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techtalksfics · 1 year

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It's not goodbye, not really (Echo x Reader)

Summary: Echo says goodbye to the reader.

Warnings: None really, just a lot of angsty emotion.

Author's note: this is a week late, but I wasn't sure how to do this. I was wildly unprepared for the pain of watching Echo staying with Rex. Well, the idea finally reached fruition in my head. Hope it doesn't hurt too much!

Word Count: 2.4 K

You were working at Cid's that night. As you did most nights, since landing on that god forsaken planet. Cid had been kind enough to take you in, employ you and find you somewhere to stay.

It was in her bar that you first met her so-called 'mercenaries'. You immediately knew that the bounty on you would be nothing compared to the bounty on them.

It was also the first place you saw him. The stoic clone who seemed to delight in your attention and friendship. You bonded over your stories of being held captive. A certain kind of pain that only a certain kind of person could understand.

After you told him your story, your real story, he insisted on walking you home. He insisted on walking you home every time you saw him after that. He awoke in you a part of yourself you thought had been lost.

It was your usual shift at Cid's, two patrons as usual. The clones were absent and on a mission to Coruscant. A mission not assigned by Cid. She had been complaining about it from the moment you'd walked in.

Something felt off, and it wasn't just the simple absence of Echo. A presence you had grown so fond of. You felt a shift in your heart; it went from a burst of joy to a burst of pain, fear and regret. You couldn't tell what was causing it, but you knew it was nothing good.

You settled on sticking to your work and only responded to Cid when a direct response was required.

Eventually, after hours of scrubbing which had caused you to sweat disgracefully, the boys and Omega walked into the bar looking defeated. Well, all but one of them returned.

Where was Echo?

You must've let that slip from your lips because Hunter's sheepish gaze fell on you. His face contorted in pain. He quickly recovered, as if hiding some secret pain as he approached you cautiously. He knew how close you were to him. How much this was going to hurt you. "He, uh, he stayed with Rex on Coruscant." His voice was barely a whisper as he addressed you. The pain was so evident on his face. They'd lost a brother and you'd lost your dearest friend, your secret love.

You eyes fell on Omega, knowing she adored him so. Omega wiped a tear from her reddened eyes; her eyes were heavy, puffy and pained. Without thinking, you walked by Hunter and shared a nod. You bent down, grasping Omega and pulling her into a gentle hug. Her arms immediately made their way around your back. You realised you were probably the first to hug her. The brothers, as much as they loved her, were not so great at the physical affection.

As you held Omega gently, you couldn't help but cry, stunned and saddened by your sudden loss.

"He said he would be back," Omega whispered to you as she continued to hold onto you. You felt her fear of letting you go. She knew this would be hurting you as much as did her. In a way, she was grateful that somebody was finally feeling it the way she did.

"If Echo said he will back," you mumbled through your tears, "then he will be." You wanted to be strong for her but you didn't truly know if he ever would be back.

You'd heard him speak so fondly of Rex; deep down you'd always feared something like this would happen. His damn sense of right and wrong would take over. Not that you could blame him, not really. As you pulled back, you reached up and wiped the tear that fell from Omega's eye and rolled down her cheek. You caught it before it travelled too far. "Echo always keeps his word. We both know that much." You stood up and the weight of his absence seemed to push you onto the stool between Wrecker and Tech. You scratched nervously at your head.

And then it dawned on you. It was a sharp pain in your chest, as you realised.

"I never told him..." your voice was quiet and reserved. You'd hoped you'd reserved your comment only for yourself but Tech had heard it. Of course.

"Told him what?" He queried gently as he sat next to you.

"I never told him that I loved him." Tech's eyes softened as he gently put his hand on your shoulder. He almost flinched as you barked out a sarcastic, very nervous laugh. "It seems so silly now. I was so worried he'd hate me for it. So I just... never told him." Tech simply held onto your shoulder as the tears continued to fall from your eyes. For once, the brainiac had nothing to say that he thought would help. He certainly didn't know how to stop the tears streaming down your cheeks. "He did say he would comm you separately. I expected you to already know that he wasn't with us," he offered up, finally releasing your shoulder and reached for his drink.

"Y-yeah," Wrecker offered up from the left. He draped his arm around your shoulder and pulled you to his chest suddenly. He did try to be gentle. He couldn't help that he was perhaps a little too strong in the movement. A soft 'oof' escaped your lips as you curled into him softly. "something about, uhh, needing to explain it face to face. Whatever that means."

