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The first time Echo had seen it, the Batch had been in the middle of one of their first missions as a squad of five.
They’d made it to the computer room, shooting down droids along the way. Echo focused his attention on the data socket. The others broke away to do their own jobs: Wrecker to set more detonators, Hunter and Tech to make their way to the last-known location of some locals who had been locked up, and Crosshair to provide cover fire outside while Echo was preoccupied.
Kneeling down, Echo inserted his scomp-arm into the computer, letting the numbers and code flood his mind. He immediately found the controls to bolt down both entrances to the room, locking him in. Now all he needed to do was to find the data they were looking for, then shut down the power to the separatist base just like he’d done dozens of times over now.
It was a bit strange, being back on the right side of the war. Here he was, searching for the oncoming plans to support his brothers and his Republic rather than being the one to make the strategies that could destroy them. The very thing that made him their adversary was now what could save them. He would do his part until his last life caught up with him.
There. He pulled on the information, letting it settle onto his mind so he could send it to the Marauder and the Resolute after the mission. It was quick and easy, revealing that this information wasn’t as expansive as they had been led to believe. There wasn’t enough time to properly sift through it, but hopefully, it would still be as important. Once that was done, he let himself be pulled back to his body. The code rushed past him as his consciousness flew. It was not dissimilar to being tugged by a physical lifeline, although the anchor was his body, not a winch and pulley.
Echo blinked as he was again ‘aware.’ The sounds of battle filled his ears: Basterfire, whirring, shouts, and crashing. He took a moment to regain feeling in his limbs. His left hand supported him against the wall. His legs twitched as he manually checked their connection where they kneeled on the ground. It seemed all was well.
Time to go.
The scomp spun, still inside the computer. He started to disconnect and pull it out when- Pain ran up his arm, electricity surging through wires and circuits. The air in his lungs stuttered. The socket locked up, leaving Echo unable to pull away from the computer’s last-minute defense. He was stuck.
Had Echo been any less of a man, the power surge would have shut him down. Overloaded components. Rendered his modifications useless. But Echo was no droid. Nor was this place any Lola Sayu. He stayed upright as the electricity flooded his body, joints locking and prosthetics unmoving from the power influx. His entire frame shook along with the shocks. Echo gritted his teeth, hanging onto the thought of getting out of this dreadful place.
His head buzzed. It felt full of static. He didn’t quite realize why until-
“-cho! Answer!” A voice yelled through the comms.
He couldn’t find the words to respond.
A curse followed shortly after. More instructions were given, though Echo gave up trying to comprehend the words. He was losing this fight with consciousness.
The room rumbled from some kind of explosion, followed shortly by Wrecker’s manic laughter from the comms. Worryingly, even that didn’t shock him back to awareness.
One of the doors blocking off the computer room flew open. His eyes turned to it, expecting to see one of his squadmates. Instead, two dozen battle droids flooded in, all blasters aimed at him.
No no no no. Not again.
The electricity flowing from the computer was still burning. His flesh hand twitched beneath, while the rest of his body still trembled. Echo couldn’t move- there was nothing he could do to escape or to defend himself.
This was not Lola Sayu. His squad knew something was wrong- The comms were still filled with aggressive chatter.
A droid broke from its formation to step up to the controls.
This was not the citadel. His brothers were on their way.
The socket pulled him forward, trying to bring him back into the computer. Trying to do something. He didn’t know what.
The second door behind him opened without a sound. He knew he was surrounded.
“Echo!”
Although he knew he was hardly in the clearest mindset, he would not forget what happened next.
The droids were all pushed back by some invisible gust of wind that Echo couldn’t feel. Falling back and crashing to the ground. Then their frames crumpled, as if crushed, circuits flashing and metal crunching. Each one destroyed beyond repair. It happened quickly. Echo wasn’t sure if he believed what his eyes saw.
The world went silent.
If it weren’t for the fact that Echo knew their squad was the only Republic forces here, he would’ve thought a Jedi was standing behind him. His neck was still stuck in place, preventing him from figuring out who this person was.
Tech and Hunter appeared from the first door, their faces marked with shock and resolve. Then, the first door slammed shut, and the panel on the wall was hit with a blaster bolt, locking it in place.
Tech ran straight for the computer. Hunter kneeled beside him, lips moving, but mouth not making a sound. He looked behind Echo. Talking some more.
A minute later, the socket unlocked, rejecting his scomp and forcing it out. The electricity lingered, but lessened dramatically.
Hunter didn’t catch him in time. But someone else did.
Echo wasn’t awake long enough to figure out who.
- - -
Echo came back to consciousness with a start. The memory of electricity still runs through him. Exhaustion sits on his frame- the ache thrums on his bones. But now, relative quiet is what meets him rather than the sounds of the battle. He uses the moment to take in his surroundings.
First, the frame underneath him is not cold durasteel, but instead the hard form that GAR insists is a mattress. Hunter’s thin blanket is what’s draped over him- not a surgical cloth. He caresses his thumb over what has to be Wrecker’s Lula doll. Everything rumbles steadily beneath him, matching the perhaps over-modified engine of the Havoc Marauder. It nearly lulls him back to sleep.
Instead, he blinks into the dim lights of their quarters, catching the ray of light from the bow of the ship. In the next room, several voices go back in forth in easy conversation. He can’t quite catch the words. All he knows is, after a moment, the voices trail off, which results in Wrecker whining over something.
Hunter steps through the entrance to the ‘barracks,’ an odd expression on his features. It shifts into a probably-soft smile. He walks up to the bunk. Crosshair’s bunk (Thankfully; the hammock wouldn’t have been as pleasant).
“Had us worried there for a minute.”
Echo doesn’t quite have the strength to answer beyond a bashful look.
He remembers the strange event that happened before he lost consciousness. How all his enemies were knocked back and crushed from seemingly nothing. It had to be the force. A jedi? Echo doesn’t know. At the moment, he’s not too concerned over it.
Perhaps he’ll ask in the morning.
“Rest. We can bebrief once you’re upright.” Hunter says, seeming to read his mind. Though it’s not quite an order.
Soon, Echo will have to learn to bend rules in order to fall in line with this new squad. It seems that they have a penchant for causing as much chaos possible while never straying too far from the law. Until then, Echo agrees, eyes slipping shut.