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stellarbit · 1 month

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Shifting Loyalties

No warnings. 2.3k words

You're a dropout Jedi who left with Echo to join the Bad Batch. You and The Batch are assigned to work with the 501st. The Batch get a bit spicy about how friendly you are with the regs.

Inspired by physical touch by @queenariesofnarnia :') it's perfect

First attempt at the boys but bro I had so much fun with this. I'm definitely going to be doin more cause it gave me ideas for days. Enjoyyyyy

The Marauder's landing ramp wasn't halfway extended, and your foot tapped with anticipation. Spotting the 501st squadron as you descended, they stood in a group, not in formation, eagerly awaiting your arrival. Working with the Bad Batch was a thrill, but you couldn't deny missing your first squad.

When Echo departed, Hunter extended you the same offer to join the Bad Batch. As a Jedi dropout, you no longer belonged on Coruscant or in the Order. Your path diverged, but that didn't mean you didn't occasionally yearn for your old teammates.

Before it was fully safe to exit, you hurled yourself out of the ship, dashing toward the awaiting clones. The Batch were momentarily stunned; even Tech tore his eyes away from his datapad at your sudden outburst.

"Shorty!" Fives exclaimed as you barrelled into his arms, spinning you around before settling you among your old squad.

"Shorty?" Crosshair sneered, visibly annoyed by what he was seeing. You darted between the regs, embracing each one, sometimes two at a time.

You meshed well with the Batch, but they weren't the touchy-feely type. Consequently, you lacked the courage to breach physical boundaries, especially considering how often you seemed to get under their skin. After your fallout with the Order, you couldn't risk facing any more rejection.

As the Batch followed after you, Wrecker swiveled his head toward his brothers, clearly confused. "Wha- what's going on?" He scratched his head, gesturing in your direction. "What's all that about?" He referred to your playful antics with the group of regs, laughing and roughhousing like a child.

You weren't cold toward them; in fact, you engaged in comfortable teasing. However, you maintained a professional distance, refraining from physical contact, let alone running into their arms.

Echo shrugged, a smile playing on his lips as he reminisced about his former life. "She's just saying hi," he explained. "She served with the 501st for a long time, even before I was taken to Skako Minor." Nostalgia washed over him at the sight of you standing with his 501st brothers - just like old times.

Hunter blinked in astonishment. "That's normal for her?" He had never witnessed you so carefree and jovial before.

Tech tucked his datapad away, adjusting his goggles as he observed the scene. "By their reactions, this doesn't seem abnormal for her. Why this is the first time we're witnessing it, I'm uncertain." He turned to Echo. "Have you seen this behavior before?"

"Sure, but you're all overthinking it," Echo replied, realizing the tension building among his brothers. "She's just comfortable with them." He regretted the last sentence immediately, sensing their egos regarding regular clones turning this joyful reunion into an unspoken competition.

"If she's so comfortable with them," Crosshair spat, "Maybe she should go back to her precious regs." It was exactly the response Echo feared.

The group watched as you responded to Jesse's teasing with a flirtatious elbow, then stumbled slightly into Rex, who steadied you with a hand on your shoulder.

"It's good to see you. Keeping Echo out of trouble?" Rex smiled down at you, then glanced at Echo standing among the Batch. His smile faded upon noticing Clone Force 99 in various stages of glowering. He patted your shoulder. "Uh… why don't you find General Skywalker while I brief the rest of your squad?"

Without a glance back at the Batch, you followed the order. Anakin briefed you on the mission before easing into conversation. "How are you holding up?" He leaned against a crate of supplies.

"It was hard at first, but I feel…" You paused, feeling a warmth spreading over your chest, grateful it rarely reached your cheeks. "At home with the Batch." You couldn't suppress the smile the thought of the Batch brought you. They made your life exciting, and you felt safe fighting alongside them.

Anakin hadn't missed the looks Clone Force 99 threw your way, especially the nastier ones aimed at the clones you hugged. "I'm glad to hear that, Short Stuff." When Hunter and Wrecker glanced over at the two of you with something like disdain, Anakin smirked. Oh, this is too easy. He leaned down just enough so that your face eclipsed his, just out of sight of the Batchers. "Though, it looks like your new crew isn't too happy with you."

