#hevy is tired of it

[crashlanding-skywalker]

[on kamino, at 300 am]

Echo: We dream of the summertime during winter. We yearn for the winter during summer. What fatal flaw has god injected the human psyche with? Why must we always strive for the things furthest away from us?

Hevy, half asleep: Are you okay?

Echo: …

Echo: My feet are cold :(.

[secretly-a-trekkie]

usghsduhfiaofh

[lightwise]

Hidden Monsters

For some reason this has been a bear (dragon, Vrathean, pick your Star Wars creature) to write, but I realized after this last episode of TBB that there was more to the “monster of the week” trope that we all love to get tired of in Star Wars, and specifically for our beloved Batch members. I believe that some of the main “monsters” each member of the Batch has faced and could face represent inner turmoil and the storms/dark things within that each of them has had to wrestle with. The choices each of them have made to tame or calm or live with the creatures they have encountered, instead of automatically killing them or choosing violence against them, is a powerful metaphor. Something that looks like a monster on the outside may not necessarily be a monster on the inside, when cared for and acknowledged properly. 

Echo and the Rishi Eel

Echo’s very first mission on Rishi station involved a giant monster, a droid army invasion, watching his superior officer die in front of him, and losing most of his squad along with the entire outpost he had been assigned to help defend. After the Rishi station is overrun by battle droids, Echo, Fives, Hevy, and Cutup escape through an air vent only to land in the middle of what turns out to be the Rishi eel’s nest. Echo is second to last in line and has to watch as Cutup is snatched up by the eel right behind him and swallowed whole. Echo is the only one to look back and commemorate Cutup with his name and a sigh before they have to keep moving. He does the same at the end of the episode when they lose Hevy, thanking him for his self sacrifice. Echo’s mind—strategic, careful, hesitant, wanting to do the right thing—is always on his brothers and their safety, and his own fears and questioning give way to courage and determination as he watches his brothers do what needs to be done.  

This formative experience is literally emblazoned on Echo’s chest and becomes part of his identity when Rex shoots the eel in the eye, wipes some of its blood on his hand, and presses it against Echo’s armor as he encourages him to keep going. This combination of bravery, looking death in the eye, and holding compassion for each of his brothers as they fall continues to be a running theme throughout Echo’s character arc—from holding 99 in his arms as he dies, to hanging in the Techno Union chamber where his mind and body were used to hunt down the brothers he loved, to overcoming the changes and loss he’s experienced and finding a new family with the Batch and Omega, to coming full circle and joining Rex to help free his brothers from the Empire’s grip. He has had to watch as brother after brother is taken away from him, but he has learned how to keep going in the face of loss. These experiences bring out who he is—caring, loyal, brave, resolute, and a symbol of endurance—and trace back to the very first monster he had to face. 

Hunter, Omega, and the Ordo Moon Dragon

In season 1 the Batch is newly on the run from Kamino after Order 66, finding Omega, and losing Crosshair. They crash onto an uninhabited planet and while trying to repair their ship, an Ordo Moon Dragon makes off with their capacitor, leaving them stranded. Like the Zillo beast seen in season 2, it feeds on energy but is actually peaceful when not provoked. Hunter wants to track it down, by himself, but Omega insists on accompanying him. While tracking the creature, Omega brings up Crosshair’s absence, and Hunter is unwilling to even say Crosshair’s name, and he is very uncomfortable with the conversation. He is unwilling and unable to face his demons right now, and instead is wallowing in self-blame. Hunter won’t be able to fully face his inner turmoil until Crosshair returns and they encounter the Wyrm on Barton IV, another dragon-like creature which also burrows underground (although it is much, much larger, and more harmful than the Ordo Moon Dragon, signifying how much Hunter’s avoidance and resentment grows over time as it is not dealt with). It’s also interesting that this episode cuts back and forth to Crosshair fully under the influence of the chip and wiping out Saw Gurerra’s insurgents in a very violent manner. 

Hunter ends up being knocked out by the creature and Omega takes her flashlight and his blaster to complete the mission, going alone into the tunnels where the dragon lives. What Omega learns is that she doesn’t need the blaster to deal with the situation. As scary as it is, she doesn’t have to kill the dragon or use violence against it, as it’s simply hungry and looking for food. The terrifying creature becomes a thing of beauty, green electric shocks running over its rainbow colored body, illuminating the tunnel and Omega’s face as it feeds on the flashlight she throws to it in exchange for their capacitor. The visuals mimic the teal and green rippling over the Vrathean that Omega and Ventress encounter and have to calm down in season 3 (more on that further on). 

However, this wasn’t Omega’s mission. It was Hunter’s, but she ends up completing it for him. Omega learns a valuable lesson here, which fits in with her natural tendencies of drawing both people and animals to her caring, compassionate nature instead of judging them based on appearance, but I’m not sure that this was her ultimate trial in facing her own inner demons. (See my thoughts on why this is important at the end of this essay in the Ventress section.) This also was a failed attempt for Hunter, and he would end up facing his trial again in The Return in season 3. 

Wrecker and the Rancor (Muchi)

Wrecker was introduced as a character whose expertise is in explosives and making things blow up. He lives for making a ruckus and having a good time, but his strengths are engineered to be used for destruction. 

Much of Wrecker’s character arc in season 1 is learning how to become more of an adult/parental figure for Omega, and how to put his own desires and needs aside in order to help take care of hers (letting her eat first, making a room for her in the gunners nest, watching out for her). In Rampage, the Batch is charged with rescuing a “child,” who they eventually find out is a young, ornery, and decidedly huge Rancor. Wrecker is the only one of them strong enough to sedate the creature after a lengthy bout of essentially hand to hand “combat.” They needed to bring Muchi back alive and Wrecker ends up gaining mutual affection and respect with her. Muchi is now calm and tamed enough that Omega can ride on her back with no fear or worry of danger.

Rancors adhere to a strict social and familial hierarchy, and have to challenge the alpha for authority. Wrecker starts out brash and boastful, and even though he is always caring, he becomes much more aware of his surroundings and his standing in their family unit as he grows in his responsibilities toward Omega. Rampage is shortly before his chip goes off, where he almost kills his entire squad. While his brute strength is an asset when used in the right ways, it is lethal if used for the wrong ones, and through his family bonds (especially with Omega) Wrecker is ultimately able to overcome the worst, chipped version of who he had been made to be, and instead be a source of safety and strength for Omega and his family. 

Tech and the Zillo Beast

The Zillo beast is a marvel amongst Star Wars creatures. Its armor is impenetrable and highly valuable, and it feeds almost exclusively on energy, which allows it to become larger and morph into an even more powerful creature. When the Batch encounters it in season 2 in Metamorphasis, it tries to attack all of them, but Tech is the only one who is “fascinated” by the creature rather than scared of it. Similar to the Zillo beast feeding on energy, Tech’s mind was what he was known for, and he “fed” it by constantly consuming and integrating data about the world around him (which is transmitted by energy currents). During this episode Tech is confident in his own capabilities and extremely interested in learning more about the cloning technologies they were uncovering on this crashed ship. Tech’s research on the Zillo beast, while helpful, unfortunately comes too late and the Batch are unable to either put down or recapture the creature before it grows too strong for them to deal with. In the process, the Zillo beast escapes and is eventually recaptured by the Empire.

I’ve always been fascinated by the point in this episode where Tech is downloading the rest of the information from the terminal onto his data pad, and Hunter warns Omega that Imperials are inbound. She immediately tells Tech they need to go, and he refuses for a moment, saying he needs to finish capturing the data. If Omega did not pressure him to leave (and the electricity go out), he very well could have been standing there when ships bomb their location a few moments later, and gotten both himself and Omega killed for no good reason. At this moment his love of knowledge is overpowering his common sense and his love for his family, and it almost costs him everything. 

Contrast this to a few moments later when he pulls Omega out of danger as they leave the ship, and Plan 99 when he chooses to sacrifice himself not for his own gain, but solely so his family has a chance to live. He had to face his greatest asset where it could also be his greatest failure, and learn how to prioritize and wield his strengths. 

