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Week 9 of @summer-of-bad-batch 2025 : Open Scars

This scene is definitely inspired by Kpop Demon Hunters. Instead of the patterns, Adult Omega has scars to hide since she joined the rebellion. She doesn't wanna her family back home know about this.

Here's Adult Omega's drawing with Rumi scene.

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@summer-of-bad-batch Week 5 Bonus prompt: "You belong here."

Banner by @blackseafoam

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Week 10: bonus prompt: reunion

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The Scars of That Night | Summer of Bad Batch 2025

Bonus Prompt 9: Open Scars @summer-of-bad-batch

A/N: This is probably gonna be my only entry for this Summer of Bad Batch prompt, 'Open Scars,' since I'm working on other projects! Hopefully, I can write more when new prompts come out! If I had more time, I would have written out a one-shot of Omega and Crosshair separately.

Omega

It never faded away. No matter the ointment she applied, the bandages that would unravel over time, or the sudden growth spurt that made her sleeves shorter, it was still there.

It was lighter than her skin, a faint shade of a fairer tan against her brown complexion. The flesh rippled like the waves of her home planet, Kamino, compared to the otherwise smooth as the calming sea of Pabu of the rest of her skin. For her, it was the reminder that she managed to escape death by a single shot.

Omega hated it. 

In time, she grew to treasure it.

She can tell they were keeping a close eye on her after they finally arrived back on Pabu. She never told them it hurt, but they knew. Although it took years to understand where they were coming from, she knew their intentions were to help her. To help one another, let the pain fade away, and the memories be a reminder of what they survived.

In the eyes of Crosshair, he observed her pain, and the two would meditate through it. From the gestures of Hunter, who constantly held her when she was crying from the nightmare or seeked the comfort of the pain. To the encouragement of Wrecker, whose words always made her smile, no matter the swirling emotions that riddled her mind. The stories she and Echo would exchange during his rare visits to Pabu made her appreciate the stories that each scar told of their survival.

With time, she gained more scars here and there, and they would become treasured just like the one of that night.

Crosshair

The rain pelted his face that night. He can hardly see a few feet ahead of him when he raises the blaster. It was wet and sleek as his fingers tried not to squeeze the trigger. Because if he shot too early, or his aim wasn’t steady and his eyes were unfocused, he could kill his dear, older sister. 

He couldn’t risk it. They were too close. Not if he risked Omega’s life. But time seemed to have slowed down when his eyes met Omega’s. The look of composure in her eyes stared straight at him. They were hardened, ready for the risk that comes her way. 

Hunter gave the word, Omega made the call, and Crosshair made the shot. 

When Crosshair looked at the scar, he couldn’t help but feel guilty. His eyes observed everything that had to do with the burn on her right wrist. 

When she moved her hand up in the air to wave hello or goodbye, the scar could be seen, whether it was covered with bandages or with her bracelets. When she was uncomfortable or sensed tension, her left hand would rub the scar. When she woke up from her nightmares, she would be holding her wrist as if the burn was fresh with searing, hot-white pain.

His eyes scrutinized everything. The scars, the memories, and the pain that followed his wrist, where there was no longer flesh that attached to the hand he once used for battle. All there’s left was a metal plate and the numbness of his seared nerves. These were the scars that reminded him of that night.

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Title: Stars of the Deep

Prompt: bioluminescence

Summary: Lyana and Shep take Omega and her brothers out on the ocean to witness the yearly manta migration.

Words: 777

Warnings: none

Read on AO3

For week 4 of @summer-of-bad-batch

**********

Hundreds of the residence of Pabu were packed onto the island’s fleet of ships. They were anchored a couple of klicks off the coast of the island awaiting dusk. It was time for the yearly migration of the deep sea mantas, and everyone was excited for the show.

Omega and her brothers were guests on Shep and Lyana’s boat. Their hosts had provided snacks and drinks to tide them over while they waited.

“What’s the migration like?” Omega asked Lyana.

“It’s amazing,” the other girl replied. “I saw a meteor shower once, and it kind of reminds me of that. But under water.”

Omega giggled. “That sounds interesting.”

“It’s so much better than I’m describing,” Lyana assured her.

“I can’t wait,” Omega said.

“Omega, come have something to eat,” Hunter called.

“The real show won’t start until it gets darker anyway,” Lyana said.

The girls joined the others at the crate that was doubling as a table. Omega munched on nuts and dried fruit as the sun set at the western horizon. Someone on one of the other boats started playing a guitar. Some drums joined in, and a flute. Soon, a lively tune was floating across the water. Omega sang along with a couple of the songs she’d picked up during her time on Pabu.

As the final rays of the sun disappeared behind the western horizon, a hush fell over the assembled boats. Omega followed Lyana to the side of the boat again and eagerly looked out across the water.

“What are we looking for?” Omega asked.

“Light,” Lyana said mysteriously.

“I think I see something,” Crosshair said, joining them.

Lyana shot him a skeptical look, but Omega knew just how good her brother’s eyesight was.

Hunter, Wrecker, and Shep came to the side of the boat as well.

“Something definitely coming,” Hunter said. “The electromagnetic signature is enormous.”

“Individual mantas aren’t much bigger than two meters from wingtip to wingtip,” Shep said. “But when they flock together like this . . .”

“There,” Crosshair said, pointing.

Omega leaned out over the water, peering down. She thought the mantas were still too far away for her eyes to see, when she caught a flash of blue in the depths. She squinted, leaning closer.