Face to face, you wondered. Your secure channel, he'd messaged you there before. As your face slackened, realisation hitting you, you reached suddenly for the comm attached to your belt.

It was flickering away; a private message was waiting for you.

How long had I missed this? How long ago had he contacted you?

"I - uh - I need to go." You said, jumping up from your seat and dashing out the door, the soft sound of Omega's voice trailing after you.

Just get to the shuttle, you almost chanted to yourself, just keep going and don't stop until you get there. You can listen to him there.

You dodged and swerved between bodies as you ran towards the dockyard. The cold bristled against your skin as you realised the sun was setting. You continued to dash between people. Slow bodies, fat bodies, thin bodies, fast bodies. It didn't matter what they were or what they were doing, you need to be faster and get there sooner.

You needed to hear this from him.

And soon.

Finally arriving in the shipyard, you were out of breath for more than one reason. First and foremost, you'd moved so fast and you certainly did not have the best stamina. You were a barmaid and occasional supply runner, not some kind of enhanced clone with a special skillset. And yet, there was another reason for your lack of oxygen. There was also this weight pressing against your chest. A weight so heavy that you thought you would pass out before hearing his beautiful voice again. If it weren't for the pressing desire to hear his voice, you certainly would have collapsed. You could already feel the tears returning as you clambered up into your shuttle, taking your seat in the cockpit. The ship was far smaller than the Marauder, but it was certainly faster. Spinning around in your chair, you loaded up the message.

"Hi." His message began so gently, as he appeared before you. He let your name fall from your lips with a soft smile. He seemed to look around him, at what you didn't know. You didn't even know where he was now. The deep rumbling of his voice made you smile softly and naturally. "I don't have long, I'm afraid. I know you will dislike me a little for what I am about to say to you," he rubbed at his neck as he spoke, "that thought alone makes me want to return to Ord Mantell."

Perhaps he was nervous about saying goodbye as you were to be hearing him explain his reasons for leaving you behind, you mused.

"I... I - argh - why is this so difficult to say to you?" He sighed softly, before continuing, a new strength in his voice, "knowing you has been the greatest pleasure of my life so far. I hope that I will see you again and I know you will probably dislike, even hate me for this, but this was the right thing to do. What the Empire is doing is wrong. I cannot stand idly by whilst my brothers are slaughtered by them." That final word, that identity, oozed from his lips, heavy and tortured. He knew you'd at least understand that much. Little did he know that you could never hate him, not now and not ever. No matter if he left you forever. You'd never hate him for it.

"Leaving you behind was one of the hardest parts of this decision. As hard as watching Omega's heart break before me," he continued on, "I - I wanted to tell you in person. But there was simply no time. Particularly when I never found the right moment to tell you... well..." he chuckled sardonically and shook his head, "it would be unfair to tell you that now. Particularly when I could not see if your reaction would be as beautiful as I would hope."

Tell me what Echo?!

"Rex said he's seen you around a couple of times, running missions for Cid when she asks. He didn't put it together until recently. Until I told him all about you. I keep seeing you around. I've seen you on Coruscant and on Naboo," he laughed softly at the memory, the sweetest of smiles on his lips. He shook his head once more before continuing, "I've seen you in my dreams too. But that isn't new." He lifted his head slightly and you felt his eyes bore into yours. You knew that wasn't possibly, not really. You knew this was a recorded message but you still felt that his action had been deliberate, particularly when he continued his thought. "Of course, I would see in you in the sweetest recesses of my mind. That is where you belong." His head suddenly whipped around, a ruckus occurring out of picture. He confirmed he would be along in a moment. You sighed, realising you must be coming to the end of his message. You kept hoping he would just say it. Say it, so you can say it back, even though he'd never hear the words fall from your lips. "I have to leave you for now. I'm sorry I couldn't say goodbye in person but it's not goodbye, not really. You will see me again, or maybe I'll see you first. Maybe I'll get lucky enough to see you out here, among the stars, somewhere in this galaxy that seems so dark now. Right," he sighed, "I"ll be seeing you, mesh'la," and that final word fell so naturally from his lips as he signs off. A combination of honeyed longing and sugared promise. His image disappears and your ship darkens round you.

