Echo woke up late into the morning, the lights were on but set to one of the lowest settings. With the Resolute orbiting the planet there wasn't a need for anyone to be up performing duties. They all needed their sleep, especially if they could be called back into the battle at any moment.
He stared out across the bunk to the one in front of him. With his back to the wall, he contemplated the bunk that was above Captain Rex's. It was empty. No one ever slept there. Before Dagger, no one had ever slept in the bed he was currently occupying.
The bunks above the officers, Rex and Cody, were always empty. Why? Did no one want to sleep on the bunk above in fear of making them mad? Echo had never seen Rex mad about something so small. He couldn't even imagine it.
He hoped that Commander Cody and the rest of the 212th were doing well. He hadn't heard from them in a while. He should probably send a comm to Waxer and Boil sometime soon, it would be nice to hear from them again.
Echo's senses slowly started to filter in and the numbness of sleep wore off. It was nice to wake up slowly, not be forced up to the sound of gunfire with adrenaline pumping through his veins before he could even open his eyes.
A blond head came into his line of sight suddenly, Captain Rex had been in his bed and he just stood up. Rex turned towards Dagger's bed and was startled to see someone laying there. Even more startled to see that someone was looking directly at him.
It was too early to be worried about making such direct eye contact so Echo just looked at Rex. The Captain's surprise softened, "You doing ok, Echo?"
"I'm fine sir," he answered.
Rex nodded, not one to push the issue after last night's incident. There were more than a few of them who were still numb with pain. The blond pulled on his boots and left the barracks, it was breakfast time after all.
With a sigh, Echo rolled to the edge of the bed and dropped down, feet first. He stayed standing with his arms up and still on the mattress for a moment, letting his head adjust to being upright again. He tugged on his blacks and the bare minimum armor that was required while still technically on mission.
He smiled when he thought of seeing Dagger again. He hoped that she was doing better today, Echo was certainly feeling better. Whatever Kix had given him for his concussion had been a miracle drug.
Echo walked into the medbay as quietly as he could, since it was morning, most of the patients who had stayed overnight were still sleeping. He saw Hardcase laying on one of the cots trying to reach something on his bedside table. He was struggling.
With a chuckle he walked over to his vod and grabbed the cup of water and handed it to him, "What's got you in here?"
"I got tripped up and shot in the leg. Have you met the new guy? I like him, but Kix is better," Hardcase said.
"Yeah, I've met Cobalt. He tracked me down yesterday through an active battle. Seems like a good guy. You get better soon Hardcase, we might need you out there on the next one."
"Sooner I get out of here the better, I don't want Jesse to go through my things again. You know last time he took half of my stash of pain pills?"
"You mean the pills you aren't even supposed to have?"
Hardcase lifted his chin with a huff and turned away from Echo. The Arc just laughed at his vod's actions. He made his way over to the back corner of the medbay, which was sectioned off by a curtain.
Echo pulled back the curtain and saw Dagger was very much awake. She also seemed to be having a standoff with Cobalt. There Dagger was, standing on the left side of the bed, while Cobalt stood on the right side of the bed with a tense stance.
"You ain't allowed to be up yet, get back in the bed," the medic said, his patience seemed to be running low.
"And you ain't allowed to tell me what to do Crystals. You can't catch me anyway," she had a devious smirk on her face and poor Cobalt had no idea what was coming.
Echo almost laughed at her antics but decided to stay quiet and see what happened. Dagger feigned left as if she were going to run around the cot that way. Cobalt lunged to his right to try and intercept. Once he was already committed to his path, Dagger redirected and vaulted over the cot, making a run for the opening in the curtain.
She ran straight into Echo's arms. Dagger squawked indignantly as his arms wrapped around her waist and he lifted her into the air to stop her from running away, "Where are you going in such a hurry?"
"Echo! Let me go!"
He laughed and Cobalt let out a sigh that the menace had been captured. The Arc Trooper deposited the squirming Dagger onto the cot and caged her in with his arms. His hands held her hips and his face was just inches away from her as he leaned forward.
"I came to visit you and you are trying to run away? I thought you liked to see me?"
Echo couldn't help the quick glance down her face to her panting lips. It was so strange to be able to see Dagger's face. Her features were soft, his mind had trouble understanding that this was another clone. She looked so unlike himself, but at the same time she had many similar features.