Crosshair and the Vulture 

In The Outpost in season 2, Crosshair has spent almost two seasons engulfed in poor choices made both against his will (the chip), and of his own volition (staying with the Empire no matter what in pursuit of a sense of purpose and loyalty). His decisions are starting to grate on him and have led him down a dark path, but he hasn’t been fully ready to find a way to change them. When he lands on the icy planet of Barton IV, he encounters fearsome ice vultures shrieking overhead. He is told by the outpost’s commanding clone officer, Mayday, that the creatures are vicious, but admirable, because they find a way to survive. 

Vultures signify both death and cleansing and are often feared and viewed with disgust, yet are an integral part of nature. Crosshair’s isolation and status as a clone soldier have put him in a precarious and often misjudged position, in ways he doesn’t even fully realize until this episode. His very life is in danger due to the Empire’s stance toward the clones, but so far Crosshair has believed that he is valuable to the Empire in ways that the regular clones are not. This attitude and perspective are severely challenged by Lieutenant Nolan, who speaks contemptuously both about and to every clone he encounters. Nolan’s lack of respect for them as soldiers, as officers, and even as people, is an extreme look at what Crosshair’s callousness and misplaced loyalty could lead him to if he is not careful. His fate is hanging in the balance.

After being sent on an inhumane mission to retrieve two crates of armor in a blinding snowstorm, Crosshair and Mayday are caught in an avalanche. After coming up out of the snow gasping for air, Crosshair could choose to get himself back to base and leave Mayday behind. Find a way to survive in the cold on his own, but kill the last of his compassion and personal values in the process. Instead, he chooses to put his life even more at risk to bring Mayday along with him. 

Unfortunately for both of them, when they get back to base, Nolan has zero sympathy for their self-sacrifice, and allows Mayday to die unceremoniously on the platform from his wounds. Once again, a vulture is circling overhead, waiting to partake of its next meal. It signifies the threat of death but also Crosshair’s struggle and desire to survive. Crosshair is now staring his own lack of value and expendability in the face, and where he finds himself is now fully intolerable. He cannot continue on the way he has been without the very essence of who he is breaking irreparably in the process. Does he reclaim who he is, a compassionate and forceful individual who protects those he cares about? Or does he fall in line with what the Empire wants from him, knowing he will be discarded regardless?

Crosshair integrates his lesson in a visceral manner, his own personal traits mimicking the very essence of the ice vulture as he finally reorients his moral compass, takes a stand for himself and for his clone brothers, and takes vengeance on Lieutenant Nolan. His caution and inner turmoil are channeled into one desperate act as he becomes an agent/angel of death, the framing of the scene creating vulture-like wings spread on either side of him. He doesn’t expect to survive this encounter, choosing a path that looks like death on the outside but is cleansing and redeeming for him on the inside. He can now face the future as his whole, integrated self.

Hunter, Crosshair, the Vulture, and the Wyrm 

The vulture and its meaning for Crosshair, as well as Hunter’s cut-short encounter with the Ordo Moon Dragon, both have their bookends in season 3’s episode The Return. Crosshair has seen immense character growth after his choices in The Outpost, and has not only redeemed himself but has been given the chance to start reconciling with everyone he has hurt. This episode has two creatures that serve two important purposes: the vulture returns as a metaphor for Crosshair’s need to reconcile with and forgive himself, and a new creature, a giant wyrm (nice Dune reference there, Star Wars) highlights the fractured rift between him and Hunter, and the anger, distrust, and resentment that Hunter has been running from since Aftermath. 

The Batch has returned to Barton IV, and Crosshair is greeted by the ice vulture as they land. The weather is calm and clear this time, and the creature is observing him but not in a threatening way. At the same time, tensions rise to a breaking point between Hunter and Crosshair and a long-awaited argument starts between them. Before it can be resolved, the wyrm erupts out of the ground and puts all of their lives in danger. It had been kept at bay previously by high-pitched noises, (oddly similar to Hunter’s enhanced senses, which he has been so distracted from that he wasn’t aware of the danger ahead of time) and lived underneath the same snow that had buried Crosshair and Mayday. 

In their efforts to draw the creature away from the outpost so they can turn the sensors back on, Hunter falls through the snow into the wyrm’s tunnels. Crosshair has already had his inner journey underneath the snow on Barton IV. This time, Hunter has to finally face his own struggles. Every step of the way he has been running and hiding, trying to keep his family and Omega safe by keeping them away from the Empire, away from Crosshair, away from danger, but failing miserably. This time, Hunter could simply let Crosshair haul him back up to the surface when he reaches the spot where Crosshair and Batcher have dug a hole in the ice to pull him out. But he hasn’t confirmed that the wyrm is actually past the boundary and that it is safe to turn the perimeter sensors back on. This time, Hunter stays below the surface, and keeps himself in harms way until he is absolutely sure that his family is safe and that his own emotions have been worked through. He is starting to take responsibility for his journey. His senses start to kick in again and he refuses to leave the tunnel until the wyrm is barreling down his neck, and then he finally accepts Crosshair’s help. Both of them run to safety, the perimeter beacons turn on, and the wyrm is now on the other side of an invisible barrier of sound, harmless and chastened until it finally slinks away. 

The boys exchange glances and nods. Their rift has been bridged and they are both willing to move forward, together. This is proven by the end of the episode, where Crosshair, who has remained closed off and unwilling to discuss what he’s been through, opens up slightly to Hunter before they leave, and Hunter responds with forgiveness, acknowledgement, and hope for the future. And for now, it’s enough. Crosshair looks into the sky and watches the ice vulture flying overhead once again. Except this time, it flies off into the sunset, signifying that his lessons from this planet have been fully learned, that the spirit of survival in the face of death that he has been carrying with him can now be put towards living and thriving again. Both Hunter and Crosshair are leaving slightly more whole than when they first arrived, both as individuals and in their restored relationship with each other. 

Ventress, Omega, and the Vrathean

Omega gets a second chance at taming a terrifying creature in The Harbinger in season 3. After Asajj Ventress shows up on Pabu to help the Batch figure out the m-count conundrum that makes Omega’s blood so valuable to the Empire, (and after Omega has begged her to stay and test her capabilities), she and Omega go out onto the ocean to test Omega’s potential Force sensitivity. (Also after Ventress had to whoop the boys’ backsides to get them to slightly trust her, but we won’t go into that here). 

Throughout this season, (and really for most of her life), Omega has…not been doing well. Her time on Tantiss, leaving the rest of the clones imprisoned there behind when she and Crosshair escaped, and the relentless pursuit of her by the Empire has truly traumatized her and made her single-mindedly want to know why she is always in danger and putting everyone else around her in danger as well. Her mental health has been spiraling a bit and her inner turmoil is starting to rival Crosshair’s in season 2. She knows that m-count is important and is also thrilled at Ventress mentioning the Jedi, while the rest of the Batch and Ventress herself are very somber about the prospect that Omega might have Force capabilities. However, in her desire to have answers, she ends up being very impatient and frustrated and doesn’t even show her typical level of optimism and concentration in working through Ventress’ tests for her. It’s almost like her goal (finding answers) is at odds with what her idea of finding those answers looks like.

After having tried and failed to “reach out” to the Force to summon anything, Omega pouts and sits back down in the boat, seemingly defeated. Ventress has asked her to try to connect to nature, probably because she has seen Omega’s connection to Batcher and assumes that might be more in line with whatever her gifting might be. Two of Omega’s main traits and strengths are her optimism in the face of defeat, and her compassion toward literally every living thing she encounters. She is always curious, generous, caring, and wanting to connect with others. Which makes it even more curious that she is so easily stumped and disconnected by this exercise. She challenges Ventress to prove why *she* is the best person to be teaching Omega this lesson, and Ventress sighs but gently and carefully shows her powers by calling up a school of glowing green fish from the water. “I’m not the one holding back,” she tells Omega.