You swore, in that moment, that if you saw him again that you would not let him go before you told him how much you loved him. The weight returned to your chest. He didn't know. He was out there, somewhere, and he just didn't know how you felt. You had so much regret.

What if you never saw him again, your mind wandered to the darkest corners of thought. It weighed so heavily on your chest, on your mind, on your heart.

For a moment, you glanced down at your tan trousers, noticing the growing darkened patch on your thigh. You reached your fingers out to fondle the wet fabric, and finally it became clear, as another tear fell from your cheek and onto the back of your hand.

When had you started crying so heavily, you couldn't help but wonder, raising the back of your hand to wipe at the cold tears as they continued to stream from your eyes.

After seconds, minutes, maybe even hours of being slumped in your chair, sitting in your solitude and simply allowing the tears to fall, you eventually sat forward with a new purpose. You wiped under your nose and wiped away the last of your tears from your eyes. You had to get out of her, off of Ord Mantell. Even if just for tonight. You couldn't be here, not without him. Not right now. It just didn't feel right.

With a heavy sigh, you whispered to yourself, enough.

Enough of the tears. Enough of the wallowing. Enough of the sadness.

"I will see him again," you affirmed aloud to no one in particular. Without another thought, your hands went to the controls. You lay in a flight path to the nearest moon and took off without so much as a second thought. Cleared for take off, you left. You left Ord Mantell, so you could nurse your heavy heart.

You left without even thinking about the heart broken kid you'd left behind in Cid's bar.

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

Omega ran outside as she heard the familiar sound of your shuttle roaring to life in the distance.

I can’t lose you too, she thought desperately. The faint sound of Hunter calling out to her as he followed her towards the shipyard. She watched as your shuttle disappeared behind the scarlet setting sun. Hunter followed her until she stopped suddenly.

He knew she would need him, when she realised, you’d truly left her behind too. The tears began to fall from her eyes once more and Hunter sensed it. He placed a reassuring hand to her small shoulder.

“They,” her head bowed suddenly, “they didn’t even say goodbye.” Omega had whispered it so softly; the tears fell so strongly that she couldn’t choke back the sob that had escaped from her chest.

She felt Hunter squeeze her shoulder gently, as he knelt in front of her.

“Because it’s not goodbye, Omega,” he reached his other hand to her shoulder as he pulled her into a gentle hug. As he pulled back, his index finger reached to tilt her shin up, begging her to look at him. A reminder that he was still there. Even if the others weren’t. “It’s not goodbye, Omega.” He sighed, unconvinced by his own words. “We will see them both again.”

#echo x reader #echo bb #echo bb x reader #hunter bad batch #tech bad batch #wrecker bad batch #omega bad batch #the bad batch #reader insert #angst heavy

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warsamongthestars · 1 year

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A LOVE LETTER

I think after a certain point, one must search their feelings (You know this to be true), look deep inside themselves, face their Shadow (I AM THE SHADOW THE TRUE SELF), and come to one’s personal understanding of themselves and their limits.

And when the limit has been reached.

So let’s talk Bad Batch. I’m going to be mean to this show. And I guarantee, this is going to feel like whiplash. So get yer big gulps and your happy meals, we’re in for a ride.

I will not lie. Watching the Bad Bach is exhausting to me. It is painful to go through each episode, and this feeling of painful exhaustion and impatience didn’t go away.

Well if its so painful, why are you still watching?

Because I love the boys. The Bad Batch was the first set of characters I saw across the room, and by the rules of narrative causality, it was love at first sight.

Hunter, the cool and calmed headed leader with the unique abilities.

Wrecker, loud and emotionally honest, a joy in bombastics (literally) who’s first reaction is to always defend his brothers.

Tech, precise professional and intelligent, always on the curve to learn and understand, and then be able to perform afterwards.

Crosshair, perceptive, witty and sharp tongued, who hits the heart of the situation whether anyone wants it or not.

And finally, Echo, oh, Echo, who was with us since the beginning, brought back from the brink to continue the journey. Clever, and snarky Echo, strongest soul of them all.

The idea that they were getting a series was amazing, because we would have adventures with the Bad Batch, and we’d get to experience and learn and see so much.

By all accounts, it shouldn’t hurt.

But isn’t that exactly what we got?

Not... really.

When I said The Bad Batch, I meant, all of them. What did Episode 1 do? Remove Crosshair from the equation and make him a bad guy.