A big hand rested on her back. “Don’t fall in now,” Wrecker rumbled.

Omega flashed him a smile, then turned back to the water . . . just in time to see another of the blue lights.

Followed by another.

And another.

“Oh, wow,” Omega breathed.

The ocean below the boat slowly came alive with lights all flowing in the same direction. Amongst the blue were flashes of reddish-pink, deep violet, phosphorus green, and even white. Soon the whole ocean seemed to be filled with moving lights. As the creatures came closer to the surface, Omega was able to make out individual mantas in the mass of lights.

“Watch this,” Lyana said.

She ran back to the crate holding the snacks and grabbed a piece of fruit. Then she returned to Omega’s side and tossed the fruit into the air. Three mantas leapt from the water after the morsel. The largest manta snatched the fruit out of the air before splashing back into the water again.

“Whoa,” Wrecker and Omega said in unison.

The lights Omega had seen were bioluminescent markings trailing across the mantas’ wings and down their backs and tails.

“They’re so pretty,” Omega said.

The occupants of other boats began throwing treats too and soon the air, as well as the water, was filled with mantas.

“This is incredible,” Wrecker said, tossing a bit of a sweet roll to the mantas.

“Quite a sight,” Hunter agreed.

The migration seemed to go on for hours. The mantas’ lights seemed to form galaxies and constellations within the water as the Pabuians watched, entranced. Omega’s eyes were drooping by the time the last of the lights vanished into the ocean. Only a few boats had stayed to watch the whole of the migration, and they all headed back to the port together.

Omega toddled to a seat and slumped into it.

“The mantas do that every year?” she asked Lyana tiredly.

“Twice a year, actually. They’ll be back in about six months with their new babies.”

“They’ll be even more?” Omega asked, perking up.

Lyana giggled. “Yeah. Some of the mothers and babies even stay around the island for a couple of days to give the little ones a chance to rest before they push on to their home waters. You can sometimes play with the babies in the shallow coves on the south side of the island.”

“We’re definitely doing that,” Omega said with a big grin.

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Week 8 of @summer-of-bad-batch 2025 : The Data Pad Incident

Omega Jedi AU accidentally broke Tech's data pad when she snuck in to meet him in person.

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Week 8 of @summer-of-bad-batch 2025 : "Do You Ever Miss It ?"

Hunter and Crosshair were having late night conversation about good old times before Order 66 or even before they met Omega.

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here a new Summer of bad batch episode 2! (see more here <3)

Prompts used: dont even think about it - i'm seldom wrong - what have we learned from this? Poor mermaid crosshair discovers both the joy of human food (courtesy of Wrecker) and also the joy of being lactose intolerant 😔😔😔 @summer-of-bad-batch

extra info under the read more for who is interested ^^:

Soooo... at this point of the Au Crosshair is getting used to his new full human body. The first obstacle was clothes. He absolutely did not want to wear anything, feeling them too constricting and such. After some convincing (bribery) he accepted to wear clothe only if they were nice and baggy, so he is wearing Wrecker's "lula" shirt and his "explosive ass" shorts too ;). Also because he definitely enjoys biting and such has been given lots of toothpicks to use so he leave them and the other forniture alone. The surface food is another problem, he discovered dairy and sugar and absolutely loves it. Sadly his poor stomach is totally not equipped for anything with milk in it... he and the bathroom will meet a lot. Tech is unsure about giving him human medicine for this problem without first doing some tests, but it will take time and cross is not patient when he wants something...

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Summer of bad batch mermaid au special moment 1 <3 the first time mermaid cross discovered he could walk was kinda surprise for everyone...

Prompt: "grab my hand!"

@summer-of-bad-batch

No comic page this time, but just a small scene ;) you can find more on my profile :D like usual some notes in the read more if you are curious :) :

This scene happens the next morning after this scene here, Cross closed the water of the shower to sleep better, but he did not close well the drain so he ended up all dry and that made him change. (magic? lets keep it at that ahah). he was definitely not happy about it, wonky new limbs and all of course, but still decided to go and explore the house a bit. This is how the boys dress for sleep: Hunter: naked and free Wrecker: just his boxers, he has a lot with different fantasies on them Tech: the classic "old man" look, with nightgown and hat, and when roaming the house at night he has a "candle" app on his phone to light up his steps. Echo: normal t-shirt (too big for him) and comfy short pants. he still has prosthetics in this au so nothing long for him. Will put on a big sweater is too cold Crosshair: bath curtain for now. He was not happy to discover humans had outside reproductive bits. Will fight the others about trying real clothing tough.

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@summer-of-bad-batch

Week 10: main prompt: clone culture

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Go

Tech & Omega & Hunter & Wrecker & Echo

@summer-of-bad-batch

Week 9: stay with me | bedtime story | open scars

Word Count: 983

Content: Major whump and character death, AU where Tech still dies, but his family finds him first

Mando'a Guide gotala - technology 'ika - diminutive suffix gotal'ika - nickname for Tech

It wasn’t the fall that would have killed him, Tech knew that. It would have been the landing. 

By all means, it should have killed him. 

But he lay there, each breath labored and painful, waiting for his consciousness to fail again. 

The landing had initially rendered him unconscious, and he did not feel the pain of nearly every bone in his body breaking. But then he woke up. 

