Chapter Text
“Echo,” Tech said, “you need to trust me for this, alright?”
“But I… I…”
“It’s alright. I’m not going to hurt you. I promise I’ll be careful,” Tech reassured him.
“It’s not just that,” Echo said nervously. “I also… I don’t want you to react badly to seeing my scars,” he admitted.
Tech blinked. “Why in the world would I do something like that? In the grand scheme of things, scars are not very important,” he stated matter-of-factly as he took a step closer to Echo, who sat on an exam table.
“I don’t know, I…” he trailed off, ending in a sigh. “Go ahead. You’ll see what I mean.”
Tech nodded, placing his hands on Echo’s prosthetic legs. “I’m going to take these off, alright? It shouldn’t hurt you all, but the sudden disconnection may feel odd. Ready?”
Echo nodded after a brief moment of hesitation.
After carefully examining the structure of the knee, Tech found the release just above it. He pressed and held each button in turn, then set the legs aside and out of the way. He heard Echo let out an audible sigh of relief as he did so, but when Tech removed the bandage and saw the skin that the prosthetic had been hiding, he tensed up involuntarily.
For one thing, the area where his stump met the prosthesis was clearly red and irritated. It was easy to deduce that, before the Republic medics had been able to help Echo, the metal had been in direct contact with his skin. Even ignoring the incredibly sloppy suture scar, Tech felt his gut twist in sympathy. He could only imagine how badly Echo had been hurting, having to walk around like that.
Echo clearly noticed the look of horror on Tech’s face. “This is why I was reluctant,” he muttered. “I didn’t want you to be upset.”
“No, no, it’s alright. I’m simply… I’m flabbergasted at how terribly you were treated,” he said slowly, his hand clenching into a slight fist. “Is the other one like this, too?…”
Echo nodded, averting his gaze.
Tech’s hands trembled a bit as he undid the second bandage to see more of the same. “Echo,” he said gently, “Do you want to wait a day or so for the irritation and swelling to abate before I fit you with your new legs?”
“No. It’s not just because they were in contact with my skin; they… they didn’t fit properly. The socket was much too tight. I should be fine.”
“Echo, are you sure?” Tech asked firmly. “I don’t want to cause you any more pain. You can borrow a hoverchair for the time being. There’s no need to rush this.”
“ No ,” Echo insisted firmly. “I want to be able to walk properly as soon as possible. I’ll take it easy, I promise.”
Tech let out a slight huff of annoyance. “Alright. But if anything hurts, please tell me.”
“I will.”
“Okay,” Tech said, opening up the small storage crate that he had brought with them to the examination room. “Nothing about these should feel uncomfortable, by the way,” he added. “I asked the medics for measurements before I even started putting these together. The socket should be a perfect fit. So, again- tell me if anything hurts.” He waited for his brother to nod, then took one of the prosthetics out of the crate.
Tech smiled at the look in Echo’s eyes when he saw the prosthetics. Though he wasn’t the best at reading emotions, his brother was obviously quite excited.
“I take it you like the design?” Tech said with a smile. “I worked quite hard on these for several sleepless nights. I’m glad you like them.”
“Aw, Tech, you didn’t have to do that… I could have waited.”
Tech frowned sternly. “Considering how ill-fitting the old prosthetics are, and your unwillingness to use a hoverchair? No, you could not have waited much longer without causing more serious damage to your skin.”
Echo averted his gaze slightly. “Well… still. I’m sorry, and… thank you. I can’t thank you enough, really.”
“You’re welcome. Any time I can help out a brother and practice my skills is an opportunity that I’ll always take.” He positioned the new prosthesis next to Echo’s stump. “This process shouldn’t take long- I just need to ensure that the sensors in the legs are properly picking up the impulses from your nerves. Otherwise, it will be difficult to walk,” Tech explained. “And, by the way- there will be no metal in direct contact with your skin. The inside of the socket is lined with a soft material. It should feel much more natural and comfortable than the others did.”