Broken Promise 1: Adventures with the Whole Team.

But he was a Jerk, so it was obvious he’d be the evil guy. Didn’t you hear what he said about Echo?

Uh huh. Its by this point of this metaphorical questioning that I point out that I’m a Homestuck fan, I read the whole thing (and or had it read to me--thank you Let’s Reads--its a huge fucking webcomic, what do we expect?)

Homestuck is explicitly a deconstruction and reconstruction of Characters and Environments and Stories and Plots and everything in between. Its the Good Spice.

With that as the example, you honestly think I haven’t heard worse from more beloved characters? Frankly if you’re put off by that, you would have never survived Karkat Vantas, the most beloved and harmless character in the whole of Homestuck.

Let’s get back on topic.

But we still got the Adventures of the Bad Batch!

We got Johnny Quest in Star Wars, pal.

I ain’t saying that’s a bad thing, Johnny Quest was a very remembered show (parodied in many series, with the the Venture Bros being outright and explicit about it--that’s how loved it was)

But Kid Sidekick who’s super special awesome being protecc’d by the quote “good” members of the super special awesome team, is basically how you jump the shark in most series.

Now Omega isn’t that bad, she’s better written that most (for one thing, she’s an actual kid that brings in trouble actual kids would bring in combat and survival situations like hers). But the role she fills is not a new role, its in fact a role that historically been hated since Television started. She’s not the new Robin to Batman here.

Because there is no Batman.

What does Batman have to do with the Bad Batch?

He doesn’t, but the story archetype highlights some problems with the BBs. First and foremost, in order to have Robin, you have to Establish Batman.

And the Bad Batch, are not established.

Lemme explain why.

Batman’s main motivation is that his parents were murdered in an alleyway in front of him as a child, and he grew up with the conviction that no other child should experience that again. You see his aesthetic, you see his home, how he grows, and then you get Robin.

Its a basic premise that boarders on cliche now, by every show, book, and most DnD sessions.

But it does its job, it establishes a character with history and motivations, and leaves room for how that character reached the point where they could do something for their goals, and what they do whilst accomplishing their goal. Their goal may never be fullfilled, but that’s the point, it makes stories and we might just learn something about the reality along the way, or at worse, we get entertained, or at better, we get inspired to make our stories and maybe we nail the lessons the originals didn’t, or we simply inspire or entertain others.

Now then...

Showing up for a pinpoint mission on a nowhere planet to save someone who’s survival was contrived at best because main character said so, is not an introduction to a character. Its the introduction to a series, like how every 70s-80s shows used to do in shows that were popular.

So its understandable that the Clone Wars show doesn’t do that, because TCWs is not about the Bad Batch.

... But the Bad Batch series stills fails.

But it doesn’t have to be perfect.

The act of not being perfect is exactly what we want, actually.

Perfection means universal, for example, we as living things all require subsistence, that is a universal thing. Just as death is inevitable, thus universal. This is the state of “perfection”, because they are infallible and unchangeable aspects and they are free of flaw and defect in their function.

Perfection is already achieved. Now we’re simply finding ways to be interestingly and fallibly imperfect that impacts us enough to find our own “perfection”. (For individuals know their fallibility, and finding where our foundation (the center of perfection in all things--that is, the soul) lies is our journey--that is the act of achieving perfection, and it will always be individual and as individual beings, it will incomprehensible to anyone else, this is the act of synchronicity).

But now that I’ve broken existence, let’s get back to Star Wars before reality crashes and I have to go back to another save point. (Damn it Todd Howard).

And I love the characters. I’m going to be mean.

How the hell does the Bad Batch series fail?

Its their series and it should be about them, and its not.

Of course its about them!

Being the center piece of the show does not mean the show is about you. Just as being the Player Character of the Video Game doesn’t mean the game is about you at all, its often about the characters you encounter or the missions you go on.

What makes them tick and talk, what’s their history, why do they do things?

None of this is established. The closest we got is “We’re soldiers this is what we do” and “Because we’re better” or “Because we’re different”

And those are not motivations. Those are excuses.

All that this has established is that the Bad Batch started their history the moment they were introduced to the Clone Wars BB Arc.

And that means that this is Plot-Driven, and it was never about the characters, we just have center pieces with a few quirks but ultimately anyone could’ve filled in their shoes.