He must not have been out for long; it was still daylight when he came to, and he hadn’t yet died. Beyond the unnatural way his body had been twisted and broken, he could feel that several of his more recent scars had been ripped open. If he concentrated, he could feel the wounds weeping blood. 

He assumed that the reason he was not yet dead was the large spike of twisted metal protruding through his leg. Even if he could move any part of the rest of his body, he knew removing it would mean far too much blood loss. 

As he lay there, barely breathing and in more pain than he’d ever felt in his life, he wished he could remove it. Bleeding out was not a pleasant way to go, but then again, neither was landing after falling a great height. 

Tech had never found the logic in the idea of a higher being. He never understood why or how faith could be so important to many natborns, how praying to a being or beings that may or may not even exist, let alone listening, could solve anything. 

And yet, as he lay there, surrounded by debris and pieces of his shattered armor, he found himself praying. 

Not for survival, like many did, but for the end of his own life. 

After what he figured was likely a few excruciating hours, he could hear… something.

His hearing had always been the second worst of his senses, falling just short of worse than his eyesight. His helmet had been augmented to account for that, but now, with his helmet in shattered pieces around him, he could tell that the landing had extensively muffled his right ear. 

It sounded like… shouting? And blaster fire. 

“Tech!”

Something touched his shoulders. He could barely feel it; his body starting to succumb to numbness was something of a blessing.

“Tech! Tech, can you hear me?”

His hazy mind seemed to understand the words. He thought he nodded, but he wasn’t sure he could.

“C’mon, Tech! Hey, hey! Tech, stay with me!”

He was trying. But the dark was clouding his vision and beckoning him closer. 

Something about the voice was comforting, bringing warm memories to his mind. Quiet moments punctuated only by the sound of tools and the occasional question, telling stories when the night cycle was too daunting to sleep, keeping his arms open to catch her…

“O-Omega,” he rasped. Every letter felt like another pin stabbing into his lungs. His eyes finally cleared, her terrified face finally clear before him.

“Don’t try to move,” she said, her voice finally more calm and focused. Just like he taught her. “Wrecker built up cover around you, but it’s gonna be difficult to get you out of here.”

“Omega…”

“The medscanner got broken in the crash, so I don’t know the extent of your injuries–”

“Omega, I’m–”

“But we’re going to get you out of here. You’re–” her voice broke. “You’re going to be okay.”

He could see tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. Despite the magma that coursed through it as he did, he lifted his hand to cup her cheek. The tears spilled over, leaving clean streaks over her dirty face.

“I… will not,” he told her through labored breaths. “But it’s… okay.”

“We need to move, now!” he heard Echo call.

“Please,” Omega sobbed. “Please, w-we can do this.”

“It’s too… too much,” he continued. “Go with our… family. F-find Crosshair… bring him home.”

He could feel something tugging at his chest and his mind, gently easing him into something that felt so much like sleep. 

He was dying, his brilliant mind realized. 

Another figure appeared above him. 

“H-Hunter,” Tech whispered. “You… you have to–”

“I know, Tech,” Hunter said, his smoky voice soft. “We’ll find him.”

Tech nodded painfully, relaxing slightly. Dimly, he realized the blaster fire had stopped, and Wrecker and Echo had joined them, kneeling in the dirt next to him. 

Omega was crying, and Echo was trying to comfort her, but she refused to look away from Tech. 

“It– it’s getting… dark,” Tech murmured. “Sh-should find shelter…”

He didn’t see the helpless expressions on his other brothers’ faces.

Omega said, between shaky, distressed breaths, “It’s not–” 

“We’ll find something soon,” Wrecker assured him. 

“I… am sorry.” His breaths were now coming in too-small wheezes. “Think I need… to leave…”

“It’s okay to go, Gotal’ika,” Hunter hushed. 

“You saved us,” Echo said. “We’re alive because of you.”

“We love you,” Omega sniffled. “So much.”

Tech tried to nod, but he wasn’t truly sure they could see it. 

“And I… you.”

The darkness overtook his vision, and all at once, he felt lighter than he ever had. He blinked, and he was looking down at his family, huddled together around him. Despite the grief that sat heavily in his chest, a soft, gentle voice curled around him.

You are the one they call ‘Tech’?

I… Yes, that was my name. 

You had a remarkable life, even if it was cut too short. 

What will happen to them? Are they- are they going to be okay?

You have always been more concerned about your family’s well-being than your own. Yes, your loved ones will live long, happy lives. You will be seeing them again, but not for a long time. 

That… that is good. Comforting. 

Are you ready to go?

Go… where?

Home, where you have many fallen brothers to meet.

⇦ Previous Week Next Week ⇨

Thanks for reading! - River

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The Data Pad Incident

@summer-of-bad-batch | Week 8 | The Data Pad Incident

Based on a true story when my youngest brother threw my iPad at me from the top bunk and said “Catch!” AFTER he threw it.

I did not catch it.

And it “wasn’t his fault.”

Uh, huh. Suuuuure.

We laugh about it now.

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Summer of Bad Batch new fanfic

Week 9 prompts for @summer-of-bad-batch in this latest fanfic. This one is Emerie focused regarding the Tantiss kids.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/66203992/chapters/177808936

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Some silly little doodles of the batch and their newly adopted GNK droid, Gonky, for @summer-of-bad-batch week 7 bonus prompt: adoption

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Week 9 of @summer-of-bad-batch 2025 : Bedtime Story

Hunter and Gonky were roleplaying as Tangled characters to tell a bedtime story for Omega 😁🤣 Can you guys guess who or what are they become to ?