After a peaceful moment, however, another creature, this time a giant and tentacled Vrathean, emerges from the water as well and starts hunting Ventress and Omega down. It’s unclear if Ventress actually called the creature up herself or not, but if she did it was not intentional. She helps rescue Omega from the creature’s clutches and then chooses to put herself in more danger by letting it grab her, and communing with it through the Force as it tries to eat her. The deadly creature becomes a thing of astonishing beauty as the color of the sea ripples over its body and its eyes soften and recognize Ventress as a sentient being. 

This is where it gets interesting, because this peacefulness, calm, and compassion is not something we would have associated with prior versions of Ventress. Her experiences and growth throughout the Clone Wars, her associations with Ahsoka and Quinlan, and her choices have turned her into a much softer and stronger version of herself. This has now become her trial by allowing her to showcase just how much she has changed, and how much her own worldview has flipped. 

This is an incredible example for Omega, but similar to how she took Hunter’s trial for him in Replacement, Ventress has now filled what was supposed to be hers. This begs the question, what is Omega actually holding back on? Is she really Force sensitive? Or is just her compassion and tenderness toward everyone around her overtaking her in unhealthy ways? She has always had a tendency to put herself in harms way in an attempt to make up for the complications her presence brings her brothers. 

Omega will have to face these implied monsters at some point. I’m not actually certain that she will end up facing a creature like everyone else has—there’s the possibility that because she naturally has more affinity with creatures and beings that look monstrous but really aren’t, she may end up facing her inner demons in another manner. Will it be a person instead? Or a choice? Even, might I say, an identity crisis? It remains to be seen, but the fact that she must face it in order to overcome and integrate it is unquestionable. 

[writingmonet]

The Psychology of Fives: the impact of Echo's ghost, Rex, Tup & legacy (part 2)

You can find part one here if you didn't read it yet. I'm tired and (no) I didn't rewatch Umbara or the Chip's Arc (do you wanna me cry????), so leet's go memory.

Tup or why Fives may have dependant issues

Tup is a young clone who first appears in the Umbara Arc. While he and Fives aren't especially close in Umbara Arc (they are but as Fives and Jesse are as well), they do seems to have developed a special bond since, when we saw them again on Ringo Vinda, they're constantly at each other's side.

I'm gonna be honest, on my first watch of Umbara Arc I didn't pay attention to Tup that much, mainly because of a clone named Dogma. It's not Tup's fault! It's merely due tot he fact that Umbara Arc presents the challenges of bringing back clones we already knew more or less (Rex, Fives, Hardcase, Jesse and Kix) in the middle of a complex arc (Clones against Jedi, against orders) and with others complex clones (Dogma). So yeah, in the middle of this Tup was more of a secondary character for me and he isn't that developed in the two arcs he's in (but I'll talk about this later).

Back to our sheep, I mean clones. Fives, so used to having Echo at his side, doesn't seem to proceed effectively without someone at his side. Without a close friend. Tup seems to have been this other friend he seems to have been in dire need. Tup is the his way to restart again, to make sure he won't lose a brother if he can avoid it.

While I talk about Tup, this is also largely applicable to all his others clone friends. Fives is extremely protective of each of them and he advocate for their interests everytime he thinks the orders are against their well-being or security. Fives seems to depend a lot on people close to him and he doesn't seem to handle well when things go out of his way.

When Tup's chip activate, Fives do his duty by arresting him and he insist on following him. He can't lose Tup. He can't lose again a best friend. He lost his batch, he lost his twin, now he won't lose his best friend. Now, Fives doesn't display all the character traits of a protector. Or rather he can be a protector (especially toward siblings like Echo and Tup) but he cannot be too much of it since he's a soldier. Due to this, he knows that he's doom to lose siblings and has to dealt with the pain and grief born from it.

A consequence of this grief is that Fives, all during of Umbara Arc, show signs of intense emotions (justifiable considering the whole arc but that I also attribute to the loss of all his Squad). He goes mad rather easily, and he goes mad at Rex when the latter refuses to follow his plan. He decides to execute his plan because he knows it's the best plan they have, and he go search for more volunteers: two brothers against the lives of thousands of them. That's really a cost that Fives is ready to pay.

Side-note: this trait of Fives having difficulty remaining quiet especially when he doesn't find the situation right is definitely a core trait of his on my rewatch of the deleted scene of ARC Troopers where he has difficulty not expressing what he thinks out loud at Rex, who noticed it. It's interesting to notice that he's already taking Hevy-traits when Echos' alive but goes even deeper into it after his twin's death.

Unfortunately for him, in his plan, Hardcase dies and, then, Tup dies and Fives, mad with grief, just doesn't get it. It's so strange that he starts to investigate immediately out of grief. There's something fishy and he will prove it out of loyalty and devotion for his brothers.

That lead me to a point: if Fives had a single doubt about Echo's survival, he would have jump to save him. No questions ask. Unfortunately, Fives will die before he is able (in a few week's time if I'm correct?) too.

Because Fives' life is marked by grief, he refuses - he cannot not go dig into Tup's mysterious death. Losing a brother on a battlefield is something. Losing a brother under foggy circumstances is another, one that Fives will not (cannot) accept.

Now, we all know what happens to Fives, and his ultimate death. I only want to use this to make the transition with the importance of Rex in Fives' life, whom he trusted until the very end, dying in his arms, hoping that his nightmares (of killing the Jedis, of seeing again, again and again, the death of his batchmates) would end.

Fives was reunited with Tup and (almost) all his Domino brothers. Fives had to survive without Echo. Now, in the cruellest joke that could have been made (and thanks Dave Filoni for the tears shed) Echo would have to live without him.

Why is Rex so important in Fives (and Echo by extension) life?

If we look at all the clones from the Clone Wars, since episode one, not much are still alives and not much has been developed about them (another subject of debate). But Rex is, beyond the shadow of a doubt one of the few clones we have known, was developped and still alive.

Rex is also, without doubt, Fives (and Echo) the most important person in their life. It's him who integrates them in the 501st. It's in front of him that Fives & Echo are named ARC-Troopers. It's Rex who serves as this older brother the fandom has established him.

After Echo's death, it's Rex who remains for Fives to hold on to, as someone who knew Echo as well as Fives (perhaps the only one? Jesse and Kix knew Echo but less deeply maybe?). I do believe that one of the reasons why Fives and Rex are so close is because of Echo. Many have drawn parallels between Echo & Rex (rule-followers, fiercely loyal) and Fives & Cody.

As Rex states: you [Fives & Echo] both have really stepped up. Reminds me of me, actually.

Being close to Rex is also for Fives a way of being close to some remaining - some echoes, of Echo. Fives have a mad respect for Rex, to the point that when he disobeys orders, he still wants to know if the man will be against or on his side. Due to the CW structure, however, we do not know enough about Fives' other relations but I don't believe that he demonstrated such a deep respect toward anyone, except Anakin maybe, since their General is always with them on the front of battles. I have little doubt that Rex is an anchor in Fives' life, like Tup is, especially after Echo's disappearance.

Unfortunately, for all the blind trust and immense respect Fives had toward Rex, the latter only half-believed him during the whole chip arc.

A side note: Fives & Anakin seemed to have been close friends. It is stated that Fives death profoundly impacted Anakin. This may be the reason why Anakin followed Rex to rescue Echo. He had known Echo, he had known Fives and if he could save one of his men he always would give it a try, especially the twin of one of his best soldier.

Echo's pursue of Fives legacy

The most ironic thing is that Echo is found after Fives' death and we, unfortunately (and scandalizing!) have no idea of his reaction to the announcement of Fives' death.

This is frustrating and, I repeat, one of the biggest issues I have with the Clone Wars is the lack of development of the clones + inter-personnal relations (but this is another essay, that will be linked with Hevy).

Thankfully, we do have some indices of how Echo may have reacted, with his goal to save most of his brothers from the Empire and to get them out of the inhibitor chip influence. Which is exactly what Fives wanted.

Echo - and Rex, are here to pursue Fives' legacy and last goal shortly before his death. According to Jennifer Corbett, the director of TBB, Echo and Rex had long and multiple conversations about Fives. Why were we robbed of at least one of these scenes is a mystery I'm unable to answer.