We could replace them with the Millennium Falcon, and have the Original Trilogy Crew perform these feats, and frankly that’d be more interesting and considerably less painful. We could even replace Crosshair’s role with a Stormtrooper (The one super special awesome show-writer OC that becomes the Main Characters’ best friend and companion and gets lots of screen time), and that would be more interesting and less painful.

... And that hypothetical gives pretty concrete evidence that the Bad Batch Series is not about the Bad Batch. Character-center episodes can be too easily replaced or character moments are too rushed through or insignificant.

Its With the Bad Batch, not About the Bad Batch.

Broken Promise 2: Its about the Bad Batch.

The Bad Batch Characters are all cliche action hero tropes anyway.

You’re not wrong. And the thing about not being wrong here, is that we know what the good shit looks like.

Hunter is the worst one here, and the best example. He’s basically every 80s action hero in one, and y’know, not being very original is fine.

There’s only three things in human history that can truly fall under the definition of Original, and that’s “Space-Travel, Nuclear Power, and the Internet”, and that’s because these things are less than century old in comparison to Humanity’s thousands of years.

So Hunter being a collection of cliches is not a bad thing. You can spin that really well, actually. The problem is, they don’t. He’s “The Leader” who “looks like a Biker” and “Does things because the Plot is actually about his Kid”.

If I wanted that specifically, I’d play Silent Hill again, because Harry Mason has all those traits, and he’s a lot more interesting.

The Environment and Circumstance and the Challenges he faces, show’s Harry’s character.

Its already long established what Hunter is, what Hunter is is not in question.

But Omega is the main character in comparison to Hunter.

Hunter is meant to be an Action Hero, but he has none of the pitfalls the 80s action hero does. He’s not challenged about being a Soldier, he’s not challenged (On-Screen) about how he leads the Batch, he is simply vaguely challenged when encountering Omega.

Hunter is challenged for his Role in the Plot, as the Leader who Looks like a Biker and Does Things Because the Plot is Actually About his Kid. He’s not challenged on screen enough for that character to make a significant difference to what is presented.

I think I talked about having stuff on screen before.

I can name two characters that do exactly what Hunter does, to show that you can, in fact, write a character who is a series of cliches anyway into a memorable character inspite of that.

Solid Snake, from the Metal Gear Solid series.

And

Geralt of Rivia, from the Witcher Series.

Or the ultimate example...

The Boss, from Metal Gear Solid 3.

They go through similar or the same challenges, they have an connection with parenthood and with being a solider; two have been main characters, while one is a mentor figure, and they roughly follow the same ideas found in Star Wars (because Star Wars, by this point, has highly influenced all media across many cultures).

Can you fucking imagine what it would’ve been like if we got Solid Fucking Snake in Star Wars? With all of Metal Gear Solid’s philosophy stuffs? Imagine having a philosophical soldier that deconstructs and reconstructs the ideas of the Jedi, the greater galaxy and the Force.

While we obviously can’t just copy-paste characters here (even though that’s exactly what they did, given that Hunter is Billy from Predator, and the leader from the A-Team) The interpretation of the character by a writer makes a new character, because our interpretation will always differ from the personal interpretation of the original creator.

I don’t think Hunter was intended to mimic these characters at all, but repeated patterns say that he’s following their footsteps... but unlike the examples above, he’s not quite making the same impact. Or any.

... This isn’t broken promise level though. There wasn’t anything that established that Hunter should be Solid Fucking Snake of Rivia in Star Wars.

But the inspirations could’ve spiced him up a bit. He is like a sugar sandwich, cmissing a lot of ingredients.

You just pointed out that there are better things out there, why not go to them instead?

I am alive and I will make it everybody’s problem.

And I am doing this because I love the characters.

Because when you love something, you go those extra miles. Hell, you make the whole damn road yours.

I’m very confused.

So I’ll sum up what I got so far, given that this is very long already. The series is not about the Bad Batch, its a Star Wars series that’s With the Bad Batch bits attached.

There’s already one flat character, and he’s the leader (not really a good thing in a Five Man Band situation).

The series has already broken two promises to its name. Its not about the Bad Batch, and we’re not going on adventures with the Full Bad Batch.

But it is the Bad Batch series, and we’re clearly following their adventures. Its about the Bad Batch.