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Bonus Prompt: Adoption

That's his name: Smoothie!

21/39

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Smart person but stupid decision (Summer of Bad Batch - week 9)

@summer-of-bad-batch

Main prompt: "Stay with me"

Alternative prompt: Bedtime story

Bonus prompt: Open scars

Characters: Echo, Hunter, Crosshair, Tech, Wrecker, Kix

It had only taken three missions with the Bad Batch for Echo to have his first near-death experience. Oh, it wasn’t the first time it had happened to him at all, and he had some experience, but still.

The first time Echo had nearly died, he wasn’t even an hour old. Since he and Fives were twins born from the same tube, a rarity among Fett clones, the Kaminoans hadn’t believed in their ability to develop like the others and had wanted to decommission them as quickly as possible. If it hadn’t been for the intervention of Kal Skirata, a member of the Cuy’val Dar, the trainers responsible for the clone troopers’ training, Fives and Echo would have been decommissioned without a second thought. It was the first time Echo had narrowly escaped death.

Then, during the attack on Rishi Station, Echo had thought he was living his last hours, after the brutal and rapid deaths of Droidbait and Cutup. In the end, he and Fives had managed to escape thanks to Hevy’s sacrifice and the arrival of Rex and Cody, with whom they had destroyed the station to warn the flagships of the invasion taking place on Rishi.

During his time with the 501st, Echo had often been in dangerous situations, but none that he would describe as a near-death experience.

Then came Lola Sayu and the mission to The Citadel. There, Echo had thought he was going to die for good, blown up by the explosion that had destroyed the shuttle he was trying to reach to allow them to escape. But no, the explosion hadn’t even done its job, and Echo had survived, albeit narrowly.

At the hands of Trench and then Wat Tambor, Echo had experienced countless tortures, and he was more or less aware of having brushed with death several times during that year, but since his memories were rather hazy, he counted the entire experience as a single near-death experience.

And then, Clone Force 99 had arrived and pulled him out of that hell with Rex and General Skywalker. After seeing the general reaction of the 501st troopers to his reappearance, and learning of Fives’s death, Echo had decided to accept Hunter’s offer and join the Bad Batch, thinking he would be better off there than in the 501st.

And he was right because he felt good with these atypical and completely crazy commandos. It had taken him a few weeks to get to know them, but the three weeks they spent together on Kamino after Echo joined them helped a lot, and even though Echo hadn’t even been with them for two months, he could say that they were the squad he would stay with. He didn’t call them his family yet, but the potential was there, and Echo knew it would come.

Anyway, back to that famous third mission since Echo had joined Clone Force 99. Today’s mission wasn’t very complicated in itself: infiltrate, raid, and destroy a Separatist base discovered by another Battalion during a campaign on a nearby planet. So far, this Seppies base hadn’t posed any problems, but it was probably being used as a storage facility and destroying as many droids as possible before they even arrived on the battlefield was always a plus.

The first part of the mission, the infiltration, went rather well with Hunter, Wrecker and Crosshair creating a distraction while Echo and Tech infiltrated in search of a computer to hack.

Echo and Tech weren’t even spotted, and when they finished copying all the data they had found, they joined the other three to assist in the extermination of the droids.

Fighting ensued in all directions, and the Batch ended up separated, Hunter, Echo, and Crosshair on one side and Tech and Wrecker on the other. And even though they tried to keep each other in sight, the two groups ended up far apart, almost on opposite sides of the base. How they’d gotten separated like that, Echo wasn’t sure, but he didn’t really have time to wonder about that. No, all he could do was fight those damn droids, destroying them one after the other.

Not for the first time, Echo cursed his lack of a right hand because by losing his right hand, he had also lost the ability to use two DC-17s at the same time, one of his favorite moves when he was an ARC trooper. Okay, maybe he liked this technique so much because Rex had taught him, but that didn’t change the monstrous efficiency that firing two blasters at the same time provided. But then again, Echo couldn’t do that anymore and he found himself incredibly slow, compared to Crosshair and Hunter, who slashed droids like they did that every morning for breakfast.

And even though the three of them were doing their best, the number of droids didn’t seem to decrease and for every clanker downed, two more seemed to appear out of nowhere.

After more than 10 minutes without any visible progress, Echo got fed up and looked for another solution. Clearly, taking down the droids one by one wasn’t effective, so they would have to move on to weapons of mass destruction. Except that given how close the clankers were, it was impossible for Echo, Hunter, and Crosshair to get far enough away to use traditional bombs, but fortunately, there were special grenades that didn’t affect living beings, only droids.

And luckily, Echo had a few in his pockets under his kamas.

“Droid poppers!” He shouted to warn his acolytes as he threw the said grenade.

Hunter and Crosshair, focused on the droids arriving in waves, had not seen Echo release this bomb and were unable to act in time.

“Echo, no!” Hunter just had time to shout before the bomb exploded.

The electromagnetic wave emanating from the grenade knocked everyone to the ground, but while Crosshair and Hunter quickly got up, even though Hunter was a little dazed, they did get up. Echo didn’t.

“Echo!” Hunter cried, heading towards the cyborg, who had fallen a few meters away from him.

“What the hell is that Reg thinking?” Crosshair muttered, moving closer as well.

