"Are you alright, Echo? Not getting tired, are you? You look a little tired. Maybe we should get you a stretcher-"

"Kriff off, Fives! Kix, tell him I'm fine now."

Kix didn't respond, busy multitasking as he walked. He kept his eyes glued to his datapad, only occasionally glancing up to ensure he didn't collide with anything as they traversed the RMB grounds toward their barracks.

Sly peeked over Kix's shoulder, scanning the screen before glancing at Echo. "We'll need more blood tests on you."

"I've already told you both, whatever was happening in my head is resolved. Don't start with me too."

The two medics paid him no mind. Kix tapped his screen. "I suggest we check his complete blood count, electrolyte levels, liver function, kidney function, lipid profile, and thyroid function."

"Agreed. We should also look into his cardiac biomarkers, coagulation profile, and inflammatory markers."

Kix shot Sly an impressed glance.

Echo shook his head, exasperated. "How about we skip all that?" He sighed and gestured to the building ahead. "My kit should be somewhere around the barracks-"

"I've got your kit," Fives interjected, sounding somewhat offended at the notion he'd let anything happen to it. "But you won't need it."

Echo looked at his brother as if he'd just been betrayed.

"Relax, brother," Fives slung an arm around Echo's shoulder. "Our Phase II kits are supposed to arrive soon."

Echo's face lit up. "Finally! We need these upgrades. I heard from the clones beta-testing them on Kamino that the new ARC kits have distress beacons, encrypted commlinks to block the clankers from eavesdropping, and improved survival packs. They even have better microfiber lines, harder to cut."

"Could've used that distress beacon when we were scouring Darkknell for you," Fives teased.

"Forgive my curiosity," Echo retorted.

"Just the ARC kits?" Kix shook his head, annoyed. "Every clone kit should have those features. Each trooper is valuable. Do you know how many times I've tried to track down a lost trooper after they've called for a medic? Battlefields are chaos."

"My info's outdated, Kix. Maybe they did put all the good stuff in every suit." Echo was relieved by the change of subject, no longer discussing blood work or his recent health scare. "And if your suit isn't up to par, I can add-"

"Echo," Kix interrupted, not easily fooled, "I'm glad you're feeling better, but you were exposed to an unknown pathogen in a Separatist lab. You need these tests. We can't pretend it didn't happen, even if you did recover for reasons we can't explain."

"I woke up because I got better. Just certify me fit so I can get back to duty."

"I can't do that. You're conveniently ignoring the parts you'd rather forget."

"Which parts?"

"You survived and recovered with an anomaly in your head that killed other clones."

"The others had brain injuries. I was shot and stabbed and ended up with an unexplained virus. But obviously, I'm better now."

"Why?"

"Why what?" Echo snapped back, tired of the conversation.

"Why a virus? Why did it target the anomaly in your head? And why did it suddenly clear up? What makes you different?"

"I don't know!"

"And, that's why we need blood work."

Sly had been silent this whole time, staring off into the distance thoughtfully. "Can I see your research, Kix?"

They were in front of the barracks now and running out of time to discuss this matter in relative privacy.

Sly started quickly going through the data, swiping through screen after screen. "As we saw from Echo's scans, his immune system attacked this anomaly just like antigens are meant to do. But, what if there was specifically designed to target that anomaly? You said these Kaz'harians were high-level scientists and the whole place was filled with labs."

"We blew them up so they couldn't run any more experiments."

"Echo, describe again how you stumbled into one of these-"

"Troopers!"

Sly startled so hard he dropped the pad.

Standing at the door of the barracks was Commander Appo.

"Oh, fek," Fives hissed.

He beckoned for them to approach. There were no guards on duty. Strange.

"Do one of you want to explain why I was called out of training to deal with one security incident, possibly more, involving 501st troopers matching your description?"

"Eh, I can explain, sir," Fives said, stepping in front of Sly, to keep him out of the conversation.

Appo's eyes narrowed as he took in Echo's ARMYMED uniform with a medic's rank badge.

Before Fives could begin to stammer out a story Appo would doubtlessly find unconvincing, Sly slipped out from behind him. "There was a mix-up with the authorization for ARC Trooper's Echo secondary scans. An automated system triggered the security alert."

Kix jumped in. "I thought that was resolved, trooper when we did Echo's flimsiwork."

"According to ArmyMed," Appo said, his voice betraying his skepticism, "Echo was not released." He pulled a datapad from his belt. "I received notice he was to be transferred and sent on Kamino pending further evaluation of his fitness for duty. This order was dated 20 hours ago."

He wielded the incriminating datapad like a vibroblade. It looked like any other order. So cold. So clinical. Fives was stunned speechless, finding himself staring blankly at Appo as a feeling of confused horror churned in his stomach. Was Appo truly so fekkin' clueless that he didn't realize he was holding Echo's death warrant? Or did he somehow fail to care? How had this di'kut been made a commander?

"Again, a flimsi mixup," Sly cut in deftly, "Evaluations on Kamino are reserved only for severe cases. In the past 20 hours, ARC Trooper's Echo condition has improved so rapidly, those orders were no longer appropriate. We are taking him up to the ship for his Medical, Physical, and Performance Evals so he can be posted back to duty. All reports will be sent to you ASAP."

"Who are you?" Appo asked suspiciously, stepping closer to study the unfamiliar trooper.

"CT-9020, Medic Specialist Sly, reassigned to the 501st today. My flimsiwork should be catching up shortly."

"I was unaware we were getting any new personnel," Appo said.

"GAR General Orders Republic Senate Chapter IV, Article 25, subsection 29. When a deploying Legion is heading in an active warzone, the number of combat medics shall not fall beneath one per forty troop-"

"Don't quote regs to me," Appo hissed. "Why is Echo in a medic's uniform?"

