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sergeantgoggles · 3 months

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Happy Coday! (2/2/24)

I had such a great time writing all of these fics to celebrate one of my favorite clones on a day that will literally come once in forever. I have attached links as to each individual fic as well as the series that all of them are in.

Individual tags and ratings are listed under the cut.

@codyday2224

Cody Day 2/2/24 Series

Mirotic | Cody/Rex | Explicit

Relationships: CC-2224 | Cody/CT-7567 | Rex, CC-5052 | Bly/Clone Trooper Keeli, CC-2224 | Cody & CC-1010 | Fox, CC-2224 | Cody & CC-3636 | Wolffe, CC-5052 | Bly & CC-2224 | Cody Characters: CC-2224 | Cody, CT-7567 | Rex, CC-3636 | Wolffe, CC-5052 | Bly, Clone Trooper Keeli (Star Wars), CC-1010 | Fox, CT-6116 | Kix, CT-5597 | Jesse Additional Tags: Implied Jesse/Kix, Implied Wolffe/Cody, Implied Bly/Cody, Blow Jobs, First Time Blow Jobs, Hand Jobs, Masturbation, Mutual Masturbation, Pre-Clone Wars, Come Swallowing, Fresher Sex, Call Numbers as Names, Clone Troopers Speak Mando'a (Star Wars), Rookies on Kamino, Fuck Buddies to Lovers Summary: Some things are routine for Cody. It's been ingrained in his DNA, etched into his everyday life for years. And then Rex comes along and makes himself part of the routine.

Say You're Here (And It's All Over Now) | Cody/Crosshair | Mature

Relationship: CC-2224 | Cody/CT-9904 | Crosshair Characters: CC-2224 | Cody, CT-9904 | Crosshair Additional Tags: Mentions of Cody/Rex, Mentions of Cody/Ghost Company, Mentions of Cody/Torrent Company, Implied Poly Batch, Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Mentions of canon deaths, Canon Divergent, post S2e3, implied sex, Kissing, Broken Promises Summary: Cody had always kept his word. That was a trait that he had picked up from his General during the Clone War. But times change, people change, and he is no exception.

(Just Hold Me) Tight To Your Body | Cody/Echo | Explicit

Relationship: CC-2224 | Cody/CT-21-0408 | CT-1409 | Echo Characters: CC-2224 | Cody, CT-7567 | Rex, CT-21-0408 | CT-1409 | Echo, CT-27-5555 | ARC-5555 | Fives, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Additional Tags: Implied Rex/Fives, Implied Obi-Wan/Anakin, Sex On The Negotiator, Kissing, Possessive Behavior, Bottom CC-2224 | Cody, Top CT-1409 | Echo, Body Worship, ARC training, Grinding, Dry Humping, Armor Swapping, Coming Untouched, Come Eating, Light Angst, Fives and Echo are twins, Come Marking Summary: There isn't a lot of time, but Cody is dying to see Echo's body fresh out of ARC Trooper training, and Echo is more than happy to demonstrate.

Be As One (Like Stars Falling Like Raindrops On The Ocean) | Cody/Fives | Teen

Relationship: CC-2224 | Cody/CT-27-5555 | ARC-5555 | Fives Characters: CC-2224 | Cody, CT-27-5555 | ARC-5555 | Fives, CT-7567 | Rex, CT-21-0408 | CT-1409 | Echo, Obi-Wan Kenobi Additional Tags: Established Relationship, Troopers On Leave, Fluff, Engagement, Kissing, Sweet Talk, Fives Is A Blusher, Clone Troopers Speak Mando'a (Star Wars) Summary: Fives has been waiting a long time to get some time off with Cody. Cody has been waiting a long time to spoil his favorite ARC Trooper. And neither have to wait any longer.