Echo, who wasn't here for Umbara (which he may have profoundly changed) nor for Ringo Vinga, who has lost everything, guilt-eaten by what he has done at the hands of the Sepperatist leave his second family (The Bad Batch - quite fitting considering how Hevy saw themselves as a band of bad batchers) to return with Rex to make sure that Fives' death wasn't in vain.

Echo chooses a dead man's ideals over those of living ones, and TBB knows that it is a good thing to do but isn't interested in saving the clones that they never have perceived as family, unlike Echo. It doesn't mean Echo doesn't care for them! It only means that, in the great scheme of things, Fives will always remain the person he would choose above all like Fives did with Echo's memory (his deep attachment to his clone brothers & his mindset to never lose a brother in every avoidable way again).

Okay, I'm tired. But now I know I have an essay to write about Hevy at the weekend. Again, if anyone wants to express his opinions, I'll gladly discuss it.

As a treat, our favourite pair of twins while they were still happy:

(also the amount of non-verbal interaction between those two all the episodes they're together? If you never pay attention, go rewatch the episodes there's like a TON OF IT)

Anyway, PEAK TWIN and I'll die on this hill.

[blackkatmagic]

Sith!Fay is a fascinating idea that is also the most terrifying thing in the galaxy.

Did writing "to the gates of Babylon" give you any inspiration to write more sith!Fay? Maybe a one-shot from Jon's point of view as he tries to bring her back to the light?

IDK I just think sith!Fay is terrifying and it's something I never thought about before because she's always so LIGHT in everything you write.

Potentially I might write more? The dynamics of various clones/Jedi makes me want to, tbh, even more than just the Jon parts, which would be fun too.

I do generally write Fay as a force of light, but canon for her is also kind of interesting. The whole 'verse is basically built off a one-off comment Fay makes as she's dying in Obi-Wan's arms (because she's pretty and female and therefore required by SW law to die in his arms, ig) about how she's tired of living anyway so he shouldn't be sad etc. Just - the idea of her not being able to die, but being tired of existing, and that meeting the corrupting influence of a place like Dromund Kaas to turn her into a force of entropy that wants to infect the whole galaxy...it's like. understandable? vaguely? Not good or sane or anything close, but there's a core of reason to it, and I think that makes for the most interesting villains.

Also I was considering Hevy/Fay in terms of an eventual fix-it-of-sorts and made myself ship it, so.

[cyberfox123]

The bad storm short story.

We had a mission. The weather was calm the sky was blue. Not a cloud in the sky I could hear the bird's singing. As the snow crunched beneath my feet. Along with the outhers Sub-zero and smoke.

" Man it feels like forever getting there. "

" You didn't have to come Cyberfox. " Smoke said in a bored tone.

" Grumpy Smoke show's his face again. " I Giggled.

"..." His face look's annoyed as his hair moves around. More smoke comes off his body.

" Smokey what's wrong ? " I put my hand on his shoulder as I look up at him. His arm feels warm to the touch.

He pulls his arm away. " I just am sick of walking. "

" She is right you are Grumpy. "

Smokes eye's glared at sub-zero. " Don't you start now. "

" Let's stop and eat maybe that is what we need. Before we turn on each other. "

" Whatever Kuai. " Smoke roll's his eye's with a grunt. Of annoyance as he sits on a tree stump.

" So did anyone remember to bring food ? " Sub-zero looked at Smoke and cyberfox.

" Oh I did. " I say happily and I take my backpack off. And dig through it and take out sandwiches. And juice boxes and put them on my lap.

" You .... You must be joking. "

" What's wrong Smoke ? "

" I am not drinking from a juice box. Do I look like I am five. "

" Sorry Smoke but it's easy to carry. And I can fit more of them then cans. "

Sub-zero picks one up and look's at it. " Well I guess it's this or nothing Smoke. It's just a drink you are acting like you are five. "

" I am not. " He takes a box like he was stealing it. " Fine all drink it... " He takes the plastic off and puts the straw in the hole. He pulls his mask off and has a drink.

Me and sub-zero watch him like we are. Waiting for him to say something.

He stops drinking and let's out a sigh as smoke comes from his mouth. Like he was satisfied with the drink. He look's up at us. " What ? "

" Oh nothing. " I say with a smile under my mask.

He lets out a grunt.

" Well you survived Smoke. He dose the same and takes his mask off and has a drink. And let's out a sigh of satisfied and cold air. Time passes as we all get are fill of food.

" Well everyone ready to go now ? "

" Yeah. "

" Yeah let's go. "

We all start walking again we see that the sky look's dark now. And it is getting colder. The wind starts to pick up the tree's bend. With the wind.

" Look's like a Storm is coming zero. " I say as my body starts to shake.

" Emmm. " Sub-zero look's down at me with worry. " It does we should find shelter. "

Smokes hair get's below around as he tryed to see. " We have to keep moving. " He yelled agent the wind.

We keep walking scanning the landscape. Trying to find someplace to stay.

My body shakes and I see my breath as it starts to snow.

Sub-zero keeps looking at me with worry. " Dame it come on there has to be somewhere. "

Smoke sees something that look's like a cave. He yells agent the wind and snow. " SUB-ZERO OVER THERE! " He points to the cave.

" I SEE IT LETS GO ! " We carry are tired body's to the cave. We feel the wind stop as we walk in. It feels welcoming to the body. We all breath hevy as fighting the snow and wind. Was hard on the body.

I breathe heavy I see my breath. My body trembling. " All s-start the f-fire. " I take wood out of Smokes bag. I drop the wood as my hands tremble.

They look at me with worry.

" I got it Fox sit down. " Smoke picks up the wood and gets a fire going.

" I sit down and smile. " T-thank you Smoke.

He watches the fire. " It's nothing Fox. "

Sub-zero keeps an eye out as the cold. Doesn't matter to him. " Fox are you alright ? " He look's at me still by the entrance.

" Just c-cold. " I feel the worth from the fire hit my hands and cheek. I take my mask off. I can hardly feel my face, fingers and feet.

Smoke pulls out a blanket and puts it over my shoulders.

Smiles and hugs the blanket blushing. " Thank you Smoke.

He smiles.

" Smoke can you keep her warm. "

" What you mean by that ? " Smoke Look's at him confused.

" If I try all just make her cold. "

Smoke bluhses a little. " I guess I can. " He pulls me in and hugs me from the side he feels my body trembling.

Bluhses shy. " Smoke you don't know how to hug do you? "

Sub-zero chuckled.

" Look you want to warm up or not. "

" Sorry Smoke. " My body feels weak from trembling.

Sub-zero sits beside me. " Don't be afraid Fox I won't hurt you. "

" What do you mean? *

Sub-zero turns into a polar Bear.

My eye's sparkle. " Oh my god you are so cute!" She hugs his head.

"Well she is not afraid. " Sub-zero laughed as I called him cute.

He Gose up behind me and curls around my body. And hugs me.

" Emmm. " I lay back and relax I feel the warmth around me blushses as I hear his heart beat. His fur hugs my cheeks as I hug him back.

" I think she likes it. " Smoke said.

" Thank you kuai ... Smoke. " I say in a tired tone my eyelids get hevy.

" Get some rest Fox you as well zero. "

I pull on Smokes arm. " Smoke you are cold. "

Smoke smiles under his mask. And rubs my head. " All be fine. "

" Emmm Smoke come on. " Pulls on his arm.

Sub-zero look's at him as if to say just do it.

" Fine. " He sighed and lays his head on sub-zero and hugs me we curl up together. " There happy now.... "

I hug him back he jumps a little. " Yes. " I smile. " Goodnight zero, smoke. " I feel his fur between my fingers. And I move up and down as he breathes. In and out and smokes arm's around me. I drifte off to sleep with a smile. As I feel warm and safe.

[notallthoseinheadspace]

Some long rambling speculation on the last couple episodes of The Bad Batch below the cut.

