The hyperdrive engines hummed around Rex as he and Lieutenant Appo walked quickly down the hall. The ship was small, a modified Consular-class cruiser, probably worked on by the general himself. The moment Skywalker had told him to select a team of ten, Rex had known that this wasn't a front-lines sort of mission, but the small size of the ship piqued his curiosity even more. Whatever they were about to dive into, it felt good to be in his armor again.

They entered the rear salon pod, a room designed to be useful for mission planning and comfortable enough for long diplomatic discussions. General Skywalker was waiting for them in the front row of seats facing the hologram pad. He stood up and turned toward them when the door slid shut.

"We're on schedule for our rendezvous with the Hurricane," the general said immediately. "As I'm sure you gathered from our rushed departure, the situation is urgent. Rex, how much have you heard about the navy's little problem?"

"Not much, sir. I heard some fleets were forced to retreat due to malfunctions."

"Pretty serious malfunctions," Skywalker said, beckoning them both over to the hologram pad. "The kind that gets battle cruisers destroyed within seconds. And the problem is spreading fast. We've sent out a call for every ship in the navy to try powering up its weapons systems, and nearly twenty percent have already reported that when they tried, the system overloaded and their shields completely shut down."

Rex watched the tiny holographic destroyers break up and explode under enemy fire, and thought of the hundreds of clones and other officers, perhaps even Jedi who met their end in the cold emptiness of space. The thought of dying in a vacuum had always felt particularly awful to him.

"That's number's way too high to be a coincidence," Appo said, also frowning at the naval battles Skywalker was replaying.

Skywalker nodded and continued. "A special ops squad has been dispatched to the Hurricane to isolate the problem and has already reported that a sophisticated computer virus is responsible for the malfunctions, probably planted at the main naval base on Anaxes. Who planted it, and how to get rid of it… that's what we're here to find out."

Skywalker straightened from his hunched position over the holographic display, and looked between them. "Now. Appo, you're going to be my second in command. The Anaxsi military has a lead on a possible culprit; we'll be on an extraction mission."

"Yes, sir!" the lieutenant said.

Rex glanced between Appo and Skywalker, wondering what his role was supposed to be, and trying to ignore the fear that Skywalker was relegating him to a minor role out of distrust in his abilities. After his forced leave, things had gotten as close to normal as they could be. He'd managed to stop dwelling on Fives' dying words, and it was getting easier to sleep as time went on. But maybe the general still saw something lacking in his performance. Appo wasn't one of the ten Rex had personally chosen for the mission, but it was the general's right to add any extra forces he thought necessary.

"As for you, Rex," Skywalker said, turning to him with a tiny smirk. "You'll be commanding the commando unit on Anaxes."

"Commandos, sir?" Relieved but confused, Rex raised his eyebrows at the general. "I've never heard of a captain taking charge of a commando unit."

"It is a little unusual, isn't it?" Skywalker looked pleased. "But you were specifically requested for this mission. Looks like you've got a reputation. Your job will be to lead Diode Squad in the removal of the virus."

"Yes, sir." Rex felt like he was missing an important piece of information. This was a strange job to give him, and an even stranger one to hand to a squad of commandos. Trained squads were so few by now that those left were only sent on missions no other soldier or specialist could do.

"I was under the impression that Anaxes is a loyal member of the Republic," Appo said.

"It is. Most of our best naval officers are from Anaxes, including Admiral Yularen." Skywalker turned off the holographic display.

"Sir, did they say why a commando squad was assigned to this mission?" Rex said. "A computer technician be more suited for this. And I don't know the first thing about removing a computer virus."

The general leaned back against the table. "They're special, experimental commandos. They've been supplemented with some new hardware that makes it easier for them to communicate with computer systems." Skywalker slowly clenched and uncurled his hand, watching it thoughtfully. "That's all I know."

"You mean they're part machine?" Appo asked uneasily. "That just doesn't seem right."

Skywalker laughed. "Hey, you got a problem with my replacement parts, Lieutenant? This hand isn't flesh and blood, you know." He waved his right hand carelessly.

"No problem, sir," Appo said immediately.

"Commander Wolffe has a cybernetic eye, too, doesn't he? I don't see how this is much different."

"Sorry, General," said Appo with a nervous smile. "I reacted without thinking. Guess I just hate to think of any clone being part clanker."

"I understand your reservations," Skywalker said in good humor. "But these enhancements are obviously effective if these clones are the ones being asked to track down the virus. I'll be curious to see how you get along with them, Rex."

"If they get the job done, I'll have no complaints," Rex said, although he didn't like the idea of experimental cyborgs either. Getting replacements for limbs lost in battle was one thing, but purposely adding on mechanical bits and pieces to otherwise healthy clones felt like spitting on the whole idea that clones were at least superior to droids.

