Chapter Twenty-Three

Ella sighed contentedly and snuggled into Echo's arms further. He was so nice and warm. Even if he did hog the blankets sometimes. He was always quick to give them back.

"Hmm... Ella," her husband mumbled sleepily, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her closer.

Ella smiled and turned into him, kissing his lips deftly, savoring his taste. He blinked his eyes open slowly, delicately fanning his cheeks with his eyelashes. A languid smile stretched one corner of his lips up.

"Hey."

She leaned in and kissed him again as he turned her onto her back. "Hey, handsome."

He blushed. His blushes were adorable.

Echo stretched out like a lothcat, groaning when his back popped, then lay still. He was always so melty in the mornings.

Ella was reminded of a baby kitten. Always wanting to be cuddled, sweet, cute little mewling noises.

He's just so precious!

It was a three and a half months since they were first married, and while their passion definitely hadn't faded, something better was emerging.

They were one, together or apart.

Ella understood what it was like for her parents when they seemed to read each other's minds through their eyes. She was beginning to know what he meant before he said it.

They'd had a few spats. One was on the topic of Ella's personal safety. She'd darted out in front of the enemy, standing over two injured shinies until they could be dragged to safety. If Rex and Vaughn hadn't stepped in, she could've been killed.

/ Tup and Dogma were down. Ella could just make out their prone forms through the smoke and blasterfire.

They were alive. One had taken a shot to the lower back. The other had been struck in his thigh.

Ella looked over at the advancing droids, then back at the two boys.

They'd be seen and killed in moments.

They're so young! she thought. In a flash, she remembered Oaks.

Grabbing her sidearm, she loaded it and sprinted towards their position.

"Ella!" someone screamed, but she shut her ears. She was not going to let those boys die. Not if she could help it.

The two batchmates were clinging to each other as the droids advanced, trying to be still and quiet. Ella pitied them. It seemed all the boys were just getting younger and younger as the war progressed. The two were barely older than Olvet.

This was their first skirmish since they were grafted into the 501st, and they were the last of their original squad. Their ship had needed to stop and aid some natives on some planet en route to Coruscant, and the troop transport had been gunned down.

Dogma had been back on the main ship.

But Tup was sent out, and remembered it all.

How the fire emerged from almost everywhere, and the jolt of striking the ground had thrown him backwards into the rear of the ship, debris cutting him off from the others.

The smell of burning flesh.

The screams.

How he fought for breath, trapped for hours until someone rescued him.

One of the salvagers had remarked that it had been the tough tup of the fallen transport that had saved him, crushed him.

Tup: heavy metal body.

That was where he'd lost his brothers, Pitcher, Abin, and Nocs.

"D-Dogma... we're gonna be... we'll be okay," Tup whimpered, clutching at his empty blaster.

"We should... we should face them... like soldiers. Not c-c-cower here!" he said half-heartedly.

"Oh... stow it. No rules, p-please. G-Gun's empty," his friend said.

"Mmmnn... m-mine t-t-too."

Ella heard the two gasp as she stood above them, firing into the oncoming enemy's line.

"I-Is that... Nurse S-Starrow?" Tup grunted.

She took a knee beside them. "Yes. You're going to be safe. I won't let them hurt you."

Dogma shifted and hissed, "I... I should—"

"Rest, Dogma. You should rest. That's a nasty shot you took," she said loud enough that she could be heard.

"Get the injured!" Kix ordered behind her.

Her fellow medics swarmed in and grabbed their little brothers.

"Injuries, Ella?" Wander asked, lifting a hyperventilating Tup.

"Tup was shot on his back. Dogma got hit in his flank a few times. Get them to safety," she barked.

"We will. You find cover!" Votyc ordered.

She steeled her jaw and continued firing.

Suddenly, the line of troopers moved around her, Rex in front and Chopper just behind.

"Hardcase! Blow 'em out!" the captain yelled.

Hardcase and a few others launched grenades into the remaining droids while the others fired as hard as they could.

Finally, the smoke cleared.

The droids were utterly decimated, and they'd cleared the area for the gunships to land and for the tanks and walkers to come through and take the rest of the stragglers out.

Cheers erupted and Ella sighed in relief, running towards where the injured were being kept.

She was soothing Tup to sleep when someone stopped behind her.

Echo.

