Sixteen
The electronic door to her quarters on board the Resolute hissed open.
"Ma'am," the young trooper clad in white said. "We'll be back on Coruscant in approximately seventeen hours. You'll be escorted to the Mess for meals."
He turned, perfectly straight and left, the door sliding fast behind him. Freya looked around her small room and, wrapping her arms around herself, she smiled and remembered.
Seven weeks earlier . . .
"Ma'am, this is ARC Captain Echo. He has been assigned to work with you on decrypting the enemy data stored on the disk we have obtained from our contact on Corellia."
"Captain, Data Analyst Freya Trask."
"Captain."
"Ms Trask," Echo nodded his respect.
Echo remained at parade rest. With his helmet on, he was at an advantage to take in all her features without looking conspicuous.
"We've given you both new identity cards, and enough credits to last for the duration of the mission. Echo, you'll have to swap your deeces for a verpine hand pistol I'm afraid. I believe you are familiar with the working of this weapon?" Cody smiled, knowing full well that any trooper worth his salt would die to get his hands on one them.
"Yes Sir," he replied enthusiastically.
"Good. There is an emergency frequency commlink to use if the need arises. We have a speeder waiting your arrival at the drop off point. We'll be back to pick you up when you contact us once the data is retrieved."
"Sir," the heavily armoured ARC advanced forward slightly. "Why exactly are we being stationed on Concord Dawn?"
It was a fair enough question. They secured the disk, at the cost of the contacts life on Corellia. Then picked up the civvie from Coruscant before heading to the outer rim world more famous for pirates and Bounty Hunters.
"We have our reasons Captain." Cody softened. "The truth be told Echo, the Jedi Council feels that the information would be better hidden somewhere away from Ground Zero. Every time we make some progress regarding the Sep's activity, we seem to be beaten to the punch. This way, no-one, and I mean no-one, bar myself and General Kenobi know of your whereabouts."
The comment made him feel immediately uncomfortable.
Echo thrived on structure and order. He knew the GAR manual backwards, he prided himself in being able to picture and recite every document it contained in detail.
He now found himself in a situation he wasn't sure how to handle.
"Sir, if I may? Wouldn't ARC Captain Fives be better suited to this mission?"
"We thought of that, however Fives hasn't the tech experience that you have managed to acquire Echo." Commander Cody slapped the ARC on the breast plate. "Relax son, all you both have to do is retrieve the data and let us know when you want us to come and pick you up. Enjoy the change of scenery." He intonated slightly towards he young woman and smiled as he headed out of the briefing room.
The commander appeared upbeat, and the woman seemed pleasant enough Echo thought. He sighed and broke the seal of his bucket, lifting it off and meeting the woman for the first time with his own face.
"Ma'am, he nodded again. She looked taken aback. Commander Cody was the only clone she had ever met and now, the surprise at seeing a replica in front of her in Echo was obvious on her face.
"I'm s-sorry," she stammered out.
"No problem Ma'am," Echo too felt uneasy. He looked over at the equipment and small bag she had brought in with her.
"Right," he said a little too loudly, "I'll grab my gear and we'll get going, shall we?"
Freya nodded, collecting herself she reached to pick up her belongings.
Echo noticing this moved forward, his hand inadvertently brushing hers.
"Allow me Ma'am." He said picking up her pack and moving aside to allow her to pass.
###
They were transferred to an unmarked yacht and dropped off on the outer rim world. There, they travelled by speeder to a small apartment in a district not far from the centre of the main market town. Out of habit, Echo looked for his bucket, but like his armour, it was gone, not to be seen again until their job was done.
Echo opened up the small apartment and headed inside, lugging several large bags full of electronic equipment and monitors to aid in the unveiling of information on the disk.
Freya followed behind, carrying her bag and his pack and placing them down, surveying their new home.
She too was unfamiliar and uncertain. At twenty nine, she was years older than the ARC. While Echo immediately began unpacking the equipment, she took the time to look around the apartment. A small kitchenette and only one large living area. The dining table would serve as a desk to house all the electronic equipment. A small refresher. Freya's heart sank when she opened the door to the main bedroom. She stood immediately still when she looked at the one double bed.
'You've got to be kidding?' she thought to herself.
Walking in and placing their personal belongings on the bed, she turned to see Echo standing behind her. She took in a breath quickly at his solitary stance. His huge frame filled the doorway, he was larger than her in every respect. He spoke first, breaking the awkward silence.
"I'll take the couch in the living area Ma'am."
She shouldn't have been chosen for this mission. The more senior analyst should have been here, but his wife had gone into labour early, delivering their first child in hospital with complications that meant he was unable to take the assignment.
She had put her hand up, not thinking of the ramifications of working with the army, certainly not being shipped off Coruscant and living in seclusion with an ARC, whatever that meant, somewhere in the outer rim.
She sighed and said.
"We'll share the bed. We'll take it in shifts. I will work during the evenings and you can do the days. Round the clock, twenty four seven, we'll get this done in no time."