You jerked back, incredulous. "Excuse me?" By the time you whipped around, the Batch were already to the Marauder. Everything seemed normal. You shoved Anakin back. "Kriff off, Skywalker."

Anakin raised his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. Anyway, it looks like it's time for you to rejoin your squad. Good luck."

"Pfft, good luck?" You pulled a face and cracked your neck. "I don't need luck on missions." You may have missed the Jedi General, but you did not miss his arrogant humor.

Anakin smirked as you headed back out and out of earshot. "It wasn't for the mission."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Inside the ship, the atmosphere shifted when you returned. Hunter, Wrecker, Crosshair, Tech, and Echo were scattered about on various tasks, their sudden silence and exchanged glances going unnoticed by you as you busied yourself with pulling out sleeping supplies. There was no way you were missing a chance to sleep off the ship.

Sat cleaning his gun, Crosshair’s eyes bore into your back. It didn’t take Hunter’s senses for you to feel his glare. Still packing, you said over your shoulder, “What is it, Crosshair?”

“Oh, nothing,” Crosshair sneered, leaning forward. “Just didn’t realize you missed your regs so much.”

“And why wouldn’t I miss them?” You snorted, not realizing that earned you an even nastier look from the white-haired clone. “Some people have friends, Crosshair. What’s wrong with that?”

Raising an eyebrow, you turned to face him, a smirk playing on your lips. "And what's wrong with that? Some of us actually have friends, you know."

Tech, engrossed in a control panel, interjected, "He's not questioning your friendships. He's just pointing out the obvious preference you seem to have for your old squadmates."

Your hands stilled, and you turned to face them, sensing an underlying tension in the air. "What's going on here?"

Wrecker shuffled awkwardly, his expression troubled. "We just thought you were happier with us."

"I am happy!" you exclaimed. "But it's natural to be excited to see old friends, isn't it?"

When Wrecker’s defeated look didn’t change you looked to Hunter, the sensible brother, for relief. Instead, he had his arms crossed and eyes fixed away from you.

They can’t be serious. You started to turn to Echo when Crosshair abruptly got up, setting his gun aside, and loomed over you within a second.

“Don’t look at Echo to save you,” Crosshair growled, his voice low and menacing. As Crosshair rose from his seat, his eyes narrowed at you. "You seem a little too cozy with them for just 'old friends.'" You tried to step away, but found yourself backed against the counter behind you.

“Cross,” Hunter warned, but his brother didn’t heed the caution, slamming a hand on the shelf a few inches from your face.

The close proximity allowed you to catch Crosshair's scent—gun oil and mint—a combination you'd never been so close to before. It left you breathless, barely able to formulate a response. Crosshair raked his eyes over you as he idly lolled a toothpick around his mouth. He leaned in close. “Why so shy now, Shorty?” he taunted, his voice dropping even lower.

Despite the shiver you felt at the nickname rolling off Crosshair’s tongue, ignored the jibe. “What’s your problem with ‘Shorty’?” you bit back, unwilling to back down.

Tech swiftly wedged himself between you and Crosshair, his tone firm but diplomatic. "Let's not act like children here." Placing a hand on your chest and the other on Crosshair's shoulder, he continued, "Although 'Shorty' might not be the most accurate nickname. If you prefer something else-"

His voice trailed off as he noticed the flush creeping up your chest and spreading to your cheeks and ears. Tech's wide eyes darted between your face and his hand, realizing the unintended intimacy of his touch. "Oh," he stammered, but didn’t pull back his hand. "I-I apologize."

Feeling the weight of their collective stares, you squirmed uncomfortably, yearning for some space to breathe. Tech's touch, coupled with Crosshair's taunting sent a flurry of conflicting emotions coursing through you, rendering you speechless. It seemed like every part of you was reacting, including that one lower part that seemed to have a mind of its own.

Before the tension could escalate further, Echo chimed in with an observation. "Well, I've never seen that before."

Returning to reality, you brushed Tech's hand away and swiftly grabbed your sleeping gear, attempting to regain your composure. "You're all acting like a bunch of-"

"It looks like our sarad is finally blossoming," Crosshair mocked, his voice laced with amusement.