He hadn't removed his helmet, and his fists were clenched.

"Are you okay?" she asked, standing to look him over.

He didn't answer.

Ella's brow furrowed, "Echo, are you injured?"

His helmet hit the ground and he grabbed her by the shoulders. "You could've been killed! What were you thinking!"

She flinched. Echo never raised his voice at her. "Echo, they were sitting ducks! They'd run out of ammo and were too wounded to move!"

"You didn't tell anyone what you were doing! I look up and you're being sighted by half the clankers! You didn't tell anyone that you were going to get them!"

"I didn't have time!"

He laughed derisively. "You could've just called for cover fire and it'd have been fine. Do you know how panicked I was? How panicked everyone was? Do you?"

She pushed him away, "Echo, I'm a medic. My first priority is to care for and protect the injured."

"Medics still need cover! Ask Kix! He doesn't just rush out in plain sight of the enemy? What good are you to them dead?" Echo cried.

"I don't know! Would you rather I just sit there and watch them die!" she screamed back.

"You know that's not what I meant!"

"Then what did you mean!"

"Ella, there's rules about this for a reason! I can't tell you how much it's drilled into us, how many regs say—"

"I don't give a kriff about those stupid regs! I saw people - your own brothers - who needed help, and I went to help them! I don't need you to echo rules at me for trying to do what I thought was right!"

A hurt look crossed his face, and he scooped up his helmet and walked into the crowd, which, by now, was politely trying to pretend they hadn't heard everything.

Ella sighed and tried to calm down. Why were her hands shaking so much? Ugh, she hated fighting with him. She felt like there was such a roadblock between them now.

Someone tapped her shoulder. She stiffened, wondering if he'd come back.

She saw Chopper and sighed trying to smile but failing. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to shout."

He shrugged, "Everyone I know says marriage isn't always happy. You have disagreements."

"Yeah. I wish it wasn't in front of everyone though," she said. "I didn't... ugh, I mess everything up."

He grabbed her shoulder, "No, you don't. But there is something you need to know."

"Oh?" she asked

He looked around, "Come with me a second."

She looked at the wounded.

"We've got them, Ella. Go on," Kix assured kindly.

She gave him a tired and grateful smile, then walked with her friend.

When they were a good distance away, he sighed, "You made fun of his name."

She shrugged, "I didn't mean... I... I did."

He took her hands, "Names are everything to us clones. They're basically all we have to call our own, and even then we sometimes have them taken from us."

She winced.

"Ella, no matter what, you can't do that," he said gently, but heavily. "Don't hurt him like that. He's just scared. He's not mad at you. He's afraid to lose you. You didn't see..." he sighed. "It was all Fives, Jesse, and Denal could do to hold him back. I heard him say, 'Fives, I can't. I can't lose her.' The captain and I formed a quick plan to get you safe, but it was also to keep him from throwing himself in front of you."

Ella felt awful. She should've known. Of course he was only upset because he needed her. Because he loved her.

And she'd hurt him.

She sniffled, "I've really messed up."

He sighed and hugged her, "Ella, we all know you love him. You can't always be perfect. That's just life. You'll mess up sometimes. Maybe badly. But the important part is standing back up and chasing the thing that's most precious." He nudged his head towards camp. "Go get your man. He's probably feeling the same as you. He didn't mean to make you upset just like you didn't mean to yell at or hurt him."

Ella nodded and wiped her eyes. "Thanks Chopper. You're a good friend."

He blushed, "Ah, thanks Ella. No go on. I'll help Kix take care of anything if you're missed."

She tilted her head in confusion, "I didn't know you knew medical stuff."

He shrugged, "When you get blown up, you kinda want to know how to help others. So I did. Borrowed the medical books and studied. Helped in the medbay a bit. Never really liked it but you go where you can help, yeah?"

Ella smiled, "Yeah. Field med is tough."

He grunted, "You can say that again. Now no more stalling. Go before I kick your shebs."

She stuck her tongue out playfully and obeyed.

Ella couldn't find Echo anywhere. Not on the ground. Not anywhere on the Resolute. She knew he'd gotten on a transport. Fives told her he'd ridden up with him and was surprised and worried when he found out that she hadn't seen him.

"You check your room?" he asked.

