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kaminocasey · 2 years ago

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Wherever You End Up

WC: 1.4K

WARNINGS: MINORS DNI; ANGST

Pairing: Echo x GN!Reader

A/N: DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN EPISODE 8, PLEASE!!!

Summary: It's not a goodbye. It's a see you later.

“Palpatine was one step ahead of us during the war, and he’s still several steps ahead of us.” Rex looks between you, the Batch, and Senator Chuchi. “We played right into his hands.”

It’s been a long couple of days. Between trying to help Rex and get the proof of Rampart’s involvement in the downfall of Kamino, you’re running on a lack of sleep. You keep looking at your partner, Echo but he won’t meet your eyes. He’s been quiet since you got back to the Martez’s garage.

“I don’t understand.” Omega speaks up. “We did the right thing. We told the truth.”

Hunter looks down at her. “And he twisted it to his advantage.”

“The Emperor wanted us to implicate Rampart to get what he was after all along.” Rex fumes. “Senate approval for his stormtrooper program.” “The fate of all clones is now sealed… because of us.” Echo looks at Rex and you can practically feel the regret radiating off of his body. “What’s gonna happen to them?”

Echo’s been done for a while now. You know there’s more that he wants to do. You keep thinking that one day you’re gonna wake up and he’s going to be gone so that he can join this new “rebellion” with Rex. You’re completely torn because… you want him to be happy. But now, you think that maybe he’ll only be happy if he’s out there, still fighting. Or at least helping people. When you helped Gungi, the Jedi Wookiee child, you saw a spark in Echo’s eyes that had been missing for a while. A spark that wasn’t even there when the two of you lay in bed together at night.

It hurts, but you get it.

“I don’t know.” Senator Chuchi sighs. “But I will keep fighting for the clones. You all deserve the same rights as every citizen.”

She leans down toward Omega, with promise in her eyes. “I won’t give up.”

Omega nods and the senator stands back up, looking at all of you. You admired her. She was standing up for what’s right and not backing down out of fear like the Emperor wants and expects out of this new “Empire”.

“If you need anything Rex, just say the word.” Hunter looks at the captain and then nods at Senator Chuchi. “Senator.”

Echo steps forward, looking between you and Hunter. You get a weird feeling in your stomach and you furrow your brows in confusion as you look at Echo. What’s going on?

“Wherever you end up, remember what I said.” Hunter pats Echo on the shoulder and starts to head back to the Marauder.

“Don’t get in trouble without us.” Wrecker

“Without us?” Omega asks, looking up at Echo, confused.

Oh… You understand now. And your heart still breaks into a million pieces.

“Best of luck, Echo.” Tech nods with a smile and then heads back to the Marauder with Hunter and Echo.

“Luck with what?” Omega asks.

You don’t know what to say. The lump in your throat is making it difficult to speak anyway. But Echo finally looks at you, into your eyes once before looking down at Omega.

“I’m going with Rex.” Echo tells her.

You can tell he’s firm in this decision. This decision he’s made without you…

Omega looks up at Rex and he nods slightly, his eyes full of respect for the young girl.

“The clones will need our help now more than ever.” Echo tells her. “I can’t turn my back on them.”

Even though he’s kind of turning his back on you… sort of. You know it’s more complicated than that. But still, the ache starting to form in your chest is about to become unavoidable.

“You… You can’t leave.” Omega starts to look to you for help, but you’re still not able to form words. “We’re- We’re a squad.”

“Omega… this is something I have to do.” Echo sighs. “I’m going where I’m needed.” “But… we need you, too.” Omega’s eyes start to tear up and your heart shatters even more as you place a hand on her shoulder.

She’s been through so much. And the fact that Echo is blindsiding her with this really upsets you. Hunter apparently knew. Wrecker and Tech seemed to be fine with it. Did they really not think to let Omega know so she’d be better prepared?

Echo kneels down on the ground, sitting his helmet down and putting a hand on her other shoulder and she closes her eyes for a moment.

“It’s not forever.” Echo promises her. “I’ll be back.”

“Will you?” You finally speak up.

“Of course I will.” Echo looks up at you and finally, the tears slip past your lids and down your cheeks. He looks back at Omega. “Keep up with your training while I’m gone, huh? Understood?”

Omega slightly nods, launching herself into his arms, wrapping her own around his neck. He looks up at you with surprise at such an action. Like, maybe he wasn’t expecting her to be so attached to him. Even after all this time. He wraps his arms around her one last time and you look over at Rex and the senator, who now have decided is the time to step away for a moment.

“Yes, sir.” Omega wipes her tears as she pulls away.

“Keep an eye on them.” Echo nods in the direction of the Batch and she nods.

He stands up with his helmet and tosses it to Rex before Rex walks away. Omega runs back to the Marauder but stops one last time to glance at Echo again before climbing aboard where Hunter pats her on the shoulder. You look up at Hunter and he nods to you that they’ll wait.

When you turn back around, you find Echo staring at you, cautiously.

“A heads up would have been nice…” You murmur.

“I thought maybe you’d try to talk me out of it.” He looks down.

You run your hands down your face, exhaustion starting to settle in your bones.

“We’re partners… we’re supposed to make decisions together… Right?” You clench your fists at your sides, not sure what to do with them. “I’d never try to talk you out of doing the right thing. But I’m glad to know the thought never occurred to you to ask me to come with you.”

You’re so angry at him. You understand. But Maker, you’re so angry… and heartbroken.

“Of course the thought occurred to me.” He looks back at you. “I just know that your answer would’ve been no.”

Would it have been? Would you really have told him no? Would you have been able to leave this little family you’ve found? You suppose you may never know now.

“I know you. You need them as much as they need you.” Echo takes your hand.

The urge to bitterly pull it away is strong but you don’t. How many more times in this lifetime will you get to hold his hand? He said he’ll be back one day… but the future is always uncertain.

“I love you.” He tells you, pulling you into his arms and kissing you on the head.

“I know.” You whisper, tears still falling. “I love you, too.”