A series about a character follows a simple idea of breaking that character down to the audience. It doesn’t have to literally break the character to do this, though it can.

What does that involve? It involves History, it involves Communication on Screen, Aesthetics and Personality.

It has Personality and Aesthetics. Most of the Bad Batch have very strong, distinct personalities and aesthetics, and imply a lot of history, and that’s what catches attention. That’s good.

The flaw is the failure of the rest.

So you might wonder, what the ever loving fuck am I talking about?

Well I’ve already gone on a thing about communication-on-screen. Its not enough to hold a series about characters by implication alone. This is not an ARG to be solved, this is a story being honestly told.

There is no Communication-on-Screen to tell the audience that shit is going down on any deep level. The BBs do not talk to each other.

That leads to the next flaw.

Their lack of history.

The sum of Star Wars lore regarding the clones is that they were commissioned after a genetic plate (the prime) to be created en mass to serve as a disposable Army for the Republic in 10 years. They are genetically modified to withstand the baseline requirements for space and planetary war, and those who exceed that baseline become Commanders and Commandos. Those that met certain criteria fill ranks such as Medics, Divers, Engineers, Hackers, ecctra.

This is already a good base of history here. You can do a lot with this.

The Bad Batch differ in that they were purposely mutated away from being the genetic baseline, what was modified is shone in the skillset or abilities of each Batchmember.

Which is fine, that’s how you get the Audience thinking.

But the show goes no further.

Do they honestly have to?

If you want a series about them, yes.

Some topics involved with the above, yes, you don’t want to get into, or you simply want to leave it in the air to be pieced together in environments that can handle those topics.

For example, there’s no good way to bring up that Clones are meant to be the “Disposable Generations”. Its there, Star Wars doesn’t ignore it, but it doesn’t talk about it. Because the Clone Wars series and the Bad Batch are meant to be Kid Shows, and topics of disregarding vast majority of people through discrimination to the point where people lose their lives to the whims the small-mindedly powerful, is a heavy topic. Worse if you’re literally creating / breeding humans to be disregarded and disposed of, speaks of a horrific mentality of eugenics.

And that’s heavy, and its horror, and its moral insanity. And If it wasn’t Star Wars, that right there would take up the entire series, and it sure as hell wouldn't be for kids.

Because its the kind of thing that you don’t sit down and accept.

But this is Star Wars, and the only way to accept it, is to not talk about it.

So what can we talk about? The characters who lived in those conditions, and how.

Back to the Bad Batch.

So, the Bad Batch has no History?

If they did, then every argument with Crosshair about his chip would’ve worked.

And this was even seen in Star Wars proper too.

In the final episode, the Finale, of The Clone Wars. Ahsoka Tano is attacked by those who know she left the Jedi Order, and that she isn’t a “Jedi”, and that Order 66 should only be about Jedi.

But that’s either not true, which would involve the clones hunting everybody done and that’s no good, or its based on perception.

It alters Perception based on the individual’s point of view.

Just because Ahsoka isn’t a Jedi, doesn’t mean the Clones stopped viewing her as a Jedi. They respect her as a Jedi, and that’s why they hunt her, even knowing that she isn’t technically affiliated with the Jedi anymore and is probably just GAR command now.

If the Bad Batch had history, there would’ve been more. They’re the outsiders who have banded together and work flawlessly together. You don’t get that without having some deep history, understanding, and loyalty to each other.

It would, by all established accounts, been simple to argue Crosshair back into the Batch, because clearly his chip didn’t work as intended. (Its not like Wrecker’s, which just blocked Wrecker out entirely. When Cross was with his Batch, his personality was clear, it was only when he is removed that he loses to the chip).

But they had no history. The implications of them being that team, failed entirely. This is where the flaws set in as gorged holes in their character and their series.

And in a series about them, character history would’ve been the simplest, easiest focus. In fact, that’s often the core component in a series about a specific person or set of persons. You don’t make a show, for example, about Abraham Lincoln being a Vampire Hunter, without making it very much about Abraham Lincoln’s history.

And that’s the bit. No real communication outside of dramatics, or the kid being the main plot figure. No history to rely on when stones fall. The characters were dressed up, implied a whole lot of stuff, and when push came to shove, it faltered, and it fails.

Echo has history!

Echo does, yes.

And they never touch it.

We never see him get confronted with his PTSD. They did once, in episode 1, then never again.