Hunter arrived first and rolled Echo onto his back and removed his brother’s helmet to see if he was still conscious, though he had little hope.

But to his surprise, Echo was still conscious, though he didn’t seem to be in great shape. Instead, his eyes were wide, and his mouth was moving as if he were trying to breathe but couldn’t.

“What the hell were you thinking?” Crosshair sneered as he arrived at his brother’s side.

“Later the reproaches, Cross.” Hunter cut in. “Echo, you keep breathing and you stay with us.”

The cyborg nodded weakly but didn’t respond further. Hunter concentrated on listening to his brother. And while Echo usually made a whole bunch of mechanical noises, corresponding to the various machines that kept him as healthy as possible, there was nothing here.

“Shit. The pacemakers are burned out.”

“Not just short-circuited?” Crosshair wondered.

“I don’t think so. The shock must have been too powerful. Or he was too close.”

“Kriff. What do we do?”

“Keep him conscious and breathing while I contact the others.” Hunter ordered, standing up, but without moving away. “Tech, we have a problem.” He said, turning on his comm.

“We’re a little busy here!” Tech replied, blaster sounds echoing behind him.

“Echo used a droid popper. He’s down.” Hunter declared quickly. “He’s still conscious, but barely.”

Tech then unleashed a string of curses that Hunter might have found admirable had the situation been different.

“Wrecker, we have to hurry, the others need us! Is his heart still beating despite the lack of a pacemaker?” Tech asked Hunter.

Hunter took a few dozen seconds to search for this information, watching his older brother struggle to breathe.

“Weakly and irregularly.”

“Kriff. And his breathing?”

“Difficult too.”

“As I imagine it, he should be able to force breaths despite his implanted phrenic stimulation device not working, but with his heart rate being as you describe, I’m not sure he’ll be able to stay conscious for an extended period of time. And if he ever loses consciousness, he’ll also lose control of his breathing, which would drastically complicate the situation. You must try to keep Echo conscious and breathing at all costs.”

“Cross, can you-” Hunter began, addressing his younger brother, who had straightened Echo up a little so that the latter was in a semi-sitting position, leaning against the sniper, to make it easier for him to breathe.

“On it.” Crosshair cut in, already on it. “Listen to me, Reg, you better not die in my arms, so do me the favor of keeping breathing.”

Echo didn’t answer to save his breath, but moved his left hand a little, searching for the younger one’s.

“Sentimental Reg.” Crosshair scoffed, grabbing Echo’s hand and squeezing it tightly. “Stay with me.” He asked in a lower voice.

Echo nodded again, squeezing Crosshair’s hand a little, and continued to focus on his breathing. Because while breathing is normally an autonomous function of the human body, performed without conscious request, that was no longer the case for Echo. He hadn’t understood everything when Kix and Tech had explained why he couldn’t breathe normally anymore, but Echo knew that without the little machine controlling his breathing, he had to make the conscious effort to breathe, or he would simply stop. And it didn’t take a genius to know that if he stopped breathing, it was dangerous.

Echo hadn’t thought of that when he had the idea to use an EMP grenade, but it’s true that he was now proportionally more metal than flesh, and that part of his vital functions, like his heartbeat or his breathing, were assisted by machines affected by EMPs. Echo had realized his stupidity when the shockwave from the grenade sent him to the ground, and he had gasped for breath. A pain in his chest followed, and it had taken Echo a few seconds of panic before he understood what was happening.

What surprised him was that Hunter and Crosshair hadn’t seemed surprised, and Hunter had immediately listened to see if his pacemakers were damaged. He’d almost thought about it before Echo, and it intrigued him. But hey, he could wonder about that later, when his heart had stopped dancing the Macarena and he could breathe normally.

Currently, Echo was half on the ground and half slumped over Crosshair, the latter holding him in a semi-sitting position, where he could breathe more easily than if he were lying on the ground. Crosshair hadn’t protested when Echo had tried to grab his hand to anchor himself in the flickering reality, and he would have to think about that later, when he was no longer half-dying on the battlefield.

Because even if he could force his breathing, he couldn’t control his heart at will, and he felt that could quickly become a problem. Already, his vision was starting to blur and darken at the sides. And even if he did what he could, ensuring regular breathing when your heart skipped a beat or two whenever it felt like it was no easy task.

“Echo, breathe.” Crosshair reminded him.

If Echo had the breath for it, he would have retorted that he was doing what he could but given that he was barely able to stay conscious, he wasn’t going to waste his breath making cutting remarks. Instead, he settled for what he hoped was a glare.

Crosshair saw the other man's attempt at intimidation but drowned out by the panic and weakness he saw in his eyes, it wasn’t very impressive.

When Echo missed his next breaths, faltering dangerously, Crosshair cursed as he held him back. Crosshair decided to act and, while reminding Echo to breathe, removed his chest plate and Echo’s back plate, then pulled the cyborg against him so that Echo’s emaciated back was pressed against his chest.

“Come on, Reg, breathe with me. Do what I do.” He urged Echo, exaggerating his own breathing.

Echo wasn’t really aware of the change in position, too busy trying to keep breathing evenly. Except that since time seemed to pass extremely quickly and stretch out at the same time, he had trouble knowing when to breathe so that it was enough. So, when Crosshair removed his armor and tucked him against his chest, Echo could feel his breathing and tried to time his gasps with the movements he felt in his back.