“I know.” He rests his forehead against yours one last time. “We can still comm each other whenever, you know.”

The thought honestly hadn’t occurred to you. You supposed that’s true.

“Long distance never works out and you know it.” You laugh, softly, wiping your tears.

“We can make it work.” He nods, cupping your face, pulling your eyes in level with his so he can look into your eyes one last time.

You crush your lips to his, pulling yourself against him desperately, as a goodbye and he squeezes you to himself, as if he’s trying to make sure his body remembers yours against his. You know that yours will.

“I swear to the Maker, Echo… if you get yourself hurt or worse… I won’t forgive you.” You try to make a serious face.

“I fell in the water one time and now I’m never gonna live that down, am I?” He rolls his eyes, amused.

You shake your head. “Never. Fives would be so proud of me.”

He laughs, nodding his head in agreement.

“Fives would be proud of you.” You sigh, coming to terms with this decision of his.

He needs to do this. For all of his fallen brothers. For the Domino Squad. For the 501st. For Fives. He needs to do this. And you’ll support him, no matter how hard it hurts, no matter where he ends up.

TAGS: @twistedstitcher27 @rebel-finn @grievouus @madameminor @dumfanting @rain-on-kamino @corona-one @tecker @ladykatakuri @brynhildrmimi @the-sith-in-the-sky-with-diamond @zoeykallus @maulslittlemeowmeow @littlemousedroid @arctrooper69 @rexxdjarin @agenteliix @padawancat97 @hated-by-me @sleepingsun501 @quigonswife8 @idlenesses @redheadgirl @dnxgma @themcuwriter @ashotofspotchka @sunshinesdaydream @crosshairsimp73 @ariadnes-red-thread @rosmariner @heyitsaloy @starstofillmydream @high-ct5555 @echos-girlfriend @sleepywych @nekotaetae @justanothersadperson93 @brownstalebread @aconstructofamind @book-of-baba-fett @chopper-base @palliateclaws @501st-rexster @dead-poolz @nahoney22 @where-is-my-mind-tho @jediknightjana @erishimoon @witching3

#tbb s2 #tbb s2 e8 #tbb s2 spoilers #tbb spoilers #the bad batch spoilers #bad batch spoilers #tbb echo x reader #tbb echo x you

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moonstrider9904 · 8 months ago

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Coruscant

Chapter 9 of Moonwalker: The Flame

{series masterlist} {next chapter} {previous chapter}

{crossposted to Wattpad - coming soon} {crossposted to AO3}

Summary: Sarah goes undercover to aid Riyo Chuchi on Coruscant, but in doing so, she is faced by her most unspeakable fears.

Tags/Warnings: Mature. Canon-typical violence, death, threats, force-choking, implied sex, language.

Word count: 7.7k

Songs: The Gem Sea Giant

Sarah sat back on one of the passenger seats of the Marauder with her eyes closed. The absence of light made it easier for her to focus on the sounds around her, from the whirring of the Marauder’s engines in hyperspace to the subtle chatter between Tech and Wrecker coming from the cockpit. She couldn’t quite make out what they were saying, but the tones of their voices were constant and relatively calm despite the fact that they were headed towards Coruscant.

It had been a long time since any of them had been to Coruscant.

A sudden laugh emerging from Wrecker prompted Sarah to open her eyes, and when she did, she noticed Echo sitting across from her. His arms were crossed and his gaze was gracefully set on a point on the floor, oblivious to the fact that Sarah was looking at him. She stared at him, wondering what could possibly be going through his mind, and for a moment, she felt remorse. She’d been through a lot those recent months, and she wouldn’t deny it, but she couldn’t help but feel for a moment that she’d become detached from Echo.

That was when Echo felt her gaze on him, and he looked up. His brown eyes looked tired on his pale skin, and Sarah could swear that the bags under his eyes were somehow heavier. Sarah’s eyebrows furrowed in worry, but in return, Echo directed a soft smile at her as if he wanted to dismiss any of her concerns. It wouldn’t work.

“What’s with you?” Sarah asked him.

With that same gentle smile, Echo shook his head. “Just thinking. This mission Rex is asking us to help him with… it seems a hell of a lot bigger than anything we’ve done in the past few months.”

Sarah’s gaze absently wandered to the floor as she quickly recalled the events of the past months, and she was inclined to agree. Save for helping out Gungi and the Wookiees on Kashyyyk, and her own internal endeavors, Echo was absolutely right. Everything else they’d been focusing on for the past months paled in comparison to Rex’s efforts. It made his work seem like the front lines while the batch were on mere guard duty.

“Yeah, I get what you mean,” Sarah obliged.

Echo got up and walked across to take a seat next to Sarah, leaning back on the wall behind him and gazing up at the ceiling. “It’s better than being alone, I guess.”

“Echo, is there something on your mind?” Sarah asked gently.

Echo chuckled softly. “Yes.”

Fair answer. Sarah hadn’t asked him what was on his mind. And it wasn’t as if she hadn’t kept a secret from him throughout the past weeks. Enjoying his company, Sarah leaned back on the wall and gazed up at the ceiling much like Echo, and the two remained in silence until he finally broke the silence again, trusting in the confidence of his best friend.

“I was relieved when Rex’s transmission came in,” Echo confessed.

Sarah nodded slowly. “Yeah, boredom leads to insanity.”

“It’s not just the boredom,” Echo said. “Wherever Rex is involved, we know we’re gonna be doing something meaningful.”

The two sat up on their chairs and looked at each other. For a few moments, Sarah’s gaze traveled absently around Echo, deep in thought as she pondered on his previous words, reaching her own realization.

“I hate to break it to you,” Sarah began, “but so long as we’re mercenaries, our drive will always be the money at whatever cost.”

“Oh, I know,” Echo nodded, unamused.

Sarah chuckled. “I don’t like it either. It just seemed like the only choice after Kamino. It was the way to go.”

“But you want something more,” Echo prompted.

“Of course I do,” Sarah replied. “I want a home. I want my family together again.”

