"You said there was more to discuss," Echo said after a quiet moment. Soph shrugged.

"I don't want you to avoid me," she admitted. "We've discussed some of how I feel. I guess I just… we're the only ones that know what happened. The only ones who experienced it. I know enough to know this is going to seriously fuck us both up. I just want to… talk about it when we need to, but I understand if… you can't. If being around is too much, I understand, and I can transfer Domino to the-,"

"No," Echo interrupted sharply. He sighed. "I've felt so much guilt, Soph. The things I did to you… but seeing you somewhat okay, it helps the same that me being okay seems to help you. So no, I don't want to be transferred. If it's okay with you, I'd like to stick by your side."

"More than okay with me," she breathed out in relief. She hesitated before speaking again. "Echo… what was the worst part for you?"

The question seemed to take him off guard, but he considered the answer. "When Tambor came for you. Every time. I- I did what I could to resist. I tried to be… gentler."

"I know," she said softly. "And I tried to scream more."

He winced. He'd known she had, but there was a part of him that felt like he'd been hurting her enough to make her scream like that. "But Tambor… I know what it's like to have his undivided attention. Seeing it was… both a horrible reminder, as well as terrifying to watch for your sake."

"I couldn't imagine watching it happen to someone else. To be forced to participate."

"The worst part was, I knew you understood. That you were more than not upset - you were terrified for me. All I wanted was to do something to be worthy of the faith you had in me. To help you. Seeing that immediate and complete forgiveness in you… it was a blessing and a curse."

She frowned. She couldn't regret the way she handled it. There was no way to handle the situation outside of trying to make him feel better. It had helped her, too, to feel like there was something she could control - stopping Echo from feeling that overwhelming guilt, should she have died. "Echo, you are worthy of that faith. I did and still do have that faith in you because you're a good person, a good friend, and outside of that, your health and safety is my responsibility. That I basically handed you to Tambor by sending you away last time… it kills me. I failed you, and you still wanted to be near me, helping and supporting us and the war effort without complaint - which isn't necessarily a good thing, but that's a conversation for later."

He quieted. "Soph, I'm glad you came back in time. I haven't thanked you for everything you've done."

"And you don't have to."

"I want to thank you for trusting me even now," he said. "I don't deserve it, even if Tambor was controlling me. And I want you to know that I meant what I told the captain - I will guard you with my life. Now, later, and always."

She frowned at him. "I wish you'd worry more about yourself. I'm okay."

He hesitated. "What… was the worst for you?"

"Aside from the obvious of watching you be hurt… Ventress," she answered quietly. "I can't describe the pain it caused. She learned from Dooku, no doubt. Their methods were the same. She essentially tore my mind apart. She wasn't trying to force me to show her what they wanted to know - she was purely torturing me so I'd tell them. It's the same thing Dooku did last time."

"I'm sorry," he said. He'd seen the agonizing pain she'd been in when it happened, and he wished he could get the sight and sounds of it out of his head.

"I haven't told anyone," she admitted. He stared in surprise. "Scans can't show damage to the mind, not unless it's severe enough to disrupt the brain. That has to be done with intention to, essentially, kill someone in the most mentally painful way possible. That's not what she was trying to do. I haven't even told anyone she was there at all."

"Why?"

"I've told you how despicable the act is," she sighed. "Everyone was stressed enough as is. And… no one would understand it the way you do."

She was right. He did understand, and he understood why she hadn't told anyone, either.

"In general, it feels like you're the only one that understands," she continued. "We're the only ones who went through that. It's why I want to stick to you the same way you want to stick to me."

His response was interrupted by a sharp gasp from her. "Soph?"

"Get down," she said. He didn't move, confused, so she reached up and used the Force to throw him away from the wall. She was positioned against the other one while he had his back to the wall that led outside the med bay. It was mere moments before it happened.

Soph lost consciousness when the bombs went off almost immediately. When a large chunk of metal hit the back of her head, she was out. When she came to, Tambor was standing above Echo with a gun pointed to his head. Echo himself was unconscious with blood dripping from his head - it looked like a shallow head wound. Head wounds bleed a lot, so she tried not to be too concerned with it. "Get away from him."

