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Echo’s eyes turned glassy as he watched the footage. The audio was corrupted, but he could see his twin’s anguish, his fear- he could feel it in his own bones.
As Fox fired, Echo recoiled–as though he’d taken the hit himself–jerking his arm back, still stuck in the scomp port.
He groaned, willing the scomp to twist and release him from the images being burned into his mind.
He’d been a fool . Rex told him everything he’d wanted to know about Fives’ death. He told him everything Fives said, everything he said. Every dismissal from his former general. That particular newfound blame and resentment would have to be left to simmer in his gut. He couldn’t confront a general. A commander, however…
Echo had collected himself quickly, rushing back to the officers’ barracks they’d housed him in, covering himself in the new armor he’d received.
The walk wasn’t long, fortunately, but he struggled to push that horrid image from his mind.
“Fives, stay with me, Fives! Fives!”
“The mission… the nightmares… they’re finally over…”
“Fives? No, Fives… come on, Fives. Don’t go! Stay with me. Stay with me.”
He shuddered beneath the chill that rolled down the cybernetics that lined his back. He wasn’t sure he’d ever forget the haunted final words of his twin.
The door to the Coruscant Guard office slid open, and the trooper currently condemned to front desk duty sat up, clearly confused by the sight before him. He seemed to be a shiny and looking up to see a brother, wrapped in burn scars, metal, and unique armor with a particularly pissed expression? Well, Echo couldn’t blame the slight panic he saw flash across his face.
“Where’s Fox ?” he growled, all hints of calm or politeness eradicated from his voice.
The shiny pointed down a hallway. “His office,” he nearly whimpered. “Last door on the left.”
“Thanks,” he muttered as he stormed down the hall.
He didn’t bother knocking, scomp whirring the door open.
Fox sputtered, rising from his chair. “What the hell ? Who the kriff are you?”
“Who the kriff are you to go around murdering your brothers?” Echo roared, closing the short distance between him and the commander.
Echo grabbed Fox’s chest plate, slamming him against the wall, his scomp pressing into his ribcage. “How many vode did you kill today? Does the number even matter to you?”
Fox’s scowl didn’t change. “You must be that ARC Cody told me about. Not surprised to see you here.” He tapped a button on his vambrace. “Call Captain Rex, 7567 from the 501st. Tell him to get his ass down here yesterday .”
Echo chuckled humorlessly. “What, are you gonna murder me in front of him just like you murdered Fi–”
“ Fives didn’t give me a choice ,” Fox said, his voice too calm, too even , despite the way his head seemed to jerk painfully. “He tried to assassinate the Chancellor –”
“He’d never do anything like that without a reason!” Echo snarled, throwing Fox to the ground. He was about to jump on him when a familiar voice stopped him. “Fives, no!”
“Echo, stand down!” Rex shouted as he pulled his brother away from the commander. Cody moved past to Fox as Echo struggled against his Captain.
“This hut’uun murdered Fives right in front of you!” Echo raged.
Rex growled. “Echo–”
“I was following orders ,” Fox spat.
Cody sighed, “Fox, don’t –”
“That order was wrong and you know it! Fives needed help , not a kriffing blaster bolt to the chest!”
“That’s enough , Echo!” Rex screamed, finally wrestling his friend into a headlock until he stopped struggling. He dragged him out of the office into an interrogation room.
“Echo, you know it wasn’t his fault,” Rex panted. He ran a hand over his face. “The whole osik’la situation was kriffed from the beginning. He didn’t have a choice .”
“We always have a choice!” Echo cried. “I read the files on Umbara; I know Fives, Jesse, and Hardcase stood up to that shebs’palon sith wannabe. I know you did, too!”
“Umbara was different ,” Rex sighed.
“It proves–”
“Echo, stop.”
“–that if an order is morally corrupt–”
“I mean it, Echo.”
“–it shouldn’t be followed just because–”
Rex was on him in an instant, grabbing Echo by the collar. “I said stow it , trooper! Before I bust your ass back down to cadet .”
Echo’s words died in his throat, coating his tongue with a sour taste. He couldn’t think of a time he’d heard Rex more angry.
Rex took a deep breath, releasing his grasp. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, moving to lean against the table.
“Rex, I–”
“You know I’m not defending Fox, right?” Rex said, his eyes trained on the room across the hall. “Fives… he wasn’t himself. He should’ve known better than to pick up my pistol. I still don’t know why he did it.”
Echo closed his eyes. He could see the security cam footage behind his eyes–not that his neural interface would let him forget it.
“You found the footage, didn’t you?” Rex asked, his voice softer.
Echo didn’t need to answer but he nodded anyway.
“I know why you’re angry,” he continued. “I was angry for a while, too. We always expect to lose our brothers, but not at the hands of another one.”
Echo’s thoughts were back in the files from Umbara.
“We all know what it’s like to receive orders we don’t agree with,” Rex said, his eyes finally landing on Echo’s face. “ You should know that, too.”
Echo sighed. “I’m sorry, Rex.”
“I’m not the one you threw to the floor.”
“Right,” Echo said, turning towards the door.
“Maybe thank Cody while you’re at it; his soft spot for me is probably the only reason Fox didn’t put you on your ass.”
Echo knocked this time and waited for the door to slide open.
Cody let him in with a raised brow.
“Commander,” Echo started. “I acted without thinking. I’m sorry.”
To his surprise, Fox chuckled. “Yeah, you’re one of Rex’s alright.”
Echo’s brows shot up. “I– what?”
“Little Rexy here was a firebrand back in the day, too,” Fox smirked, nodding to the captain as he joined them. “Always jumping without looking. Why did you think he got stuck with Skywalker? That dini’la jetii is the only person in the galaxy crazier than this di’kut .”
“Guess that does make sense,” Echo hummed, lips pulling in a slight smirk.
Fox sighed. “For what it’s worth, Echo, I– I didn’t… agree with the order. I thought it was extreme.”
Echo nodded. “Thank you, Commander.”
“I was–” Fox started, before stopping with a slight gasp and groan as he clutched the side of his head.
“Are you alright, Commander?” Echo asked, startling slightly as Cody placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head slightly.
“I’m– ugh, fine ,” Fox growled, his eyes meeting Cody’s as his hands moved somewhat rapidly.
Cody sighed as he looked up at Echo’s confused expression. “He’s using Basic Sign Language. He said ‘I am silenced, but I’m so sorry.’”
Fox nodded as Echo looked at him, continuing to sign as Cody translated.
“‘You’re part of this now.’”
Fox gestured to Cody and Rex.
“Part of what ?” Echo breathed.
Cody sighed as he translated again. “‘Your twin was right about the chips, and he’s alive.’”