Call Me By His Name | Hunter/Tech + Cody | Explicit

Relationships: Hunter/Tech (Star Wars), CC-2224 | Cody/Hunter/Tech (Star Wars) Characters: Clone Trooper Hunter (Star Wars), Clone Trooper Tech (Star Wars), CC-2224 | Cody, CT-6116 | Kix Additional Tags: Implied Cody/Kix, Sexual Roleplay, Hunter Uses His Enhanced Senses For Evil And Sex, post s7e1, Anal Fingering, Implied Blow Job, Sexual Proposition, Title Kink, Light BDSM, Praise Kink Summary: After Cody was nearly crushed being shot out of the sky on Anaxsis, restlessness sets in. He wanders the barracks, knowing that most troopers will be asleep at this hour, but overhears some very interesting late night activities coming from the Bad Batch berthing.

Time Is Precious (And it's Slipping Away) | Cody/Kix | Explicit

Relationship: CC-2224 | Cody/CT-6116 | Kix Characters: CC-2224 | Cody CT-6116 | Kix Additional Tags: Established Relationship, Mentions of Bodily Trauma, Mentions of Blood, Mentions of Death, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Open Relationship Implied, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Anal, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, After Sex Cuddles, Aftercare, Clone Troopers Speak Mando'a (Star Wars) Summary: Body counts are nothing new in war. Cody is used to spending late nights and early mornings signing paperwork after a rough campaign, but someone has to do all the other work before those datapads land on his desk. Kix can save a lot, but he can't save them all, and it takes a toll on him. Cody can distract him for a little while. The datapads will understand.

(He Senses Something) Call It Desperation | Cody/Hunter | Explicit

Relationships: CC-2224 | Cody/Hunter (Star Wars: The Bad Batch), Clone Trooper Hunter/Clone Trooper Tech, Hunter/Male Clone Trooper OC Characters: CC-2224 | Cody, Clone Trooper Hunter (Star Wars), Clone Trooper Tech (Star Wars). Clone Trooper Wrecker (Star Wars), CT-9904 | Crosshair, Original Clone Trooper Character(s) (Star Wars), Clone Trooper Boil (Star Wars), CT-7567 | Rex, Clone Trooper Hardcase (Star Wars), CT-6116 | Kix, Clone Trooper Waxer (Star Wars) Additional Tags: Implied Cody/Kix, Implied Rex/Hardcase, Implied Hunter/Tech, implied waxer/boil, sniffing, Scenting, Blow Jobs, Abuse of Hunter's Heightened Senses, Dirty Talk, Dirty Thoughts, Clone Trooper Gossip, Mentions of Decomissioning, mentions of reconditioning, Minor Original Character(s), Hunter is a little shit Summary: Cody's trip to Kamino is hardly for a break, but rumors about a particular Sergeant catch his ear, and now he can't help being a little curious how much weight they hold.

I'm In Love With You (But You Already Know) | Cody/Fives | Explicit

Relationship: CC-2224 | Cody/CT-27-5555 | ARC-5555 | Fives Characters: CC-2224 | Cody, CT-27-5555 | ARC-5555 | Fives Additional Tags: Emotional Sex, sex with feelings, Clones crying, Clone Troopers Speak Mando'a (Star Wars), Marriage Vows, Mandalorian Marriage Vows, Honestly The Sex Is Only There If You Squint, But There's Enough To Warrant The E Rating, Morning Cuddles, Kissing, Morning Wood they're both emotional messes, Not Beta Read, we die like clones Summary: Cody and Fives' long weekend is coming to an end, and the weight of never having this again settles on them far too heavily. Part 2 of "Be As One (Like Stars Falling Like Raindrops In The Ocean)"

#cody day 2224 #commander cody #cloneshipping #clonecest #cody/rex #cody/kix #cody/crosshair #huntech #cody/hunter/tech #cody/hunter #cody/fives #cody/echo #fluff #angst #smut #read all individual tags

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huntressdarkness · 4 months

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Clone Bang Team 18

Here's a little sneak peak of what our team's been up to! ;)

Writer: HuntressDarkness (@huntressdarkness on tumblr)

Artist: @duck-that-draws on tumblr (@duck_that_draws_ on Instagram)