Echo nodded slowly and momentarily avoided her gaze at the realization that what they wanted was vastly different, and Sarah couldn’t help but observe his body language.

“That doesn’t mean I won’t keep fighting for now,” Sarah added.

Echo met her gaze again, silent. Sarah then leaned back on the wall again and softly sighed.

“You remember what Hunter told us when we joined them?” Sarah asked.

“Yeah,” Echo smiled briefly. “It was a different life back then.”

“And your path was different,” Sarah looked over at Echo. “The thing about paths is they can morph.”

Echo nodded, deep in thought. “I also remember what Rex told me. If that’s where you feel your place is…”

“Then that’s where you belong,” Sarah finished.

They made silent eye contact.

“That’s right,” Echo whispered.

Sarah smiled at him. “You were always the best of us, Echo.”

“Come on, the batch are crazy, but they’re all fine men,” Echo humbly declined.

“I don’t mean the batch,” Sarah stated. “I mean the GAR. The 501st.”

A sad smile appeared on Echo’s features as flashes of blue-painted armor and legions of clones marching raced through his mind, only for him to be brought back to his present life as a mercenary. His features then dropped, deep in thought.

“What would Fives have done in this life?” Echo asked.

“Honestly?” Sarah sat up with a chuckle. “Fives would be blazing through the galaxy, most likely with Rex. He’d despise the Empire more than anyone I currently know, but he’d use that to do good.”

Echo chuckled in return. “Yeah, he would.”

The two accompanied each other in silence until the Marauder exited hyperspace and Tech announced they were approaching Coruscant. Tech flew the Marauder into the planet’s atmosphere while everyone gathered in the cockpit and waited to land among the lower levels of Coruscant, seemingly far from the main complex of the city where the Senate and the Jedi temple were… or at least, the ruined Jedi temple.

The Marauder landed on a platform about halfway down one of the pits on the lower levels of Coruscant, and just as the engines were powering down, Sarah could see through the windshield that Rex’s figure was approaching the ship. She smiled at the sight and made her way down towards him with the others, lunging at Rex and giving him a big hug when she reached him.

“What happened to your hair?” Rex chuckled as he hugged Sarah back.

“Cut it,” Sarah giggled. “I kinda miss having it long, though.”

“Don’t, it looks nice,” Rex smiled serenely, letting Sarah go so that he could acknowledge the others. He first greeted Echo, and then Hunter, and as Rex finished greeting the entire squad, Sarah became aware of another person approaching them.

It was a young Pantoran woman who walked with an air of elegance. Her outfit was professional, and though she was clearly among the higher classes, nothing about her came across as opulent. Her long lavender hair was done upward, and the golden markings on her cheekbones contrasted with her rich blue skin; her eyes, large and round, held an unfathomable amount of wisdom for someone who would almost appear too young to hold whatever position she held, most likely a result of recent unfortunate events she’d had to witness.

“I’d like to present Senator Riyo Chuchi of Pantora,” Rex gestured at the woman as she stopped in front of the squad.

“Oh, we’ve been there!” Omega said excitedly.

Riyo looked over at Omega with a gentle smile, and then she greeted the others, demure with a hint of gratitude. Riyo’s gaze lingered on Sarah for a moment with a gentle curiosity, and her discreet smile widened subtly. Sarah felt it too. In other circumstances, Riyo would have been someone Sarah would want to befriend. She’d heard of Riyo many times from the clones and from Ahsoka back in her days in the army. It was nice to finally put a face on the name.

“Thank you for coming,” Riyo spoke. “If your reputation precedes you, we might have a chance against what’s going on here on Coruscant.”

“How can we help?” Echo asked.

Riyo’s gaze landed on Echo and she smiled softly, appreciative of his support.

“You’ll need context,” Riyo answered. “Please, follow us inside.”

Riyo turned around and led the way for the others to follow. Rex took notice of Omega following closely behind Sarah, and he hesitated, fumbling towards Sarah and Hunter and speaking in a hushed voice.

“Er…” Rex began. “I’m not sure what we’re about to show you is alright for Omega to see.”

Sarah and Hunter exchanged a wary look.

“What is it?” Sarah asked.

Rex leaned in and whispered the answer in Sarah’s ear, and she felt herself going pale.

“I’m not sure I want to see it,” Sarah admitted.

“You’ve seen worse in your day,” Rex assured her. “The kid, however, still has some innocence I’d like to salvage.”

“She can handle it,” Hunter affirmed. “She hasn’t exactly been shielded. Not like I didn’t try to.”

“Then come on,” Rex gestured.

Sarah fell to the back of the crowd and remained close to Tech as Rex and Riyo led them inside to what appeared to be a repair shop, and Sarah was doing fine until she saw the casket ominously placed on a large table. She stuttered in her footsteps—caskets and anything having to do with post-mortem were usually where she drew the line. Regardless, duty called.

Tech noticed her faltering. “Are you alright?”

She sighed. “Yeah. Just… hold me.”

Sarah clutched Tech’s forearm, and soon, everyone had circled around the casket only for Rex to reveal that the body inside had belonged to a clone, adding an evident tension to the air. In an attempt to leaven the weight of the sight in front of her, Sarah focused solely on Rex as she held tighter onto Tech, and Rex explained how they’d gotten there. He told the squad about Slip, about his discovery, about what he’d been doing and trying to achieve since the last time he and Clone Force 99 had met. When he finished, Riyo looked at the squad solemnly.

“Slip was taken out by this clone assassin not long after he came close to uncovering the truth about what happened on Kamino,” Riyo said. “And the assassin was after me as well.”

Echo sighed with disillusion evident in his features. “But how could a clone do such a thing?”

“Before he… died,” Rex began, his gaze faltering as he said the words, “this trooper spoke in a manner I’ve never heard another clone do so. That at any trace of identity, from his identifying number to any markings, were erased.”

“Erased?” Sarah asked.

“How is that possible?” Tech inquired.