"This is your last chance," he told her. The gun he held looked like it belonged to a clone. She looked around and felt her chest tighten - there were dead clones scattered across the room, and even outside of it where the wall had been blown open. Counting very quickly, she counted at least 13 clones that were either unconscious or dead - she couldn't tell. She felt tears pool in her eyes and her chest tighten. "Tell me where the medical bases are or I will kill him."

She found herself considering it once again, but just as last time, she knew she couldn't. Her breathing quickened and she tried to figure out how the hell they were going to get out of it that time. Surely, there were men headed to them. She just had to hope they got there before Tambor lost his patience.

She took long enough to answer that Tambor shot the floor next to Echo's head. She gasped and got up slowly, putting her hands up as she did so. "Okay, you want to talk? Let's talk."

"Where is it?"

"I'm not telling you that," she said plainly. "I'm not going to risk thousands of lives for mine and Echo's."

"Well," he shook his head. She saw it before it happened and thanked the Force that she was a Jedi as she threw herself aggressively in front of Echo as Tambor shot the gun. The shot caught her in the stomach and she let out a scream as she practically fell straight on top of Echo. Between all of her injuries, it didn't take long for her to lose consciousness once again.

When she woke, it was to Echo putting a hand on her arm gently. She blinked her eyes open and let out a quiet whimper of pain.

"I know," someone to her right said. "I need you to hold still, Soph. This is pretty bad with your previous injuries."

"Nax?" she blinked through her blurry eyes. "Where- where's Kix?"

"Unconscious," he answered. "Coric's got him. He's pretty bad off, too."

"Shit," she cursed. When she tried to sit up, Echo pushed her gently back down.

"Don't move," Nax ordered her. The only time one of the men outranked a general was when they were a medic, or acting as one. She let out a short, sharp breath of pain when he laid a bacta patch on her stomach.

"What happened? All I remember is… did… did Tambor shoot me?"

"He was trying to shoot me," Echo told her sharply. "Why the hell would you do that?"

Her lips thinned. "I'm not going to let you die, you idiot. We just talked about this."

"As for what happened," Nax said as he continued working, injecting her with a blood clotter to slow the bleeding. "Tambor somehow had the codes to get out. He just needed someone to help him use them. When he did get out, he went to the armory, which he also had codes for, and blew up half the med bay trying to get to you. After he shot you, we got here to help you. General Skywalker just called us. Somehow, Ventress got on board and helped Tambor escape."

Nausea rolled through her. "He escaped."

"I'm sorry," Nax said softly as he worked.

Soph and Echo looked up as someone approached them. Soph grimaced. "'Soka, you don't need to see this. Go find Anakin."

"He's…" Ahsoka screwed up her nose. "He's very angry, Master. I think he needed some time alone."

"Great," she muttered. She gasped in pain when Nax started stitching up the lightsaber wound that had opened again when she'd been shot. "Fuck."

"I know," Nax said. He glanced at Echo. "But this one's bad, general. Almost as bad as where you got shot. Which, by the way, you're very lucky. It didn't hit anything too important. It was placed pretty perfectly between your stomach and liver."

"Being a Jedi comes in handy," she joked weakly.

"Kat," Rex called as he walked straight through where the wall used to be. He hurried over and stood above her - there wasn't room for him to kneel by her. Nax was working on her right, and Echo wasn't moving on her left. "How bad is it, Nax?"

"Could be worse," he replied as he finished the stitches. "Could also be better. You're going to have to go in the bacta tank for about a rotation, general."

"Great," she muttered. Her eyes slipped to Rex and she breathed out slowly. It was only the second time she'd seen him since being rescued. He and everyone else had been kept out of the med bay while she was in the worst of it. And then, when Domino - minus Echo - had snuck in, she'd ordered them to get Echo and told Kix to keep everyone else out. She hadn't been ready for the pity in everyone else's eyes. Looking up at Rex, she regretted it. He'd never look at her in pity, and she should've known it. Her voice was a whisper when she spoke. "I'm sorry."

"I know," he replied softly. "It's okay. You'll be okay, Kat."

"Okay, you're stable for now," Nax told her. "But you need to get in the bacta tank."

"I'd really like to… not do that."

