Chapter Text
‘There is no such thing as a hero’s death, an honourable death… At least not to those left behind mourning the loss of a loved one having been sacrificed for a greater good.’
“When did we ever follow orders?”
The blaster fires.
The rope detaches.
Tech starts falling.
Fast.
Wrecker’s shouting out his name in desperation fading into the background as he keeps on plummeting into the unknown depths down below.
Tech had done the right thing. Saving his family.
As he kept on falling, the brief life he had known was flashing rapidly in the mind’s eye. From the distant past to the present. The choices made, the war, the Empire, the life he had led, the words left unsaid. There were some regrets there as well. Wishing there had been more time to correct some of things left hanging. Those tasks he could never complete…
Saving Crosshair, the biggest mistake of them all letting him go with the Empire even if it had supposedly been by his own choice. But somewhere deep down believing he could have been turned back to the fold before any of this happened.
Helping the regs like Echo had wanted all along, the clones too precious to let them die out. But listening to the collective voice of Hunter’s, hardly ever objecting to the direction the team was heading.
Understanding Hunter and Wrecker better. Bonding with them on a totally new level. Always the plan but never the realisation. Too many things going on, or had that simply been an excuse fearing they would not really get along?
Watching Omega grow up to become something so much more. Teaching her everything her being so eager to learn. Knowing she would become someone to do great things. For them, the clones among others as well.
The island life… Pabu… guess it had been fine for a while, then again risking all those life for our own safety? Not being able to set roots, being a soldier was a difficult choice to make no matter the stakes.
The list going on, so many things suddenly showing up. A surprise for sure, having thought life was simple for this soldier with a most brilliant mind after all.
The trip down seemed to be lasting an eternity. Or then is was simply a trick of the mind. Oh well, never mind. This would all be over soon and then, he could finally rest. Let the gentle lull of death’s grip take a hold of him finally. Sending him down that ever flowing river in a slow boat without oars.
Sailing all the way to Valhalla for the awaiting eternity?
A hero’s death, a warrior’s death, at least he thought this was it.
There would be no burial though. No mourners gathered around his remains. But perhaps songs would be sung in his honour. His batch mates making sure the name Tech would never be forgotten.
Still, if there had been a choice… To live and let live? Then he would not have hesitated picking that one either. Alas, this was the right thing to do. To die for his batch, his family, his loved ones. Choice made, no turning back even if he wanted to.
And so, deeper and and deeper he fell. Was there no end?
Oh well.
All this the thoughts, all the memories, all the could have beens upsetting the collected balance inside his organised and highly compartmentalised mind. The emotions, sensations and feelings almost always hidden, mostly neglected the reasons why not always so clear now suddenly surfacing for whatever unfathomable reason.
Handling them now? As they all burst forth like an explosion from within?
It was hard. The tears prickling behind the thick glasses. The foggy vision taking it’s place of clarity. Or had he lost it already? Ever since firing that shot, cutting him lose? Cutting the umbilical cord finally from the rest of his batch? His family? His, home?
They had always been a unit. Always been a family. Always been one. His batch. The Bad Batch.
But it had all started falling apart. Ever since the war ended and then, things changed. Some of them for the better, mostly for the worse. None of that mattered now. Not any more.
As he kept on falling he wished for time to be stalling. A moment longer, please! Because in all honesty. Tech, did not really want to die.
The ground beneath him finally felt. His limp body bouncing off for a moment. The air pushing out from his lungs. His final breath. His final thoughts. The words never spoken out loud finally said.
“I love you all, my dear family.”