“I don’t know,” Rex answered. “But all of these signs point to mind control, brainwashing, and we’re not even talking inhibitor chips here. This is far more sinister.”

Sarah broke through her fears and looked down at the casket, her thoughts pondering on the clone who lay inside it. She thought about this clone having begun in the army, fighting the cause he was bred for. He had brothers. He had a name, and a story behind that name, as all clones did. He was forced into serving the Empire, and then for some reason, he was plucked and put through some sort of training to turn him into a lethal masked assassin who would be capable even of killing his brethren. It was unthinkable.

Sarah looked up at Rex and Riyo. “What do you need us to do?”

Riyo stepped forward. “For starters, I need someone to testify to the Senate about what happened on Kamino.”

“We’ll do it,” Omega said. “We were there.”

“I can testify,” Echo proposed.

“That won’t be enough,” Hunter said. “You’re going to need proof. If the Senate and the Empire are already on the fence about clones, the testimony of a rogue group won’t sway them.”

“Which is where you actually come in,” Rex said. “Admiral Rampart is on planet, as is his Venator.”

“Rampart’s here?” Sarah let go of Tech and walked forward in front of the whole group. “Where?”

“In the Senate,” Riyo replied. “He’s representing the military forces for this bill.”

“What about his legion?” Sarah continued digging. “His squads, his elite soldiers, are they on the planet too?”

Riyo’s features softened in sympathy. “I have no way of knowing.”

“If we had seen Crosshair anywhere around here, you’d be the first to know,” Rex assured.

Sarah nodded, sighing her agitation away.

“If you can retrieve the command log from the Venator, then I can show it to the Senate,” Riyo said. “We’ll need it before sunrise tomorrow. I can keep Rampart occupied in the meantime, as well as try to sway some more of the senators toward our cause.”

“Let me go with you,” Sarah proposed. “Please.”

“I could use the help,” Riyo nodded.

“Can I come too?” Omega spoke up.

“No offense, Sarah, but you stick out way too much,” Wrecker intervened. “Maybe it should just be Omega and the senator in there.”

“I can get her a disguise,” Riyo said. “She’ll blend in perfectly. We just need to cover your marks, and I’m sure I have colored contacts somewhere.”

“That’ll be perfect,” Sarah agreed.

“Be careful, both of you,” Hunter instructed.

“Yeah, we’ll get what you need from the Venator, senator,” Wrecker added, and chuckled at the end. “Hey, that rhymed.”

Riyo chuckled at Wrecker, and the group scattered to prepare for their respective parts of the mission. Riyo, Omega, and Sarah disappeared deep into the repair shop, and when they returned to the landing platform, Omega wore a blue poncho over her attire and Sarah stole the spotlight. She was dressed in a burgundy gown with long sleeves that covered all the marks on her arms. The gown was discreet, but the color matched her to Riyo. Her hair was done in a low bun that covered any of the dark red strands that could have been exposed at the tips, and she wore a single golden brooch over the bun to further sell her status. On her face, Sarah wore foundation the tone of her skin to cover up all her markings, and her nebulous eyes were concealed by the gray contacts Riyo had available. The gray contrasted with her olive skin, and the full disguise made Sarah appear regal, as if she’d never fought a battle in her life. She drew every pair of eyes toward her as she made her way across the landing platform, and though Sarah was aware that she looked good, she couldn’t help but feel like a stray tooka with a diamond collar.

“Oh, she’ll blend in alright,” Echo said, and he directed his gaze at Riyo. “You did a great job with her.”

Riyo returned the smile. “That’s a relief.”

Sarah watched as Echo and Riyo’s gazes lingered on one another for a second too long until Riyo stammered and walked over to Rex to review final details of their plan to retrieve the command log. Echo watched as Riyo walked away, and when he turned to look at Sarah again, he noticed her temporarily gray eyes were already on him, and she wiggled her eyebrows at him.

Echo scoffed. “No one’s gonna believe you’re her handmaiden if you keep acting like a child. Omega’s being more mature than you, for crying out loud.”

“I didn’t say anything,” Sarah cooed.

“You implied it,” Echo growled.

“You were staring at her,” Sarah wiggled her brows again.

“I think there’s something on your face,” Echo stood up to Sarah.

Sarah giggled, and she finally stood down from her teasing, looking at Echo with slight worry. “Be careful out there.”

“You too,” Echo replied, saluting her with his scomp.

Echo walked back to the squad, and Sarah was then approached by Tech. He was fully armored and had his helmet on, and as usual, he stared directly at his datapad as he walked up to her. He stopped close to her, reaching out a free hand to take Sarah’s.

“Crosshair is not on planet,” Tech said.

“What?” Sarah asked. “How do you know that?”

“I tapped into the military logs,” Tech showed her his datapad’s screen and looked at her. “He hasn’t been on Coruscant for a long time.”

“Does it say where he went?” Sarah looked at it.

“I’m afraid not,” Tech replied. “His destination is classified. Only his commanding officer will know where he is.”

“Well then, if I run into Rampart, I’ll say hi,” Sarah nodded.

“Sarah…” Tech tugged at her hand.

“Yes?”

Through his goggles, Tech scanned Sarah from head to toe before finally landing on her gaze again, his eyes visibly softening.

“Take these imperial clearance codes, I forged them myself. They’ll help you get into the senate,” Tech said. “Remember our distress signal agreement.”

“I will,” she smiled and pressed herself close to him. “You be careful too.”

“Always am,” Tech rested a hand on her waist.

They held each other for a brief moment before letting go, and Sarah walked over to Riyo and Omega for them to depart. Tech made his way back to the rest of the squad, seemingly oblivious to the way Rex was staring at him as he walked by. Rex then faced Hunter, unable to hide his surprise.

“When did that happen?” Rex asked.

“Why don’t you ask him?” Hunter growled.

“Hunter is still not adjusted to the fact that Sarah and I are a couple,” Tech said, his eyes still glued to his datapad. “I do not hold it against him.”

“Well…” Rex stammered. “We should, uh… probably… get going?”