Aloft

Summary: After Echo contacts the rest of the Batch, letting them know that Crosshair has been rescued from a prisoner transport, no force in the galaxy can stop Hunter from taking his squad and going to Rex’s hideout on Yavin IV where Crosshair is recovering. Maybe he’s safe now, but that doesn’t erase everything that’s happened between them, and nor does it mend the rifts that have been torn.

~~~

“I missed you,” Hunter whispers, his voice cracking as words fail him. He doesn’t know how to verbally express the tangled ball of emotions inside of him in a way that Crosshair will understand. He doesn’t know what he even can say. ‘I missed you’ isn’t nearly enough. He reaches out, clasping the back of his younger brother’s neck, leaning in, and kissing him.

It’s not – all he feels is the fierce, blinding need to make Crosshair understand, the desperate yearning to be close with him, close in a way that he’s always been denied. They’re soldiers. They’re not supposed to be intimately close with anyone, no matter who or how. But Hunter needs this, needs to let Crosshair know how much they’ve missed him, how incomplete they are without him, and he pours it all into the kiss, letting it soothe and ground him in a way he never knew to be possible.

Crosshair makes a quiet, surprised noise, but then, he’s kissing Hunter back, just as desperate, one arm snaking around Hunter’s shoulders, pulling him closer, fingers tangling in Hunter’s hair.

It feels like coming home, and Hunter dreads the moment when it’ll all end.

WC: ~19,340

Rating: Explicit

No Archive Warnings Apply

Characters: Hunter (Star Wars: The Bad Batch), Crosshair (Star Wars: The Bad Batch), Tech (Star Wars: The Bad Batch), Wrecker (Star Wars: The Bad Batch), CT-21-0408 | CT-1409 | Echo, Omega (Star Wars: The Bad Batch), Clone Commander Mayday (Star Wars)

@clonebang

#star wars #the bad batch #bad batch #tbb hunter #tbb crosshair #fanfiction #star wars fanfiction #hunter x crosshair #crosshair x hunter #crosshunt #cb2023 #sneak peak

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suck-a-egg · 1 year

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Echo: (Trying to plan for the next campaign) it would help a lot of people if I figured this out Fives: You're not gonna get it. Echo: There are a lot of brothers trying to figure this out. Fives: And they're all better than you, I bet. Echo: Hey, I'm pretty good. Fives: You're not either. Echo: I'm the best! Fives: You're the worst! Echo: I am the tactician master of the universe! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!

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phantom-of-the-501st · 1 year

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Rex and the Domino Twins

This is gonna be sad again :(

°•°•°•°

Do you ever think about the fact that Rex being so desperate to save Echo was in part due to the fact that he was probably still reeling from Five's death? We don't know how long after his death Echo was found, but it can't have been an overly long time.

Rex was there when both of the Domino Twins were lost and now he has an opportunity to possibly save one of them, to know that he didn't completely fail them. He's holding onto the hope that maybe, just maybe, he can see one of his younger brothers again.

We were so close to a reunion. Just a few more weeks before the inhibitor chip incident and those two could have seen each other again.

But if Tup's chip had never been activated, Fives would have never discovered the truth, and no-one would know to remove them. And instead Echo would have watched his brother succumb to the chip.

Those two were doomed to never reunite, to never spend the rest of their lives together. Both sacrificed themselves to help protect their friends and their brothers. And because of that, they lost each other.

And even though Rex saves Echo, he knows that he has to tell him the truth.

That Fives died.

And it was only a short time ago.

Afterthoughts: Honestly, the amount of guilt that Rex probably feels about these two alone is heartbreaking. He knew how close those two were and he had to watch each of them survive without their other half, knowing that maybe he could have done something.

Rex was there when Fives was grieving Echo. And Rex was probably the one to tell Echo about Fives. And he was there when each of them were lost. He probably watches each of them and is reminded of his failings as a captain. He couldn't protect his men and seeing those two apart solidifies that.

Obviously, it's not his fault. Those two sacrificed themselves to protect their brothers. But that guilt probably eats away at him.

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rendomski · 2 months

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Echo/Wrecker

So, about my least popular, but not the least beloved relationship tag ❤️.