Unable to take another word from him, you shoved past Tech to lunge on Crosshair, whose scowl was now a shit eating smirk. “I’ll wipe that smug-”

Hunter jumped in to hold you back. “Back off, Cross.” You were still grabbing for Crosshair when Hunter’s firm grip on your waist registered with you. You stiffened as Hunter detangled your arms from his shoulder and pulled you aside. He turned to you and surprised you by gently cupped your cheek. “Listen, we’re not trying to upset you.”

You were too aware of all the places your bodies had just touched - where his hands had been. It was all too much and with his hand on your face you simply couldn’t move.

The unexpected closeness and the warmth of his touch left you momentarily stunned, struggling to process the flood of sensations. With an effort to maintain your composure, you pulled away from Hunter's touch, grabbing your gear tightly. But before you could make your escape, Wrecker wrapped you in his arms and wrung you off your feet. “Aw, don’t be mad, we were just worried!” All you could focus on was the size of his hands and how nice his arms felt. When he dropped you, you just stood hunched over with a death grip on your sleeping pack.

The way you just stood at the mouth of the ship wide eyed and huffing, you probably looked like a deranged blurg. You felt deranged. In mere minutes you’d gone from composed to weak kneed simply from a few touches and teases. Being the center of their attention in those minutes had lit something in you that was quickly getting out of control. You still couldn’t manage words when you took off down the Marauder’s ramp.

At once Hunter, Wrecker, Crosshair, and Tech looked back at Echo. Echo echoed the collective astonishment, his tone tinged with bewilderment. "I've never seen her act like that before."

Tech, ever the analyzer, observed the physical signs of your distress with keen interest. He looked down at the hand he'd placed on your chest. "Her heart rate and temperature were elevated," he noted, his analytical nature kicking in. "Her coloring was..." He paused, searching for the right word, "...unexpectedly vibrant." Tech was quick to record his observations, whether mentally or digitally, finding your behavior to be a fascinating new discovery.

"Intriguing," Tech mused, adjusting his glasses with a confident shrug. "Her conduct with us doesn't align with her interactions with her former squadron. This divergence suggests a remarkably positive correlation." His conclusion was delivered with a note of excitement, indicative of his realization of the significance of your reaction. "And I am seldom wrong."

Each member of the Bad Batch absorbed Tech's assessment in their own way, contemplating the implications of your behavior.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When it was time to part ways with the 501st, you made your good-byes. The Batch weren’t much for good-byes, aside from Echo giving an extra farewell to Rex, they watched on from the mouth of the Marauder. You didn’t know when, or if, you’d see them again so you were saying good-bye to each clone.

Jesse sauntered over to the Batch as you engaged in one last round of roughhousing with Fives. He glanced at you, then at the Batch. An obvious jab that didn't fail to elicit a snarl from Crosshair. “Looks like she's clinging to her ‘regs’ a bit too tightly,” he remarked, his tone laced with thinly veiled mockery. Crosshair's lip curled in response, a silent warning brewing beneath his steely exterior. “Maybe it's time she remembers where she belongs.”

“Ay! Sarad!” Wrecker’s voice boomed out suddenly, your head immediately snapping to attention. “You comin’ or what?”

Tech, with a slight adjustment to his goggles, couldn't help but notice the telltale signs of your embarrassment—the faint flush creeping up your cheeks, the nervous smile that flickered across your lips. It was a sight that stirred something in his usually analytical mind. “Looks like she's right where she belongs,” he remarked softly, a rare hint of sentimentality in his tone.

Jesse let out a huff of resignation. “I suppose so. Just make sure you take care of her,” he muttered before slipping away.

As Wrecker slung his arm around your shoulders, nearly toppling you over, you hesitated for a moment. But instead of pulling away, you returned the gesture with a small hip bump, a silent olive branch. This is really going to take some getting used to.

Hunter, helmet tucked under his arm, stepped forward. “If you ever decide you want to go back to the 501st... we'd understand,” he offered, his tone tinged with sincerity.

You shook your head with a laugh, stepping out of Wrecker’s embrace. Playfully knocking an elbow into Hunter’s side, you grinned. “You think I’d trade you guys for the 501st? Not a chance,” you replied, your words carrying a hint of affection.