Wrecker chuckled, shoving Hunter playfully. “Tech totally stole your girl.”

Hunter glared up at Wrecker before putting his helmet on. “Shut up.”

“The very reason why Sarah and I concealed the truth for so long was to avoid this sort of immature conversation,” Tech said. “We have a very brief window of time to get Senator Chuchi the command log. Let’s not waste time.”

“Right,” Rex steered back into his role of leader. “Let’s go, boys.”

The clones put all other things aside and headed towards the imperial shipyard.

Being inside the Galactic Senate headquarters was an experience of its own, but Sarah found it far more enjoyable to listen to Omega’s numerous questions and the way Riyo gracefully answered each one of them. Hearing Riyo talk about the senate and what she was trying to achieve would really make one strive for a higher purpose despite what they were trying to do, and it dawned on Sarah that a sensation such as that one was rare when working as a mercenary or a pirate. She thought back to the conversation she had with Echo on the way to Coruscant, and she found herself understanding more. And although Sarah probably wouldn’t jump at the idea of being a senator—it wasn’t as if roaming around freely in imperial proximity was a good idea anyway—Sarah realized there were times when even she lost sight of what she wanted to accomplish.

It was just as Crosshair had once put it back on Kamino. Sarah and the others were merely drifting through the galaxy from mission to mission without a cause or a purpose. Sarah missed having something greater to drive her.

And when the three of them turned a corner and Sarah saw a familiar face, she was suddenly reminded of what that drive was.

“Ah, Senator Chuchi!”

Sarah despised that voice.

“Admiral Rampart,” Riyo acknowledged him, pulling to a halt when she was just in front of him with Sarah and Omega flanking her sides.

“I thought it best to let you know that I have begun preparations for tomorrow’s vote,” Rampart said. “Surely, you must understand that this bill is in the best interest of the galaxy. Is that not what we are all striving for?”

“Yes, the common and greater good should be what all senators and imperial representatives achieve,” Riyo masked her disgust with dignity. “Though I’m afraid that rushing the voting on the military bill will yield unforeseen results.”

“No need to worry, senator, it has all been revised and handled by only the best officials,” Rampart answered.

Sarah’s blood was boiling. He didn’t acknowledge her or even Omega, as if they weren’t even of importance to him. And his good natured speech was despicable; Sarah knew just how much of a monster he was, and without even trying to hide it, her repulsion towards Rampart bled into her eyes as she pierced into him with her gaze. It was only then that Rampart bothered to look in her direction just as he was finishing what he was saying. His gaze lingered on Sarah, and he didn’t retrieve it; his eyes seemed to harden only faintly at her, and when he smiled in acknowledgement, Sarah could feel the twisted intention behind her.

“Senator, you did not tell me you’d be accompanied,” Rampart commented.

“It’s not uncommon for senators to bring their staff along, admiral,” Riyo answered with professionalism. “Especially not on days with such long hours.”

“It’s a pity, otherwise, I may have brought some staff of my own,” Rampart continued to look at Sarah as he said it.

Sarah clenched her fists behind her. She knew exactly who he was talking about. Riyo must have felt the tension rise, and her hand glided over to Sarah’s shoulder, bringing her attention away from Rampart.

“Admiral, what would you say if my handmaiden were to escort you?” Riyo asked.

Sarah tried not to look too quickly at Riyo, but that was the last proposition she’d expected to come from her.

“Pardon me?” Rampart asked.

“You are still quite new to this, and my handmaiden knows the protocol,” Riyo said looking at Rampart, and then she faced Sarah. “I can finish the preparations on my end. The vote is coming up soon, and it wouldn’t be right for the senate’s guest to be wandering around such a large facility with no guidance.”

The new plan became so clear to Sarah that she wondered how she didn’t come up with it first. It was perfect. Sarah would keep Rampart occupied while Riyo and Omega did everything they had to do, and in the meantime, Sarah could do some digging of her own.

“Well, if it’s no major problem to you, senator, I would be delighted to accept,” Rampart looked at Sarah.

Riyo gazed over at Sarah too, but all the latter did was smirk over at Rampart.

“Of course,” Sarah said.

“Very well,” Riyo nodded at Sarah. “I’ll see you after the vote.”

Sarah bowed lightly in deference, and she stood still as Omega and Riyo began to walk away. The silence grew thick as Sarah was left alone with Rampart, and when Riyo and Omega were out of sight, her eyes landed on him again, unamused. When Rampart looked at her, he scoffed and brushed a tad of fuzz from his uniform.

“Well, miss, why don’t we go somewhere more comfortable while we wait for the vote?” Rampart held his arm out to escort her.

She felt she would have puked, but she took his arm regardless of how unwilling she was to continue playing the handmaiden charade. They walked silently down the halls until arriving at a deserted room, one decorated elegantly with a large desk, chairs, and a couple couches, even a balcony that could overlook the whole city. Sarah walked in and examined it—it looked like the mix between an office and a home, and thankfully, the only thing missing from it was a bed. Sarah flinched when the door closed behind them, locking her inside it with Rampart, but she wouldn’t back down, not at that moment.

Rampart looked at her and seemed amused, and although Sarah was almost sure had recognized her already, she wasn’t willing to blow her cover while there was still a possibility she could fool him.

“You could have at least tried a different voice,” Rampart broke the silence. “However, your disguise is commendable. You almost had me fooled, but you didn’t have to speak for me to see right through you.”

Sarah said nothing, and her gaze on him was unfriendly.

“I know what you’re after,” Rampart said. “I can either give you what you want or keep you in the dark.”

“You’re not in charge here,” Sarah answered.

“Oh, but I believe I am,” Rampart threatened, pacing closer to her. “To be in here, you had to be thoroughly searched. You have no weapons on you, and using your abilities will give away your identity. Your hands may as well be tied behind your back.”

Rampart stopped just in front of her, towering over Sarah with an arrogant look plaguing his features. Rather than intimidation, Sarah felt impatience, and she wasn’t willing to continue stalling.