There are 22 fics tagged CT-21-0408 | CT-1409 | Echo/Clone Trooper Wrecker (or Echo/Wrecker for short) on AO3 for today.

11 fics are PolyBatch fics where the Echo/Wrecker storyline is just a part of the overall fun. However, “Have You Got a Friend in the Night?” (moonlight_mums) has an almost autonomous chapter dedicated to this pairing. And fics by forceinsensitive, containing Echo/Wrecker tag, that comprise part of the large cycle “my heart is not a machine”, are simply very, very good. I would call them explicitly emotional, for they explore more this side of Echo's relationships than the carnal one—and still all these are very sensual. The author of this long cycle is one of my favourite writers in TBB fandom 😍.

As for the rest, more Echo/Wrecker pairing-centered fics,

number one for me is “ease into this new world” by ibissal. It is explicitly sexual, corporal—and full of emotional warmth at the same time.

“Helping hands” by bitterfishies, on the contrary, is an absolutely innocent text, more like Echo&Wrecker with “blink and you miss it” shipping moment. Helping hand is not the helping hand in the classic slashy meaning 😃! Just a moment of Echo's self-maintenance, all homely with a drop of sadness.

“Love All Over Again” (robinasnyder) is light-hearted and fun, even a bit silly. Because there's definitely not the way you treat time travel!

“Echo's Haunted” (Rowanartist and Sleepy_fan) objectively must be rather good fanfic. But the plot twist “Bad Batch doesn't like Echo” (and Wrecker, as I can tell) is absolutely not my cup of tea, my don't like, don't read, sorry.

There's also one fu… sorry, fic “Experiencing Technical Difficulties” by coinin, which is tagged Echo/Tech/Wrecker, but which deserves Echo/Wrecker tag completely, and which is just awesome and hot in itself, Wrecker dealing with physical side of love making and Tech almost getting off by brain-fucking Echo, literally 😉.

So, speaking of the stuff worthy of my personal recommendations, that leaves only one more fic, my own “Echo and Narcissus”. I love it shamelessly. It reflects more or less the main bits and kinks I love about this rare pair. I also enjoyed writing it, how from the idea “let them relax and have a light-hearted quicky against the wall” it grew into a story of stories, one Scheherazadian night. How Wrecker unexpectedly became a storyteller, and Echo the listener; and Echo side dished his own observations to the table. And in the end, it is the same story, as in thousands of fanfics throughout multifandom, how two people fall for each other 😊

#arc trooper echo #tbb wrecker #tbb fanfiction #the bad batch #clone shipping #very clone shipping #writing #fanfiction recommendation

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kbirbpods · 3 months

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Original Work: Called to Be by @wanderingjedihistorian

Rating: General Audiences

Relationship: Echo/Fives/Hevy

Tags: Domino Squad Lives (Star Wars), Training, doubts, Healthy Adult Communication, Supportive CT-27-5555 | ARC-5555 | Fives, Supportive CT-21-0408 | CT-1409 | Echo, Mentioned Rex/Bacara

Audio Length: 12 minutes, 36 seconds

Summary:

Hevy appreciated the extra training that made him a better soldier, but at the end of the day he was a squad leader. That’s what he wanted to be. He didn’t need to be an ARC. But he didn’t want to hold Fives and Echo back.

#my ot3 #clone trooper hevy #clone trooper fives #clone trooper echo #arc trooper fives #arc trooper echo #arc trooper hevy #tcw podfic #clone wars podfic #podfic #wanderingjedihistorian

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paperback-rascal · 2 years

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Hey, so I'm absolutely feral about your "Kix is the bad Batch's honorary medic" idea. Like, I think about it constantly and I want to pick your brain about it. When did he start working with them? During the mission to Anaxis or some point before or after? Is he primarily there for Echo or is it more of an all consuming compulsion to mother hen the Batch because "those boys have never eaten a vegetable in their life and their ship is a flying OSHA violation"? Does he have any particular feelings towards Tech, given Tech's refusal to wear more than the absolute minimum amount of armor?

to be honest... now I’m more curious what’s YOUR take on "Kix is the bad Batch's honorary medic" than writing my side of things! Let’s compare notes later?

(as the text turned out to be longer than I expected, the full answer is under the cut/read more)

Their relationship started after Echo joined Clone Force 99. The Batch didn't know full scope of his issues when the transfer was made. The medics at med-bay were complaining, once again, The Bad Batch don't have a team medic, and their files are a mess but Hunter just shrugged it off - they always been that way so why NOW would it make any difference?