Her eyes were piercing, filled with a determined fire that dared him to get in her way. He wondered if her face was always this expressive, if her emotions were always so easy to read. Just out of reach when she hid behind her helmet.
Dagger stilled and started to calm down, she looked up at Echo defiantly. He grinned, "Where would you have even gone?"
She crossed her arms over her chest, "I don't know."
"Then why were you running?"
Cobalt cleared his throat, "Cause I told her to eat breakfast and she decided it was a better idea to run."
Echo fixed Dagger with a hard look and she looked down, "I don't like jelly rations."
He frowned as realized that he didn't like seeing her pout. Echo already wanted to do something to make her stop being sad, "Cobalt, is there any way I could take Dagger to the mess hall?"
The medic sighed, "I'd be glad to get her out of the medbay, but I don't know if she is strong enough for that yet."
"I was in the bacta for hours. I'll be fine for a trip to the medbay," she protested.
"You know what, if you wanna pass out because you wanted real food be my guest," he crossed his arms, "but I will not be coming to pick you up when you go down."
He grabbed something off the counter and threw it at Dagger. She caught the fabric easily and examined this. She lifted a hood out of the mass of fabric and looked at Echo, who had now backed up a few steps, "It's a cloak."
"So you don't aggravate those cuts on your face I bet," Echo tried to explain, "Come on little demon, you have bothered the medics enough for one morning."
Dagger grumbled but got off the bed and wrapped the cloak around her shoulders. She pulled the hood up and held out her arms, "How do I look?"
Echo faked a shocked look, "Oh stars! Who let a jawa in here?"
Dagger peaked out of the hood and giggled, "Hey, I'm not that short."
His face softened at the sound of her unobstructed laughter, he wanted to hear that sound over and over again. Echo pulled her hood further over her head playfully, "Let's go Dagger. I heard they are serving nerf steaks in the mess."
~B~
Rex had been looking at the broken helmet for far too long. The blood had dried on the surface. He hated being in the dark, it took all of his self control to not go down to the medbay himself to check on Dagger. To demand that Kix let him through. He never would do that, he couldn't force Dagger to show him his face, no matter how much he wanted to check on how he was doing.
Dagger had almost died. Kix had reported that Dagger would pull through, but it still worried him. The anxiety of what could have been still hung heavy in his mind.
Now, Rex was left with a sense of helplessness. He hadn't been there. Obviously, he couldn't always be there to protect Dagger, but he sure wished he could.
He grasped the helmet tightly and stood. He would go and get Dagger a new one, Dagger needed a helmet. It would keep him safe. It would protect his face when he didn't want to show it. Rex would make sure he had one.
After a short conversation with the supply sergeant he had the helmet in hand and made his way back to his bunk. When he got there he pulled a few paintbrushes and a tube of blue paint out of his drawer.
He sat down and got to work. Dagger had always had a vertical stripe over the left eye that extended all the way down to the chin. He took great care to make the line perfectly straight.
It was almost as if Rex painting the helmet could help Dagger. Him restoring this part of his identity would bring Dagger back to normal. Once he was done with the stripe he paused. It seemed incomplete now. Most helmets had multiple decorations, more elaborate.
Rex's own helmet sported the jaig eyes as well as all of his tally marks. Dagger's helmet had not been modified since he had arrived at the 501st. He wasn't a shiny anymore and he deserved some new ink. This might be the only chance Rex got to do something for Dagger since he couldn't go back to the medbay.
He flipped the helmet and his hand moved of its own accord. Across the back of the helmet he painted sprawling wings. One on each side, giant feathered wings arching upward. Wings of an eagle, of an angel, he didn't quite know himself.
Through the middle of the two wings, where the spine of a bird would be he painted a dagger. As close as he could replicate to the one that Dagger had gotten on Coruscant. The double edged blade pointed upwards, the Mandalorian hilt painted in as much detail as he could manage. Rex was no artist, but attention to detail was important as a soldier.
It took him a long time to complete the design. Close to an hour if he were to guess. He leaned back against the wall as the paint dried and looked at the image. Perfectly symmetrical, it was beautiful, a symbol of protection. A fitting image to be on the Dagger's helmet.
He stared at those wings for a long time. He was thankful that Dagger was alive and he was able to give him this helmet instead of remembering a lost brother. He got up and went to the medbay, maybe he could give it to Dagger now. Even to himself he knew that it was a thin excuse to just see Dagger and check up on how he was doing.