“Oh, spare us the sentimentality,” Crosshair interjected dryly, though the faint twitch of his lip betrayed a hint of amusement.

As you stood among the Batch, you laughed to yourself. This is going to be fun.

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notgonnaedit · 9 days

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Healer's Hands

Chapter 8: A Distant Echo

Master list

Back at the Republic base on Anaxes, Hunter, Althea, Rex, and Jedi General Anakin Skywalker discussed their new mission. The plan was to travel to Skako Minor, and find the live signal emitting from the capitol, Purkoll. "Word is the general staff isn't completely behind this mission." Said Hunter.

"I admit the idea of Echo being alive is still a long shot." Rex said.

General Skywalker folded his arms in a relaxed way. "I'm sure the Council will approve the mission. Just remember the primary goal is to learn how the Separatists are predicting our strategy, whether it's Echo behind it or not."

Hunter hummed in thought. "Well, if you want my opinion, sounds like a trap, but me and the boys will tag along anyway, if only to say 'I told you so'." He smiled at the end, Althea doing the same. Sure, they were a rough bunch, but they still meant well.

Skywalker nodded. "Just make sure you're ready if we get the go-ahead from General Kenobi."

"If you're certain he'll approve the mission, why wait?" Rex asked with vigor. "Let's get going."

Skywalker gave him a look. "First, we have that 'thing' to do."

"Uh, what thing?" Rex asked.

"You know."

Rex glanced at Hunter and Althea. "We don't have time for that, sir."

Skywalker raised an eyebrow. "Yes, we do."

Althea and Hunter shared a look. "Well, we'll just let you two sort this out." The sergeant said backing away. "We'll be waiting on the ship with the rest of the team." They walked away toward the Marauder, both confused as to what they just witnessed.

"Regs are weird." Althea said. "And the Jedi too."

Hunter chuckled. "Now you're getting it, kiddo."

"I've gotten it for a long time." Althea retorted. "I just haven't seen it as much as you have." She bumped him lightly as they walked. Hunter chuckled again and ruffled her hair. It wasn't uncommon among clones to show physical affection, but for the Bad Batch it was their main form of communication. More could be said with a simple nod than with a speech. There were often days on the Marauder when no one uttered a word, but everyone understood each other. It was one of Althea's favorite part of the squad, though it did take some getting used to at first. But now, the young medic was a master at deciphering the difference between Wrecker's playful and angry shoves, or Hunter's stares of either judgement or being "in the zone".

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

Aboard the Havoc Marauder, the Bad Batch, Rex, and General Skywalker prepared for their mission. Tech piloted the ship calmly, while Wrecker lifted their gonk droid, Gonky, and ate some sort of avian wing. Skywalker inspected Crosshair's rifle, with careful supervision by the sniper. Althea prepped her med bag, and Hunter tapped at the controls of one of the monitors. "So," General Skywalker said as he handed Crosshair back his rifle. "How many missions has your team been on, Sergeant?"

Hunter leaned against the wall of the ship. "Honestly, sir, I've lost count. All the action sort of blurs together."

"I know you work with Cody sometimes," Said Rex. "But who do you guys report to?"

Hunter rubbed his chin. "Hmm...good question. Can't say I've got an answer."

Wrecker took a bite out of his food. "Yeah!"

Suddenly, the ship shuddered and everyone aboard fumbled to find their balance. "We are approaching Skako Minor." Tech said from the cockpit. "It looks to be a difficult landing."

An alarm started to go off, and Wrecker set down Gonky to help Tech land. The rest of them buckled down in the crash seats, strapping themselves tightly as to not be thrown around. Luckily, Tech was an incredible pilot and landed them safely on the surface of Skako Minor.

The team moved to the cockpit to see where they were, but all that was visible was clouds of yellow dust. "Rex, what do we know about this place?" Skywalker asked his captain.

Rex looked out the windows. "On this part of Skako, there's a race of locals, the Poletecs. All we know is they're very primitive."

"Primitive is being kind." Tech added.

Althea shook her head. "Tech, you said my people were primitive. You have a very low bar for what primitive is."

