TBB - TCW - Rex's choice (ECHO/REX)
By Gun Roswell
Preface
Side by Side
Always yours
Preface
Set somewhere in the wide galaxy, a multiverse of Star Wars the Bad Batch and the Clone Wars
Echo and Rex are working together.
The past relations and whatever lingering feelings there might have been put aside.
The work, the cause always a priority.
Alas, some of the old feelings are too hard to ignore.
And so, Rex, makes a decision.
His choice of what the future might just hold for the two former lovers. Part of Echo/Rex series
Side by Side
'Spending all that time together, working, planning, plotting… yeah, that is a lot.'
"Our last stop will be with our new contact. They will be bringing the data rod to us with all the intel we have been waiting for our next mission and its success." Rex explained their flight plan to Echo and Gregor, the latter remaining in charge of the base while Rex and Echo would get themselves out on the galactic road the mission being mostly an intel gathering trip.
"Sounds like you two will have a fun packed journey ahead." Gregor chuckled seeing Echo and Rex embarking on a more boring kind of a run than they usually did. Despite trying to cheer them up and finding the best in most things, Gregor did not envy the job ahead. As sometimes, even the deepest undercover operations were destined for mostly dull times.
Echo and Rex turned to stare at the commando, clearly not finding his joke amusing nor comforting. Simply shaking their collective heads at the remark.
"We will be gone for a week, so if there is an urgency don't hesitate to use our allies as you see fit." Rex reminded Gregor for the umpteenth time. This was Gregor's first time being in charge by himself of the whole base since joining the cause even if he held the same rank as Rex basically. But sometimes Rex worried of his friend.
"I hear ya Rex. It'll be fine. Don't worry." Gregor tried to assure Rex, sounding less funny and more solemn as he was totally taking this seriously. The several missions being run from the base Gregor needed to make sure there would be no SNAFUs happening for any of them.
"Good. Then I will leave this all in your capable hands, Gregs." Rex wasn't completely sold of Gregor's act, his severe injuries from the several explosions endured causing Gregor sometimes to lose track of what was going on, at least for the a moment. Alas Gregor had proven himself more times than Rex could count and as both Wolffe and Howzer were out on ops of their own, that left Gregor in charge being the highest ranking trooper.
Rex felt the comforting hand of Echo's on his shoulder, the mere presence of his right hand man calming Rex down more than any words ever could.
"You will be fine Gregs. The Bad Batch is heading this way in a day. They can help you with whatever issues you might encounter." Echo assured his friend Gregor. Echo having asked the team to come to watch over the commando, just in case. Besides, they were all good friends so spending time with each other would do them all good in Echo's mind.
"Well, then, guess it's just one more thing. Which is to wish you a bon voyage!" Gregor laughed the dynamic duo then being farewelled by the commando in his own unique manner, which was to grab them for bear hugs before they took into their ship. A home away from home for the duration of the trip.
* Echo and Rex had been en route for a few rotations.
Having made good time with their task, their pickup points, being way ahead of schedule. Leaving them one final stop before they would head back to the base. Home, as they had both started to think of it as. Not least of it being the fact that the Captain and his Arc were once again together. Working, being friends and well, that was pretty much it. The rebellion taking the bulk of their time. Besides, it had been a long while anything had happened between them. And rekindling anything from the past, well guess it had not been a good idea in either of their minds as those things had not been discussed.
But, no matter how much Rex had tried to deny it, to push those lingering desires back where they belonged, he could not. As Echo being back in his life was a Force sent, a treasure he had not expected to happen. After all, Echo had joined Clone Force 99 after his rescue from the Techno Union. And so, their ways had pretty much parted. Mostly. But now, they were once again shoulder to shoulder fighting in the trenches. Spending most of their time together. And so, those nagging feelings from the past were becoming more and more difficult to deny.
Echo, however, had made no inclination to still of wanting anything more with Rex part from the friendship they shared, something which would never change. Being best friends forever. And so, Rex had tried to push his own lingering feelings deep deep down where they would remain for good.
Or so he had thought.
Echo and Rex had landed on the planet to meet up with their latest contact, the one they were supposed to get the good intel from. The operative having been referred to by one of their senate allies whom did not know the contact personally, however according to the Senator, the contact came with high recommendations.
Despite knowing this Rex had a bad feeling about the whole deal, the nagging feeling having become more the closer they had gotten to their final part of their mission. As something being too good to be true usually was just that. Too good to be true. Even if Rex really wanted this to work. Their cause needing the intel badly. Rex was being more cautious with this one of course than with their more regular contacts, those they knew and had interacted with frequently. Still, they needed to do this.
Entering the streets of the small mos they had landed on, Rex was getting more antsy by each passing moment. Even Echo noticing it, the Captain being fidgety, his eyes darting every which way as they headed towards the allotted coordinates.
"Let's be careful alright." Rex was more talking to himself than Echo, knowing the Arc had plenty of experience and did not really need to be reminded of the fact that this was a new setting they were stepping into and without backup.
"Will do Rex!" Echo knew the stakes and having sensed the doubts Rex had for this new operative he was also more alert than usually. Threading lightly being key. Then again, wasn't it always.
Rex and Echo entered the dimly lit tavern.
As soon as they did going to full spy mode. Scanning the vicinity visually, both of them felt it. The fact that something was off. It was eerie but being the hard boiled solider they both totally were, it wasn't that hard to pick up the nuances.
The place was way too quiet. The patrons there way too strung up to be anything else but real customers of said establishment. It was essentially, a trap. As excepted.