"Good. I'll have more details on your separate missions once we've met up with the squad. Dismissed."

Out in the hall, Rex saw Appo's face relax.

"This will be your first time working this closely with General Skywalker, won't it?" Rex asked.

"Heh. Wonder who we're up against. Which do you think it is—a traitor, or a spy?"

"I know which one I'd prefer," Rex said simply. "But we have to be ready for anything. This can't be allowed to slow down the other fleets, or all the other battles we've won in the Outer Rim will be meaningless."

"I'm not worried," said Appo. "With you and Diode Squad, getting rid of that virus should be no problem, sir. And as for our suspect… well. General Skywalker and I will be sure to clean up that mess."

Rex gave a wry smile at Appo's confidence, but he knew the lieutenant had been through enough battles that it was more than just posturing. The general hadn't made a bad choice for team leader.

"With any luck," Rex said, "I'll finish up my end of the mission and join the rest of you in a few days."

Appo nodded. "And get there just in time to help us escort this criminal back to Coruscant."

…

The Hurricane loomed monstrously before them, considerably larger than the planet Anaxes, glimmering a cool spectrum in the distance. Rex stood by General Skywalker in the cockpit and watched as they slowly came to a halt just outside its shuttle bay, like a fly hovering behind the ear of a great beast. Appo entered the cockpit and stopped just behind Rex.

A squarish, ponytailed man materialized via hologram. "General Skywalker. Good of you to come."

"Admiral Seize," Skywalker greeted him. "Sorry for being so cautious in my approach. I'm sure you understand."

"Of course. With nearly a quarter of our ships crippled, it would be foolish not to. I've been reassured that landing in our shuttle bay won't pass the virus to your ship, but if you wish, we can arrange to send a small, unarmed transport to bring your captain here."

"I think that's a good idea," Skywalker agreed. "As for me, I need to know where I'm supposed to find the one who planted this virus."

"I'll let… one of our guests brief you on that," said Admiral Seize, glancing away, presumably at whoever he was speaking of. "He no doubt has a better grasp of the details than I do."

Seize stepped out of the way, and an ARC trooper stepped in to take his place. He was bald, and his ears were covered with a large, prominent device which appeared to wrap around the back of his head. Rex couldn't get a very clear look at it through the hologram, but his first thought was that it reminded him a little of the headsets young clones wore as they studied.

"General Skywalker," said the cyborg, expressionless in both face and voice. "You brought Captain Rex?"

"I did." Skywalker gave Rex a quick get-a-load-of-this-guy look as he came closer to the general, so that his image could be transmitted to the Hurricane. "And to whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?"

"My designation is ARC trooper Zero-Four-Zero-Eight. Diode Squad is comprised of RC-Seven-Seven-Two-One, RC-Seven-Seven-Two-Two—"

"Wait a minute," Rex said, staring hard at the hologram. "I know that number."

Skywalker held up a hand. "Why don't you two do introductions later? You'll have plenty of time to catch up once the lieutenant and I are underway. But right now, time's wasting. Just tell me where I'm going, trooper."

"Yes, sir," said the ARC trooper.

Rex had opened his mouth to say the same, but couldn't take his eyes off the hologram in front of him, trying to do the impossible and work out if he knew this clone who looked so different than last he'd seen the one that number belonged to. Echo was dead—they'd all seen him fall to that explosion, they'd all left him lying there on that landing pad in the Citadel, amid live fire from turrets and the clearing smoke of an exploded shuttle. There was no way this was Echo. But the number was the same.

"Your destination is Skako Minor," said ARC-0408, as if reading off a list. His voice was soft but rough, like he had a cough or sore throat. "Your objective is to locate one Erol Jaskes, a Verpine engineer. Although Skako Minor was colonized relatively recently, it has already become fairly populous for its size, and your presence as humans will be remarkable and possibly provoke hostility toward you. I have a great deal of information on the world and on Jaskes which I have already transmitted on a secure channel to your ship's databanks. Please review it as soon as possible."

"Now just hold on a minute!" Skywalker frowned. "I didn't give you permission to transmit anything to my ship. How do I know you haven't just infected my systems with this virus?"

"Impossible. I ran a thorough self-diagnostic before sending the data. I also condensed and revised it for you. For the sake of time, I left out the data which explains how I identified Verpine characteristics in the virus's effects, but I will gladly send that as well if you need it."

Rex thought this ARC trooper didn't look like he ever did anything "gladly"… or resentfully, or hesitantly, or with any feeling at all for that matter.

