Seventy Four

Echo knew he was being watched.

He had the feeling that for the past three days someone was keeping track of his daily routines.

He had scrummaged through the debris of the wreckage, taking anything that could be considered valuable, or potentially useful with him. He then hid most of the torn out hull under tree ferns he had cut down. It took him the best part of a day, especially with the broken ribs and bruised hip, but the pain killers coupled with the stims meant that they would go undetected from any aerial search parties or low flying transports.

Marlo hadn't woken since the crash.

Echo had bandaged the gaping wound in her head, it needed suturing but he only had a bandage and a few Bacta patches to help the healing. At least she wouldn't get an infection, but it would scar and be a constant reminder of the crash that nearly killed them both.

He knew she was in a coma.

Three days of unconsciousness, that could potentially mean three months of rehabilitation minus a tank. She had also sustained a broken femur and he could only imagine the internal damage from being thrown from the craft when it crashed. The clones were genetically engineered to withstand worse, their muscle mass higher than regular humans.

Either way he looked at it, it didn't look good.

Echo watched her and moved a piece of blood encrusted hair off her cheek.

"Come on Marlo. Wake up. Please," he whispered. She looked peaceful and despite the bandage on her head, she appeared just as she had done back in her room at the Citadel infirmary.

He sighed and lifted his tired body up to head to the lake for the last time that day. Echo made sure to take the one weapon that he had found from the crash site with him.

Just in case.

He pulled his top over his head, and crouching down he splashed some water up onto his face, then pulled the dirty prison infirmary pants off and waded into the water.

"Ah." The cool water began to relieve the myriad of aches and pains that were taking their time to heal. In his not so distant past, a bacta tank would have meant that he would be back on the battle field by now. He scanned the area again before he slowly submerged.

Echo opened his eyes under the clear water and blew out the breath he was holding, watching the air bubbles rise to the surface.

He was suspended in the water.

It wasn't fair; everything he had been through, everything Marlo had done to save him. Self pity was something troopers were never allowed to indulge in, something he had never even contemplated in the Citadel, never. But now he felt truly defeated. The only thing keeping him going wasn't returning to Coruscant, to Fives or even to Freya and his child. It was the woman asleep in their makeshift shanty.

His own had left him behind.

He owed her his life.

He had a debt to repay.

He floated back to the top and made his way to the shoreline and then lay on the bank and allowed the warmth from the late afternoon sun dry him off.

He heard the sound again.

A gentle metallic clinking, but he couldn't quite place it.

He knew it wasn't a droid, and to anyone else it wouldn't have registered, but he was trained to listen to his environment, and this was definitely artificial.

He slowly moved around, deliberately getting redressed and tucking his weapon into his pants he collected the plastic container, scanning the immediate area, all the time aware of someone or something close by.

He felt uneasy.

On his haunches he began to fill the container.

He knew the threat was moving in, the little clinking noise growing slightly louder until he heard the sound he knew better than his own voice. He closed his eyes and waited.

.

"Prepare to land and disembark," Anakin stated holstering his light sabre as he shrugged on the long brown coat.

"Fives and I will head into the shipyards, where he will 'disappear' for approximately six hours and meet back at the rendezvous. Ahsoka, are we clear? You and Rex are to stay in contact with us here, in case we need an immediate evac. We're not sure who the Scillal Corporation are making these new frigates for, so be alert in case we have company."

"Sir," Rex stated matter of fact.

"Good luck Master," Ahsoka was disappointed that she had to sit this one out as back up in the Twilight with Artoo and the Captain. She looked over at Rex who raised an eyebrow perfectly, he understood exactly how she felt .

"We'll await your orders Sir."

Fives was busy redressing in the casual clothes, and smirked at his captain. As he passed he slapped his friend on the pauldron, "twenty seven here I come."

"Fives. Don't do anything stupid ok?"

The ARC looked at the young Togrutan typing something on her data pad. "I could say the same about you."

"Fi - "

"See you at the RV in 6 Cap," he said as he followed the general down the ramp.

"Hey Rex," he heard Ahsoka say behind him, "wanna play a hand of strip sabacc," just loud enough for the others to hear.

"Ahsoka!"

"Relax Captain, I have the coordinates of the RV for you to programme in and we have an incoming message from HQ."

Rex sighed. It was going to be a long six hours.

"Right you are Commander."

.

Vvvvssshhoosshhh Hhhhhuuuuummmm

The sound was undeniable.

Echo knew it was a light sabre the second the power source left the hilt.

"You're either Jedi or Sith, so you had better state your business here."

"I'm neither."

"I am going to turn around. I'm injured and unarmed - ."

"No you're not. I saw you put that pistol on your hip. Hands up over your head where I can see them and turn around nice and slow."

There was something familiar about the voice, and Echo ran through his voice recognition charts he had dedicated to memory as he raised his arms, stalling for time. He couldn't quite place it but it seemed familiar, the nagging feeling that he had heard this voice before.

But where?

He reverted back to his military training and visibly raised himself up as he turned.

But nothing in his training could prepare him for who he faced.

"What the - ? You're supposed to be dead!"

"So everyone keeps telling me."

Echo stood firm, his jaw set tight. "ARC trooper 21-0408, Sir."

Stoyan's mouth opened slightly, he was aware of the sound of his blood pulsing in his temple.

He stepped back slightly, unable to comprehend what he too, was seeing.

Then the voices.

All yelling loudly before they stopped suddenly, like a vacuum pressure had sucked them into nothingness.

It was the soldier who spoke again.

"ARC trooper 21-0408, Sir. Please state your name for reference."

"Stoyan," he stammered, "Stoyan Fett."

.