She nodded, "Wasn't in there. Not the mess, or the bridge. I checked our closet. The boiler room. The medbay. I even checked the sewage vat! He's nowhere!"

He hummed thoughtfully, "He's not in the showers. I came out with him a minute ago, thought he was heading to your room. He isn't in the barracks." He sighed. "If you want my advice, wait in your room. If he isn't there by bedtime, check the gym."

"How come?"

He shrugged, "When he gets upset sometimes, he'll go someplace. No one knows where. But he's always in the gym at night afterwards. Like he's sat and cooled down and then he just wants to blow off some steam and he's fine again."

Ella took his advice and waited in their room. She commed Fives to ask if he'd gone into the barracks and he said he hadn't. That he'd tell her if he did.

She waited a few more hours, then sighed. He wasn't coming here. Enough time had gone by.

She would go find him.

Wrapping her night robe around herself, she slipped out and down the halls.

Poking her head into the gym, she almost missed him. But on the second sweep, she saw him at the pull-up bars.

She bit her lip and leant against the doorway. The dim light accentuated the thick, corded muscles of his back perfectly, and his arms and shoulders... the way the beads of sweat glistened on them...

Stop it! Sensibility kicked her. You're here to make up. Not ogle him.

She sighed and pushed off the doorframe, silently padding towards him on the matted floor.

He dropped gracefully and strapped gloves onto his hands, making his way to the bags.

Ella hadn't ever seen him practicing like this before, at least not since he'd gone to Kamino for the most elite training program available.

He was lethal, swift and fluid like a smooth but deadly river, choppy at the stones, the quick punches and sudden jabs.

Ella would hate to be on the receiving end of that eerily beautiful dance of destruction.

She sat down on the bench beside him and watched him release his pent up frustration on the poor bag.

Eventually, after his movements were slowing in contradiction to his heavy and rapid breathing, she cleared her throat.

He froze.

Ella swallowed, then hesitantly murmured, "You didn't come back to our room, so I went looking for you."

He didn't turn or speak. He didn't move a muscle. Ella remembered when she was watching her chickens and they sensed a bird of prey. How they all froze like he was now, rigid as they waited for the onslaught.

She stood and continued, "I... I understand why you were mad at me, Echo. I'm sorry." Then she shifted and added, quieter, "And I didn't mean to pick on your name. It was very, very mean of me. I'm sorry."

He didn't say anything. Didn't turn.

Ella sighed. She just wanted to make things right. It seemed even that was beyond her.

"I didn't pick my name."

She froze, listening intently.

"When I was younger, I was scared that if I didn't remember what the orders were, if I didn't remind the others in case they misheard, someone would get hurt. I knew the regs were there because someone had been hurt not knowing. That's why I started memorizing them initially. To protect my brothers." He sighed, "Didn't help Droidbait, or Cutup, or Hevy very much though, did it?"

She didn't reply, not sure if he was asking or stating. She didn't want to stop him now that he was actually talking to her.

"I got my name from repeating over and over. It wasn't well meant and I hated it. Still do, sometimes. 'Shut up, Echo, you're so annoying.' 'My ears work fine, you Echo.' 'Echo, just shut the kriff up and leave me alone. I don't need you to tell me what I already heard. You know what? Echo another order, and I'll pummel you. Hear me?'"

Ella bit her lip against the sting of tears. She'd really messed up. She knew that he was iffy about his name, but she hadn't known it was like this.

"Some of the trainers thought that I was deficient and that was why I repeated orders. That I had no attention span." He paused. "That's pretty much grounds for reconditioning. You can't have a soldier who can't remember important stuff, or focus. If it weren't for Master Ti..." his voice hitched. "If she hadn't understood, I don't think I'd be here now."

Ella sniffled, hugging herself. Her fingers itched to hold him, to run her fingers through his hair and over his face how he liked so much. To kiss him and tell him all that was in her heart. But she was scared she'd mess up again.

Don't back down now. This is the kind of fight marriages are built upon. You two are being pelted and you need each other. He needs you.

She took a breath and stepped closer. "Echo... I love your name. I really do. It's like I told Amon. It's a promise in itself to always come back, despite all odds. I love how your name and mine are the same at the beginning. How we both have four letters." She shook her head, "I'm sorry I went without saying anything to anyone. Without telling you. I'm sorry I made you mad—"

"I wasn't mad," he cut in, finally turning. He was blinking hard, eyes tearful. Ella's heart rent. She hadn't meant to do that. "Ella, I wasn't mad. I was terrified. You're everything to me and I can't-I can't lose you!" His voice trembled.