(If any of it doesn’t make sense please forgive me, today’s round of chemo fucking flattened me.)

Going off my other post about how I do suspect CX-2 is Tech and Omega is Force-sensitive (I don’t know how to embed it and I’m too tired to figure it out right now, I can edit this when I don’t feel like I could be slipped through a letter slot) I’m caught on how Omega said that last time she escaped she had help. That was Crosshair.

She doesn’t know he missed, but she has to know there’s a chance. Even though his hand was steady after he started meditating with her, that sort of problem doesn’t get fixed overnight. So I’m still wondering if she had a backup tracker on her that wasn’t scanned - or, in a callback to the scene in the mine, she and CX-Tech had a heart-to-heart in the ship. Maybe she knows she has help coming separate from what we the viewers know.

The previews showed Hunter in what looked like a single-person vessel (the one they were in didn’t have a fully glass cockpit? Well, transparisteel. You know what I mean.) which suggests to me that they get into the base and wind up in the base’s fighter craft somehow?

(I’m fully expecting Hunter to do a sacrifice play. I hope he doesn’t succeed. I want the whole Batch together and happy again.)

The Cavalry mentioned in the last episode title seems like it would be a callback to their first appearance in TCW - Wrecker says ‘the cavalry has arrived!’ as he’s stepping off the ship to greet Cody and Rex - which gives me hope that the cavalry in question is not only the reunited Bad Batch but also Rex and Cody coming to their aid.

Another scene I can imagine happening and would love to see: Crosshair taking a shot at CX-2, who falls, helmet dramatically rolling away to reveal a scarred Tech - who, after a long moment of shock and horror, opens his eyes to groan out ‘Crosshair, you missed.’

Presumably the station on Tantiss will be destroyed - by the Zillo beast we saw the shadow of? By Wrecker and Crosshair planting explosives and then detonating them with one of the signature ricocheting shots? (Please not by someone pulling a Hevy. I am tired and everyone has enough trauma, Echo especially.)

Ideally the Batch would be presumed dead and Hemlock and all his research would be destroyed so there’s no reason for the Empire to continue searching them out, and they can retire in peace (although I do see Omega seeking out more training and involvement with Rex’s clone rebellion once she’s older - and I really fucking hope we get a series of that. Echo is my favorite, I would genuinely like to see him onscreen more. Also, we never did have the story behind how Rex, Wolffe, and Gregor wound up in their mobile fishing home. I’m fairly sure it’s horrible and tragic and I want it anyway.)

What they’re going to do with Rampart is baffling me - he doesn’t seem to have realized that his surviving this escapade is entirely reliant on Crosshair’s goodwill. Y’know, the guy he relentlessly dehumanized and never let eat a full meal and seems way too comfortable casually pushing around. (What is the way Crosshair is holding him when he stumbles in the ‘negative’ scene? It would make sense for Cross and Wrecker to be restraining him but it’s so weirdly tender?)

So, in very rambly conclusion, my speculative theories:

- CX-2 aiding Omega and revealed to be Tech

- Callback to the mine cave scene with Omega and Tech talking

- Cavalry is Rex, Cody, Gregor (and possibly Wolffe? Unless they are giving us a Clone Rebellion series and Wolffe joining Rex is covered in that)

- Crosshair’s tremor comes back, but as a positive (doesn’t kill his brother!)

- Deaths include Hemlock and Hunter (I don’t want Hunter to die. I just have a feeling. They’re not going to kill Omega and killing Crosshair at this point in his character arc would just be bad writing. Redemption equals death is a sloppy, lazy trope and it doesn’t work when someone’s already doing the work to redeem themselves. I’m unsure about Wrecker, but I can see him pulling a Hevy to let the others escape.)

- Emerie turning on Hemlock enough to help the children escape but not escaping with them. I have no guesses on Nala Se. TBB has pushed to make her a more sympathetic character, but it also seems like her imprisonment is weakening her a great deal. If I had to guess, she will try to tell Omega what Omega’s mutation is but die before she can finish, setting up Omega to research/train etc in any possible sequels/later appearances.

If this makes no sense blame the Taxol, if I’m right about anything blame the dodgeball.

[lunarmoonanons]

What Happened After

🌕 🌖 🌗 🌘 🌑 🌒 🌓 🌔 🌕  

YN gets to say a final goodbye to the man she loved. It was such a strange thing to see the body of someone who was so important to you just lying there.

TW: Death, Grief, Mourning

🌕 🌖 🌗 🌘 🌑 🌒 🌓 🌔 🌕  

Masterlist 

He was so still. Nothing left of the lively man YN knew. It was night when he died, Fives. She was called in to see the body. Her hands shook as she pulled down the cloth covering his face. YN let out a sob when she saw that tattoo on the side of his head, it was her Fives.

“I can stay if you want. Or would you prefer to do this alone?” Rex asked. He was the one who called her in. Anakin and Rex arranged for her to see his body before the Kaminoens took it to burn.

“He looks so still. He doesn’t look like he’s dreaming, I don’t know why people say that.” YN whispered, tracing her finger tips over Fives’ tattoo. “My love. My husband.”

“I’m sorry YN. I tried to stop it. I-”

“I can’t do this anymore…” YN sobbed. “I’ve had so many die. Hardcase, Hevy, Droidbait, Echo, Cutup, 99, so many. Why does it keep happening?” She didn’t look at Rex, she didn’t even really talk to him.

“YN.”

“He’s just used and thrown away like so many of his brothers. They won’t even put his name down on the papers, just his number. My Fives.” YN’s shaky hands held her husband's face. “I doubt they’ll even mention how he liked dancing. Or doing stupid arm wrestling games with his brothers.”

Rex watched as she placed her forehead on Fives’ head, tears running from her eyes. He didn’t know what to do. YN was the best combat surgeon they had, she was smart, strong, not this crying woman in front of him. He wanted to pat her back, or hug her, or something; but he stood frozen near the door.

“They asked if his body should be cast before I said goodbye. My star in the sky.” YN whispered, her tears finally gone as she just looked exhausted and defeated. “Such a strange thought to just wrap him up in cloth. My Fives.”

“You have to say goodbye to him, YN. We don’t have a lot of time here.” Rex said, trying to gain his composure.

“No. No I can’t. If I do that, then they’ll take him away. They’ll look over his brian to find any ‘abnormalities’ then they’ll burn him. I don’t want that to happen.” YN held Fives’ hand tight and kissed it.

“We can’t keep him here.”

“I can’t leave him. I can’t leave Fives.”

“That’s not Fives anymore.” Rex stated, hating himself for it. He walked forward and made YN look at him. “It’s just a body. He’s not in there. He’s not suffering anymore.”

YN stared for only a moment, then nodded slightly and bent down to kiss Fives one last time. Lingering slightly to whisper a last goodbye to him before Rex put the cloth back over his face, resting his hand on Fives’ chest to say a silent goodbye. YN looked so tired, almost ready to collapse so Rex held her up and led her from the room. She spared one last look at the body covered in cloth. Luckily Anakin had shooed away any onlookers so YN wouldn’t need to face that.

The love of her life was dead. And everything was worse now.

[morganwrites-starwars]

But why did it have to end like this?

Echo was experienced with death- the death of his brothers and of himself. That didn't stop it from hurting.

*Contains spoilers for the season finale of Bad Batch Season 2*

Continuation of  "A different start" and “Just to reach the same end” but can be read separately. 

TW: Implied suicide of an unnamed character in the paragraph beginning with "It was too quiet"

Masterlist  

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦    ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦    ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　             Echo had been taught to expect death since he could understand the concept. They were clones, meant to die in a war for people who didn’t care about their lives. They were told to brush it off, keep moving, and keep fighting. All cadets were prepared for it and taught how to keep moving on after watching your vod get shot on the battlefield. They were never taught what to do after the battle was done.

         After the disaster that was the Rishi station, Echo and Fives had holed up in an empty storage closet and held each other close. Echo had never experienced such pain- it felt like his heart had been ripped into pieces. He could still hear Cutup’s screams and kept thinking about how much pain Hevy’s final movements must have involved.

