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Tech awoke to the warm sunlight streaming in through his window. The time must be just after sunrise, he reasoned, based on the angle of the sunbeams and lack of movement in the rest of the house. Their house.
Ever since he had been rescued from Mt. Tantiss alongside Omega, the other clones, and a handful of kids, the Batch had stayed on Pabu together, taking things slowly for the first time in their lives. With the exception of Echo, of course, as he had gone back to supporting Rex and his small cell of clone rebels. He had taken Emerie with him, another female clone who had apparently been working on Tantiss but helped Omega escape. Tech hadn’t gotten the chance to talk to her much, but from what he could tell, they were quite similar. Hopefully she would return at some point- Tech enjoyed having someone to talk to who actually understood what he was saying.
Shep had set them up with a large house in a rebuilt area of Lower Pabu. Well, large by Pabu standards, but it was a cozy fit with all five of them there. Tech shared a room with Crosshair on one side of the house, and Hunter and Wrecker shared one on the other side. Omega had her own tiny loft upstairs which, while slightly cramped, was her favorite place on the whole island. It was reminiscent of her room on the Marauder, with fairy lights strung up on the ceiling and pillows littered everywhere. Tech was worried at first that it may pose a fire hazard, but Phee had reassured him that it was normal for children to have a densely decorated room. After all, the Batch had never owned much of anything that was their own, and military regulations were all they knew for most of their lives.
Tech swung his legs out of bed and grabbed his new glasses quietly. He didn’t want to bother Crosshair, who was still sleeping soundly on the other side of the room, but it was too late to go back to sleep. Shuffling quietly through the house, Tech threw on some clothes and shoes before stepping outside into the warm Pabu morning air.
He took a breath slowly. The last time he had been here, none of them had been sure how long they would stay. And now, it was looking like it was finally safe to call the place home.
Starting down the path toward the beach, Tech marveled at the calmness of the ocean. He’d seen it many times before of course, but the stark contrast to the ocean on which he’d grown up never ceased to fascinate him.
“You’re up early.”
Tech startled and turned around to see Phee behind him. “What are you doing all the way down here? I thought the Providence was docked next to the Archium.”
“I enjoy early morning walks on the beach.” she replied. She cocked her head. “It appears you do too.”
Tech shrugged. “I am not typically awake at this hour, but my circadian rhythm is still adjusting to the new environment. I simply wanted to avoid waking the others.”
“But the fresh air isn’t all that bad now, is it?” Phee smiled.
Tech found himself smiling back. “No. I suppose it is not.”
“Why don’t you accompany me?” Phee suggested. “I find that walks are always better with company.”
Tech followed her down the path. They were almost at the beach now, and the gentle roar of the ocean was getting louder. Moon-yos chittered and scurried out of their way as Phee pushed the gate at the end of the path open, the two of them continuing down the sand, parallel to the water, as birds squawked overhead. Tech was taking in all of this, simultaneously tapping at his datapad. There was always something new to learn, and the beach provided an excellent opportunity to gather more data about their new environment.
Suddenly he felt a hand pushing his down. “Hey,” Phee said, “the real beauty is up there, not on that screen.”
Tech flushed. “I was simply gathering further information on the environment of Lower Pabu. I have not yet completed my database on the species of creatures living here.”
“Uh huh.” Phee studied him closely. “And what is the purpose of that?”
“What is the purpose of collecting and analyzing data? I find it fascinating. It is also important for our squad to be aware of any potential challenges in the terrain.”
“Terrain challenges, I see. But… you’re not a soldier anymore, Tech.”
Now they were staring eye-to-eye. Tech was about to come up with a retort before he realized. Phee was right, he wasn’t a soldier anymore. None of them were. But being one was all he knew.
Phee continued. “I love how much you love studying, Tech. In a way, I’m the same. But there’s more to the world than simply analyzing it.”
Tech glanced around them. “What do you mean? I don’t seem to have missed anything.”
Phee chuckled. “No, you’re very thorough. I’d bet my ship on that. But I want you to take a minute to just relax. It’s good for you, trust me.”
She led him to a pile of rocks near the water. They were warm from the sun, and surprisingly comfortable. “Close your eyes, and breathe.”
Warily, Tech placed his datapad down next to him and did as she said. There was really no point arguing with Phee, as she would always win anyway. His mouth twitched in amusement as she sat down beside him.
“Now what?”
“Relax.”
Unsure of what to do, Tech threw a glance toward Phee. She was sitting with her eyes closed, face tilted up toward the rising sun. He closed his eyes too and tilted his face up like hers. The sun felt warm on his skin, like a gentle hug. He breathed out and felt a peaceful comfort rush through him. It reminded him of sitting on his bunk on Kamino, tinkering with wires and watching his brothers wrestle across the room. It felt like their first time in Pabu, seeing Omega really laughing for the first time in months. It was eerily similar to the strange peace he’d felt falling from the railcar on Eriadu, knowing that no matter what happened, his family was safe.
He opened his eyes.
“Not so bad, huh?”
He looked at Phee, who was smiling at him. “I… suppose not.”
They sat there for a while, staring at the endless ocean, and listening to the sounds of Pabu waking up. Tech could just make out Wrecker’s booming voice in the distance, followed by Omega’s laughing. Hunter would soon be rounding them up to go to Shep and Lyana’s for breakfast, and Crosshair would be looking for Batcher, making sure that she came with them.
No, they were definitely no longer soldiers. It would always be part of them, but life now was different. Realizing that Phee was leaning closer to him, Tech once again closed his eyes, thinking that he preferred this one to any other in the galaxy.