Ella stepped closer and lay her hand against his cheek, "I'm okay. I promise."

He shook his head, "You can't do that! You can't, you can't, what if I couldn't get to you in time? I know you thought about Oaks. About how he died in your arms. Ella, you could've died in my arms. And I can tell you right now, I'll never get over you. I can't. I just know it. And I wouldn't want to either. I... I need you! I can't lose you, Ella I-I—"

"Shh, shh. It's okay. I'm here," she whispered, wrapping her arms around him as he held onto her tightly.

She could feel the ache throbbing in his chest from his fear of losing her. He cried softly against her neck, his arms desperate around her, as if afraid she'd disappear forever if he loosened his hold.

"Don't leave me. Please. I know I messed up, and I'm just a clone, but I need you."

Oh, Echo. No.

"I've never thought of you as anything less than the man I love more than life itself," she said. "You're not replaceable to me. I'd never get over losing you. I could never find someone to take your place."

He sobbed, picking her up off her feet and sitting on the floor. She found herself crying with him as he held her in his lap, cradling as if she were a precious treasure. She guessed she was, at least to him. The most valuable part of his life.

Tentatively, she pressed her lips to his, tasting the tears stuck to his sweet mouth.

"I love you," she vowed. "I'm never going to leave you. Never."

He sniffled, "I love you so much, Ella. Please don't ever. Please stay." Then he kissed her back.

And everything was okay again.

Eventually they made their way back to her room and curled up together, just holding each other close. /

"Well, the Lola Sayu mission is today," her husband reminded, cutting through her reminiscing.

"That's right," she said dismally. "How long will you be away?"

He shrugged, "Hopefully not long. It's a rescue. The Citadel isn't a place I'd take you on vacation, so the shorter we stay the better."

"When do you have to go?" Ella asked.

He glanced at the chrono and sighed. "About two hours." He made to get up, but she caught his arm.

"Stay for just a minute. Please?" she begged.

He smiled and rolled back over, kissing her.

The kiss deepened, and before they knew it, Ella threw her shirt into some corner where she'd find it in a week and blush.

"Be careful, Echo," she breathed, her breath hitching at the touch of his hands.

He smiled, a little strained. "I... I will. I promise."

Stars danced over their skin, shocking them with sparking electricity as he promised over and over, her name his only word as they clung to one another.

"Echo... please!" his wife begged. "I need you!"

A pause, then he gasped out, "Oh, Ella... I'll always come... come back to you. No... no matter how long, or how far I have to... go, I will come back!"

Ella held onto him desperately through his whispered promises and choked vows, before the world blurred around her like black and white glitter was dancing across her vision. She pressed a shaking kiss to his neck and sighed as he fell on her.

"I love you, Ella," he panted heavily. "Don't ever doubt it. I'll be home before you know it."

•~§~•

The carbonite chamber was eerie and dark as they walked through, a dank smell of stale ice and frozen dust clinging to the air. The actual chambers weren't too inviting either, dark metal illuminated by a foreboding orangey light, like molten lava.

"I've never been frozen in carbonite before, General," Rex mumbled to Anakin.

"Yeah well, it's the first time for us too," he replied.

Echo's belly felt slick with anxiety. The thought of being sprayed with a burning cold substance wasn't his favorite thing.

Why was he going on this mission again?

Ella threaded her fingers through his hand and squeezed comfortingly, as if knowing his secret fears. He smiled and squeezed back.

Fives said something around the corner as Echo took his place on the carbonite lift. He couldn't hear what.

Ella stepped back reluctantly. They stared into one another's eyes, memorizing every detail.

She looked so beautiful in her soft yellow sweater dress and pale grey leggings. Her hair curled across her shoulder and spilled down her chest and back. He wished he could run his hands through those rich curls one more time. Just once more.

And there were her eyes. Those beautiful eyes like melted chocolate, so full of deep, untamed and untouchable emotion. One emotion caressed them like a lover's touch; her loved for him. It burned hot and steady and safe in this cold place where time would freeze.