Tech shrugged. "My intel says the Poletecs worship flying reptiles."

That's fair. Althea thought. Then suddenly, a creature landed on the ship, screeching and moving out of their sight. Wrecker leaned forward to try and see it. "Oh! What the heck was that?!"

"It's one of those reptiles." Said Tech.

"I want that thing off my ship." Hunter growled. He slipped his helmet on and moved to go outside, but Rex tried to stop him.

"Hold on! Hold on! Don't just run out there."

They didn't listen. The Bad Batch ran out, Rex and Skywalker on their heels. On the Marauder was a reptile with large wings. Atop that, was what seemed to be a Poletec glaring down at them. "Hey!" Wrecker yelled at him. "Get off of there!"

"Hey, calm down." Skywalker said, despite the lightsaber in his had. "We need to talk to them."

"Why?" Hunter asked. He really hated it when something messed with his ship.

"The General's right." Said Rex.

Then, out of left field came three more of the creatures with Poletecs on their backs. "Look out, Rex!" Skywalker shoved Rex out of the way as the creatures made their pass. They swooped around again, this time grabbing the General and flying away with him. The others shot at them, but they were to far.

Tech lowered his visor. "I have a thermal reading." He pointed to where the Poletecs took Skywalker. "Point-2-5 east, elevation 175."

Crosshair changed the barrel of his rifle. "Relax. I'll handle this." He rested the barrel on Tech's shoulder for more stability, then shot a cable. He handed Hunter the end of the cable.

"What are you doing?" Asked Rex.

Hunter clipped the end to his waist. "Going for a ride." And with that, the creature pulled him away. Althea rolled her eyes. Of course Hunter would take off like that. It was only earlier that Crosshair said that he couldn't do something like that. It wasn't too long before Hunter checked in. "Tech, I'm with the General. Hone in on my signal."

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

Tech landed the Marauder not far from Hunter. The sergeant was crouched on the ridge observing the Poletecs. The others ran up to him, blasters ready. "That creature still has a hold of the General." He said.

Rex nodded. "We're going in, but remember what the General said. No casualties, disarm only."

"We're on it, Captain." Hunter turned to his squad. "Wrecker, Crosshair, rockslide!" He, Tech, Althea, and Rex slid down the slope, blasting the weapons the Poletecs held. Crosshair shot the creature's leg, freeing General Skywalker while Wrecker shoved a boulder down, dispersing the Poletecs. One of them who seemed to be the leader walked up to them and spoke in his native tongue.

"Tech, translate what he said." Hunter ordered.

Tech pulled down his visor. He used the audio of the Poletecs to translate to galactic basic. "He's says he does not want our war on his planet. That is why he took our leader."

Skywalker's eyes softened. "We didn't bring the war here. It was Wat Tambor and the Separatists."

Tech translated, and the leader seemed to be less hostile. Rex took a step forward. "Tell him we apologize for what's happened. But tell him the enemy is holding one of our men prisoner in Purkoll. As soon as we rescue him, we'll leave his planet for good."

The chief leaned down and looked at Tech closely. Probably out of curiosity. He then turned to Anakin and spoke, which Tech translated again. "The chief says he will provide us with scouts and lead us to Tambor's city. From there, we're on our own."

"Any help is better than no help." Said Skywalker with a small smile.

A little while later, the team was led up a jagged mountain by two scouts. When they reached the cliffside summit, they pointed to the city in the murky distance before leaving. "Hope nobody's scared if heights." Skywalker said.

The entirety of the Bad Batch turned to Wrecker. "Well, I'm not scared of nothing." Said the demo man. "I just... When I'm up real high, I got a problem with gravity." Everyone knew that Wrecker was terrified of heights, but they let it slide so he could save face.

Tech tapped his gauntlet, a special part of his armor with technology inside. "Speaking of problems, I am no longer picking up Echo's signal."

Rex turned to him. "I...I don't understand. "You said it was coming from this city."

"I can only speculate, but it is possible there's a latency issue with the frequency caused by all these atmospheric disturbances." Tech took it his datapad and walked away in search of a better signal.

"Or...maybe they sent the signal to lure us into a trap." Hunter suggested. "And maybe your friend's actually dead."