Rex stared at her. "You just got shot. You're going in the tank."

"He's right, Master," Ahsoka said hesitantly. "You need to let them take care of you."

Her eyes slipped to Echo. He was frowning at her, but he nodded. Sighing, she did the same. "Okay."

"Let's get her in there and then I'm going to take a look at you," Nax told Echo, who Soph finally realized was swaying back and forth. He probably had a concussion, and his head hadn't stopped bleeding yet.

Soph sighed as they helped her into the tank. It hurt like a bitch, but she closed her eyes as she was set inside. It would take a day or so, but she was going to be okay.

She had to be okay.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

When Soph was released from the med bay the next day, no one knew ahead of time, so she changed from the gown they'd given her and into her newly repaired clothes - how they'd found them before getting off Jakku was unknown but appreciated. Coric had done final tests and released her with no small amount of thanks from Soph. She was restless and bored. The med bay had been closed to visitors while they moved the more at risk patients to the Negotiator, which had arrived just as Soph was released.

Making her way out of the med bay, she let out a slow breath and walked toward the command deck. If the Negotiator was around, it meant that Obi Wan and likely Cody would be arriving anytime.

Passing a dark meeting room, she heard quiet arguing from within. Curious, she nudged the door open and frowned. They hadn't seen her yet, so she stood and listened quietly for a moment.

"I told you to stay in your barracks."

"Sir, respectfully, I'm needed elsewhere," Echo replied. "And you know she wouldn't approve."

"And she can tell me as much later. For now, I want you in your barracks until things have calmed down. Do you understand?"

Soph's eyes narrowed. She stepped forward and raised an eyebrow at them, waiting. Echo's eyes caught on her first and he winced. Rex followed his gaze and she saw relief color his eyes. He made his way over and reached for her hand. She did her best to keep from pulling away from him.

"You were released?" he shook his head. "No one told me. How are you feeling?"

"Irritated," she answered honestly. "Why are you punishing Echo?"

Rex looked at her like she was stupid. "You were shot, Kat."

Her eyes narrowed. "I made the decision to get shot instead of him. It was my choice, not his. He can't help that he was the one about to get shot. I'd have done the same if it was Kix or any other person in the med bay. Tambor wasn't going to kill someone innocent when I'm the one with the information he wanted. And you're not mad at Echo, Rex, we both know it."

"Then who am I angry with?" he wondered. She smiled sadly.

"Love, you're upset with me," she said softly. "Because I got myself hurt. No one forced me to do it, and that's probably harder to accept. I understand, but taking it out on Echo is absolutely unacceptable. He was right, Rex, I don't approve."

Rex looked between them and sighed. "Don't get hurt again, Kat. Please."

"No promises. Our jobs aren't the safest. This is a war, after all." Her comms beeped, so she pressed the button. "Sizre."

"Hey, Soph, how're you feeling?" Anakin wondered.

"Irritated, but fine," she replied. "What's up?"

"Obi Wan and Cody are heading to meet me at the command deck. Do you feel up to joining us?"

"As long as I can bring Rex and Echo."

"I don't think we could stop you if we wanted to," he said. She could practically hear his eye roll. "I'll see you there."

She turned off her comm and raised an eyebrow at them. "You boys coming? Can you play nice for a bit?"

Echo snorted. "Sure thing, boss."

"Rex?" she looked at him hesitantly. She knew she should've expected his response to her being shot, but somehow, she hadn't. She supposed it had to do with her extra long stay in the bacta tank. He looked into her eyes and searched them as if he were searching for the very spark of life within her - something to prove she was okay. Finally, he nodded quietly. She gave him a soft smile, and he returned it.

The group of three made their way to the command deck and into the all too familiar meeting room. Inside was Obi Wan, Cody, Anakin, and Ahsoka.

Ahsoka's eyes lit up and she gasped at the sight of Soph. Her clothes covered most of the scarring - because after being in the bacta tank for a prolonged period of time had healed most of her injuries into scars - so she looked better than she felt. She was more than willing to lean into that. She didn't feel like letting people worry about her. "Master! I'm so glad you're okay, I was really worried."

"I'm alright, 'Soka," she promised. They made their way to sit down and she smiled at Cody's concerned glance. He looked her over closely and frowned at every injury he could see. "Cody, you good?"