Echo smiled gratefully. “Thank you,” he said softly, watching as Tech helped him put on each prosthetic. “Yeah… that’s a lot more comfortable,” he said once both legs were on properly. “A whole lot . ”
“That’s good. Can you feel or move them yet?”
He shook his head no, looking worried.
“Alright, I expected as such. Prosthetics hardly ever work without calibration. I’ve fitted several other clones in the past, and it’s always like this,” Tech said in a reassuring tone.
“You have?” Echo asked, slightly surprised. “I didn’t know that.”
Tech answered as he hooked a small device to each leg via a thin cable. “Yes, I have. On many different occasions. While I certainly don’t claim to be a professional- I don’t have any sort of medical degree, after all- the GAR is in short supply of prosthetists. As such, clones who lose limbs are… well. They’re typically decommissioned,” he admitted, his voice growing quieter near the end.
Echo could have sworn his heart- one of the few parts left of him that was untampered with- skip a beat. “ …Decommissioned ?” he repeated in a fearful tone.
“That being said, all of the troopers that I helped returned to combat as usual,” Tech added quickly. Mentally, though- he was very uncertain of Echo’s fate. To be frank, he had never worked with a patient with Echo’s degree of limb loss. Not only had he lost three limbs rather than one or two, but the amputations were all above the joint- which typically lessened the effectiveness of prostheses a bit. Technology had come a long way in that regard, certainly- but it hadn’t quite caught up.
He didn’t say that out loud, though. Surely there was no way that Echo would be tossed aside- he was an ARC trooper, after all. Surely, with training and physical therapy, he could adapt…
At that moment, Tech knew he had to make sure that Echo wasn’t decommissioned. He didn’t deserve to be put on some menial task like sanitation duty. For god’s sake, he had been an ARC trooper- and one of General Skywalker’s closest confidants, at that. And Tech knew that, if Skywalker had much say in the matter at all, that he would do the same. But unfortunately, in the end— the higher-ups still typically made those decisions, along with the Kaminoans.
He had to make sure that Echo wasn’t cast to the side like trash. Tech had only known him for a week or so— but he had to admit that the trooper had a way of rubbing off on you, especially in his current pitiful state.
The other Batchers had been keeping an eye on Echo, too, though less directly than Tech. For now, Echo had been given his own small room to rest and recover while he regained strength. As soon as he was healthy enough, Tech knew that he’d be going under the knife to remove as many of the unnecessary cybernetics as possible.
But he didn’t know what they’d do with him after that.
“Everything okay? You’re staring off into space.”
Echo’s voice jolted Tech out of his thoughts and back into reality. Almost immediately, he registered that the calibration process was nearly complete. “Yes,” he blurted. “I’m alright. Just… thinking, is all.”
A moment later, the calibration devices started beeping softly, signifying that they had completed their task. Tech pressed a button on each of them, then turned to Echo. “Echo. As soon as I unhook these, you should be able to feel your legs. You will not be able to feel pain, but you will feel their presence. Understood?”
Echo nodded. “What about touch?…” he asked, a hopeful undertone in his voice.
Tech flinched slightly. “…No. You won’t,” he answered, not wanting to sugarcoat anything. “Prosthetics that provide any touch sensation are much more expensive and difficult to create. I… I did the best I could with the supplies that I was given. I’m sorry. Perhaps… perhaps in the future,” he finished lamely, knowing fully well that the likelihood of that ever happening was slim to none.
Echo bit his lip, then nodded slowly. “I understand,” he said, trying not to sound disappointed. “After my rescue, I… I knew nothing would be the same ever again. But… it’s just hard to wrap my mind around that.”
Tech sighed softly. Though he couldn’t relate to the feeling himself, he’d heard the sentiment from several of the other troopers that he’d fitted. “You’re correct. Nothing can truly replace the sensation of flesh-and-blood limbs. However, that doesn’t mean that you won’t adapt and adjust. It won’t be too long before this feels natural to you.”
