Chapter Text
‘Sometimes life, all of it, simply gets too overwhelming to be able to cope with, alone.’
The Marauder was quiet. Too quiet.
In fast speed, travelling through hyperspace. Their destination, set.
The usual chatter of Omega’s, of Tech’s… was not there any more. Wrecker usually loudly commenting on whatever the duo were chatting about, was sitting hunched in the farthest corner of the ship. Hardly moving, not even eating. None of them were.
The appetite, the lust for life, all of it was simply, gone.
No wonder as to the why. That wasn’t the the thing questioned here. They all knew the WHY behind all of their devastating state.
Echo was trying to do his best to keep the daily routines going while Wrecker and Hunter were basically lifeless bodies filling the space they had managed to haul themselves into. Trying to keep themselves as invisible as possible. Ghosts among the haunting ghosts.
It had all gone to hell quite quickly. Their, mission.
With Omega getting captured. Tech… dead. Then barely managing to escape with their lives from the imperials Cid had sold them to after a fire fight…
A seemingly surprise for Hunter. Cid betraying them finally. But Echo would have been lying if he had not seen it coming several parsecs away. Still, Hunter had been adamant in taking Omega to Azi even if other options would have been more safe. The droid being able to heal Omega though. But leaving Azi behind at Cid’s when venturing somewhere else? Well, that Echo still had to figure out having been out of the equation for a while there.
And so, things had happened and here they were. Just the three of them travelling through empty space. Their destination having changed, but set just the same. Echo having decided to take them to Rex’s secret base. Not the Martez sister’s garage on Coruscant, rather the one the two of them, Echo and Rex had found and started to establish as a more permanent lair for the clone rebel cause.
They still had some time before reaching their target location.
It had been several days of the same. Them being flying in hyperspace. With Hunter and Wrecker completely silent, torn, grieving… It wasn’t like Echo was complete oblivious to the situation, the other’s plight. But, Echo had gone through something similar. Perhaps even worse. Having grown a tougher shell around himself.
Because Echo too missed them all. Tech, Omega, even Crosshair. It had hit Echo as hard as it had Hunter and Wrecker. Tech dying, loosing Omega…
But, Echo was also a survivor himself.
His instincts kicking in during situations like this. And so, instead of sitting in the corner and mourning of those gone, all the mistakes made, Echo was already two steps ahead. Planning what they could do to get to those still living. Omega and Crosshair. The other clones being held as prisoners, tortured and experimented on.
Echo was now hellbent on finding the very imperial lab holding his family captive. To raise some hell while getting them all out of there. Because that is what Echo intended to do.
And for that, he needed Rex.
Rex’s help and the other saved clones as well. Echo knew they would come to the three Batcher’s aid. They were clones. They were kin. And nothing could change that. No matter the upgrades or enhancements. They were all the same. They would stick together and help each other to the bitter end. Of this Echo was sure.
Now all he needed was to convince Hunter and Wrecker. The fact that the two needed to live to be able to do just that. Plan and mount a rescue mission. After that was over, they could all grieve properly their fallen family member.
Tech.
Echo was doing this all for Tech. He would have wanted this. Not to sit in the corner and feeling sorry for himself. No. Tech would have weighed the options and then charged in! Jump into the deep end. That was whom Tech had been. The daredevil in him shining through when no one expected it to. It was the one of the many things Echo had loved and admired Tech for.
Echo looked at the instrument readings one more time, the estimated time for their arrival in the system of the new clone base around one rotation galactic standard time.
Sitting a moment longer contemplating his options, Echo decided it was time to “wake up” the other two crew members on the ship. Sighing, Echo got up, stretching his body before moving to the small galley and picking up several ration bars and two canteens of water. Echo then moved to the aft finding Hunter and Wrecker pretty much as they had been the last time he had checked up on them.
“Hunter, Wrecker!” Echo tried to sound a tad more chipper than he felt, mustering his best fake happy face as he approached the two. “Time for some grub.”
Hunter did not even look up. But clearly, Wrecker’s hunger had finally gotten the best of him perking up and glancing at Echo as he approach the duo.
“Here, have some.” Echo gave the offerings to Wrecker who gladly accepted them with a nod only. Then taking one of each, Echo moved towards Hunter. Without asking for a permission Echo sat down next to the scout.
“Here.” Echo dangled the non-scented bar in front of Hunter’s face. Directly under his nose. “You need to get your strengths up.” Echo was goading Hunter hoping to get his attention. As sometimes, nothing worked with the man except direct action to the point of annoyance. And Echo hoped Hunter would react. If nothing else then at least getting angry at Echo. Any sign the man was still with them would work for Echo.
Hunter did not react immediately. And honestly, despite their bad situation, their losses and all, Echo had kind of had it with Hunter. So, moving to more extreme measures, which were sure to catch Hunter’s attention.
“If you are not going to eat this on your own accord, so help me I will force feed you.” Echo sounded so serious and stern, hovering in Hunter’s personal space while making his threat. It finally made Hunter to stir and to look up and at Echo.
“You can’t be serious.” Was all Echo got.
“I am. And I will. Just watch me.” Echo wasn’t budging an inch even if Hunter had managed to muster his more livid look ever.
Echo still dangled the ration bar in front of Hunter. So close it was nearly poking Hunter in the face.
“Fine! Fine! I will eat the karking thing!” Hunter grabbed the irritant bar of so called food from Echo and bit into the the damned thing. “See, I am eating!”
Echo wasn’t fazed though. But a small smile curling on his lips nevertheless.
“So you are.”
Wrecker already having finished his several bars was jugging down water. Clearly having been rather hungry and thirsty too. That much was for sure.
“Now, when you have finished eating.” Echo got both their attention finally. “I would like to discuss our rescue plans.”
That surely did perk even Hunter from his daze.
After his brave words having been those of getting Omega back after leaving Ord Mantell. But since then, he had been… well, deep in the funk, grieving. They all had been. From now on though, Echo wanted them to get back on track and actually do something about said funk and getting the other two back.
Wrecker and Hunter waited patiently for Echo to tell them more.
“We are on the way to Rex’s new base. There we can regroup and replan. Figure out where the imperial base is as I am sure someone of our many contacts knows something.”
“Sounds like you have all figured out.” Hunter flatly stated. Still hurting as of course he was and none to eager to move from his perfect dark spot.
“I have. But you two need to work with me.” Echo demanded then.
Hunter sighed, heavily. Nodding only. Wrecker however looked more chipper already. Having at least a partial plan was better than nothing after all. And they were the Bad Batch, or at least some of them and impossible missions was their thing, right?
“Yeah, this is what we do.” Wrecker finally managed a sentence in several days.
Oh, the irony of that statement!
“It is indeed.” Echo felt better too, seeing the spark in the other two’s eyes was a start after all.