix brought Jesse to the medbay with him.
“Hey, Echo,” Jesse greeted.
Echo could tell he was shocked by his appearance. He could see it in his stiff posture, the shifting of his weight, the widening of his eyes. He could hardly blame him for reacting that way. After all, he was pale, emaciated, and well, a cyborg. Of course he expected Jesse to have grief and sympathy written on his face, but he wanted to move past all that now. He didn’t want to be treated differently.
“Hey, Jesse,” Echo replied. He could tell Jesse didn’t know what else to say, so Echo continued the conversation. “I see you’ve been promoted to an ARC trooper now. Congratulations!”
“Yeah, thanks!” Jesse smiled, his shoulders relaxing.
The ice was broken and the three troopers soon found themselves talking with ease, and maybe, just for a moment, it felt like old times. But the feeling was fleeting. Echo felt his stomach churn. Kix. Jesse. Rex. They were the only friends he had left.
Echo couldn’t hear what the others were saying. His vision blurred. He became painfully aware of his breathing. He gasped as if he couldn’t get enough air in his lungs.
Kix looked over at Echo and jumped into action. “Echo? Echo!”
“What’s the matter?” Jesse asked, his brows knit together in concern.
“Echo,” Kix spoke in a low voice. “I think you’re having a panic attack.” He turned to Jesse. “He’s going to need some space right now.”
Jesse nodded and exited the room.
“It’s okay, brother, it’s gonna be okay,” Kix sat next to him. “I’m going to guide you through your breathing. Is it okay if I touch you?”
Echo nodded, staring ahead with wide eyes. There were so few of his friends left in the 501st. He was the last surviving member of the Domino Squad. So many brothers, gone.
Kix placed a hand on Echo’s shoulder and the other on his chest. The gentle pressure he applied felt comforting, but tears still escaped Echo’s eyes. It was the first time he cried since he was rescued.
Echo wanted to fight it, but the more he resisted, the more he wept. He hated himself for breaking down like this in front of his brothers. He didn’t want them to worry about him anymore.
“Hey, don’t beat yourself up over this, okay?” Kix told him patiently.
Echo nodded, wiping his eyes and sniffing.
“Alright. Just follow me. Breathe in through your nose. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Hold the breath. One. Two. Three. And let it out through the mouth. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight,” Kix repeated this until Echo’s breathing became normal. “Is that better?”
Echo nodded. “Yeah. I’m sorry about that.”
Kix shook his head. “No, Echo, don’t apologize. Never apologize for that. It’s all normal. You’ve been through more than any of us could possibly imagine. It’ll take time to recover, but I know you’ll get there. You’re a trooper.”
Echo smiled defeatedly. “I hope you’re right, Kix.”
“Do you want me to stay with you for a while, or do you want some time alone?”
“I don’t want to be alone,” Echo answered, “I just don’t wanna talk about any of this anymore.”
“I understand. I’ll stay right here.”
“Thanks.” Echo laid back on the bed and closed his eyes.
Kix shifted into a more comfortable position, sitting parallel to Echo, and held his hand until the tired trooper fell asleep.
***
A few days passed before Rex came to visit Echo again. “Echo, how are you feeling?”
“Better every day, sir.”
Rex nodded. “That’s good to hear.” He hesitated, not sure how to continue.
“What is it, sir?” Echo asked. He could see the pain and regret behind the captain’s false smile.
“Well, Echo, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you.” He rubbed the back of his neck.
“It’s about Fives, isn’t it?”
Rex’s eyes widened. “How–”
“I already know, Rex.”
“Did someone tell you?”
“No, I just… kinda figured.”
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t know how to tell you. Well, to be honest, I still don’t.”
“I understand. I just want to know… how did it happen?”
Rex shifted uncomfortably. “Well–” he faltered. “Kix told me what happened the other day. I don’t want to upset you any–”
“With all due respect, sir, I’d rather you tell me now. My imagination is worse than knowing the truth.”
Rex walked over and sat on the end of the bed with a sigh. “I wish I could tell you– well, I know you deserve to know. He was sick, him and Tup, I mean. All Fives wanted to do was save him. He ended up discovering some chip in our heads, that all clones have. Fives removed his chip and Tup’s as well. Tup died not long after. Fives said these chips were dangerous. Said there was a whole conspiracy around them, but at that point he was so delusional–” Rex paused, pinching the bridge of his nose. “In the midst of everything… he got shot. He died in my arms. It just… it still haunts me. I never knew whether to believe him. He always did have good instincts, even better than my own at times, but by the end he wasn’t in a healthy state of mind… I’m sorry. I probably shouldn’t have told you all of that.”
“It’s okay, brother,” Echo assured him. His voice was shaky, but he still kept his composure.
Rex marveled at Echo’s resiliency. Despite everything he had endured, Echo was strong. Incredibly strong. Rex wondered if he had that kind of strength within himself. “I filed a report about the incident. I felt like I owed it to Fives to tell someone about his discovery, but I don’t know if it did any good. If he was right, and there is a conspiracy, I’m not sure my message would’ve gotten out.” Rex took a deep breath. “All that matters is he died trying to do what he thought was right. He stuck to what he believed in until the end.”
“I would expect nothing less of him.”
Rex smiled. “He was a good soldier and a good man.”
“I know.”
“He really cared about you, ya know. Never stopped talking about you, even after the Citadel.”
Echo’s mouth twitched upwards in a shadow of a smile. “But he was still alright without me, wasn’t he?”
“Yeah, yeah he was.”
Echo nodded and took a deep breath. “Good.”
Rex got up and put a hand on Echo’s shoulder. “Are you gonna be alright?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Alright, then I’ll see you soon, brother.”
Echo smiled at Rex as he left the room, and he was alone once more. The smile fell as he breathed out a shaky sigh and wiped a tear from his cheek.
It was all true. He was the last domino left, and he hadn’t even been there when the last one fell.
Just like old times.
No. There was no going back. It was too late for that. Things were different now. Too different. Echo had another path ahead of him, but what that path was, he did not know.