"We've been setup." Rex voice was a low whisper for Echo only to hear.
"I can see that." Echo had already recognised something off at the other end of the bar. Troopers. Imperial troopers sitting there trying to act all casual. However, to the trained eye, their disguises failed them. The clear white plastoid visible under their civilian attire. Their cloaks! Like those ever hid anything really!
"We need to leave. Now." Rex had a calm expression on his face trying to act as nothing was wrong speaking through gritted teeth to Echo.
"On three." Echo stated equally calmly.
"They will start shooting as soon as we backup." Rex reminded Echo not that the Arc had not realised it too. Simply stating the facts.
"On three Rex." Echo repeated, his hand close to his hidden weapon ready to counter the imperial fire as soon as it started. As it would start.
Rex was equally prepared.
"One, two… three!"
The blaster fire started as soon as the first retreating step was taken. Echo and Rex kept on firing. Hitting most of their targets, while the hired help of the Empire seemed to be as bad shots as their usual. Thankfully!
It took several moments before Echo and Rex had cleared their way out of the tavern and were running back towards the landing zone. They could hear several shouts behind them with a few missed blaster bolts flying past them.
Luckily though the two of them were better than the imperial soldiers. Of course they were. Managing to flee quickly to their ship, getting the engines on line and taking off before the imperials could ever reach their own vessels. Reaching space and taking into hyperspace leaving their pursues far behind. Only after that were Echo and Rex finally able to breathe freely.
"So, that happened."
"Yeah. It did."
Rex had feared the worst and it had happened. Now, they needed to clean house to figure out whom among their allies had sold them out. Or was this simply a fluke? Surely the Empire already knew plenty of the clone rebellion. Still, they needed to figure a way to protect themselves from any future incidents such as this one.
But most importantly, they had escaped with their lives. Getting yet another chance to fight another day. Surely, something to be thankful for.
Something else had also been realised during this SNAFU of a mission. Rex having come to a decision there and then. Which was to not let this given opportunity go to waste.
Always yours
'Sometimes, walking away from old relations, feelings and such is not an option.'
Echo and Rex hade made their way back to the clone base. Having managed to avoid further trouble thankfully. And starting from now, they needed to start searching for the breach in their organisation. Somewhere among their allies as to how this had happened and whom to blame for it. Trusting that none of the clones were behind it. Something which Rex was adamant of as only a few had been made aware of the mission even.
The work well under way by now, some leads being followed by their trusted allies and operatives, the search being out of their hands now, Echo and Rex where finally taking some time to relax. Spending it in each other's company, naturally. Something they both seemed to levitate towards no matter what.
Rex was preoccupied, something which did not go unnoticed by Echo.
"A credit for your thoughts." Echo was sipping from his mug, the two of them enjoying a brew a few of the troopers on the base had started. Something of a potent drink for sure, taking some getting used to, but sure, it was drinkable.
Rex glanced at Echo a small chuckle escaping the Captain.. Sure, there were plenty of thoughts in his mind. But currently, most of them involved Echo. And so guess there would be more than a few credits to make him share those?
Alas, Rex having made his choice after their little SNAFU during the op… well, guess it was time to spill the guts after all?
Rex leaned back in his seat. The two of them in Rex's quarters where they usually sat and chatted before turning in for the night. Separately but of course. At least they had until now. Rex debated internally for a spell before he replying to the somewhat ambiguous query. Echo having left an open choice whether to clarify or not basically.
"What if I told you I made a tentative decision for something I have thought about for a while now." Rex probed before going into details.
"Hm…" Echo had no idea what this was about. But thinking it must've been important though for Rex to bring it up. "I would say spill it so we can start planning?" Echo thinking it had something to do with the cause, an op, a mission perhaps. As it usually did.
Rex could not help the smirk on his lips just then, having reeled Echo into his little plan, scheme even under false pretence.
"Alright." Rex straightened in his seat, taking the last sip from his mug before getting up and walking to where Echo was seated on the other arm chair. Standing in front of the Arc, Rex offered his hand for Echo to take a hold of. Echo not understand what was going on but trusting in Rex as he always did, Echo took the offered hand letting the Captain guide him up and to his feet. Only finding himself toe to toe, nose to nose with Rex without any preamble. Or perhaps there had been some, without Echo even realising it.
Before Echo could even begin to comment or object not that he most likely would have, Rex drew him in for a kiss. A soft, gentle peck on the lips before retreating the brief distance. Remaining staring at Echo though.
Echo's eyes were wide. But he did not make any motion to move away either. Rex taking it as a sing of consent placed another kiss on Echo's lips. Then another and more followed suit. Soon enough, their kissing grew more heated, more passionate, more hungry. The hunger, the passion they had both denied for so long still very much present in both. Only having waited for something like this to push them moving forward. Towards each other.
Breaking the cycle Rex held onto Echo for dear life. Whispering into Echo's ear.
"I need you, Echs. Please, stay with me tonight."
"I would like nothing better, Rexy."
Rex smiled at Echo, glad he had made the bold choice having turned out the be the right one to make, for them both.
The two were tangled together, limb for limb, their naked bodies finding solace in the once familiar nakedness of the other. Relearning the once familiar planes all over again. Sure, they were different now. Both of them were in more ways than one. But it did not matter. What mattered was they were finally together. In each others arms where they belonged.
Time, space, distance, all of that which had separated them for far too long was all irrelevant in the end. The past was in the past, all the hurt and sorrow left there as well. The now was here for the two of them. To rekindle their affections, their love for each other was in their future. Rex having made the best choice of staying by Echo's side. Forever and a day.