"Jaskes quit his job as a diagnostician at the Anaxes naval base only a few days ago," ARC-0408 continued, seeming oblivious to Skywalker's exasperated look. "Evidence suggests he returned to Skako Minor, where his family lives. There are rumors he has ties to weapons smugglers and is probably armed and dangerous."

"Okay," Skywalker said slowly, in a tone of forced politeness. "I'll take a look at what you sent me."

"Very good, General. If you need any clarification or additional information, I'm sure Captain Rex will pass along the message. There should be no risk of transmitting the virus between private communicators."

Rex and Skywalker exchanged another quick look. Definitely not Echo, Rex thought uneasily. Running right over the general during a briefing was not part of his memories of the kid.

"We will be sending a shuttle to pick him up right away. Any questions?"

"I can think of a few," Skywalker said half to himself. "But I'll wait until after I've read the file. Does Admiral Seize have anything more to say?"

"No," said the ARC trooper, without so much as glancing away.

"Guess I'll take your word for it," Skywalker said, and ended the transmission. "Think you can handle that guy's attitude? Let's hope the commandos take orders well."

"I'll be fine, sir," Rex said.

"He wouldn't be trusted with a mission of this magnitude if he couldn't respect the chain of command," said Appo.

"Yeah. And there must be some reason he requested Rex specifically," Skywalker said.

"General," Rex said. "That ARC trooper has the same designation as Echo did. I've never known the army to repeat designations before."

"Echo?" Skywalker looked at him blankly.

"Yes, sir. He was killed on that landing pad during the Citadel mission."

"Right. I remember now." The general's brow furrowed. "That is pretty unusual. You're sure it's the same one?"

"Yes, sir. Positive." Rex wondered if, to non-clones, memorizing the numbers troopers were assigned was difficult. For him it seemed as natural as remembering names, regulations, coordinates, and any of the other information relevant to missions. "I never forget a man I've served with."

"Well, I'll look into it if I have time, but for now, let's just focus on the task at hand. You'd better get down to the airlock."

"Yes sir. Good luck on your mission. You too, Lieutenant."

"Thank you, sir," said Appo with a nod. "And to you as well."

…

Minutes later, the tiny shuttle had docked. The airlock doors slid open and ARC-0408 stood on the other side.

"Welcome aboard, Captain." The scratchy sound of the trooper's voice was even more noticeable in person.

Rex said nothing as he walked inside. It was halfway between a larty and an escape pod, with a small open area behind the cockpit. Four commandos in black stealth armor stood silently in a line against the wall, helmeted and anonymous.

"We'll be taking a freighter to Anaxes immediately," ARC-0408 said as soon as the shuttle was disengaged from the airlock. There was no one physically at the helm. "Diode Squad and I will then communicate with the primary computer system at the naval base and remove the virus."

"I have a few questions for you, ARC-Zero-Four-Zero-Eight," Rex said, arms folded. "First of all, why did you request me to lead this mission? If it's so simple for you five to remove this virus, why do you need someone like me with you?"

"We are specially designed to handle the technical aspect of this mission," the ARC trooper agreed. "But most people have difficulty working with Diode Squad. Their cybernetic enhancements make them fairly unresponsive to outside stimuli other than direct orders. I was sent to lead the group because I think more creatively than they do. But I recognize that my own modifications have made it more difficult for me to communicate with beings who aren't computers."

"So… you need a normal clone to help you deal with normal people," Rex said, glancing uneasily at the unresponsive commandos. "But you could have chosen any CO."

"I chose you because I've worked under you before, and personally witnessed your ability to handle any situation."

Rex's skin crawled under his armor. "Right. You wouldn't happen to have a name, would you?"

"People used to call me Echo." ARC-0408 said it in the same impassive tone. "But we are only referred to by number."

Rex stared at ARC-0408—Echo—disturbed in a deep, fundamental way. This was impossible.

"You died," was all he managed to say.

"I would have," said Echo, "if I wasn't chosen for this." The shuttle settled down inside the Hurricane's hangar and the ramp extended. Rex watched the commandos file out in step with one another, and Echo turned to follow them.

Rex walked behind, staring at the device on Echo's head. One of the lights blinked intermittently. How could this be the same clone who was best friends with Fives, so earnest and devoted? The old Echo would have been excited to see a familiar face after an entire year. But this Echo was cold and distant in a way Rex had rarely seen among his comrades. Perhaps he was putting on airs in front of the squad… maybe the device suppressed his emotions, or maybe—Rex's gut clenched at the thought—he blamed Rex and the rest of his comrades for leaving him to die.

Admiral Seize was waiting for them outside. "Captain Rex. A pleasure to finally meet you. I've had a light freighter prepared for your transport to Anaxes. Please feel free to inspect it yourself."