Althea looked up at him in disgust. And though only the upper part of her face was shown, it was clear how she felt. Hunter looked at her. "Well, I can't be the only one thinking of that."

Althea scoffed as Rex tried to explain. "Look, every mission could be a trap. This one is no different. I'm telling you that signal is being sent by Echo himself! He's alive!"

Althea felt a pang of sympathy. She knew exactly how Rex felt. But Crosshair wasn't as kind. "I think your letting your personal feelings get in the way because you left him for dead at the Citadel."

"I had no choice. You hear me?" It was clear Rex was losing his temper.

"Oh, I don't blame you." The sniper said as he turned away. "I would've left him for dead too. Besides, he's just another reg."

That was the last straw. Althea would've punched him right there is Rex hadn't beaten her too it. Wrecker grabbed the captain by the throat. "Hey! Why don't you pick on someone not your size?" He threw him to the ground, but Rex got right back up.

He made himself as tall as he could and got in Wrecker's face. "You'll be a whole lot smaller when I'm through with you."

"That's enough!" General Skywalker ordered. He turned to Hunter. "Sergeant, take your men and scout the area for a tower entrance. I want to talk to my Captain alone."

The Bad Batch walked down the mountain away from the 501st soldiers. Althea was fuming with rage the whole way down. When they reached the bottom, Crosshair took off his helmet and rubbed his jaw. Rex threw a strong punch that even a helmet couldn't save you from. But Althea didn't care about the sniper's well being now. She punched him square in the jaw with all her strength.

Crosshair stumbled back and Hunter grabbed her shoulders. "Althea!"

The medic shook him off and turned back to Crosshair. "What the hell was that?!" She asked. Not even giving them a chance to answer, she turned to all of them, meeting each one of their uncovered faces. "Rex has a chance to find his friend that he thought was dead for a long time. Who cares if he's wrong? There's a chance his brother is alive and he's going to take it." She paused for a moment. "If I found out my brother was still alive, I wouldn't hesitate to try and find him."

She walked away to scout for a tower entrance, leaving her brothers to think about her words. Althea had expected better of them.

Crosshair walked over not long after, his rifle in his pack and helmet at his side. "You throw a mean punch for a healer."

Althea ignored him, earning a sigh from the sniper. "Thea," He started. "You're right." He had her attention now. Crosshair never admitted he was wrong. "But your different, so helping you with your brother was too."

"How?" The medic asked.

"You were just an innocent kid." He explained. "Your brother was all you had left. Rex is a reg. The regs have never treated us right, even we we were cadets. It's hard to feel sorry for them."

Althea hummed in thought. "You don't have to feel sorry for him, but you can't talk to him that way. Especially if it's your CO." She nudged him slightly, silently signaling she forgave him.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

The Bad Batch guarded the tower entrance as Tech worked to open it. A storm whipped sand around them as dry lighting struck the ground. It was times like these that Althea wished she had a helmet, but she was grateful for her cloth. Hunter leaned forward slightly and out from the shadows came Skywalker and Rex, running as fast as they could. "We're in business, General." He said. "Tech regained Echo's signal. It's coming from this tower. How's it going, Tech?"

Tech didn't respond as he tapped the buttons. He pressed one final switch and the door opened. "Sorry it took so long." He said standing up.

"Hey, Crosshair, check it out." Hunter ordered.

Crosshair walked inside taking a quick look. "Yeah, it's a lift."

Althea rolled her yellow eyes as she walked in. "Well, we already knew that." They piled up inside, but Wrecker hesitated.

"Wait, wait, wait. A lift?" He asked. "How far up are we going?"

Hunter chuckled teasingly. "Heh. Don't worry, Wrecker. I'll hold your hand." He held out his hand mockingly, but Wrecker just shoved him.

"Hey! Cut it out, Sarge. Just give me some droids to crush." He stepped inside, and the crowded lift made it's ascent.

"Remember," Skywalker said. "This is a stealth mission. No blasting, no blowing things up. Nobody knows we're here."