         That was the first time Echo ever had a panic attack. Echo shuddered to think about what would’ve happened to them if no one had found them.

         Fortunately, Jesse had found them and commed Kix and Rex. They had helped Echo and Fives through it and introduced them to the tradition of vod’e piles after a hard mission. Ever since then, Echo had never mourned alone. Even after Skako Minor, he’d fallen apart in Rex’s arms as he cried for Fives, Dogma, Tup, Hardcase, and all the other brothers he’d lost.

         This time Echo was alone. Oh sure, Wrecker and Hunter were on the same ship- there weren’t many places to go when they were in hyperspace. But Echo was alone in the cockpit. The empty pilot’s seat was mocking him- looking so normal when its usual occupant was fucking dead. Echo wanted to scream, rip the chair out of its welding, and tear apart its cushions for daring to be so normal. But Tech would’ve hated Echo for ruining any part of his ship.

         But Tech was dead, so what did it matter? There would be no one else to talk about his prosthetics with. No little brother who filled silences with his rambles on whatever topic was currently in his head as he did a million things at once. Echo would be flying the Marauder alone- Tech’s ghost would haunt him if he even thought about letting Hunter or Wrecker help.

         So. Tech was dead, and Echo was alone. And he wasn’t crying. Oh, he wanted to- could feel the burn as his tear ducts desperately tried to work. But Echo was tired, tired of death, tired of this war, tired of everything, and his body just didn’t have the energy for tears. Usually, Omega would’ve come to stay with him, insistent that no one should ever be alone when they were sad.

         But Omega was gone, and Tech was dead, and so was Fives, and so Echo was alone. It was funny- before, Echo had been charging forward with a purpose. He would do everything he could to save his brothers, even if Hunter thought it was useless. But now, Hunter was planning on hunting Hemlock down to the ends of the galaxy. And Echo thought, privately, it wasn’t worth it. Hemlock had proven himself to be a genius- he would be locking down his base to prevent any chance of the Bad Batch finding his base. Even with Rex’s help, they’d be screwed. The future looked grim.

         Echo’s chest hurt, and he distantly noticed it was probably because of his heaving breaths. His hand dug into the seat’s padding, and Echo could feel the phantom tensions in his lost hand. Echo forced himself to take slower, deeper breaths. He tried to remind himself that he’d lost vod’e before and survived it, so the panic and pain would pass. One day he’d be able to think about Tech, memories of the genius wandering off on hostile plants because he spotted a rare planet, of Tech being able to fall asleep anywhere (including standing up), of his vod’ika, without the overwhelming sense of grief.

         But that day wasn’t today, so Echo let himself ride the waves of grief. One moment he’d be staring into the blur of hyperspace, thinking about cleaning his prosthetics, and the next, his breathing had picked up, and his eyes would water as he remembered Tech would never be there to help him get the hard-to-reach spots. It was a vicious cycle, but Echo couldn’t think of anything to break it. Every little thing on the Marauder hung onto the ghost of Tech. His half-started experiments were still strewn across his workbench, waiting for completion they’d never receive. Tech’s bunk was still messy- Tech had never been one to make his bed despite regulations, claiming that there was little point to the act as he would just sleep in it again anyways. Their food stores still held the yellow ration bars that only Tech liked- Tech claimed specific textures and ingredients were the superior combinations.

         It was like walking around the base on Anaxes without Fives at his side. Something was missing, and there was a hole that would never be filled. Maybe if Omega was there, it wouldn’t feel so gapping and raw. But the universe had decided to fuck over the Bad Batch and rip her away too. His little sister was in the hands of the same Empire that had killed so many of their brothers, undergoing gods-know-what kind of torture at that bastard Hemlock’s hands. Maybe she’d find Crosshair, and they could escape together. It was a nice thought and was the only thing keeping Echo mostly together.

         It was too quiet, and Echo felt like he was going to go crazy. The Bad Batch was never quiet, and it only set Echo’s nerves on edge. Something urged Echo out of his seat and stumbling out of the cockpit. He gave Tech’s seat a wide berth as if touching it would cause it to explode or something. The door to the bunkroom and the rest of the ship was closed. Not an uncommon occurrence, but it felt wrong. In the 501st, there was a ‘no door closed’ policy after a battle. Rex had instated it after more troopers began to hide (like Echo and Fives had) after losing a vod. He'd made it a rule after one time they opened a storage cabinet and had found a body instead of a vod.       

         Echo opened the door and walked into the bunkroom. Wrecker was curled on his bunk, cradling Lula and Tech’s pillow to his chest. Wrecker was asleep, so Echo pulled a blanket over his brother before moving on to find Hunter. The Sargent wasn’t in his bunk, the fresher, the eating/common area, or the medroom. That left the storage bay that doubled as a training room. Echo grabbed a medkit on his way down to the hull.

         Hunter was laying into a punching bag- hands unwrapped and knuckles bloody. Echo settled off to the side, knowing better than to get in between a grieving vod and the focus of their rage. The sergeant knew Echo was there and would stop when he was ready. That didn’t mean Echo wouldn’t do anything.

         Echo sat on one of the crates and placed the med pack beside him. He heaved a sigh and thought about what he wanted to say. “I lost most of my squad on my first assignment,” he said. Hunter didn’t stop his violent assault, but Echo could see Hunter’s head tipped in his direction. It was Hunter’s indication he was listening. “Droids attacked the base we were stationed on. Our sergeant and Droidbait got killed right away. The rest of us only made it out thanks to Cody and Rex.” Echo closed his eyes as he remembered that fateful night. “Cutup got eaten by a giant eel, and Hevy- well, I guess he pulled the first plan 99.” Hunter froze; Echo was on a roll. “Fives and I were the only survivors of the Domino squad. We were lucky that Rex saw something in us and took us in. Stars know what would’ve happened to us otherwise.”

         Hunter had grabbed the punching bag on either side and rested his forehead against it. He was breathing heavily, and Echo was pretty sure he’d started to cry.

         “Losing them felt like my heart had been ripped out of my chest,” Echo pushed on. It was becoming less about distracting Hunter and more about getting these things off his chest. “I had Fives, Rex, and the rest of Torrent to keep me together. And I won’t say it’ll get better, Hunter, because I still feel that loss daily. And it gets compounded with every vod I lose. And Fives-“Echo took a gasping breathing, noting he’d started crying, “That loss almost killed me. But I survived, and every day it gets easier to remember them. This is not the end. You will survive, Hunter. Ori’haat.”

         Hunter was looking at him. He looked wrecked. Hunter’s eyes were red, and tears were streaming down his face. Stands of his hair were stuck to his face, adding to the pathetic picture he made. Echo was once again reminded how much younger Hunter was compared to him. “Oh, Hunt’ika…”

         A sob escaped Hunter, and one of his hands shot up to cover his mouth, but his shoulder still shook with repressed cries. Echo stood up and bounded over to his vod’ika, gathering the man in his arms. Hunter all but collapsed, and Echo lowered them to the ground as gently as he could.

         “I was supposed to protect them,” Hunter said between sobs. Echo cradled the back of Hunter’s head with his hand and buried his face in Hunter’s hair. Echo hoped Hunter wouldn’t mind the salty tears in his hair. “I failed them. I- I don’t- it’s not fair!”

         “I know, I know,” Echo muttered. “It’s not. Ni ceta. I’m sorry.”

         Wrecker found them sometime later and didn’t say a word as he wrapped himself around them. Hunter had stopped crying and was staring into the distance.

         “You came back, Echo. That means Tech might too, right?” Wrecker asked in a whisper. Echo didn’t have it in him to snuff out the hint of hope in Wrecker’s voice. 

         “Yeah, vod’ika. Maybe.”

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦    ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦    ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ .

What is this place? (continuation)

[sarrixmusic]

* Without Me link - https://youtu.be/tv0XgYjzD04 * Notify on now .