"Thank you, Admiral." Rex saluted. "With any luck, we'll have you and the rest of the navy up and running in no time."

"Carry on, then," said the admiral, glancing at Echo, and Rex got the distinct impression that the admiral was glad to be rid of the ARC trooper. Echo and Diode Squad filed into the freighter, and Rex was about to follow when Seize put a hand on his shoulder.

"Careful," Seize said in a low voice, his eyes following the cybernetic-enhanced troopers as they entered the ship. "I hear that squad was a bad batch, and that's why they became experimental. I'm not sure what they mean by that. Watch your back."

Rex glanced away from Seize. "You think they're dangerous?"

"I don't know. Keep an eye on them is all I'm saying. I know you're a good soldier, Captain. Your reputation precedes you."

"Thank you, sir," Rex said. "I will keep that in mind. By your leave, sir."

The admiral swept his arm toward the freighter and the two parted. Rex walked up the ramp and found the commandos had returned to their silent, statuesque positions. Rex stared at them for a few moments, then proceeded through the cabin and found Echo in the cockpit.

"Quiet bunch, aren't they," Rex said, trying to sound casual. "What were their names?"

"They have no names. They never have. Numbers are all we need." Echo said over the hum of the shuttle coming to life. "They're not even separate people, really. The cybernetics merge their thoughts together."

"No," Rex said under his breath, a trace of disgust coming into his voice. "We are all individuals."

"Not all of us," said Echo.

"Then why do they even have individual numbers?"

"The components of any mechanism have names so that they can be identified for repair or individual use," Echo explained. "I'm aware of their numbers, and where each part of the unit is at all times."

"Does this thing keep you alive?" Rex gestured to the machine around Echo's head.

"My brain was damaged as a result of the blast," Echo said. His eyes unfocused as the ship departed from the shuttle bay. "Without it, my ability to process sensory input would be limited, and my movements would be severely uncoordinated. It also regulates my nervous system, circulation, and digestion."

"So in other words, it does most of what your brain used to do on its own."

"It helps."

Rex felt the disgust turn to anger, then stopped himself as he realized where that anger was directed. If the choice was between letting Echo die, and bringing him back as this shadow of his former self, he couldn't really say which was better. But to do the same to undamaged clones….

"What about the rest of them? Do they need this to survive?"

"Removing the implants is not advised. They were physically altered during pre-adolescence to allow for optimal cooperation between the technology and their bodies."

"Why? What did they hope to achieve? And… who authorized this?"

"The Kaminoans," Echo said, "hoped that the implants would give this squad of commandos a greater advantage over the droid armies. They didn't predict that there would be such a loss of independent thought. But with the right leadership, they can be utilized effectively against the enemy."

"Hmm." Rex turned away from Echo and looked out the view screen, trying to stop dwelling on how much their very existence unnerved him. "What's our ETA?"

"Three minutes."

Rex watched the planet swallow the view screen and told himself that it was useless to try and reconcile this Echo with the one he'd known before. That one died on the operating table, and this one… this one probably wouldn't even bat an eye if Rex told him that Fives was gone.

For a moment, he almost blurted it out. But he didn't want to see Echo's blank-faced response. There had to be some other way to see just how much of him was left under that headset.

"So," Rex tried, "where have you been this past year?"

"On Kamino," Echo said, still with that unfocused look in his eyes. "It took a few months for my injuries to heal, and for me to get used to the implant."

"You don't look too badly injured," Rex noted, but suddenly realized Echo could be more droid parts than human ones underneath his modified ARC trooper armor.

"It was mostly internal." Echo didn't elaborate.

"And now they send you on special ops missions with these commandos?"

"Sometimes."

"Sometimes?" Rex raised an eyebrow. "What about the rest of the time?"

There was a two second pause as they hit the atmosphere, Echo staring off intently. "I work alone, or go in for tests on the equipment."

"Sounds… exciting," Rex muttered.

The freighter shook slightly against the atmosphere's resistance. Clouds rushed up at them and flew away, revealing endless greens and blues intricately crisscrossed with the tan and silver of civilization. A few mountains shot off in sharp spears of white to the left. The freighter banked gently and circled down toward a particularly dense patch of the web, which grew in detail until Rex could make out nested levels of tall, interconnected buildings rising up the face of a hill. Then, just on the other side of the hill, the grey condensed even more into an enormous airfield, radiating out in strips from the main hub like colorless sun rays stretching over the land.

It was so silent in the freighter while they circled the base that Rex jumped a little when Echo finally spoke again.

"We are cleared for landing," was all he said.

"Do they know why we're coming?" Rex asked.

"Some of them."