Holding the helmet by the inner rim, he walked out of the barracks to the Medbay. He noticed the door was locked so he knocked. Kix answered the door, "Captain Rex, I was wondering when you would make it down here."
"I have this for Dagger," he said holding up the helmet for Kix to see.
The medic stepped aside to let Rex inside as he examined the front of the helmet, "I thought this was destroyed in the blast."
Rex gently turned the helmet over to show Kix the back, "It was, this one is new."
Kix looked up at the Captain, an unreadable expression in his eyes, "Rex, did you paint this?"
Rex nodded and Kix pulled him into a hug, "Dagger is going to love it."
"How is he doing?"
"Dagger is doing great, the bacta tank really helped heal most of his injuries. Let him out for a short while. I swear he was about to challenge Cobalt to a fight. So Echo took him for a walk or food I think. Should be back soon, I can give the helmet to him if you like?"
"Thank you, Kix. If anything changes please let me know. I'll be in my office," he said before he turned and walked away.
He was relieved that Dagger was doing well enough to be out of the medbay. He went to his office and resolved to get back to work. He needed to file the reports that he had been putting off. He hated to acknowledge the fact that they had lost brothers on this mission. Almost an entire squad. He was thankful that it hadn't been more.
Rex had put it off long enough, it was time to get back to work. He just hoped they didn't get called back to the surface before he could finish everything. They were still on active mission status. So if the separatists tried anything on the planet below they would be the first ones to respond.
~B~
Dagger sat quietly at the table while she and Echo ate. Her heart raced everytime anyone walked past. She wanted her helmet, her chest plate, her armor, she was too exposed like this.
Echo could feel her unease hanging heavy in the air, he could see it in the wide sweeping glances she made around the room. Her hood was still up, but he was close enough to be able to see her face in the shadow.
He studied her closely, a realization dawning on him. Echo's face fell and Dagger noticed immediately. She paused after swallowing, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"This is just the first time you have ever eaten in the mess hall with anyone. You always go elsewhere during meal times," Echo explained.
Her shoulders drooped, "I'm sorry Echo."
He waved his hands hurriedly, "No, no! That's not what I mean. It's just- just nice to be able to share a meal with you Dagger. I'm glad you're here. I'm glad I wasn't too late."
She looked up at him and Echo could see her shining eyes from under the hood, "We lost so many Echo. Too many. I wasn't there for you, I couldn't even do anything to help. I couldn't help them."
Echo froze, he hated the look on her face. He should have been expecting that, but the comment still took him by surprise.
"Dagger, you know it wasn't your fault right? There was nothing you could have done to help them. It's just the way the war goes."
There was silence from Dagger, she was completely silent for an unnerving length of time. Echo tried to peer under her hood to see her face, but she was too deep in the shadow to be visible.
Just as Echo was about to ask if she was ok, Dagger stood up, violently fast. She slammed her fists down on the table with a resounding bang. This drew the attention of the few others in the mess hall.
She let out a sound of pain, "I refuse to believe that. This war wasn't meant to kill us like that. It's not just some game of luck. They deserved better."
Dagger turned and stormed off towards the door. Echo stood quickly and tried to reach across the table to grab her arm. His fingers brushed the billowing end of her cloak but she slipped away.
She made her way out of the mess hall at a fast clip. Her short legs took her as fast as she could go without running. If the situation had been less emotional Echo would have laughed at the way she moved so quickly even though she was so small.
Echo sprinted after her, trying hard to keep up the appearance that he was in fact not sprinting. The last thing he needed right now was for Dogma to see him and yell at him to stop running in the halls.
He burst through the double doors just as they were closing behind Dagger. He saw the tail end of her cloak disappear around a corner, he could hear the soft sob that she let out as she ran.
After seeing that the hallway was empty she sped up. Dagger didn't know what she was running from, but she just wanted to get away. The aching of her wound distracted her from the pain she felt about losing those in her squad.
Echo extended his stride, boots thudding harshly on the duracrete floor. He caught up to her as she met a dead end. He grabbed her hand and turned her to face him, she could see the look on his face.
Dagger tried to pull away, he held fast with a gentle grip. She wanted to yell, but her voice came out in a hoarse whisper, "I don't need your pity, I'm not a child."