*For You this song story A large building was being build in a major city of a prominent country and there were searchers to do heavy work and there one person between 30 - 35 years of age was doing his usual duties. he always works with other thoughts and his work is always turned upside down and he is always scolded by the head of the heavy work leader . He didn't do his job with any passion and always thought about his daughter . Her 7 th birthday is coming up tomorrow and she lives alone at home with her grand mother and here mother passed away when she was a year old . it was an accident . After that she lived with her father and grandmother since childhood and due to finacial diffiulties he had to distance himself from his daughter . He has not seen his daughter in 10 / 11 months and remembering that her 7th birthday ia tomorrow , he was filled with extreme sadness and and anger those 10 / 11 months felt like 10/ 11 year to him and he didn't even have time to talk to her . moreover , he was always scolded by the head of hevy work , which was another reason why he disliked the job . He always remembers the last thing he said to her , " please , I Can't live without you " the word was always fresh in his mind . when he remembered that word once . he thought like this . He felt what I would do if i could not he without my daughter even for a moment . It the same time , the manager of that company sent him an invitation to his office in the hand of a servant and they went to him as if he was physically and mentally tired . The Principal of that institution was a self centered , fat , bellied person and he scolded him severely when he came to his office . he said that if you can't do this work sitting in other worlds , then run away if you can't do it properly . then the leader of the heavy works leader also looked at him angrily . then he remembered the words he said to his daughter " I can't live without you " and at the same time he remembered the daughter telling him " Without Me ? " . then he suddenly got angry with sadness and he hit the head of the institution with a small flower pot on the table and kicked him down from the chair , he did not stop there and attacked the owner of the establishment , and the rest of the people who were there jumped into the middle of it to stop it , then he attacked others . Then the owner of the establishment , who was very angry , took the gun from his drawer and shot him in the chest shouting that he "will kill you to day " , he fell on the floor after being hit by the bullet and was about to close his eyes when he heard the words " Without Me ? " by her daughter . just then he wakes up and it takes him a little time to realize that he has seen a dream . He his daughter on the other side of the bed and touched her head , kissed her and hugged her . Write by Sarrix . * ( This is the story of this song that I did and I could not do it due to financial problems . Therefore , I Apologize for that . I hope you enjoyed this story and if you have anything to learn from this story , take it from this story . thanks all of you I love all .)

[kristsune]

Hevy loves my new strawberry fruit tape.

[natelia-aldelliz]

I wanted to draw the Domino Squad but I don't want to draw anymore so here's the first three, maybe I'll draw Echo and Fives later

[mwolf0epsilon]

Now the rest of the 501st too can experience the wonders of taking care of a giant eel that behaves like a mischievous puppy/kitten!

It's not a family bonding experience with the Were-eel unless someone at some point screams "STOP EATING THAT YOU ABSOLUTE WEIRDO!!!" while trying to pry a mouse droid or crate from those death-grip jaws.

They now understand why Hevy, Cutup, Echo and Droidbait looked so dead tired at least once (depending on where they were at the time) month. They were trying to make sure their brother didn't poison himself.

[seriowan]

As The World Caves In - Echo (5/5)

summary: after escaping death far too many times to count, it's finally time for the last domino to fall. pairings: echo x reader (rebellion!era au) (death star!au) tags: angst, major character death, FEELINGS, happy ending?? a/n: i literally cried. sorry not sorry. also, this is the last part of the series?? i'm so sad?? please don't forget to reblog to show support <3

⭒ main masterlist hunter ✓ crosshair ✓ tech ✓ wrecker ✓

-

After Skako Minor, when Rex told Echo about Fives' death, he made you promise him something. It was an irrational promise and you both knew this, but you promised anyway. You knew this even after he stuck out his pinky, tears glistening in those beautiful grey eyes that you had fallen in love with when he was just an ARC trooper.

You knew that you would break the promise even as his lips quivered and he whispered shakily, "Promise me you won't miss me."

A silly promise, spoken out of fear, yet you knew how important it was to him. How much he cried in your arms after you wrapped your pink around his and kissed your thumb.

He didn't want you to feel the same loss as he did. He didn't want you to know what it felt like to have a piece of your heart shatter. He wanted to save you from the feeling of being left behind, of being ripped away from the people you loved without saying goodbye. He didn't get to say goodbye to anyone; not Droidbait, not Hevy, and certainly not Fives.

It was, at least to Echo, a miracle that you didn't die in the initial years of your friendship and later on in your relationship. Every day, he woke and slept with the fear that you, like the rest of his loved ones, would perish without the opportunity to tell him goodbye. That was his luck...

...but it seemed that fate finally took pity on Echo. When it was time for the last Domino to fall, you were there with him. Not to say goodbye, just a simple see you later.

Neither of you were afraid when the Death Star entered the island planet's atmosphere. In a way, you felt oddly at peace. Perhaps it was Echo's tranquil silence that eased your worries or maybe just because you knew that you would finally, finally, get the chance to be free of fighting.

You knew just as well as Echo that the fighting had taken a toll on both of you. Echo was paler than usual, heavy bags hanging under his eyes. Even in the warm sand, his hand was colder than ice in your own. You could feel his fatigue with each long, tired breath.

But it was peaceful. It was serene. The night sky was speckled with stars and though there were two moons in the sky instead of one, it was still clear enough to see the blanketing galaxy above your heads. The twinkling stars reflected off of the navy waters, distorted moonlight rippling with each wave. Each soft breeze was a breath of chilly, fresh air.

You and Echo sat in the sand, a few inches away from the shoreline so that the waves just barely skimmed your bare toes. Your boots were discarded down the beach alongside the gear that you and Echo had both shed off your tired shoulders.

He sat beside you in his body glove, bearing his prosthetics to the salty, cool winds. You leaned your head against his shoulder, his hand in your lap as you traced the lines in his palm. Usually, he'd put his cheek against the crown of your head but now, as you turned to look at his face, you noticed his eyes were more distant than usual.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

He blinked a few times, torn out of his daze to tip his chin and meet your concerned gaze. The ghost of a smile curled the corner of his lips before he leaned over, pressing the lightest kiss against your salty forehead.

"They'll like you," he said simply, pressing his forehead to yours. "They won't believe me when I tell them you're mine, but they'll like you. I know it."

You knew who he was talking about, but you decided to ask him anyway, just to hear him speak more. "The Dominos?"

He nodded, turning towards the ocean as he laced his fingers in yours. His eyes watered but they weren't sad tears. They were hopeful, brimming with a nostalgic sense of longing that you knew would eventually be fulfilled.

"Fives will go crazy." He chuckled. "He always bragged about being the most romantic. We made bets on who would be the first to bring someone home; maybe introduce 'em to Rex. He always said his goatee was a magnet. Turns out a bit of facial hair ain't all that, huh baby?"

You smiled and agreed.

No, looks weren't all that. You didn't fall in love with Echo because of his smile or his hair or the endearing way he'd constantly try to fix any stray strands that would bounce out of the clean and cut haircut.

You fell in love with him simply because, in a room full of people, he noticed you - the invisible background character that you assumed you were. The person cursed to watch from the balcony, longing to be noticed by those down below.

Up until the day you met Echo, you always assumed you'd be alone. The galaxy just made you feel that way without any reason at all. Hollow and cold, left to drink alone at a bar while your friends left without a word.

Then, like a little flicker of light in a dark room, there he was - smiling at you from across 79's. Fives was talking - a bit too much - but Echo ignored him for he was far too dazed by the look of delicate surprise that turned your frown into a shy smile.

The rest was history. A life full of tears and loss, interwoven with a few golden memories that stuck with you up until now, when you could look back and smile with satisfaction. From the day you were reunited after his supposed death to the day you watched him teach Omega how to shoot her plasma bow - memories that seemed so far away now, yet full of warm nostalgia.

You kissed his bony shoulder before putting your forehead against it, sagging your shoulders with a sigh.

"I'm excited to meet your brothers," you murmured, smiling warmly when he placed another lingering kiss against your hair. He held his lips there for a second, a hum vibrating through his chest.

"Yeah," he breathed as you both faced the starry horizon. "Yeah, I bet they're just as excited to meet you too."