Echo stood straight. He was out of uniform in civilian clothes. He would much rather prefer his rigid armour that helped keep him focussed. Echo felt both exposed and vulnerable.
"It's fine Ma'am."
"Freya."
"Pardon Ma'am?"
"My name is Freya, Echo. We need to be at least on a first name basis." She laughed, and noticed him flinch slightly at the sound.
"I'll begin to unpack the equipment," Echo began to turn to leave the room.
"Good, I'll begin to unpack my things," she breathed. She looked at the bureau, "I'll take the top drawer, you can have the bottom. OK?"
"All good Ma'am," he said loudly from the other room followed by, "I mean Freya."
Echo waited until she left the bedroom. He had set up one of the monitors and the computers associated with the operation.
He opened the bottom drawer and began to unpack the few items he had been given for the mission. His portable shaving kit, standard issue. Black underwear, again, standard issue. A few items of clothing. Looking at them he sighed. The material felt unfamiliar and foreign. No sign of the black bodysuit he felt most at home in. He preferred to be cocooned in the firm fabric. In it, he felt safe and secure. Cody had made sure that he had nothing that would link them to the Republic if they were discovered. The civilians life was too precious, her safety paramount.
###
Together they worked day and night, taking in shifts the sleeping and the decoding. The Sep's had done a masterful job in hiding the information stored onto the disc.
"It's not impossible Echo, they're clever, but I think I can outsmart them," Freya smiled one morning after working all night. "See, they have an area here that has something hidden behind some sort of phony firewall. I'll crack it, soon." Echo suddenly replied, "I'll take over now if you like Freya." He didn't want to be left behind when it came to finding the stored intel. Freya smiled, it was now a race to find out who would be the one to crack the code releasing all the data and presenting it back to Ground Zero.
She was tired and her neck stiff from sitting and tapping away at her data pad for the past ten hours.
Echo noticed her moving her neck from side to side. She stretched and arched her back forward, her facet joints sore from being in the same position over the panels of electronic equipment for so long.
"You need to take a break, finish up early and I'll take over," he said.
It was oh six hundred hours. He had appeared from the refresher earlier than normal. Clean shaven and dressed in blue faded heavy cotton pants and a short sleeved tee shirt, barefoot and holding a mug of caf for her. He smelt like the soap she used, and she smiled when the aroma of the caf hit her nose. He like watching her work and had begun to come out and prepare her caf in the wee hours sighting inability to sleep as the reason he was awake. He placed the cup down in front of her and asked matter of fact.
"Your neck is sore?"
"It's OK, I'm used to it. Comes with the job."
"Would you like a massage?"
She thought for a second, all the time rubbing the back of her neck. "Thanks, but it's OK."
Echo nodded his head once. "Well," he said moving towards her chair, "time to change shift."
Freya instantly regretted not taking up his offer for the neck rub. She felt as though she had hurt his feelings. Changing tact she stood and offered in a jovial tone.
"Hey, how about we take a break today? Come into town with me?" Freya turned and stood, smiling excitedly at her idea. The sun was coming up and it looked to be another beautiful morning.
"We can't, we have a job to finish," he said too quickly, then he added. "The sooner we retrieve the data the sooner we can head back to Coruscant."
"And you can get back to the war?"
"Yes." They stood looking at one another uncomfortably.
"Well - then," she added slowly, "I will head in and get a few things from the market."
Freya would often head into town and collect fresh produce from the markets when her shift finished. Echo was yet to venture out, when he wasn't sleeping, he was working on extracting the data. It was bred in him.
He was however enjoying the different food. Rather than the usual bland protein bars and the colourless food of the barracks Mess, Echo was discovering his palate with treats she would bring back from the grocer. Every morning she would return with something new for him to try. She showered and headed off as usual but when she hadn't returned within forty seven minutes, he began to worry.
Echo knew it took her exactly forty seven minutes to complete her shopping run.
Pacing throughout the small apartment, he stopped suddenly when he heard someone try the apartment door handle and turn it slowly. Freya would have used her key. Echo took evasive action, grabbing the verpine and pressing himself up against the opposite side of the door, he waited.
The door opened slowly and when the intruder entered he made his move. Lunging forward Echo spun them forcibly up against the opposing wall.
Freya let out a scream at the speed at which it all happened.
Dropping the supplies in the bag she was carrying, he held the weapon so hard up against her head it left a red mark.
"Freya! I'm so sorry." He said freeing her. Echo looked devastated. Stammering he continued with his explanation.
"You were late getting back, seventy eight minutes, you usually only take forty seven! I thought something had happened."
Freya was too in shock to speak. Shaking uncontrollably, he put the weapon away and picked up the bag of items scattered on the floor. Riveted to the spot in which she was held, she continued to shudder, just looking at the ARC and realising for the first time that this was a military operation and she was way out of her league.
Echo looked at her in dismay.