The glimmering, sun-dappled city dropped out of sight as the freighter glided through one of the hatches in the hillside, and into the main terminal. Artificial lighting took the place of rays from Solis Axum. Rex saw officers and a few knots of troopers hurrying to and fro, the familiar harried order of a military establishment.

"There's our welcoming party," he noted, as a group of naval officers approached the freighter across the enormous hangar's floor.

The door opened, but Echo didn't move. The briefing was over, and it was time for Rex to take command.

"Let's go, boys." Rex led the way out, and Echo and the Diode Squad followed without hesitation.

…

"Captain Rex, I presume?" said the admiral in front of the group. She was shorter than she looked—her confident gait, one hand on her hip as she halted, made her seem taller than she was, and her dark hair was pulled back in several braids.

"Yes, Admiral."

"My name is Tanza Bet. Admiral Konneck and I are in charge of this base. Right this way." Admiral Bet held her hand out as she began leading them toward a secure briefing room off the hanger. After both parties had finished funneling in, she stood at the holo console, though it remained dark. "I assume you've been briefed about our problem?" The admiral leaned on the console with both hands, almost as if the gravity of the continuous fleet losses were threatening to take her down as well.

"Yes, sir. My team is specially equipped to remove the virus, if you don't mind giving us access to the central computer system for the base."

"If it was possible to remove the virus from here, I would be happy to grant you security clearance, but—"

"Yes, those pass codes would be helpful," Echo interrupted, staring off. "Either this virus built its own special firewall, or your station's security system's not bad. I can't talk it into letting me through to the infected area."

Admiral Bet looked alarmed. Rex cleared his throat.

"We wouldn't want to try bypassing it without your authorization anyway, Admiral," Rex said. Echo glanced at him and for the first time, Rex thought he saw something there: puzzlement followed by realization. But Echo said nothing; maybe Rex imagined it.

"No… you wouldn't," Bet said severely, glancing at Echo with a mistrustful glint in her eye.

"He's…." Rex began, but didn't want to excuse Echo's behavior too much. "He's responsive to direct orders, Admiral. He won't touch those systems again until you give the word."

Bet's eyes flicked back to Rex and she nodded slightly. "It would be useless anyway. We've already determined that the virus is being hacked into the base's system from an external source, elsewhere on the planet. You'll probably have to manually remove or destroy whatever device is enabling it before it can be eliminated from the system. Captain, I must impress upon you the severity of this mission. For multiple reasons, it must be undertaken with the epitome of both skill and tact."

Bet illuminated the console and a webbed display of structures and connections bloomed to light. "This entire planet is monitored by a highly sophisticated computer network. It is part of the reason we are able to maintain a balance between our city structures and the natural environment and ecosystems in every part of Anaxes. Military facilities have tight security which keep them separate from the rest of the world's network, as a safety measure. It is alarming, to say the least, that our hacker has managed to bypass the best measures our technicians could implement. But as you know, the virus exists in a nigh undetectable state of dormancy until triggered by the appropriate conditions."

"The virus is activated by the raw energy build up which occurs while a ship's weapons system is preparing to fire," Echo recited.

"Correct," Bet continued, "and there are many places around the planet that depend on ray shields such as those used by our ships," Bet said, and the emitter began to display images and information on various high security operations. "Those same systems are connected to other environmental controls which use high-energy tools, similar to a ship's weapons array. Perhaps you are beginning to see the larger danger present here. If those shields fail, soldiers will no longer be the only victims of this virus. There could be flooding, toxic waste contamination, or any number of other disasters right here on Anaxes. So far, there have been no accidents, and I would like to keep it that way."

"Understood, Admiral. We will proceed with all due care," Rex said.

"I'm glad to hear it, Captain. Is your squad prepared for this task?"

"We are the best men in the Republic for such a mission," Echo said. "You stated that the virus is coming from an outside source. I recommend we begin tracing it immediately."

"We have already traced it within a few klicks. I shall pass this briefing to my associate, Admiral Konneck." Bet stepped aside, and a man took her place at the console controls. He was a spindly older type, balding with salt and pepper sideburns. His face was neutral at the moment; Rex could imagine it being kindly just as well as coldly humorless, but Konneck gave no indication yet which he leaned toward more.

"On behalf of the Republic Navy," Konneck began, with his hands behind his back, "and the Anaxsi government, in addition to the skill and tact underscored by Admiral Bet, I must ask that this case be handled… discreetly. We would do well not to draw too much attention to certain details… in order to keep our political stability during these troubled times."

"Yes sir," Rex said immediately, at a loss as to what he could mean.

"The area where the virus is originating is unpopulated, according to public records… a former disaster area from many years ago." Konneck drew up a display of what appeared to be a city. "But that's not technically correct. There are no human inhabitants, but the city is still populated by sentient creatures."