As if she couldn't bear the distance, she ran to him and kissed him, holding to his pauldron and the straps on his chest. He held her tightly, afraid to let go. Any minute time would stop, leaving her on one side and him on the other.

Their lips slowed, a bittersweet ache pulling them. Ella's eyes were afraid, and he made himself smile for her, trying to give her some peace as he held her face in his hands, resting their heads together.

"I swear, Ella," he promised. "I'll come back to you. No matter the distance. No matter the time. No matter the pain or hardship. I will never stop fighting to return to you."

She nodded against his him and ran her fingers through his hair. Echo couldn't contain his mewl of pleasure. He absolutely loved when she played with his hair. It was like heaven on earth.

He pulled her towards him for one more kiss, but the machine started up and his brothers began descending. Ella sighed in disappointment and backed away, her hand stuck in midair, reaching out for him.

He sighed, pressing his lips together. "Later. Just remember to make an IOU, for me. One kiss."

"Just one?" she teased.

He did crack a smile then. A real one. Then his face filled with worry as he began to go down Into the chamber.

The anxious feeling returned and he turned to her. She had to know. Just in case. For some odd reason, it felt like he was seeing her for the last time. Like something would stand in the way of them being together again. Desperate, he frantically called, "I love you, my angel!"

"I love you!" she called. "Be safe! Come back!"

"I—" he couldn't respond as the icy blast hit him. All he could do was scream silently as the clock stopped.

•~§~•

Echo sighed disappointedly. He'd hoped the General could take out the turret. He usually could do the impossible.

He looked back up at the assassin droid manning the deadly weapon, ready to kill their means to freedom.

Leaving them stranded here to die.

No. I promised Ella. We have to get that shuttle.

"This is our only chance!" Echo cried in determination. "We've got to stop him!"

He ran forward and grabbed a shield that some droid had dropped, and made a break for the shuttle, hoping to draw the fire long enough for someone to take it out.

"Echo! Look out!" Fives warned.

Echo knew. He was ready.

The bolts crept closer as he ascended the ramp, holding the shield before him and crouching to brace for the powerful impact.

Come on. Come on! Someone do something!

He shot for the source of attack, his pulse racing as the bolts struck the shuttle.

Just die already you kriffing clank-ahh!

Suddenly, the earth shook beneath his feet, and he was launched high into the air, his helmet falling from his head as he was tossed haphazardly into oblivion. His back was flaming agony, and it felt like someone had shoved steel rods into his feet all the way up through his kneecaps.

Air wouldn't enter or leave his lungs.

He struck the ground hard, hearing a crunch that set his whole body into spasms of anguish, clawing at nothing and everything for purchase. Air came then, but never enough, coming and going in weak, panicked gasps, sawing past his ribcage like a tug-of-war wind.

For heaven's sake! Breathe! You have to breathe right to breathe at all! he told himself. He'd been through ARC training. They'd taught about breathing. And besides, there were a hundred regs about it too.

I have to move! He tried to stand. I have to go back to Ella! Come on, just- ow! Oww! Oh, that really hurts!

He finally stopped writhing and just lay on his side, panting for breath. Everything hurt. Except maybe his left pinky toe. No that hurt too.

He glanced down at himself and gasped when he saw his legs. They were still there, thank the Maker, but the plastoid was melted around them, and they were turned at odd angles.

The same went for his right arm, bent strangely - sickeningly - at the elbow.

Echo stiffened and screamed when something touched him, and he looked to see a droid beside him.

"What do we do with it?" it asked someone.

"Mmmm... h-h-help m-meeeee!" he begged in a whisper, barely able to grit those simple words out. Maybe it was one of the droids that followed R2.

"Yes sir. I'll have a squad bring him back immediately." The droid turned. "You three. Yes you. Get over here and bring him inside to Tambor's workspaces."

Ok. Not R2's droid. Oh, Maker, this is bad.

"Why do we need him? He's basically dead anyway," one of the other droids asked.

"He knows things. Tambor identified him as an ARC Trooper. They know things."

"Oh. Roger roger."

"Roger roger."

Echo gasped and cried out, struggling pitilessly against them, trying to block out the all-consuming pain to get away from his captors.

I won't tell them anything! I won't! Oh, oh it hurts!

"What's it doing?"

"It's squirming around. Can we stun it?"

"No. It would kill it. We have to get it on the transport and bring it back."