"Just worried," he said simply. She smiled at him. She appreciated the concern.

"So, what're you guys here for?" she wondered. Obi Wan blinked at her.

"Soph, you got tortured and shot," he reminded her. "I think that warrants a visit to check on you. Besides, with your med bay half destroyed, they needed a place to send more high risk patients. Actually, I'm glad you and Echo are here. Are you both up to some questions?"

Echo and Soph exchanged a silent look. She was doing as she had since it had begun - watching him to make sure he was okay. He seemed to do the same, and after a moment, they both nodded.

"Good. Can you tell us what exactly happened? How did he get you?"

Soph realized that she and Echo had never actually discussed what to tell them. She hesitated and went to talk, but Echo shook his head.

"The truth, Soph."

"Echo-,"

"The truth."

"But-,"

"I'll be okay. Answer honestly or I will."

She grimaced. "Okay, the truth, then. Echo took me."

"What?" Rex asked sharply.

"Calm down," she put her hand out to quiet him. "He didn't do it, not really. It isn't his fault, it's mine."

"You couldn't have changed it no matter how soon you'd gotten there," Echo told her firmly. "I think he did it right away, before I even woke up."

"Did what?" Anakin wondered.

"Tambor put another chip in Echo," Soph explained. Understanding passed through everyone in the room. Cody winced.

"I'm sorry, brother. If we'd known-,"

"I know," Echo promised. He'd barely met Cody, only a few times, but he respected him greatly and appreciated the other man's regret.

"Do you want to tell this part? I don't know everything," she wondered. Echo nodded quietly. He didn't want to - neither of them wanted to do this - but he knew it was necessary and so did she.

"When I woke up the first time Tambor had me, I felt… wrong. I had gaps in my memory over and over while I was there, and I know now that he was using the chip, forcing me to perform tests to ensure the chip wouldn't malfunction. The only thing he forgot to consider was my loyalty to Soph.

"The chip was active the entire time I was back," he admitted. "I was the one to give Tambor the codes he needed to escape, get into the armory, and whatever the hell else he did before shooting Soph. Have you thoroughly checked the systems? He had codes for just about anything I have codes for."

"We've been running system checks, but it's taking some time. It seems like he messed with quite a bit to cover his tracks," Anakin answered him.

"He had to have had a better reason to get caught than to just kill multiple men and shoot me," Soph sighed. "He got something from here. We just have to figure out what."

"So, when the bomb dropped, I'd already gotten orders to take Soph," Echo admitted, wincing as he did so. He glanced at Soph with no small amount of regret in his eyes. "I managed to get us on a ship in the middle of the chaos, and I took us to Tambor."

"When everyone got there, I had my suspicions about his chip," Soph explained. "Which is why I made Fives use the transmitter. I saw the change in him."

"So if you were under the influence of the chip, why were you hurt at all?" Anakin wondered.

Soph grimaced and dropped her gaze. "It's my fault."

Echo sighed. "No, it isn't."

"If I hadn't-,"

"He would've figured it out, anyway, so-,"

"But he only figured it out so soon because I was being selfish. I knew he'd- shit, Echo, you'd have been fine if it weren't for me."

"Fine isn't being forced to torture you," he said sharply. She winced and looked to her friends.

"I hadn't planned on telling them that," she told him quietly.

"He made him… torture you?" Ahsoka asked with wide, horrified eyes. "But… he's your friend."

"It's uniquely painful for both of us to force him to hurt me," she explained softly. "We both did everything we could to make it less… I made more noise to please Tambor and he was far gentler than Tambor wanted. The only reason Tambor ever hurt Echo is because I asked him if he was okay."

Rex stared at her. "You asked him if he was okay?"

"If he was okay, I'd be okay," she said so softly that they could barely hear it.

"But he tortured you," he reminded her. "He was torturing you and you were worried for him?"

"Sounds about right to me," Anakin muttered. "I killed her and she forgave me."

Echo's eyes closed tightly. "She forgave me too, before it even started."

Soph sighed, her eyes slipping to Obi Wan. He was unusually quiet, and she found him looking at her with a million different emotions on his face. "Master?"