The lift doors opened, revealing a room full of droids. Wrecker let out a yell as he charged them, the rest of the Bad Batch close behind. In no time they cleared the room, but the element of surprise was long gone. "Yeah!" Wrecker cheered when the fight was over. "Hah! Haha! Yeah!" He stopped when he realized everyone was staring at him. "Uh...sorry. I just got excited."

"I've still got a lock in Echo's signal." Tech said as he stared at his datapad.

Hunter nodded. "All right, men. Let's hunt some droids."

"Now you're talking! Yeah!" Wrecker cheered as they left.

They made their way through the tower. Hunter peeked out the door into a hall and saw only a few droids. He and Rex stepped out and took care of them instantly. Everyone stepped into the hall. "Where exactly is Echo's signal coming from?" Skywalker asked.

Tech tapped his datapad. "Strange. I just lost the signal."

Rex took of his helmet. "What? How can that be? There's no 'atmospheric disturbances' up here."

"Well, I have a new theory." Said Tech. "I'm surprised I did not consider it earlier. The signal is only traceable during data transmissions. So until Echo dispenses more intel, I cannot pick up the signal."

With this new information, Skywalker gave new orders. "Okay, we're splitting up. Search every door. If someone finds Echo, contact the other. We go in together, just in case there's trouble."

They split off, Anakin and Crosshair going one way and the rest going the other. It was a circular room so they wouldn't be far. Althea opened a door and aimed her blaster, but nothing was there. "Ah!" Tech sounded pleased. "It appears the signal is back. It's from up ahead." He ran towards his signal.

The others followed him, Hunter with his helmet off. It was possible he sensed something and needed the helmet off to be sure. In a dark area stood a heavily locked door. "In there." The sergeant said.

Rex tapped the door. "Tech, open this door."

Before he could, the intercom by the door whirred to life, revealing Wat Tambor. "You clones are so predictable."

"Wat Tambor." Rex seethed.

"Your algorithm predicted every move you made to infiltrate Purkoll."

"There is no algorithm." Said Rex. "We know you're holding a prisoner of war in here."

"Prisoner? I don't know what you mean, Captain." Tambor lied.

"I am leaving here with my friend."

"Your friend is dead. His mind is ours."

Rex hit his fist on the wall. "Liar!"

Behind them, dozens of droids approached. "Execute them."

The Bad Batch and Rex fired instantly. Hunter threw his knife, lodging it in one of the droid's head. He grabbed it and swiftly moved on to his next victim, flipping over droids like a Jedi. Speaking of Jedi, General Skywalker used the Force to destroy over half the droids. Crosshair slid on the floor and blasted the droids from beneath them.

But when all the droids were destroyed, more on both sides of the circle fired at them. Althea, Hunter, Rex, Tech, and Skywalker all hid against one wall, and Crosshair and Wrecker the other. "Tech, open that door for Rex!" Skywalker ordered.

"Yes, sir!" Tech ran over to the door.

Hunter turned to Althea. "Thea, cover them." She nodded and ran to Tech as Hunter looked to Rex. He remembered Althea's words about her brother. "I hope you find what you're looking for, Captain."

Rex nodded and ran into the now open door with Althea and Tech.

Althea and Rex led they way, their blasters ready. The door led to a dark room filled with electricity. In the center was a huge control board with a hatch above it. "I don't like the look of this." Althea mumbled.

Tech went to work at the controls. "I'm definitely picking up a life-form in there. It seems to be a stasis chamber. I think I can get it open." He pulled one final lever, and the chamber opened.

Inside was white and cold, and a person. Gravity took over and the person fell out, the only thing keeping him upright was the thousands of wires attached to his body. His face was gaunt and pale, but it was a clone. Althea took a step back in horror, her hand reaching for Tech's. He gave her fingers a quick squeeze, assuring them both that what they were seeing was real.

Rex looked up at the clone. "Echo." He climbed onto the control board and pulled Echo down. "Tech, Althea. He got to get him out of here." This snapped the siblings out of their shock. "Figure out how to unplug him from this mess."

Tech and Althea stepped away, the former checking his datapad for how to unplug Echo. Althea took a ragged breath. Up till now she had thought she'd seen it all. She knew first hand that war was hard, but this was a whole new level of horrific. One that she didn't know how to comprehend.

#tbb #bad batch #oc #star wars #the bad batch

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