“Where is he?” Sarah spat.

Rampart raised his brows, shocked that she would get there so fast, and he laughed. “You do amaze me with your one track mind. Of course, it comes as no surprise to me, not after the last time you went to Kamino. All the time you and CT-9904 spent locked inside his private quarters… I’d have reprimanded both of you sooner had I not liked what I heard. Not to mention, what I saw.”

Sarah’s eyes widened, disgusted at his implications. “You saw nothing.”

“My senior commanders are under constant surveillance,” Rampart said. “I saw it all.”

She bared her teeth at him.

“I came close to making a proposition of my own,” Rampart continued as he came even closer to Sarah. “You two were having all the fun. Perhaps my involvement may have swayed my opinions in favor of the clones.”

“You disgusting son of a—”

“Watch your language, dear, it’s not appropriate coming from a handmaiden,” Rampart sneered.

“Quit playing around!” Sarah shoved Rampart enough to make him tumble a couple steps back, much to his surprise. “Tell me where he is.”

Rampart dusted himself off and regained his composure, and all hints of teasing and desire left him. “I’d pretend your terrible behavior would drive me to take it out on him, but the mere confirmation of you being alive is enough.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Sarah growled.

Rampart smirked. “He told me you were dead.”

Sarah’s features momentarily softened, but with every second that passed and every word that came out of Rampart, any fear Sarah felt morphed into anger boiling through her veins.

“And it’s no surprise why,” Rampart continued. “I simply expected better, though perhaps one could not blame him. An error in judgment as grave as that one is bound to happen after thirty-two rotations stranded in a platform on Kamino. Regardless, lying to a commanding officer is still a grave offense.”

“Thirty two?!” Sarah stomped toward him. “You left him there for thirty-two rotations?!”

“Why do you yell at me?” Rampart said calmly. “You left him there for good.”

“That’s not true!”

“I was overseeing my official imperial duties, I couldn’t be taken away from my post to scan the ruins of Tipoca City. And he tried to cover up for you even after that,” Rampart mused. “Ah, what a tragedy. It almost makes it pitiful that I’ll have to enforce the consequences now that his lie has been uncovered—”

Rampart abruptly stopped talking to clear his throat, and he coughed in an attempt to talk again, suddenly feeling himself unable to breathe. His once confident gaze widened in fear, and he looked at Sarah again to see her holding her hand up in front of her, with her palm facing up and her fingers tensed like claws. She stared at him viciously, mercilessly, and all around him, Rampart could hear a low rumble as he made a futile attempt to free himself from the invisible strain over his throat. Sarah watched unwaveringly as Rampart squirmed, guiltless after all the trash and the threats he’d spat her way. She felt the power coursing through her, the hate and the anger rising within her as she walked closer to him and Rampart attempted to crawl away.

“If I let you live, you won’t lay even a finger on Crosshair,” Sarah snarled. “You will tell me where he is. Now!”

“I-” Rampart struggled. “I don’t know where he is!”

“You lie!” Sarah growled, pressing harder.

“He was reassigned to a lieutenant by the name Nolan!” Rampart cried. “I haven’t known his whereabouts for months, I swear!”

Sarah didn’t relent.

“Please!” Rampart begged. “You need me alive!”

Only then did Sarah release Rampart from her grip. He dropped to the ground coughing and clutching his chest, looking up at her in fear with a hint of anger. Sarah walked up to him, equally unamused with him.

“Where is this Nolan?” Sarah asked him.

Rampart didn’t respond. Sarah held her hand out again without power, only as a threat.

“I can still do this,” she said.

“I don’t know where he is now,” Rampart flinched. “He’s on a series of missions along several imperial outposts. CT-9904 was reassigned months back, his records are no longer under my possession.”

“You’ll get me those records,” Sarah ordered.

Rampart scoffed. “What makes you think I’ll do that?”

“If you get them to me, I’ll sway Senator Chuchi to vote in favor of your bill,” Sarah said.

Rampart raised an eyebrow. “That could take days. The vote is tomorrow. You’ll need to sway her before.”

“Not a chance, I don’t trust you enough,” Sarah said.

“I don’t trust you either,” Rampart snarled. “I think you’re just an infatuated girl angry at the world because she can’t have her little toy with her. Perhaps if you’d had any sort of experience with a real man—”

Sarah wouldn’t listen to any more. She had just begun to raise her hand, but anger blinded her from her surroundings, and Rampart was quicker to react. From his belt, he took a taser, one like Sarah had never seen before, and all it took was one tap of the electric tip to paralyze Sarah’s entire body, sending her plummeting to the ground squirming in pain and whimpering helplessly. The taser didn’t render her unconscious, but she was still unable to move, unable to do anything to defend herself.

“You almost had me there,” Rampart mocked. “Too bad you’re simply too weak.”

Sarah groaned at him, wishing she could at least muster the strength to reach out and scratch him, smack him, punch that disgusting face of his, but she couldn’t. She couldn’t do anything.

“You made a mistake crossing me. Have fun with the Coruscant guard. They’ll most likely take you to the Emperor himself once I tell them what your crimes are,” Rampart replied. “And don’t even think about looking for your little clone while you’re on the inside, you have my word that your precious CT-9904 will face the firing squad.”

Sarah growled. She strained and struggled, unable even to yell at Rampart as he made his way outside of the room while Sarah lay there helpless. She wanted to believe, with every fiber of her body, that Rampart had just been spewing empty threats. She wanted to believe she hadn’t just sealed her fate as well as Crosshair’s, that she hadn’t just failed miserably and cost herself and her family far too much for anyone’s good. And as the fear coursed through every corner of Sarah’s being, all she was able to do was weep in desperation.

Hours passed as she lay there, alone and in the dark. The only good that could have possibly come of it was that no Coruscant guards arrived to take her away, but she was still sulking in her terror and her misery. Sarah tried to move her body to no avail; each time, pain shot through her limbs. But she couldn’t risk wasting precious time. Every second she spent there, Rampart could have already given the order against Crosshair.