Following Crosshair’s breathing pattern when he felt it behind his back was easier than trying to imagine a rhythm in his head, and Echo managed to catch his breath a little. It was still quite tenuous, and when his heart made a backflip, he sometimes missed a breath, but it was already more regular. To help him even more, Crosshair also removed Echo’s chest plate and placed his right hand on the cyborg’s chest, pressing lightly when it was time to exhale, giving him another rhythm to follow.

When Hunter crouched down in front of him, helmet off, Echo felt like Crosshair had been helping him breathe for hours, even though he knew it was probably less time.

“Echo, Tech is coming.” Hunter said softly but firmly. “He should be here in less than three minutes, and he has something with him to try to restart your pacemaker. But in the meantime, you need to stay conscious and keep breathing, okay?”

Echo wanted to nod in confirmation, but at the same time, a searing pain shot through his chest. A pain so great that he forgot to breathe, collapsing further onto his side, despite Crosshair’s support.

Echo heard Hunter and Crosshair’s agitated voices, but he couldn’t understand what they were saying anymore. He hadn’t lost consciousness, not completely, but it was close. He couldn’t see much, couldn’t hear much, and couldn’t feel much.

From what he could see, he was now lying on the ground, turned onto his side. Two hands were holding him by his shoulders and hips, keeping him from rolling, and another hand was on his chest, pressing down at regular intervals.

Occasionally, Echo would remember that he was supposed to breathe manually and take a shaky breath, but most of the time, he no longer realized he had to think about breathing.

After a while, he didn’t know how long, two new voices joined the previous two, followed by two new bodies. Echo knew these people, he was pretty sure of it, but at the moment, it was impossible for him to think of anything.

Something plastic was placed over his face and suddenly air was blown into his face, seeping into his lungs and bringing some oxygen to his body.

It was another short while before Echo felt himself being rolled onto his back. Then he felt the cool breeze on his chest as his blacks’ top was removed. Cut? Ripped? He didn’t really know, and honestly, he didn’t really care.

Echo then felt something connect to the implants in his chest, and after a jolt he felt throughout his body, he was finally able to take a normal breath as his pacemakers restarted. It took Echo a few minutes to completely calm down, his heart returning to a normal rhythm and his breathing regulating.

After those few minutes, Echo felt less like he was going to die at any moment, but he was absolutely exhausted. But he couldn’t let himself go. Maybe he wasn’t actively dying anymore, but that didn’t mean he was safe. He seemed to remember that they were in enemy territory, on a mission. There was no time to rest.

Echo tried to roll onto his side to get up, but several hands prevented him from doing so.

“Echo, you must not move. I was able to restart your pacemakers manually and I must stay connected in order to-”

“Tech, no need for details. Everything’s fine, Echo. You’re safe.”

“And you breathe, which was not a given.”

“That’s mean, Crosshair!”

“Boys, enough. It’s okay, Echo, you can rest. You’re safe. You’re fine.”

Echo couldn’t quite place who was speaking, but the last voice had something soothing about it, and Echo wanted to obey. And to be honest, his body wasn’t giving him much of a choice and was already falling asleep. But just as he was about to fall asleep, Echo woke with a start, trying to sit up again.

“But that’s not possible, does he need a bedtime story or something?” Someone grumbled.

“You never know, you could try.”

“A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away-” A sarcastic voice began.

“If necessary, I can always administer a sedative. The effect would be immediate and would allow us to-”

“Have you decided to all be a pain today or what?” The reassuring person cut in, sounding exasperated. “No sedatives, you know how he feels about that. And Cross, stop the harsh remarks. Echo, it’s Hunter. I know this is complicated, but you need to relax. I promise you’re safe. We’re all safe and there’s no more danger. We just need to get you back to the Marauder, but for that, you need to rest. I promise you, everything’s fine.”

Echo still had trouble believing it, but Hunter was so calming that he finally did. And given his exhaustion, it didn’t take long for him to completely collapse, his brothers’ voices in the background.

When Echo woke up, it took him a moment to get his bearings. The ceiling he saw above him didn’t resemble the one under Crosshair’s bunk, the vision he usually had when he woke up aboard the Marauder. But that didn’t make the environment he found himself in unfamiliar. In fact, he’d woken up here more often than in his bunk aboard Clone Force 99’s ship.

“Did you miss me that much, vod’ika?” A sarcastic voice asked from his right.

Echo turned his head a little to see who was speaking, even though he had already guessed. “Kix…” He breathed out before starting to cough, his throat dry.

In less time than it takes to say it, Kix was on him, a glass of water with a straw in one hand and the other already helping him calm down.

When he finished coughing, Echo took a few sips of water before letting his head fall back onto the headboard that Kix had slightly raised.

“What happened?” The cyborg asked, his voice still a little hoarse.

“What happened is that about 10 hours ago, the Resolute was accosted by the Marauder. And not even 10 minutes after they arrived, Hunter, Tech, Wrecker, and Crosshair burst in here in a complete panic. You were unconscious in Wrecker’s arms, and Tech had his datapad connected to your chest implants, talking at high speed and saying that your pacemakers had to be changed at all costs or you were going to die, which you had already tried to do less than two hours before.”

“I didn’t try to die.” Echo corrected. “On the contrary, I even did what I could to keep from dying when my lungs wouldn’t breathe on their own and my heart was dancing the Macarena.”

“And can you enlighten me as to why your lungs weren’t breathing on their own and your heart was beating erratically?” Kix asked, narrowing his eyes.