Echo closed his eyes. “I hope so,” he mumbled, a slight tremor in his voice. “I just… I don’t want to be swept under the rug,” he said, his voice getting softer and softer as his sentence continued. By the last word, he was nearly whispering. “I don’t want to… to be set aside. Like a broken tool past its prime…”
Tech gently placed a hand on Echo’s back. “You won’t. I promise you won’t.”
“How can you know that?”
“Echo,” Tech said firmly, “in the short time that I’ve known you, one thing has become clear. You’re persistent and stubborn as hell.” He chuckled. “You don’t give up. You just keep going. From what Hunter has told me, you’ve been making amazing progress in physical therapy.”
Echo’s face reddened a bit in embarrassment. “He’s seen me during PT? Ugh… I don’t want anyone to see me like that. I feel so ashamed that I even need any of this.”
Tech blinked. “Why?”
Echo looked up at him in surprise. “Surely, your squad, of all people, would understand. Those who are different from the majority are mocked. And… I’m now in the minority.” He sighed. “To put it bluntly, I’ve been maimed. Severely . No one really wants a broken clone like me.”
Tech’s eyes widened. “Echo, you’re not ‘broken.’ As I stated previously, I’ve helped other troopers with their prostheses as well. Limb loss isn’t as uncommon in the GAR as you might think. And that doesn’t mean you’re ‘broken.’ That’s just nonsense. All it means is that you need some extra help and care sometimes.”
“I… Thank you. But, unfortunately, not everyone here sees it that way. I’ve already been made fun of.”
The mechanic’s gaze hardened, and he bit his lip- but he held his tongue. He could discuss that with him later. Right now, he needed to get Echo back on his feet.
After taking a deep breath in and out, Tech said, “Echo, are you ready for me to unplug these?”
His brother looked up slightly, some of the light returning to his eyes. “Yes,” he said, eagerness saturating his voice. “Please.”
“Alright. Here goes.” In one motion, Tech unplugged both cables, then set the devices out of the way. “How does that feel?”
Echo struggled to find words for a moment, staring at his new prostheses. “I.. yes. I can feel them,” he said, his tone brightening.
“Can you move your feet?”
Echo tried to do so, and, to his delight, the mechanical feet responded immediately. The fact that there were no individual toes was a bit off-putting— but he was too grateful to really care. He shifted each knee next, feeling the flexion and extension of the artificial joints.
“What do you think?” Tech asked, a slight smile on his face.
“They feel almost… almost real,” he said, beginning to sound excited.
Tech’s smile widened. “Well, they are real. But I know what you mean.” He placed a hand on Echo’s shoulder. “Let’s try standing now. Take it slowly- I’ll ensure that you don’t fall.”
Slowly, Echo swung his legs off the side of the table. The motion was far from graceful, but that was to be expected. Slower still, he placed each foot on the ground and stood, keeping his stance wide to offer more support for the rest of his body.
“It doesn’t hurt. It doesn’t hurt at all!” he said, smiling brightly.
“Well, yes. That’s typical of correctly-fitted prosthetic limbs.”
This didn’t damper his excitement in the slightest. He took one step, then another, then another. Tech kept his hand on Echo’s back, just in case he fell over- he was quite wobbly and unstable at the moment. After a few minutes, though, Echo’s steps started to become more confident. Tech slowly let go of his shoulder, and Echo didn’t even seem to notice him pull away. He kept walking. Though his brother was clearly still off-kilter, he was learning quickly. More importantly, his steps didn’t look as stiff or pained as they had with his other set of legs.
He turned to Tech, eyes shining as brightly as he’d ever seen. This was the most alive that Tech had ever seen him look. “Thank you,” he managed to choke out. “Thank you, Tech.”
Tech’s own smile widened- a rare sight, indeed. “You’re welcome. It’s nothing, really.”
Echo crossed the room in a few wobbly-yet-confident steps, immediately wrapping his arms around Tech’s shoulders. Tech stiffened in surprise, then relaxed a bit. He reciprocated the hug gently- Echo clearly needed this right now.
“Thank you,” he said again. “ Thank you. ”