Sarah put the fear of pain aside. The fear of losing Crosshair for good was far too great for her to care about anything else. And so, she pushed through it, straining her arm towards the belt of her gown and reaching for her hidden comm, crying through the pain until she finally brought the comm up to her lips and dialed Tech’s frequency.

“Sarah?” Tech’s modulated voice came in through the comm. “What is going on? Are you alright?”

“Tech…” Sarah whimpered. “Tech, you need to come help me. Please.”

“Where are you?” Tech asked her. “Are you not with Omega? She just received the command log.”

“No, I’m in a room somewhere in the senate building,” Sarah replied. “I can’t move.”

“Are you hurt? Sarah?”

“I—” Sarah hiccuped, stifling a sob. “I was tased, I can’t move!”

“Sarah, be patient, Omega’s on her way to you,” Tech assured. “I will infiltrate the senate—”

“No, it’s too dangerous!” Sarah cried. “Tech, I… I messed up.”

“Sarah, you’re going to be alright,” Tech comforted her through the comm.

In full force, Sarah began to wail.

“I just did something terrible!” She kept crying. “I think I just put Crosshair in danger!”

“Sarah, please breathe,” Tech told her. “What do you mean?”

“Sarah?” Echo’s voice came in through the comm. “I need you to calm down, and I need you to explain.”

“I tried to get information from him, from Rampart,” Sarah sobbed. “But it backfired, and he threatened him! He threatened Crosshair!”

For a brief moment, there was silence through the comm, but soon enough, she heard Tech’s voice comforting her again.

“Rampart is currently busy with his bill’s vote,” Tech explained. “If we lay out the facts, we know that he has no access to Crosshair at the moment, and once the truth about Kamino is exposed, he will be rendered a criminal. No one will be taking orders from him, nor will he have the autonomy to execute his own plans.”

“Crosshair’s going to be fine, Sarah,” Echo said through the comm. “You just wait for Omega to go get you. She’ll come through. Once we’re all back together we’ll figure something out.”

“Hang in there, darling,” Tech said. “We’ll be together soon.”

At that moment, the door to the room Sarah was laying in opened, and she felt three different pairs of feet approaching her. She thought she was done for, and that the Coruscant guard had finally made it to her, that she was going to be taken prisoner most likely to suffer a fate worse than just being in a cell, but the fear began to fade when a soft, small hand placed itself on Sarah’s shoulder.

“Sarah!” It was Omega who cried out and gently helped shift Sarah to look up. She was accompanied by two of Riyo’s bodyguards, and one of them had a first aid kid from where he retrieved a vial. He injected the liquid just behind Sarah’s hip, and though the sting of the needle did little to relieve Sarah, she felt the antidote spreading through her body and the mobility slowly returning. Not long after, she was finally able to relax, and her eyes drifted toward a worried Omega, who gently stroked Sarah’s hair.

“What happened?” Sarah asked. “Are you okay?”

Omega nodded, and a little tear slid down her cheek. “I’m okay. Are you?”

Sarah began to sniffle again as the two bodyguards helped her stand up, and as she panted, Sarah reached to clutch Omega’s shoulders.

“What happened? Where’s Riyo? Did you get the command log?” Sarah inquired.

“Yes,” Omega said. “And, well… Rampart was arrested.”

Sarah couldn’t help but feel relief, but the fact remained that his arrest didn’t mean he didn’t give the order before.

“So, the senate knows that Tipoca City was destroyed intentionally?” Sarah asked.

Omega nodded, but she reflected no sense of victory. “Yes, but… There were clones on that Venator, clones serving the Empire when it happened. It gave them leverage.”

“How?”

“The clone rights bill failed,” Omega looked at the ground as she spoke. “And the senate voted almost unanimously for stormtroopers.”

Sarah’s heart sank. Even in their success, they’d been faced with a surprise failure.

“Let’s get you out of here,” Omega said softly. “Tech contacted me while he was with you.”

Sarah nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, let’s go.”

As Riyo and Rex were filling the squad in on the outcome of the voting, Sarah sat silently in the Marauder. Her legs were pressed tight together and she held her hands over her thighs, and she was slightly hunched over in her posture, her eyes vacantly staring at a point on the ground. She’d let her hair down and removed the contacts from her eyes, and she constantly found herself looking at whatever reflecting surface she could just to make sure they were still their natural blue and pink starry hues.

Despite her evidently having tapped into her inner darkness, her ill premonition from the caves hadn’t yet come true. Sarah knew she had to be more careful. And as she continued to ponder on how easily she’d slipped into such an extreme, she felt her chest going cold and her head getting heavy, with her hands subtly beginning to shake.

Sarah straightened up when she heard someone climbing up the Marauder’s platform, and she sighed softly when she saw that it was Echo. Her features dropped at the sight of him.

“If you need me to stay, I will,” Echo told her. “But I’m telling you, I’m sure Crosshair’s going to be fine.”

Sarah got up from the chair and walked over to him. “I truly hope you’re right, Echo. And as much as I do want you to stay, I don’t want to stand in the way of your path.”

With a sad smile, Echo thanked her silently.

“How did Omega take it?” Sarah asked him.

“She’s upset, as we all expected,” Echo answered.

Sarah nodded slowly, and she inhaled sharply as a small realization made its way into her mind. “Actually… here, I want to show you something.”

Sarah went to the back of the ship and searched around the Firepuncher’s pack for the little hard drive she’d kept close to her for a while now. Never having found the ideal moment to sit down and watch its contents, Sarah knew that it was either now or an indefinite wait. She made her way back to Echo with the drive and she plugged it into one of the computers, selecting the first file on it.

“What is this?” Echo asked her.

“AZI gave me this,” Sarah said. “He said I’d want to see it because of who’s in the recording and, well… I think you’ll want to see this too.”

Sarah pressed play and, on the screen, the vivid image of a long lost loved one appeared. He was tall and handsome, smiling with the most charisma any living being could have, and he looked like the perfect soldier in his white, blue, and gray ARC trooper armor. He was staring right at the camera, chuckling just before standing up from where he was sitting.