Echo didn’t answer. He had the answer, but he also knew Kix’s question was rhetorical. Yes, launching a popper droid when he himself was proportionally more machine than man wasn’t his best idea, but to be honest, he hadn’t even thought of it at the time.

“Why did you do that, Echo?” Kix asked with a sigh. “Why did you put yourself in danger like that? I don't need to tell you, but it was a close call.”

“Honestly, I hadn’t even thought about it. I should be smarter than that.” Echo sighed.

“Even smart people do stupid things from time to time.” Kix shrugged. “What didn’t you think of?”

“That the EMP would have that effect on me. I should have known, and it was stupid of me, but… I’m not really used to it yet, and I acted on instinct. I saw we were surrounded and wouldn’t last long. I thought a popper would get us out of the situation, so I used it. I realized a little late what effect the grenade had on me. Well, on what keeps me alive, at least.” Echo explained.

Kix nodded, but his brows were still furrowed, and a sort of dark worry shone in his eyes. And before the medic could even open his mouth, Echo was already answering his question.

“I know what you’re going to ask, and no, it wasn’t intentional. I honestly hadn’t thought droid poppers could be dangerous for me, but now that I realize it, I won’t do it again, even if a situation like today’s arises again. I’m not suicidal or self-destructive. Just stupid.” Echo assured.

Kix let out a small sigh of relief that he didn’t even try to hide. “Good. Very good. This way I just have to hit you upside the head and tell you to be more careful, I don’t have to ask your new squad to make sure you don’t jump at the first opportunity to sacrifice yourself for them.” Kix added with a small smile.

“My head is yours to hit.” Echo replied, tilting his head toward the medic, who complied and lightly smacked the back of his head. “Ouch.” Echo said lamely, just to say.

“Okay, now that that's all settled, lie down, I need to check the incisions.”

“Incisions?” Echo repeated, trying not to panic too much.

“Yes. Tech managed to keep your cardiac and diaphragmatic pacemaker working by manually connecting with his datapad, but the batteries in both devices fried with the EMP, so they had to be replaced. We only changed the pacemakers, and it was just me and Tech in the room, with the other three guarding the door. I promise you; we didn’t do anything else.” Kix assured, knowing full well Echo’s anxieties on the matter, and understanding them perfectly.

After everything that had happened to him, all the forced surgeries and unwanted body modifications, Echo had every right to be anxious about surgeries, and the number of people he trusted to operate on him was pretty limited. Luckily, Kix and Tech were both on that list, and they knew how to enforce the cyborg’s wishes.

Cyborg, who nodded and took several deep breaths to calm the growing panic. It was Kix, he trusted Kix, and everything was fine.

“Okay.” He finally breathed, lying back down completely, giving Kix access to his torso.

The latter thanked him with a nod before starting to remove Echo’s scrub, while announcing his every move out loud so there would be no surprises.

“Perfect.” Kix concluded after removing the bandages from Echo’s torso and abdomen. “The scars are clean, there’s no sign of infection, and the devices are working properly.”

“Did you put the same ones back?” Echo asked.

“Pretty much. They’re the same models, but Tech made a few small adjustments. I checked with him several times to make sure his additions wouldn’t interfere with the pacemakers.”

“What did he think he could add to machines whose sole purpose is to keep my heart beating and my lungs working?” Echo said with a desperate look.

“I didn’t understand everything perfectly so you’ll have to go over it with him again, but it seems to me that he added a module allowing control to the devices remotely, without needing a direct connection.”

“That way, if I ever do something stupid like that again, he can take control of my pacemakers without having to connect to my implants. Or he can have fun making me stop breathing whenever he wants.” Echo muttered. “But it also means that anyone who has access to his datapad also has access to the systems that keep me alive.” He added, his tone more anxious.

A new voice came from the doorway. “I seriously think you underestimate me if you think I’d be capable of such negligence.”

Kix and Echo turned their heads to see that it was indeed Tech, quietly closing the door behind him.

“Didn’t anyone ever teach you how to knock before entering people’s rooms?” Echo muttered, more for the sake of it than anything else.

“I knocked.” Tech defended himself. “But you were too busy underestimating me that you didn’t hear me. I’m hurt by this lack of trust, Echo.”

“I trust you and I don’t underestimate you, Tech.” Echo assured. “It’s just… If I understand correctly, you now have access to my pacemakers from your datapad?”

“I have access to them, but in a limited way. I cannot, for example, stop them entirely. I can, however, perform other actions that allow me to-”

“Tech, can this conversation wait 5 minutes until I’ve finished bandaging his open scars?” Kix interjected, noticing Echo’s troubled look.

From the last Domino’s attitude, he quickly realized that he didn’t particularly like the topic of the discussion. And even though Kix knew it was an important and necessary discussion, he could buy Echo a few minutes, allowing him to mentally prepare for this heavy discussion. And then he had to finish taking care of Echo’s scars, including covering them with bacta to limit them. It would also allow Echo to sit up to talk with Tech, because Kix knew how unpleasant it was to have a difficult discussion while lying on your back, unable to be level with the other person.

Tech blinked twice at the interruption but accepted it, taking a few steps back, sitting in the chair Kix had been occupying before Echo woke up, burying his nose in his datapad.

Echo turned his head towards Kix and silently mouthed a ‘thank you’ to which Kix responded with a reassuring smile.