He huffed, "I'm not pitying you Dagger, I'm concerned."
"Bantha shit! You have been looking at me with that sad expression all day. You think I'm a child who needs to be protected for what happened. They are dead and we were the ones who had to watch," she hissed at him.
Echo's eyes darkened, he growled and pushed her up against the wall, not unlike the last time he had chased her. Just after the 212th had left, all those weeks ago. Except that time he had been playing, this time he wasn't. Her hood fell back on impact and he could finally see her face.
He looked into her brown eyes, still not used to being able to see her expression and feelings broadcasted so easily on her features. There was so much emotion. Tears slid, unwanted, down her cheeks. Echo's grip softened, "Dagger, it's not your fault."
She tried to look away, but he pulled her chin up so she had to make eye contact before he continued, "We were made for this war, like it or not. It's all we know. People, friends die. You didn't shoot that fighter out of the sky. Dagger, if you hadn't made it I don't know what I would have done. You mean the world to me."
"Echo, I don't know what to do with this feeling inside of me. I feel like nothing is going to be right ever again."
He spoke softly, his hand came up to hold her cheek, trying to comfort her, "I know. In time it will be ok. The first time losing a friend is always the worst and we lost a lot of them in this battle. We just have to be thankful it wasn't worse."
She coughed, pain flaring up in her stomach, "Echo they are dead! It couldn't be any worse, we never get to see them again, never even get to say goodbye. They are gone and they left us to keep fighting in a war where even more of us will die. There is nothing to be thankful for," Echo's eyes were wide as her voice turned raw with emotion, "Why couldn't I have jus-"
Click.
Both of them froze as the door right behind Echo slid open and bootsteps could be heard exiting the room. In that split second Echo saw the panic in Dagger's eyes. Fear that someone would see her with her hood down and helmet off.
He didn't have time to think, he had to act. Echo knew that he had to hide Dagger's face somehow. How, how?
Echo grabbed her face with both hands and pulled her face to his. She let out a squeak of surprise as his lips met hers. Her eyes went wide and she tensed into stillness.
Echo couldn't help but close his eyes, all he wanted was for this to be real even if he knew that it wasn't. Even if just for a split second, he relished in the feel of her lips on his, softer than he would have imagined. He desperately wanted this to be something that she had initiated out of want. Not something that he had initiated out of necessity.
Stars, she was soft. He pressed his face closer, desperate in a different way to feel the closeness. All of his emotions poured through that kiss. Echo selfishly kissed her, his heart singing at the the times he had wanted to do this in the past, every moment that he had watched Dagger wishing for more.
As the next bootstrap fell behind him, shivers of fear shot up his spine. He reached behind her shoulder with one hand and pulled the hood up over her head.
When the hood was up he pulled away slightly. He almost whined at the loss of his lips on hers as he panted softly. Echo looked into her eyes and his heart broke.
She looked scared, hurt, maybe even offended. Echo knew in that moment that she didn't feel the same way about him as he did about her. He would never be the one she cared about like that. His feelings were his alone and he had already overstepped far beyond where he should have.
"Echo?" came the familiar voice behind him.
Fuck. It was Captain Rex.
Echo whipped around to face the officer, standing as tall as he could to block his view of Dagger behind him. Dagger's head spun at the sudden movement, one moment her best friend was kissing her and the next he was pushing her behind him.
"Uh, yes? Captain?" Echo stammered, trying his best to act natural.
Rex raised an eyebrow, "What are you doing here?"
"N-nothing, sir. Wha- what are you doing there? Doing here?"
The Captain gestured behind himself, "That's my office. Who is that behind you?"
Rex tried to look around Echo, but the Arc moved so his view continued to be blocked. Echo tried to sound convincing when he said, "No one Captain."
Judging from Rex's expression he was not successful, "So you are in this deserted hallway pinning an empty cloak to the wall?"
On trend for the day, he responded without thinking, "Yes sir!"
Whoever was behind Echo let out a frustrated groan that made Rex smile. Echo realized his mistake and tried to backtrack, "I mean no- no that would be crazy. I was just uhhhhh- just polishing the wall with the cloak. I mean it looked dirty."
The Arc Trooper tried to laugh off his nerves and Rex laughed at him slightly, "Echo, you are the worst liar I have ever met. Aren't you supposed to be watching Dagger?"