Everything was fine and dandy for a mission or two then, one day, Echo got sick... like... hardcore - started with a stomachache/nausea ended with him loosing consciousness.

Clone Force 99 collectively freaked out - they ALWAYS have problems with getting treatment. Afraid Echo would end up without any assistance, Hunter ordered to hunt Kix down, spec-ops style, as he remember he saw someone from 501st at the cafeteria during breakfast.

Why Kix? well... he was the only medic that the team kind-of, sort-of remembered (not a name, though, just the armor markings and... it’s mostly Crosshair’s memories, as he literally threw hands with the guy few weeks prior). Also Hunter was sure Kix wouldn’t let his old friend die so maybe he would be less aloof when they ask for help. Echo, Hunter reasoned, would be less stressed once he wakes up and sees a familiar color scheme of his alma matter legion.

So after a quite a bit of search, they found their target and basically abducted Kix from under the shower.

Since Echo's issues weren't combat-related and Kix lost access to his files with the transfer to different unit, the medic had to get authorization from Hunter to view them. Since the sergeant barely, if ever, grands access to medical files, he gave the medic blanket access to Clone Force 99 files by accident...

As the medic was waiting for Echo to wake up, he started going through the files out of curiosity. With every page he grew more confused how the kriff they were even approved to go on any mission (SPOILER: it’s Tech’s handiwork):

Except for Echo they all have incomplete/ outdated vaccinations (Wrecker being the worse offender)

the status of their medical supplies was big red PENDING (so Force only knows if they even have a scrap of a bandage on the ship)

except for Echo they were missing health check-ups (however as it turned out they are pretty good condition as they hunt animals and gathered resources/vegetables/fruits when they run out of rations. something they do pretty frequently as often have no time to resupply between missions)

they had incomplete/ outdated trainings (i.e.: mostly those that have to be taken annually like First Aid)

except for Echo pending annual dentist check-ups, ophthalmologist check-ups (Crosshair being the worst offender), missed/ unfinished rehabilitation sessions (mostly Wrecker) and such

except for Echo backlog of unapproved sick leaves

... among other issues and problems

... as it turned out, their issue with med-bay boils down to a vicious cycle - since they lack team medic, they have incomplete paperwork on top of Tech who just hacks into the system and leaves a mess in his wake.

Since they have issues with documents, they encounter problems with getting help as system boots out their requests. At the end of the day they have to beg for help, forcing clone medics to treat them out of circulation which produces more various issues... so the clone medics hate to work with them because of that and ALSO Clone Force 99 are TERRIBLE patients (Crosshair and Tech being the worst offenders - but on a different sides of the spectrum).

So Echo was *this close* from not getting proper help and TBH if they went to any other medic who didn’t know the ARC trooper personally, they could easily be turned away if a guy didn’t feel like jumping through the hoops to help a team of freaks.

Once Kix’s CT-number authorization was plastered all over their files, the system recognized/categorized him as a substitute/temporary medic - it means nothing in the grand scheme of things, but gives Kix easier access in the future as he can evoke the status again much easier (which is more helpful in case... Hunter was unable to consent for the file access in the future)

As for Tech’s armor - he wasn’t scolded for not wearing proper gear.

Kix (with the rest of medics at 501st) learned it hard way with Ahsoka - if someone is desperate enough to make a fashion statement by wearing a tube top to a battle - nothing will change their minds. They have to learn it hard way... and Kix would be ready with bandages and bacta patches when the lesson happens.

Tech, however, did get a slightly more vicious tirade from the rest of the Batch (who also had one, intertwined into a First Aid training they’re missing) for not connecting the dots that the issues they have with every med bay is correlated to mess they have with their files - the framework was a mess because, as it turned out, Tech was trying to circumvent the system to compensate lack of team medic and only made the matter worse!

The utter negligence almost cost Echo his life!

So that’s all I have, I hope it quenches your thirst! or at best... didn’t turn out to be underwhelming!

I hope to read your side of things!