The medic then finished his work, covering each incision with a generous layer of bacta, then placing a large bandage over each one before finishing with strips around his torso and abdomen to ensure the bandages would stay in place. Of course, Kix did all this while speaking his actions out loud before performing them so as not to startle his patient.

Obviously, Kix took all his time doing all this. Firstly, to make sure he didn’t skip any steps, but also, and more importantly, to give Echo a little more time.

“There you go. I’ll be back in a few hours to check on you, but don’t hesitate to call me if you ever need anything.” Kix finished, glancing at Tech and indicating to Echo that he could also get the Batcher out if he wanted.

Echo shook his head gently in refusal but also smiled.

“Thank you, ori'vod.”

Kix smiled softly and inclined his head, gently bumping his forehead against Echo’s in a soft kov’nyn. “You’re welcome, vod’ika.

Kix remained in this position for a few long seconds before pulling back. “I’m going. Call me if you need anything.” He repeated before leaving the room. “I’d prefer it if you didn’t get up, but if you do, at least make sure you’re not alone so you don’t smash your head on the floor.”

Echo sent a small, innocent smile to Kix, which he responded by rolling his eyes and leaving the room.

And Kix hadn’t even finished closing the door yet when Tech had already stood up, his datapad in his hands, to move closer to Echo’s bed.

The medic shook his head gently but continued forward. Echo wasn’t his only patient, and even without that, he still had work in the medbay.

He had almost reached the entrance to the medbay when the doors opened in front of him, letting in the rest of the Bad Batch.

“Kix.” Hunter greeted soberly. “How is Echo?”

“As well as possible. He woke up earlier and I was able to check that everything was okay. Tech is already with him.”

“I knew he saw something. The bastard wouldn’t have told anyone, obviously.” Crosshair hissed, sneaking around Kix, moving quickly towards Echo’s room.

“Wait, Cross, I want to see Echo too!” Wrecker exclaimed, following his brother.

“Wrecker, keep your voice down.” Hunter corrected, still not moving.

“Understood, Sarge!” The taller Batcher replied, barely less loudly.

Hunter sighed and refocused on Kix. “Sorry.”

"No harm done," Kix assured, shrugging. “There aren’t many people, and it’s lively.”

“Thanks for taking care of Echo. I know we came a little unexpectedly.”

“It’s not a problem. A warning would have been appreciated, especially considering the state you arrived in, but I understand.”

“Thanks for having us anyway. The 501st wasn’t necessarily the closest GAR battalion to us, but Echo needed surgery, and Tech couldn’t do it alone, and there was no way he was asking anyone but you. I don’t question the effectiveness of the medics in the other battalions, but I know Echo trusts you.”

“Again, it’s not a problem.” Kix assured. “Treating Echo is never a problem, even if he’s officially no longer with the 501st. I wish I didn’t have to, but it would mean he’d have to stop doing stupid things like using droid poppers. But hey, he’s Echo, and if he stopped doing that kind of thing, he wouldn’t be Echo anymore.”

Hunter nodded but also frowned. “I don’t know why he did that. I mean, I know we were surrounded and all that, but still, he must have known what effect it would have on him. I just hope he didn’t do it knowingly.” Hunter wondered, crossing his arms over his chest.

“From what he told me, no. He didn’t know the EMPs would have that effect on him, or at least he admitted he’d never thought about it. He also told me he wouldn’t do it again, even if a situation like this arose again, but you know Echo. He also assured me he wasn’t suicidal or self-destructive, and I believe him. I know Echo, and I’ve seen more people trying to die than I like, and I can attest that he’s not suicidal and that this incident was just that: an accident.” Kix concluded.

Hunter didn’t respond for a moment but eventually nodded. “I believe you, and I believe Echo too.”

The tracker apparently had something else to say, but he broke off, looking sharply towards Echo’s room and wincing, reacting to something Kix hadn’t heard. “I’ll have to go before they destroy your medbay. Anyway, thanks for healing Echo.”

Before Kix could respond, Hunter was already off, walking briskly toward Echo’s room, ready to yell at his little brothers for something Kix didn’t know. He simply knew the footsteps of an angry ori’vod.

And speaking of ori’vod, he had a report to make to Rex. The blond had been as surprised as the others to see the Bad Batch arrive without any warning, but he had grasped the urgency of the situation when the Batch had got out, Echo motionless in Wrecker’s arms and connected to Tech’s datapad.

And once the emergency had passed and Echo was out of danger, Rex had confided that even though he didn’t like the circumstances, he did enjoy seeing Echo again. He had, however, expressed regret that Echo and the Bad Batch would probably leave as soon as Echo was better, not necessarily leaving Rex time to spend with his favorite kih’vod. 

So, if Kix asked Echo for a little more rest than strictly necessary, he couldn’t be blamed. He had missed Echo too, and it would be good for the morale of the 501st vode who had known him to see that he was doing well.

Because was it Rex, Kix, and a few others who had known Echo before the Citadel, they all had a little trouble letting their brother go with this new, highly unusual squad. These few days aboard the Resolute would allow Echo to reassure everyone that he was okay.

Well, arriving on the verge of cardiac arrest might not have been the best way to reassure others, but it at least reassured them that Echo was still Echo, and that was all they were asking for, so everything was fine.

Echo would be fine, and if Kix was to believe the looks Clone Force 99 had been getting these past few hours, the cyborg wouldn’t have the luxury of doing something as stupid as that in the near future.