We never see closure between him and the memory of Fives, or confront his past about Domino Squad. Or the Techno Union.

The one time he’s finally with Rex, and not a single thing is talked about that isn’t the Plot at hand.

Echo is one of our Audience surrogates, specifically for Clones. He’s gone through so much, he has every right and need to talk about it for both himself as a character, and for the Audience...

... And then he doesn’t.

And the limit is reached.

You’ve gone on this tangent regarding finding a some personal limit, but this hasn’t had any limits at all!

I should probably get to the point about that, huh?

My limit?

Is that they killed Tech.

Limit broke.

What, but you’ve already made posts and comments about how he’s not dead!

I have, and I’d like to think so for all the historic evidence entailed, he isn’t dead.

... But I have to face the reality of the situation.

The reality is, is that the Bad Batch is a 3-Season series that’s not likely to be renewed, though if the characters survive, they are likely to make an appearance in other shows or media (and probably die in them instead).

That season 3 isn’t until next year, and since no evidence was shown that Tech is explicitably alive, then we have to keep the assumption that Tech’s Death means he actually died.

Just like with Echo, in Season 3 of Clone Wars. And Echo was dead for Years, before Season 7 came out. And Season 7 came out after a renewal, after three years. By all intents and purposes, Echo was dead. He was dead for Years.

Just because there’s the potential to write in why a character survived impossibility, doesn’t mean they’ll do it or that they’ll do it right. And while we can have hope, life is going to occur between now and Season 3.

Fives didn’t survive, but Rex and Hunter did, and I don’t like those odds.

And we were already working on a broken-promise situation;

Crosshair missing and regulated to be a bad guy with a redemption arc for a situation that wasn’t his fault to start with, with a trust far too easily broken than what is established.

To Hunter who is underdeveloped, underutilized, and even his own comparisons live up better than he does, and who now only revolves around the rest of the Batch.

To Echo who is unexplored inpsite of everything.

To Wrecker, who is often disregarded.

And now they’ve killed Tech.

When it comes to Limits, its the build of many things, and then there’s the moment that breaks the back of the packmule.

Its not the first strike that breaks the boulder, but the 99 strikes before it.

I love these characters. I hate what was done to them. It was painful trying to go through each episode in order to know them, when they’re not all there.

And that’s the ultimate problem in this, isn’t it?

They’re not all there.

... And they may never will be.

I still keep up with the Bad Batch, and I’ll still love Star Wars inspite of its problems. KOTOR and the Original Trilogy are in my heart and always will be. Clone Wars brought life back to me in a difficult time, and I fell hard and fast for the Bad Batch boys.

And the fanfic, and the small niches of fandom, are brilliant, Absolutely brilliant. Even from day one, folks were already making elements that showed what potential could be explored with the Bad Batch and the Clones, and that is beautiful. Wonderful and lovely. I encourage those to keep going.

But those who have made their Bad Batches, those are ultimately their Bad Batches, and not mine. For they are not my interpretations.

And I’m tired, and my experiences and expectations make things a weight on my back, and my back broke. That’s what happens when you’re presented with something you love, and those who presented it ultimately hold the fate of things that you love in their hands, and then you get the letter about how your love isn’t coming home from the war.

This canon is the Bad Batch’s legacy. What we have, is what we got, and my nightmare and fears of my loves being left with less have been fulfilled by canon.

I can’t say it let me down, because my expectations are my own, and no one is beholden to fulfill those expectations (especially since I myself don’t always know my own stuff).

I love these characters. I even identify heavily with a few (but to get into that would be diving too deep into my personal history, and I don’t talk about that, if I can help it).

I am of the audience, but I am not the intended audience, unfortunately. The series through its writing and actions so far, doesn’t really like me back, no matter how much I can say I love the characters.

This... is a love letter to love loss. I love the characters, but its a doomed promise.

This is mine, its not intended to be the reader’s perspective persay, that’s the awkward notion of love letters. They tend to personal. But I may as well lay my grief out plain. Who knows? Maybe someone might get it, maybe not.

But it might just make the difference, for a future untold.

I could be wrong. Maybe the future is brighter. Never know.

#a love letter #star wars #the bad batch #star wars hunter #star wars crosshair #star wars wrecker #star wars tech #clone trooper echo #critical and personal analysis #heavy emphasis on personal expectations

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