"I was waiting for the baker to open up to get you that fresh bread you like,"she said quietly, trying in vain to stop the tears from flowing. She hated weak women, but was too in shock to stop her body acting on its own accord.
Echo, fumbled around in front of her, not knowing what to do. He rushed forward and grabbed her into his arms, just like he would do a brother in trouble or upset.
It felt different.
It felt nice.
He held her there until the shaking and the tears stopped. She moved back slightly out of his hold and nodded her head, indicating that she was OK.
She smiled and said simply, "I'll make the caf if you cut the bread?"
He followed her into the kitchen, carrying the bag of groceries, and they began the ritual all over again.
She slept during the day while he worked and she worked all night while he didn't sleep.
###
"I'm in!" she whispered to herself, "Echo, I'm in. Echo, ECHO!" Freya had managed to get the fourth encryption code and watched the array of numbers moving whilst the four at the end remained static. She had made fantastic progress and now it would only be a matter of time before the code was cracked releasing the information they so needed to go home. It had been nineteen days.
Echo came flying out of the bedroom and immediately leaned over her shoulder, looking at the monitor.
"I know it's only the fourth level, but this means we are more than half way there Echo," she said while watching the numbers still scrolling in front of her.
"Well done Freya," he said in her ear, so close she could feel the warmth from his sleep emanating off his body. She turned and looked up at him, a huge smile on her face.
"That's two a piece now." They were keeping count of their efforts.
Echo lifted himself up and laughed. "Game isn't over yet, Ma'am. Come on," he said, "I think this means we can have a night off."
"What do you have in mind Echo, it's oh one hundred?"
He straightened up and headed towards the conservator.
"Caf and cake I think," She watched as his rear headed towards the tiny kitchenette, clad only in the black shorts she raised an eyebrow.
'Food,' she thought, 'he wants to eat?'
They moved over towards the couch, a piece of cake and a large mug of steaming caf in hand.
Outside a storm blew and they listened to the rain pelting against the window panes as they ate.
"What does ARC mean?"
Echo then began the long, and at times boring, description of what an ARC trooper was in the Grand Army of the Republic. She smiled at the appropriate times, all the while taking in his appearance. Still wearing only the black shorts, it seemed he was oblivious to his lack of clothing.
'He doesn't see me as a woman at all,' she mused. 'I'm like one of these brothers he talks so much about,' clinically analysing him as he continued.
She placed her caf down in front of her and moved slowly towards him, Echo still unaware of any advances she was making. While he was explaining the merits of the kama, Freya made her move.
"Ma'am?" he moved his head back as she got closer and gently kissed his lips.
Echo froze.
She continued to move her mouth slowly against his, until finally, she felt his lips respond.
Echo had heard from Fives on endless occasions the wonders of kissing, kriff, he'd even watched his brother's back when he had been distracted on a mission as a pretty girl had caught his eye. Now it was happening to him.
To Echo, the dull, officious ARC.
He knew his brothers laughed at him. But now, he wasn't the boring one. He closed his eyes and let the hormones, and the woman take over.
Freya moved her arms up his bare torso, and heard him release a low groan. She moved back at the sound. Echo's right arm had encircled her back gently.
He looked at her, and whispered ever so quietly, "please continue."
They 'continued' for a while on the small couch until she stood and held out her hand for him to take. Echo was reluctant to break from the exquisite pleasure of kissing. He took her invitation and raised himself up. They both stopped and looked down at the reaction all that kissing had elicited in his young, eager body. Echo looked down embarrassed, but before he could say anything in defense, she whisked him away swiftly into the bedroom.
He sat on the edge of the bed nervously, while Freya first removed her skirt. Echo swallowed hard as he caught site of her bare legs. He watched as she lifted her shirt above her head and sat agog as she unclipped her brassier and released her femininity in all it's glory. Wearing only a pair of fuschia coloured briefs she moved forward and sat astride him. Echo moved his hands up either side of her waist, immediately noticing how soft she felt. Freya ran her hands in his hair and he looked into her eyes and smiled.
"I think it's time we started covert operations Captain," Freya said quietly.
"So, you were listening?"
"Yes, to every word," she giggled as he fell backwards onto the bed, taking her with him.
Echo had never done this before, but he had read all about sex, and being an ARC, he was a quick learner.
###
The next thirty days were spent vastly different from the previous nineteen.
They worked during the day together, breaking at times to head into the small market village to eat. Echo experiencing a plethora of daily activities denied him by simple birth right.
At night they shared the bed, experimenting with each other's body. Sleeping peacefully after they made love.
Then the day the disk relinquished it's hidden secrets.
It was Freya who finally cracked the code, she was known for her ability to think outside the square and would often pick up on subtleties way before any of her collegues.
But instead of being thrilled at the images whizzing away in front of them on the screen, they both felt deflated and sad that their time together was now officially at an end.
"I know this isn't protocol, but let's wait until tomorrow before we radio in to Commander Cody?" It was seventeen hundred hours.
"What's one more night right?" she replied with a smile
###