“I’m telling you, she’s freaking amazing,” Fives said in the recording. “She’s got these cool markings over her face and her eyes look like galaxies. You’ll know her when you see her, you can’t miss her.”

“And is her name also a word play on a number?” AZI’s voice filled the recording. “Like yours, Fives?”

Fives chuckled. “No, no, her name’s much prettier. Her name’s Sarah.”

Sarah felt herself tearing up at the recording, but she wouldn’t bring herself to regret watching it. It was simply painful to see Fives so happy and to remember how she’d lost him, and inevitably, the fear began to creep into her heart again at the thought of losing Crosshair in a similar way.

“Oh, she’s coming!” Fives said in the recording. “Hey, were you filming this entire time?”

And the recording ended, taking them back to the file select among several other videos in the drive. Sarah and Echo stood for a moment in silence, each one smiling sadly and pondering on the past.

“Fives started this,” Echo broke the silence. “He discovered the inhibitor chips. I owe it to him to continue his legacy.”

Sarah nodded and looked at Echo through teary eyes. “He’d be so proud of you, you know that?”

Echo chuckled sadly. “Sarah, you’re gonna make me cry.”

Echo and Sarah faced each other and held hands, and Echo looked at her in the eyes with a gentle gaze.

“I’m not gone forever, alright?” Echo said. “You have my frequency and I’ll be there if you ever need me. That’s a promise.”

Sarah sniffled as the tears rolled down her cheeks. “We are too.”

The two pulled each other into a tight embrace, holding one another as if they’d never let go.

“You go and find him,” Echo suddenly whispered. “You find him and you bring him back.”

Sarah pulled apart from the hug enough to look at Echo. “Who?”

Echo gave her a jokingly disappointed look. “Jabba the Hutt. What do you mean, who?”

Sarah chuckled through her tears. “I thought…”

“He’s our brother and he’s been controlled and manipulated, much like that clone assassin, and every one of our brothers within imperial ranks,” Echo said. “He deserves his freedom as much as any one of us do. I’m gonna fight for all of us, Sarah. For Fives, for Cody, for Hevy, for Cutup, Droidbait, 99, everyone. Including Crosshair. But… something tells me you’ll see him before I do.”

Before Sarah openly wept, she threw her arms around Echo and held him tighter than ever. She sobbed into his armor, wishing time could stay still and she wouldn’t have to let go of another person she loved. But she couldn’t stay in that moment, and instead, she pulled apart to look at Echo in the eyes, and she willed her tears to stop for long enough to speak to him.

“I’m proud of you, Echo,” Sarah said. “We all are.”

Echo smiled at her. The two leaned in close and their foreheads rested on one another for a brief yet timeless moment, and after that, Echo walked down the Marauder’s platform. When Sarah was alone again, she browsed the files to keep her mind occupied, and she was doing alright until she stumbled upon one that sparked her distress all over again when she saw the identifying number.

CT-9904.

In a heartbeat, Sarah opened it. The recording wasn’t a heartwarming as Fives’ had; it was a silent recording of Crosshair sitting up on a bed in what appeared to be the Kaminoan medical facility. The recording had been taken before Bracca, as she could tell from his missing scar and his full head of silver hair; he’d been stripped of his armor and was merely in his blacks, and as he sat up, he looked tired, unwilling, unhappy. In silence, Crosshair had looked directly at AZI as he recorded him and spoke a few instructions to him, but while AZI talked, Crosshair remained with the same lack of spirit in his features.

Sarah felt as if he was staring directly at her, and she felt her inside world begin to crumble. She should have fought harder to remain at his side, she should never have parted from him. She should have done a better job keeping him safe, and now, there was no telling what was going to happen to him. She thought of Echo’s words, his encouragement to find Crosshair and bring him home, but what good would that do to either one of them if Rampart’s threat went through?

“I think he’ll be fine.”

Sarah flinched when she heard Hunter’s voice filling the Marauder, and she quickly stumbled to pause the recording. Hunter walked inside slowly, inevitably looking at the image of Crosshair on the screen, and when he looked back at Sarah, he held out Tech’s datapad for her.

“Senatorial logs,” Hunter continued. “They apparently have this system in the hallways where they monitor movements and record where their more important staff goes. According to these logs, after Rampart left you in the room, he returned to the senatorial chamber. He was never accompanied by any subordinates, nor did he send out any executive orders, communications, or similar, all the way up to his arrest. Everything he said, everyone he interacted with, is documented here.”

Sarah took the datapad and observed the heavily logged datasheet before looking back up at Hunter.

“This means…” Sarah trailed off.

“Rampart didn’t give the order,” Hunter gazed heavily at Sarah despite his comforting words. “He was arrested before he could.”

Sarah sighed sharply and she sat back on her chair, panting as she assimilated the facts.

“He’s safe,” Sarah whimpered just before looking up at Hunter again. “How did Tech find this?”

“He didn’t,” Hunter said. “I did.”

Sarah’s eyes widened slightly at such an unexpected revelation.

“I know how to hack a few things myself,” Hunter added as his features softened, though he still seemed mildly upset. “I just knew it would eat you inside. I heard how worried you were. I could feel it. And you’ve been through enough already.”

Sarah’s features softened as she clutched the datapad close. “Thank you.”

Hunter gave a soft smile at her before turning around and heading into the cockpit, and shortly after, the rest of the squad followed. The last one up was Omega, probably having lingered behind to say another goodbye to Echo. When she was on the ship and the platform closed behind her, she scanned the ship with her eyes until she found Sarah, and when Sarah looked at her, she opened her arms, inviting her in as her own eyes filled with tears again. Omega ran up to her and threw her arms around her, sniffling into her shoulder, and the two remained as such as the Marauder took off from Coruscant.

For the entire duration of the trip, Sarah and Omega remained close to one another, until they both eventually drifted off to sleep where the recent events couldn’t haunt them.

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