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Fives walked to the barracks alone. He stood tall as he walked. He gave nods to the other troopers he passed. He kept his face a carefully constructed front of normalcy.
But then he arrived at the barracks, comforted to see they were empty.
He froze as the doors slid shut just behind him, his eyes locking onto the bunk next to his own.
His body trembled as he willed his legs to carry him to the empty bunk, and fell to his knees next to it.
“Echo,” he choked. “Brother, I- I’m sorry.”
He pulled himself onto the bunk. He took in a shaky breath as he pulled his twin’s trunk out. He almost chuckled as he opened it– of course it was the most orderly footlocker he’d ever seen. He supposed it helped that Echo didn’t have many possessions, despite always being the sentimental one.
Fives picked through the meager belongings. Extra armor pieces, a can of 501st blue paint, a holo of the two of them with Rex and Cody. Rex would love that , he thought idly. Then something in the box caught the light and his eye. He moved a spare pauldron aside to reveal a medal. The most common possession among the Vode , aside from armor or weapons, was their graduation medal. A shaking hand lifted it from the box. The ribbon was a little dirty, but the metal still shone as it did the day El-Les pinned it to his shirt.
Fives turned it over in his hand, an odd glint catching his attention. He looked closer.
782
2010
1409
4040
5555
Fives’ heart caught in his throat as he choked back another sob. “ Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum , Echo,” his voice shook and threatened to break. [ I’m still alive, but you are dead. I remember you, so you are eternal, Echo. ]
“ Ara’vod, ” Echo’s voice answered. Fives gasped, his eyes darting up to see his brother, sitting right there on the other end of his bunk.
“Echo?” he whispered, as though he’d scare his brother off if he was any louder.
“ Why the long face, huh? Doesn’t seem like the Fives I know, ” Echo chuckled.
A stray tear dripped down Fives’ cheek. Echo didn’t seem to notice. “Well I’ve got this di’kut of an ara’vod who went and got himself blown up,” he smirked, his voice still shaking under the weight of his grief. “I-I’m so sorry, Echo, I-I failed you .”
“ It’s not your fault, Fives, ” Echo told him. “ I knew what the mission was. I knew the risk I was taking. ”
“I- I should have stopped you!” Fives protested. “I could have found another way or– or I should have gone with you.”
“ Then we’d both be dead ,” Echo said, his calmness washing over Fives like a soft blanket. “Hey, someone’s gotta keep Rex and the General in check. Guess it’s gotta be you now.”
Fives snorted. “Like I’m meant to be some kind of adult?”
Echo chuckled again, just smiling at his twin.
Fives sighed. “I’m not a fool–”
“ Sure ,” Echo interrupted with a wide grin.
Fives rolled his eyes. “Alright, maybe I am, but I’m not stupid. I know you’re not really here.”
Echo’s smile faded somewhat, but he still didn’t speak.
“I know you’re– you’re gone ,” Fives managed. “That this is some kind of- some kind of grief-fueled hallucination.”
Echo nodded at that.
“But… it’s really good to see you.”
“ Ara’vod ,” Echo murmured, his lips pulling into a soft smile. “ Gayiyla gar slanar, ni cuy ratiin ti gar. ” [Twin, everywhere you go; I am always with you.]
Tears spilled down Fives’ cheeks as Echo held his right arm out to him.
Fives grasped his forearm. It felt so solid, so real, but as soon as he blinked, Echo was gone. In his right hand that had touched Echo’s was his brother’s medal.
Fives stared at it until his tears stopped flowing. He stood, tucked the medal in his chestplate, put the footlocker back as he’d found it, and straightened up the bunk. Once everything was by-the-regs again, he stood tall at attention.
“ARC Trooper Echo, CT-1409. Nu kyr'adyc, shi taab'echaaj'la .”
[Not gone, merely marching far away.]