"City?" Rex skimmed the data, taking in bits of information: environmental trauma; high radiation levels; unrecoverable; off limits to all civilians; high fines for trespassing within five klicks of the outermost containment fencing. "This disaster destroyed an entire city?"

"Well, the infrastructure was mostly undamaged at the time, although I imagine it's fallen into some disrepair since. It's been like this for decades. For the most part, we've left it alone… you see, the surviving inhabitants are descended from the Mrlssi, who had joined us on this planet centuries ago due to a scientific partnership. To put it in extremely simplistic terms, most of them left the planet by choice when the naval families continued to rise in power, but a few elected to stay, and most of them never did much agree with our way of doing things. The ones still in Drann have resisted all our attempts to give them aid and refuge since the disaster, and are antagonistic toward the government."

Rex stared at the image of the birdlike creature that had appeared in place of the layout of Drann. This one appeared well dressed and manicured, with a fiery frill of feathers emitting from the back of its beaked head.

"This doesn't match the data I have so far isolated about the structure of the virus," Echo interjected. "This virus is Verpine in origin; there is no doubt in my mind. General Skywalker and Lieutenant Appo have been deployed to capture the suspect: a Verpine, as would be expected."

"Indeed, it is possible our Verpine set up the virus and framed the Drann Mrlssi for his deed," Bet said, "but we are not so sure of that. You must not underestimate the Mrlssi. They may look like animals, but they are cunning scientists. They have a motive for planting this virus and undermining the leadership our planet operates under. It could easily be they who have framed the Verpine. Nevertheless, we don't want to accuse them while we lack proof. The public may take it the wrong way. It's essential that you complete this mission without creating an incident."

"Are they hostile?" Rex asked.

"These ones have been in the past," said Konneck. "But this will be a mission of stealth. Stay out of sight, and do not harm them. While Drann is officially unoccupied, the Mrlssi do have connections to powerful political sympathizers." Rex noticed Bet glance uneasily at Konneck. The politics of Anaxes were apparently more complicated than outsiders knew.

"They'll never even know we were there," Rex said.

"Very good," said Bet. "We don't know where in Drann the virus is being uploaded from; you'll have to examine the signals coming from within the city once you are inside. We will give you a city map, but it may be out of date."

"Yes, sir. What about the radiation?"

"Drann is still awash in radioactive particles. Seal your suits. That and your helmet's filters will protect you from exposure. If you remove your helmets, you will likely be contaminated. It may not be such a concern to you, given your position and lifespan, but still, best to avoid unnecessarily drama. Given that you are in fact still human, you will want to eat and use the facilities before entering the city, just in case this takes longer than expected."

"Understood," Rex said solemnly. He glanced at Echo and caught the ARC trooper staring at him. "We'll move as quickly as the situation allows."

"Any further questions?"

"No sir, nothing of special importance."

"Very good," Bet said. "It's just a short flight to the edge of the city. You can prepare and review the maps en route."

As they filed out of the office, Rex kept close step with Echo. "Got something to say?" he asked in an undertone.

"I was going to point out that there's no reason to suppose this mission will take very long. But then you said it, in fewer words."

Echo continued forward, but Rex noticed that his eyes weren't as unfocused as before, and seemed to wander over things rather than staying fixed on a single point in space. Maybe in the absence of a link with the station, he had a little less to look at inside his own head.

…

They were dropped off just on the inside of a tall electric fence. The fence marked the perimeter of the most intensely poisoned zone of the fallout area, and was guarded by a big yellow sign, large enough to be seen from two klicks away, labeled with the headers DANGER, RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION, KEEP OUT and subtitled with catastrophe dates, a recently updated radioactivity survey report, and the mounting fines for trespassing. They were about three klicks northeast of the city. As they jumped down off the hovering transport, their boots met soft earth and a mat of lush plant life. It was going to be a bit of a hike in.

"Not exactly what I was picturing," Rex said .

Steadily they marched toward the setting sun, under a purple tangle of sirpar trees, and between gentle mounds of earth covered in speckled succulents and vines. As the sharp edge of Solis Axum slipped out of sight, everything became a washed out sea green under the light of the planet's single moon. The commandos scouted ahead at Rex's orders, and from his place behind them, the dull black bulk of their stealth armor slipped in and out of view like a hallucination.

The land was totally still apart from the occasional flit or chirp of an insect.

"City limits half a klick ahead," Echo said after half an hour of marching had passed.

Rex could see the tops of a few buildings over the crest of a little hill, like blackened teeth. He signaled for everyone to stay low, and together they crawled to the top of the rise and looked down into the shallow valley with their binoculars.