The pristine silence of the night broke when a red beam claimed the sky, striking the ocean with enough force to send a rumble through the water. The waves grew, lapping against your ankles, but you didn't mind. The water was warm. You wished Echo could feel it.

Maybe there was a warm ocean where his brothers were waiting. They'd be impatient by the time you two showed up, but you could imagine their expressions of happiness - the similar look that you so rarely saw on Echo's face after Skako Minor. But you could imagine it and the thought alone left you excited.

"Echo?" You called quietly, raising the backside of his hand to your lips.

"Hm?"

"Will you promise me something?"

He turned his head, brows drawn together. "Of course, mesh'la."

You drew your lip between your teeth, a fleeting nibble giving away your nervousness before you shut your eyes and exhaled through your nose. Echo tensed beside you, nervous.

"If I'm not there... when you see your brothers-"

"You will be," he interjected with a frown. "You have to. I'll make sure of it. If you're not there then I'll come crawling right back-"

You couldn't help but sigh and shake your head. "Echo... it isn't that easy. I'm just... I'm just saying if... y-you have to promise not to miss me."

Recognition crossed his face before the sadness settled. They were his words, spoken so long ago. Now here they were, echoing back but through your own lips as a sign of your own fear. Echo didn't deserve to feel loss again, even if he'd gain his brothers back.

And by the uncertainty and hesitation that clouded his stormy eyes like a hurricane brewing over an ocean, you knew that he understood your fear. He was fighting the urge to argue, to make you promise that you would fight tooth and nail to get to him, and he to you.

Eventually, he shifted to face you. Cybernetic knees pressed against your own, leaving no space in between your crossed legs as he put his scomp arm in the sand. He lifted his hand, his pinky up and waiting for you as his words left his lips slowly, delicately. Softer than the breeze that grew warmer with each second.

"Only if you promise me the same."

Tears glistened in his eyes but he hid the burrowing sadness behind a boyish grin - the happy eyes and the even happier chuckle when you raised your pinky and slowly curled it around his.

Per tradition, the two of you pressed your thumbs together, pinkies intertwined as you both pressed your lips against your thumbnails. You lowered your hands, touching your foreheads together as you breathed in the smell of his skin, branding your skin with the feeling of his fingertips.

You didn't know that his eyes were open. You didn't know that he was glossing over your lips with tears down his face, sketching the apples of your cheeks and the color of your skin into his mind. He painted the image of your face into his memory, a beautiful artwork that could never possibly compare to the real thing sitting in front of him.

He finally drew his eyes shut, tipping his chin so that his lips ghosted over your own as he said in a hopeful whisper, "I love you so much. You understand that? More than anything else in this galaxy - I love you. This isn't goodbye, ok? I'll see you soon."

You couldn't help but cry. Lips curled into a crooked frown, tears lurching in your eyes at the same time as the lump in your throat. You were nodding, but your shoulders began to shake and it didn't take long for a sob to rip past your lips.

You launched forward, wrapping your arms around his neck. The force of the lunge sent Echo on his back. You hovered over him, your chest heaving as your eyes graced his face, drinking in the look of love mingled with overflowing sorrow.

"I'll see you soon," you promised, nodding fervently.

Your lips crashed together. His scomp crossed your lower back, his hand curling through your hair to keep you in place as he kissed and kissed and kissed. Your lips, your nose, your eyes and cheeks, hairline and forehead - just so that you could reward him with a lighthearted giggle past the river of tears that dripped from your chin and wet his clothes.

"Gods I love you," he breathed, kissing your lips again - once, twice, teeth biting and pulling on your quivering bottom lip before he kissed your wet, salty chin. "I love you so much, ner runi."

You shook with another sob, tightening your hold around him as if he would dissolve underneath your fingertips.

"I love you, Echo," you whimpered when the wave of heat rolled over the shore, turning your skin red and smoking the tips of your hair. Your knees dug into the sand as you leaned down, pressing your forehead to his for a final flicker of intimacy. Your tears dried before they could trickle down your face, hot lips pressing against the tip of his nose.

His whisper cut through the smoke, past the screaming planet and dissolving rock. His voice, the fleeting echo that you heard each and every time you dreamt - a distant song that drew a smile to your lips even as you faced a burning planet.

"I'll see you soon," he vowed.

"I know," you promised him back.

-

"Fives? Fives!"

"Ah, and the dominos are finally stacked back up! Look who finally made it! We've been waiting for you, brother!"

"S'about time too. Cutup thinks he's undefeated in sabacc but I've been telling him that you've gotten better since Rishi. Now I can't wait to see you beat his ass, little vod!"

"Hevy, I did not say that! That was Droidbait-"

"Hey! Don't throw me in the Rancor's pit like that!"

"Alright! We get it! Leave the poor, osik alone. He just got here! Now tell me, who's the special someone you've brought with you? Honestly, they're a bit too good-looking for you, brother."

You felt two hands grasp your own. Warm. Full of life and love. Excitement and relief. And when he said your name, it wasn't an echo. It wasn't a whisper or a delicate word spoken through delicate lips. It was strong, determined. Passionate and full of pride.

"This is my love. My better half. The only capable person that's kept my head on my shoulders all these years. Ner runi, these are my brothers..."

You smiled at the delighted grins. The familiar faces that you had met through stories and epic tales of battle and brotherhood. They greeted you with open arms, already calling you 'sister' as if you had been part of their little family all along.

There was no hollowness in your chest. No feeling of being left behind, of watching everything play out from the balcony.

You were there. Your hand was in Echo's. You felt his brothers clap your shoulder... ruffle your hair... their laughter in your ears, drawing the brightest smile to Echo's lips.

You smiled, knowing you were home.

-

mando'a translation: ner runi (my soul)

a/n: tagging folks for the final dose of angst in this series. <3 i hope you all have enjoyed reading and crying as much as i enjoyed writing while crying. @jedipoodoo (who has always reblogged these posts with the kindest words and has my unconditional thanks and permanent support <3) and @coffeeandclaws (who previously commented about awaiting echo's version in this angst-riddled series; i hope i brought enough angst to the table for u! <3)

[jedipoodoo]

Sequel to this. Keep your eyes peeled for a part three.

"Ba'vod'u!" Iv'ika shrieked when you were still a good ways off. Hevy's mom led you to the cluster of buildings on her family's farm, and to your right you could see several family members working out in the golden fields, and even more in the orchards beyond them. A familiar face stood on top of the transport speeder, and he glanced up at your son's exclamation. When he caught sight of you, his face split into a grin. He hopped down and came running as fast as he could.

"Who'd you find at the market?" He asks his wife, kissing her and baby Hevy before snatching his namesake from your arms and tossing Fives up in the air.

"Higher! Higher!" Ives demanded.

Uncle Fives planted a big kiss on his nephew's cheek, and gave you a one armed hug.

"Babe, this is Echo's wife. You remember her and Fives Junior?" He winked at you.

"Yes, I do," She smiled at you.

"This is my wife," Fives placed his arms around her tightly and kissed the crown of her forehead for good measure, "And I assume you've met our baby boy Hevy?"

You nodded, "I can't believe you're alive! Rex said-"

"Yeah, that was a bit top secret," Fives chuckled.

"Big Bad ARC trooper here just barely came out of hiding in time to see his son be born," Fives' riduur teased lightly. She slipped their son from his sling and bounced him as the three of you talked.

"What are you doing out here on Dantooine?" Fives asked. Ives had squirmed to be let down, and was entertaining himself with the wildflowers that grew in the yard.

"We're out here on a supply run."

"A supply run? Who are you with?"

Hm. How to answer that?

Ives tugged on the hem of Fives' shirt holding out a flower "for the pretty lady." Fives grinned at his "little man" and slipped the flower behind his wife's ear even as she blushed profusely. Hevy reached out a chubby fist for the flower, and Fives slipped the bundle of joy from his wife's tired arms.

Then you realized, if you didn't know that Fives was alive, did he know that Echo was alive?

"Fives, I have someone I need you to meet."