"I'm sorry, Soph," he said, his gaze slipping to her friend. "And you, Echo. I can't imagine what either of you went through there. If these questions are too much-,"

"Just keep asking them," Soph interrupted. "While either of us are up for it."

"What information was he trying to get?"

Soph sighed. "It seemed less about the information and more about… what he was doing to us. That being said, the first thing he asked for was locations of medical outposts treating injured men. I- I never gave him what he asked for."

Anakin breathed out sharply. "You didn't tell them anything?"

Soph shrugged. "I keep saying, my life isn't worth thousands of mens' lives."

"But that means… all those days you were gone, the entire time, you were being tortured? You told them nothing, and they just- he kept going? For days?"

"Thank you for summing it up for me, Ani," she said bitterly. "I'm aware how long I was tortured for, thanks."

Obi Wan sighed. "How bad were the injuries?"

Soph shrugged and winced - the pain killers they'd given her that morning were wearing off. She'd likely have chronic pain in her shoulder for the rest of her life, much like Echo. Their matching scars were some of the most painful injuries either of them had gotten.

"You okay?" Rex wondered softly.

"Yeah, just my shoulder."

"What happened to your shoulder?" Anakin questioned.

She glanced at Echo, who was shaking his head quietly. "He used my lightsaber on both of our shoulders, and cut the cauterized wounds open. It hurts like a bitch."

"It's probably the worst one I got," Echo agreed.

"The injuries were bad from what Kix told me," Rex to Obi Wan. "Soph was stabbed twice, cut, burned…" he trailed off and Soph wondered what he was stuck on.

"Hm?"

"Your leg," he said in explanation. Her brow furrowed as she tried to figure out what he meant. He'd just mentioned her being stabbed, so what-

"Oh," she nodded. "We can skip that one. It can be included in the burning."

Echo winced. He quickly realized what they were avoiding - the branding.

Ahsoka looked between the three of them with concern shining in her eyes. "What is it?"

"Truthfully, 'Soka, you don't want to know," Soph promised.

"There was a lot," Rex summed up. "Broken ribs, internal bleeding, not to mention anything we couldn't deduce simply from looking at or scanning her."

"He's got a thing for waterboarding," she said after a moment. "Like, a weird thing for it."

Echo coughed to cover his laugh and she glanced at him and tried not to laugh, too. It really was weird how Tambor had reacted to it. He'd been somewhat giddy, and they'd both found it unsettling.

"He also- look, a lot happened and truthfully, it sounds extremely retraumatizing to discuss it all. Is there anything else important that you need to know?"

"Not at the moment," Obi Wan said. "Try to get some rest, Soph. I want you feeling better before you get back into things, understand?"

She sighed. "Yes, Master."

"Good. We need to get to work. Rex, Echo, can you escort her back to her quarters?"

"Obi Wan, I don't need babysitters," she rolled her eyes.

"Until you're feeling better, think of them less as babysitters and more as recovery companions."

Echo snorted. "She's going to get sick of us by the end of the day."

"I'd like Rex to stay here," Soph said. He looked at her with wide eyes and she sighed. "As much as I very much would like to be with you right now, I also want you here to help since I can't. It's the best thing you could do to help me right now."

He nodded reluctantly. His gaze turned to Echo. "I want you on her at all times."

"Even after… everything?"

"She trusts you," Rex nodded at Soph. "She trusts you completely. My opinion doesn't change that. She'll fight me if I send anyone else to follow her around."

"He's right about that," she admitted. "I wouldn't mind you sticking around today, Echo."

"I know you wouldn't, I just didn't think he'd-," he shook himself and nodded at Rex. "I'll protect her with everything I have."

"I know you will."

"Well! In that case, let's go see everyone," Soph decided, getting up. She flashed a smile at her friends. "Thank you for checking on me, guys. It means a lot."

With a few goodbyes, Soph and Echo left together. There was a moment of silence before Anakin spoke. "She was too okay."

"Which is why she's out of action for a while, and why we're keeping Echo on her daily. When things inevitably become too much, someone will be there to catch her when she falls," Obi Wan said.

"And for now, we keep working," Rex told them. "It's what she wants."

OoOoOoOoOoOo