It was a city, alright. The buildings, averaging about ten stories, were close together, and Rex couldn't make out much detail past the outer layer. The layout would be good for staying hidden, but the limited vision would go both ways. About halfway around the western edge, the ill-fated reactor loomed, a giant corroding red and grey monument to disaster. The buildings were similarly weather-beaten and aged, many with broken windows, plants pulling their way up the walls. It was hard to imagine anyone lived here, and even harder to imagine they did so willingly.

"I'm not seeing any movement," Rex murmured. "Anyone else?"

"Negative," said Echo. "But I'm picking up several computer signals. The city is more technologically active than I expected. This will slow us down."

"Great. Any clue which one it might be?"

"No. We'll start with the nearest one." Echo pointed slightly to the left. "With your permission, Captain."

"Stay low. Diode Squad, scout ahead. We'll follow."

The commandos half-crawled down the hill, and Rex was struck with how normal this felt, even though he knew the men he was working with were far from normal. During a mission like this, there was never a lot of chatter anyway. He'd almost caught himself admiring the way the commandos moved in tandem before he remembered that they had little choice in the matter. When the squad had made a significant lead, Rex motioned to Echo that they were to proceed, and they began their own crouched descent.

Echo flung out an arm and Rex nearly collided with it. Everyone dropped to the ground.

"What is it?" Rex breathed after a moment.

"Seven-Seven-Two-Four saw something."

Rex waited with only the sound of his own breathing in his ear.

"Keffi," Echo finally said. "False alarm. Seems wild."

"Careful," Rex said quietly. "Could be part of a domesticated herd. Nobody said the locals don't have pets."

"Copy that." Echo said. "Holding position. Seven-Seven-Two-Four scouting further ahead."

Rex watched as one of the shadows moved toward an abandoned speeder propped against a crumbling wall. After a moment, a thick-maned Keffi came into view, turning its horned head and staring straight at them before it ducked to snuffle in the thinning foliage.

"There aren't any others within visual range," Echo confirmed.

7724 moved from the speeder, and the Keffi loped away, startled by his sudden movement but seeming unconcerned.

They waited once more as the commandos proceeded again toward the edge of the first buildings. Rex watched a small flock of flying creatures erupt from the path of the commandos and swoop some distance beyond his vision.

"How does anything live out here?" Rex breathed. "The animals and the Mrlssi… they should all be dead."

"Perhaps the contamination levels have been exaggerated. Or they've adapted."

"If the city was recoverable, the Anaxsi would have reclaimed it," Rex said.

"Maybe," Echo shrugged. "Maybe they don't want to."

"Do you think the Mrlssi really stay here by choice?"

"They've reached the city's edge," Echo said. "The route is secure."

A few minutes later, Rex and Echo joined two of the commandos in an alley. Public lights were on throughout the city, though it did little to lighten the atmosphere. The working ones created only a dim patchwork of illumination, continuously punctured in spots by flickering or a resonant quiver.

Rex waited for Echo to give some indication of their next move, acutely aware of how his and Echo's white armor stood out.

Echo signaled down the alley and they began a swift approach from one door alcove to the next, one commando in front, another behind. They held weapons aloft in a defensive position. Rex tapped Echo on the shoulder and motioned for the commandos to put away their weapons. They immediately holstered their weapons without even the faintest of external commands from Echo. Rex was starting to understand how he and Diode Squad worked as a single unit, each soldier a limb for the ARC trooper to direct with merely a thought of action.

Rex took a step forward and Echo grabbed his arm. Enemy, he signed, and pointed toward a staircase and upward.

"Where's the signal?" Rex whispered.

Echo pointed above the staircase. So someone was inside where they needed to go. That would make things difficult, but it was not altogether surprising.

Echo led the way toward a metal ladder on a neighboring facade. There were archways spanning between the buildings. One of their two commandos started climbing the ladder, and Echo kept his hand on Rex's shoulder to keep him from following. The trooper slipped out of sight and soon, Rex was being gently pushed to follow.

They climbed two levels before stopping on a platform. A catwalk over a small alley connected their building to the one where the computer signal was emanating from. As they crossed the bridge, Rex saw light coming from behind heavy curtains in a third story window across the street. Rex could just make out the feathery semi-humanoid form of a Mrlssi as it passed the gap between the curtains. A light from inside flashed and changed irregularly—Rex wondered if they got holonet channels here.

"Something behind this wall is jacked into a larger network," Echo whispered. "But I can't tell yet if it's our virus."

"Is anyone on this floor?"

"Can't say for certain. Squad's got the perimeter."

Rex realized only one commando was still with them. The second had broken off and was nowhere to be seen. The street below them appeared completely devoid of life.