---

Addendum: Since Kix got more involved with The Batch’s medical affairs, they often shared certain medical events/dates with 501st - they took parts in the same trainings courses, had the same dates for annual check-ups, vaccinations, etc. So they ended up waiting in the same lines as 501st. Thus, the Legion and the Squad started to slowly get to know each other better.

Also Anakin, to be honest, the more he saw the spec-ops, the more he considered absorption of Clone Force 99 into 501st structure.

---

@ct-crosshair ask was in regards to -> this post

===

#the clone wars #clone wars #the bad batch #bad batch #star wars #clone medic kix #Kix #crosshair #ct-9904 #ct-6116 #hunter #sergeant hunter #arc trooper echo #echo #CT-21-0408 #clone force 99 #kix the CF99 medic #paperback-rascal replies to stuff

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clonemedickix · 10 months

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It’s by far not the best Echo drawing out there, but man his eyes captivate regardless. Love me some Echo. And speaking of, just posted up a new chapter on AO3 🥰

Rating: Explicit

Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions Of Violence | Adult content | Sexual Content | UNDER 18 DNI

Category: F/M

Fandoms: Star Wars - All Media Types Star Wars: The Bad Batch (Cartoon) Star Wars: Rebellion Era - All Media Types Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003) - All Media TypesGame of Thrones (TV) The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types

Relationship: CT-7567 | Rex/Original Female Character

Okay guys it’s a hard chapter. I’ll just preface it that way - covers the loss of Tech

Excerpt:

When he landed, Echo and Boost went over the data again, hoping they could make some headway with the encryption. “I don’t know, Echo. You probably could have saved yourself some time and just gone straight to Tech with this.” Boost looked pretty defeated, looking at the technology and coding before him. “This is similar to our old encryption, but definitely more advanced. Maybe if I had a lot more time, I could crack it, but Tech would be far faster.” Echo sighed and nodded, knowing Boost was right. He stood and walked out of the hut where they kept their main computer and radio system, a disgusted, tired look on his face. He brushed his hand over his eyes, covering them for a moment, then decided to go look for Lara.

He found her on the basketball court, playing ball with Jek and Shaeeah, while Suu Lawquane watched with a smile from the sideline. Lara was dribbling the ball, bent over in a rather aggressive stance, watching the two children with careful eyes, looking for an opening in their defense to charge past them with the ball. The two kids were giggling and smiling, watching her, waiting for her to make her move, and when Lara finally did, they both grabbed her in a tight hug, holding on for their lives as Lara dragged them to the goal, laughing all the way. Echo couldn’t help but smile at the scene; she really did have a way with kids that was heartwarming. “Y’all are both such little cheaters - this isn’t football!!!”, Lara laughed helplessly. She stood and turned to see Echo there, next to Suu, his arms folded over his chest with a bemused look on his face. Lara handed the basketball to Shaeeah gravely and said “I need to go talk to Echo over there. You two practice hard, okay?” Lara straightened and breezed over to Echo with a happy smile, her gait and posture one of complete contentment, albeit somewhat unbalanced - she looked like she was smuggling a basketball under her shirt these days.

Echo smiled back at her, turning to intercept her so they could walk and talk. Lara was really heavy with child now, many months into her pregnancy. Everyone smiled that saw her when she walked by, her maternal glow lighting her like a candle from within. She hadn’t stopped going on missions as yet, but she’d basically stopped a couple months back, delegating the leadership more fully to Primer and Boost. She had promoted Primer to Captain (he’d deserved it for years, and really she felt herself a bad leader for that oversight), and Boost to Lieutenant as well, then brought along a couple of new sergeants out of necessity, by name of Falco and Phoenix. Cody had started taking his own small contingent of Dragons and clones out on missions, as did Rex. Overall, the Dragon Company had only ever consisted of one hundred clones, serving under General Lin and Primer. Now, they usually found themselves in groups of five, answering to whichever leader they got assigned to that day. Lara had taught them nothing, if not flexibility. Whether she liked it or not, Lara found herself being pushed firmly and lovingly back from active leadership by the clones, all of them naturally wanting to protect their beloved leader and her valuable baby.