Echo straightened up, "Yes, I am! I was. Sh-HE is sleeping right now."
Rex shook his head at his antics, "I think you should follow his advice. Kix hasn't cleared you for the field yet due to your concussion. I'll see you when we get back ok. Hold down the fort while I'm gone."
Echo's expression morphed into one of concern, "Gone sir? Where are you going?"
He tucked his helmet under his arm, "Seppies don't know when to quit. Torrent is being sent back to the surface. Gotta have a leader, so I'm heading out now. Just- just tell Dagger I said get better soon ok? I left something for him in the medbay."
Echo looked down, ashamed, "I will Captain, just please be safe. We already lost enough on Ryloth this mission."
Rex nodded and made his way down the hallway, away from Echo and Dagger, he didn't turn back once. He had many things on his mind, he had to get himself and his men ready for battle.
Echo waited until Rex was out of sight before he turned back to face Dagger. If he was being honest with himself he didn't want to turn around. He didn't want to see that hurt look on Dagger's face and he didn't want to face the fact that he was the one that put it there.
He turned around and the first thing he saw was a fist headed right for his face. Echo didn't even have time to flinch before her punch landed squarely on his nose with a crack.
"AH! What the hell?!"
"Me what the hell?" She squawked, "You what the hell Echo!"
"I didn't have time to think of anything else! Unless you wanted Rex to find out like that? Because that is what would have happened," he tried to defend himself.
He knew it was true, but it didn't change the fact of what had happened. The only reason that kissing her had been his first thought was because he had wanted to do so for so long. He never wanted it to happen like this, never like this.
"Are you stupid," she cried out, her expression held pain and anger. She was lashing out with her words, "You could have hugged me, pushed me, anything other than that!"
"I- I couldn't think that fast! Dagger I'm sorry! Please, please don't hate me," he begged, hands reaching out for her, but unwilling to touch her in case of enraging her further.
She looked down, her lip curling into a snarl. Then, to his surprise, she took a deep breath and her angry look faded into a tired one, "I don't hate you Echo. I just wish you hadn't done that."
His head fell in shame, "I'm sorry. I was just trying to help. I know I shouldn't have done that. I'm so sorry Dagger."
She nudged his shoulder starting to walk back to the medbay, "Don't do that again, you hear? It's weird kissing your best friend. Kissing anyone really."
His head snapped up to meet her eyes, "You've never kissed anyone before? But that woman on Coruscant? The one you stayed the night with?"
Dagger rubbed the back of her neck to try to relieve some of her embarrassment, "She was just a friend I met. I told you I didn't do anything with her. Never with anyone for that matter."
With her thoughts voiced she finally went on her way, back to the medbay. Dagger left and in doing so left Echo alone with a million thoughts swirling through his head.
He felt like crying, or at the very least throwing up. He had taken Dagger's first kiss, without permission. Stars, he felt sick. How could he have done that? He had been sure that she had already had her first kiss.
That didn't excuse his actions. He made himself an aruetii, a traitor to his vod. He had taken one of the choices that Dagger had, she would never be able to get her first kiss back because Echo had stolen it from her. She didn't even want him.
His head pounded, he deserved a lot worse than the singular punch that she had dealt him. Deserved a lot more for stealing something precious from her. He was such an idiot. So stupid!
How could she say that she didn't hate him? He would have hated anyone who had taken the choice of a first kiss away from him. He still remembered his first kiss, every detail. He hated himself even more the longer he thought about it.
Echo shook his head, he had no right to feel sorry for himself. He needed to go after Dagger and make sure she was alright, apologize again and again. He would do anything to make it up to her.
He set off to the medbay at a brisk pace. He passed through the doors and realized that the medbay was empty aside from the medics and Dagger. She was sitting on her cot, her back to him, head in hands. Cobalt was leaning over her trying to calm her down, Echo could hear her sobs from the door and his heart broke even more.
Kix blocked his path from moving forward, arms crossed over his chest and his expression hard. The medic jabbed his finger into Echo's chest, "I don't know what you did to make her cry, but you better get out of here."
"Kix I-"
"Get out!" he growled, "Or I won't be responsible for what I do to you when I find out."
Echo gulped, he had no doubt that Kix could tear him a new one if he wanted to and he looked like he wanted to. He took one last look at Dagger before he fled the medbay. His own tears stinging his eyes. He had messed up real bad this time.