Moving in, Echo signaled, and the three of them moved forward toward a dark window facing out toward the street. The commando was melting the seal on the window within seconds, then he and Echo pulled the window out and leaned it lightly against the railing of the platform. The commando stepped onto the sill and disappeared completely into the blackness while Rex and Echo knelt beneath it outside in a patch of shadow.

The Mrlssi opposite passed the window again. Rex wondered how populated the city was. Did the creatures live alone or congregate together? Perhaps this single occupant was an outlier, and the rest were concentrated near the center of the city. Rex could barely think of a worse fate than languishing in a solitary existence, with no sentient interaction beyond the news of distant stars coming in through the holonet. He nearly shuddered.

"It's not it," Echo whispered.

"What is it?"

Echo shook his head. "Small comm. Someone's private window to the outside world. More than that is," he said, nodding his head toward the Mrlssi inhabitant across the street. "We should destroy it."

"Destroy it?" Rex turned toward the window their commando had disappeared into.

"Of course. They are communicating with someone. Could be dangerous. There is supposed to be no outbound access due to the political situation."

Rex sighed. "What if they're just talking to family, friends? Seems wrong to cut them off. They're already cut off."

"What are your orders, Captain?" Echo asked.

Rex looked up to the sky; the moon was gone and clouds had moved in. Echo was right, of course. "Destroy it," he sighed.

Echo nodded, and after a minute, the commando returned from the inside and joined them on the platform.

"We're not here to hunt down all outbound communication. Once we find the source of the virus and eliminate it, the mission is complete and we're turning back, whether there are other signals around or not."

"You are correct, Captain, that is the mission objective."

"Let's continue," Rex said. "Are you reading another signal?"

"Yes. Several toward the center. Two klicks."

"Let's regroup one block south."

They met up with the rest of the commandos at the mouth of another alley, just beside what had once been a museum. There were some token signs of repair on the front of the edifice: holes patched over with bolted-on sheets of scrap metal, the sagging awning braced by mismatched poles. Someone had scrubbed half the rust off the plaque that had first given Rex an idea of what the building was, and some of the vines on the east side of the building had been clipped. But these efforts only served to make the building look even more pathetic, as if only one person had cared to save it and had disappeared before that care ever made a difference.

"We've been in the fallout zone a little over an hour," Echo said.

"We're making good time," said Rex. "Two klicks. That will take at least twenty minutes. Are you reading any others beyond this one?"

"I tried to spread my search radius through the comm unit, and I detected a few other areas getting data out of the city. But I didn't see any evidence of the virus there. It doesn't seem designed to travel on those channels."

"So we at least eliminate those from the possibilities—" Rex turned his head at a soft rushing sound, glimpsed the odd texture rippling across the street's surface, and half a moment later rain began pinging hard against his armor and spattering his visor. "—that's what you're saying?"

"With reasonable certainty, yes. The ones two klicks away are the clearest choice for our hacker." Echo called up the map on his holo device and tapped the spot in question. "The signals are congregated together, about there, I think."

"We'd better get moving. Stay on your toes—we've got lower visibility, and it'll be harder to hear anyone sneaking up on us now."

Their two scouts parted from the group once more, and after a few moments, they had completely disappeared.

The rest of them jogged in fits and starts, making quick dashes across cracked pavement to the beat of intermittent gestures of all clear from Echo as recon came back. Rex never saw the scouting commandos—they were too good at staying hidden.

At one intersection, Echo pressed Rex against the wall with him as a Mrlssi strutted slowly through the rainy streets, ruffling its feathers and half saying, half singing something in the whistling, warbling tones of its native tongue. It swung a cane from one clawed hand, the fringe of feathers on the back of its scaly head quite large and colorful, but diminished in appearance by its overall patchiness. The old Mrlssi never even glanced in their direction before passing on down the street toward a corner where two others emerged and sang brief greetings. The view of it was warped slightly by all the water on Rex's visor, every drop that struck momentarily smudging the image this way or that. Somehow, Rex couldn't help but feel a sense of relief at the sight.

Echo's chest rose and fell in the corner of his eye, and that sigh looked so human, waiting for the Mrlssi to clear out, that Rex again felt the dissonance of the present and the past and wondered if Echo was just pretending… if this was his version of growing up, becoming a better soldier. He'd taken what was handed to him, as they all did, but he didn't seem to feel happy, or angry, or tense, or any of the myriad small emotions that made Rex feel alive. He simply existed now, and Rex wondered if that was the end of Echo's story, if every moment for the rest of his life would be the monotony of mere existence. And of course, even if it was, Echo wouldn't have the sensibility to view that as a loss.