“What’s up, Echo?” Lara asked as they walked along. She could tell something was troubling him; she could sense it within her even if it hadn’t been written all over his face.

“We got a new group of clones out - they’re settling in with the quarter master now - one of them even brought a girl with him.” He said this with a little smile and glanced over at Lara, who smiled back at the news. It was always good to hear that the clones were finding love and making families. “I was able to get a snippet of information off the computer of the ship we raided to rescue them. But I can’t crack the encryption on it.” He looked off over the sea, the irritation plain on his handsome face. “I have a very bad feeling about all of this, where they’re sending our brothers. I don’t know what it is, but for the first time I’m really a little scared.”

They’d reached Lara’s favorite spot on the hill, and stopped to look out over the fabulous sunset. “What are you afraid of, my Echo?” She asked him quietly, her arms crossed over her chest. She looked over at him, the tiniest smile on the corner of her lips - she still called him that, after all this time.

“I don’t know. With all the secrecy, I feel like there has to be some element of disposal to it. They’re taking us clones, and killing us off somewhere, where no one will say anything, hoping no one notices until it’s all over with. And who knows what they are doing to them there, before they’re killed? There have always been a lot of people in this galaxy who don’t even see us as people, so why would they care if they’re experimenting on us and then killing us?” His words made sense, and his sense of foreboding affected Lara, too.

“How are you going to get the information off the disk you made? I assume you already went to Boost with it.” She knew Boost was pretty good with code; if he and Echo together couldn’t break it, that really only left one option. And one barrier.

“I’m going to have to get Tech to look at it.” He said it a little reluctantly; he hadn’t seen Omega since he’d parted ways with the Batch on Coruscant. Tech and Wrecker had both told him how much she missed him, and how hard the adjustment had been for her, without him. To a large extent it was one reason the Batch hadn’t returned to Nidhogg for a good while; they didn’t want to upset the girl further. He saw Lara sigh, place her hand on her belly and then move to sit a bit heavily on the ground. It was strange seeing her moving in a slightly unbalanced way, her typically fit and trim figure distorted by the shape of the baby.

“Sorry, Echo, I just need to sit for a minute. If I don’t keep moving constantly, this thing makes my back annoyed,” she said as she rubbed her belly, a slightly amused, but strangely loving look on her face. Lara crossed her legs under herself for comfort, and watched as Echo sat with her immediately. “I’m sure Tech won’t refuse you. And you know Omega will be overjoyed to see you. Wrecker told me just the other day she’s been doing pretty well lately - Tech is even giving her flying lessons.” She smiled at Echo, the mischief fully apparent in her eyes. She could just imagine what that looked like - she’d been completely stunned that Tech could pull his fingernails out of the ship’s yoke long enough to trust Omega with the controls.

Echo laughed as well. It didn’t surprise him in the least that Wrecker had maintained contact with Lara. What had surprised him more was that Wrecker hadn’t put up more of a fight about wanting to stay on Nidhogg with the Dragon Company, so that he could be closer to his General. “Well, I might have go see that for myself. I have missed Omega. I wish Hunter had been more amenable to staying here. I hear they really like it on that island.”

Lara snorted a little. “I think it’s funny how Hunter ran from one beach side home to another. But yes, from everything Wrecker has told me, they like it on Pabu. And they’re eagerly taking bets behind Tech’s back about whether he’s going to ever make a move on that Phee chick. I need to meet this woman; anyone who’s able to get Tech’s attention off his data pad for more than sixty seconds is a hero in my book.”

Echo looked at her with an ironic expression. “The man used to stare at you for hours, Lara, like you were a mystery he had to solve. I think you already won that particular fight.”

“Well, everybody knows I’m a hero in my own book, Echo.” She gave him a mockingly serious look and then smiled and laughed. “I hope for his sake he actually does go for her. You all deserve happiness with someone who’ll love you back…” Lara looked at Echo very meaningfully while he gazed back with a ‘what?’, look on his own face.

“I do have someone that loves me back.” Echo pointed out.