"Pleeeeeaase!" he begged. "I-I g-gotta go hooome!"

"Lift on three. One. Two. Three."

Echo screamed. They didn't seem to realize his limbs were horribly out of joint. Black spots stabbed his vision, the bright lights blinging him, blurring.

Fives, where are you? Please come back. Captain? Rex? General! Someone, please!

The world tilted and rolled, and Echo was helpless to escape the undertow.

Before the darkness oozed over him, he called out into fading reality, "Pr'misss... Ellllaaa. Pr'missss..."

•~§~•

Waiting on Coruscant was unbearable. It seemed she checked the time every few minutes. Was Echo home yet? Were they close? She'd heard that the jedi had extracted them from Lola Sayu, and we're returning.

She groaned and stood, walking out of her room. Their room. She had to move. To keep busy. Gosh, she was so clingy. She knew he was an ARC trooper. That he'd go on missions she couldn't participate on.

Just then, Hardcase passed by. "Hey! I heard that they just landed! Tell Fives I'm in the mess getting him some food; I'll see Echo after you pry your claws off him tomorrow."

Ella laughed, "I will." Then she skipped off to meet her husband.

The airfield was dark when she arrived, dimly lit by occasional overhead lights. She weaved around the maze of ships until she came to the troop transport where Echo would be stepping off, probably bruised and battered but safe.

Home.

Fives, Rex, Ahsoka, Anakin, Cody, and Obi Wan stepped out of the transport. Then it lifted off, heading back to the 104th's starship.

She shook her head. Echo must be behind someone. Maybe he's bent down fixing something. She moved closer.

But the group parted and he wasn't there.

Her heart began to race, her breath coming fast.

Rex noticed her first. "Ella..."

He didn't continue.

The word hung bitter and stagnant between them.

Ella swallowed, "Where's Echo?"

No one answered.

She blinked back tears. "Where's my husband!"

No. No. No, that's not right. That's not what happened. He's not! He's not!

She shook her head, pressing the back of her hand against her trembling lips, a scream lodged in her throat that wouldn't loose, stuck like some sort of expanding substance, choking her, suffocating her.

Rex stepped forward and lay his hand on her shoulder. He took off his helmet and dropped it to the ground. His eyes were reddened and tears streamed down his cheeks.

"Ella," he breathed raggedly, his voice hoarse with grief. "I'm so sorry."

No.

No!

NO!

Ella's knees gave out and she collapsed. Rex caught her as she cried, barely breathing between the gut-wrenching sobs.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Rex sniffled against her hair. "I'm so sorry Ella!"

She didn't hear him. She was too lost in her own thoughts.

He's not dead! He isn't! He isn't! Echo is alive. He's injured on the Talon or something!

But she knew she was fooling herself. And her heart shrieked with her lips as she reached for the love that couldn't reach back, grasping at tattered pieces and frayed threads from where Echo had been ruthlessly torn from her, leaving her wounded and dying.

She was dimly aware of a sound, like someone was torturing a child, small and piteous, reverberating around her.

She didn't realize it was coming from her own throat as their young future died in agony in her chest, breaking into jagged pieces that tore her, flesh, bone, and marrow.

"NO!"

She heard Anakin trying to comfort Ahsoka through his own tears, Obi Wan and Cody sitting beside her with Fives, all crying themselves.

"Ella... we're so sorry!" Cody gasped.

Ella shook her head, "He's not gone! He can't be! He said-he said he'd come back to me! He promised!"

She couldn't breathe. Her whole body aches and throbbed as if she were being beaten by invisible fists. Her ribs were on the verge of splintering, her lungs damaged and filling with a choking, ugly liquid that gurgled in her throat.

Her love was dying. The best part of her was being torn asunder, left decimated and ravaged by misery and death.

Please don't leave me! I need you!

"Ella..." Fives sobbed. He out of any of them had the closest feeling to the one she was experiencing. That gave her some comfort as she choked and gasped for air.

"ECHO!" she screamed in a broken whisper, limp and shaking in his brother's arms.

You promised. You said you'd come back.

That was all she could think before she succumbed to unconsciousness, feeling cold and empty without his arms to surround her and his love to fill her.

She'd never feel joy again.

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Ok. That was tough to write. Sorry for the sudden record scratch.

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