"The uniform is mine, sir. Echo needed something to wear for his return to the barracks and we were in a hurry due to the arrival of the new armor. It's just a loan." He addressed Echo directly. "I exposed you to wash those before you return them, brother."

Echo managed to look sufficiently insulted that he would do any less.

Appo glanced back and forth between them. "Alright then." He shook his head in frustration and waved his hand to indicate the three of them should follow him into the barracks. "Why they called me out of training aboard the Resolute to deal with a simple flimsi mixup is behind me."
The barracks were curiously silent, devoid of troopers, and their voices echoed as they walked down the hallway.

"Quite right, sir," Kix said, falling into stride walking next to him and lending a sympathetic ear to his frustrations. "Perhaps Captain Rex should have to deal with these low-level matters. He is your XO, after all."

Appo cast a suspicious look at Kix, but after a lengthy pause, the idea some consideration. "Yes, I suppose he is."

"It would free you up to deal with the higher-level matters," Kix said, warming up to the topic. "Rex is best suited for dealing with day-to-day trooper matters. You should be handling the command decisions."

Appo considered this a moment and nodded. "Yes, that's good thinking, I'll bring it up with him." He gave Kix a considering nod. "You may have the makings of an officer yourself one day."

"Me? No, thank you, Commander. I couldn't see myself leading troopers. I'll leave that to you and the Captain. But, thank you for the vote of confidence."

Appo gave a dismissive wave of his hand as if the idea was already forgotten, then. "The quartermasters and droids are still here coordinating inventorying the supplies. I believe the QM may have set your kit aside. It's possible it is still here dirtside."

"Thank you, sir!" Fives and Echo snapped off salutes in perfect synchronicity.

Appo shook his head as if annoyed with the whole lot of them and he wanted to be done with the conversation. "I need all of your completed forms by 1600." He gave them a stern look. "If you miss the last shuttle topside, I'll assign you to the Corrie Guard. Don't be late."

The four troopers exchanged a shocked look before snapping out salutes to the commander again. Sly added in an impressively loud: "Sir, yes, sir!"

Echo's lips twitched and Fives blinked furiously. Echo caught it out of the corner of his eye. It was a subtle tell that Fives was desperately trying not to roll his eyes. Kix, on the other hand, looked completely calm and composed.

Appo studied the four of them for another long moment. He ''hmmped' under his breath and disappeared up the nearest stairwell to the landing pad.

Fives exhaled loudly as soon as he was gone. "Feeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek."

"Whew, you said it," Sly agreed. "Your commander seems a bit tightly wound. Not what I expected from the 501st."

"Captain Rex is in charge of the 501st," Fives growled.

"As fun as it is to debate command politics," Kix redirected the conversation, "how are we going to produce transfer documents for Sly?"

"Hack the system," Sly and Fives said at the same time.

Kix threw up a hand, wanting no part of it. "Fine, I'll leave you both to get started on your future court-martials, then. Come on Echo, if this barracks is set up like the others, there's a micromedbay squeezed in someplace here. Probably next to the main barracks. Let's figure out what is going on with you."

"Nothing is going on with me.".

"You were exposed to a substanceof unknown origin in an enemy lab. It had an effect on your brain that we can't begin to explain." He stared Echo down. "You're not even curious? Normally, you're the first one to want to know everything."

"I… " Echo pushed out a frustrated sigh. Kix was right. About so much of it. Echo had been exposed to something in the lab. The microsecond before he'd been stabbed by the Kaz'harian. When his hand had smashed into the pile of glass vials, he'd seen the screens behind it indicating the data feeds of what the scientists had been working on. Initially, he hadn't remembered any of it. But, bits and pieces of it were coming back to him now.

He didn't want to be fekked up.

He didn't want to be a lab experiment.

"I… just want to get back to… " he shook his head. Kix waited patiently for him to continue, "... being in the 501st with Fives. I'm tired of being in the medbay, Kix."

Kix pulled Echo's head down to his own and gave him an affectionate tap. "I know, brother. I get it. No one hates being laid up in medbay more than a medic. But, this is important. What we're researching here could have implications far-reaching beyond you. Another clone was doing research into the same area of the brain where you were affected. There could be a connection."

"Research," Echo muttered, immediately hit with another flashback to the Kaz'harian lab and their experiments on his brothers.

"Is there something you're not telling me, Echo?"

Echo put a hand to his head. "I… don't know. I can't remember everything that happened to me."

"Hey, brother, are you alright?" Fives joined them, gripping Echo's arm in concern.

Echo shook them both off and stepped back. "I'm fine. Can we just grab our kit and get out of here? I don't want to be assigned to the karkin' Corrie Guard." He gave them both a half-hearted smile, trying to divert their attention again. "I look terrible in red."

Fives cast Kix a concerned look, but the medic shook his head slightly. It was a subtle indication to drop it. They would continue the conversation later. "Well, all you need to think about brother is the paint scheme on your new kit." He held up his datapad so both Kix and Echo could see.

"You finished my medical clearance paperwork?" Echo gave his brother a delighted smile.

Sly came up behind them. "And, I've been officially transferred to the 501st. Congratulations to me."

Kix cast a warning look to Fives. "Rex is going to love this."

Fives shrugged. "We'll blame it on Appo."

Kix gave him a shocked look.

"What?" the ARC shrugged, and started walking toward the mess. The other three troopers fell in step with him. "He and Appo don't get along. Not like they're going to talk about it. It's a foolproof plan."

"Shab," Kix muttered darkly under his breath, as they walked through the empty corridor, "I'm going to end up in the karkin' Guard."

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