“I mean physically, Echo.” Lara rolled her eyes at him and looked off in the distance. Silence reigned between them for a while, as Echo tried to come up with a rejoinder that would make sense, and put the argument to rest.

“I…don’t need that Lara. I can still feel the touch of you on my skin, the taste of you on my lips. The memories of our time together were part of what kept me alive on Skako Minor. There is no other touch I want, if I can’t have yours.” Echo reached over and took her hand with his, his expression serious, if not a little sad. “Letting you go was the hardest, but best choice I made in my life, and I’m pretty sure if I had to do it all over again, I’d make the same choice.” Lara met his eyes, her face sad, but understanding. She knew Echo would always be hers; she wondered quietly sometimes if she’d ruined him for others, tainting him with her love. Echo sensed the thought within her - he could see it on her face as well. “Hey. Lara.” He squeezed her hand softly. “I’ll always be the first man you made love to - really, truly made love to, in your long life. Rex can’t take that one away from me.” He gave her a slightly salacious smirk and she laughed.

“Very true, Echo. Touché.” She smiled suddenly, her gaze going unfocused, and looked at her belly, as if listening to something within her. Lara reached over for his hand and clamped it onto a spot on her abdomen, her smile so beautiful and quietly happy he stared, speechless. Echo felt a sudden nudge against his the palm of his hand and his focus changed to their joined fingers, his face going blank with shock. He looked up at Lara carefully, the question in his eyes obvious. “Yes. That was the baby.” Lara put some pressure on his hand, pressing it down a bit on that spot and he felt a sudden sharp jab from within her. Lara laughed. “It kicked you,” she giggled softly. Echo wished for a heartbreaking moment he still had two hands, so he could put the other on her as well. The thought flashed through him like a flare, but the after burn of it was clear on his face. Lara reached her hand up to his cheek and pressed her forehead against his, wishing she could make him see - make him know - how very unchanged her love was for him, no matter what the Techno Union had done. She had no words at that moment, so she stayed silent, he content to feel her touch, his hand resting against her belly, feeling the sudden swirls of movement within. Echo had always known Lara was a miracle, that everything about her was miraculous; here was further proof in his mind.

Eventually Echo removed his hand, and the two settled in to just sitting with each other quietly. Suddenly Lara spoke, the laughter just noticeable in her voice. “Do you remember that time I woke Fives up with a bag of frozen marbles down the front of his briefs?” Echo’s head whipped around, his eyes startled but already alight with remembered hilarity at the incident. Fives had been notoriously hard to wake up in the morning, often setting his alarm to full volume, then sleeping through it anyway. It drove Lara nuts, listening to it for long minutes waiting on Fives to notice it.

“I can still remember the sound of his head hitting the bottom of my bunk!” He snorted and then burst out laughing, Lara doing the same.

Lara just about couldn’t speak for giggling. “I swear to god he literally levitated off the bed…” She was laughing so hard she leaned forward, placing her hand on the ground to support herself, shaking from the memory.

“He screamed like a little girl - it was the funniest sound I’ve heard in my life.” Echo felt tears run down his cheeks, gasping for air, seeing Lara was also crying with laughter. “Lord, Lara. Those were simpler days.”

She took a deep, steadying breath, suddenly burst into giggles again, and covered her face as a reflex. “Whooo… okay. I’m done. Okay.” Lara looked at Echo helplessly and smiled. “They really were, weren’t they?”

Echo could still feel a laugh or two threatening to escape, but he realized - this was the first time he’d even so much as heard Lara mention Fives’ name since Floston. They’d had so many good memories together - the nights at 79s when they went dancing, the evenings they spent in the Dragon Cave watching TV shows and movies from Earth on her iPad. Days spent helping her dream up naughty pranks to pull on Master Windu, and what horrible supplies she could route through the quarter master to his office. Granted, the pranks had mostly been Lara and Fives, but Echo had usually been there to listen and shake his head at them. He felt Lara go silent and looked over at her, seeing the sudden swell of missing Fives hit her; it was like watching the sun be covered by dark clouds. She closed her eyes for a moment, took a breath and tried to smile bravely, but Echo could see how the loss of Fives still stung her like a near fresh wound.

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