Chapter 8 – Locked Inside the Nightmare

Author's Note: Echo thinks about the future... and make a decision. :') Thoughts?

~ Amina Gila

It's after Cut and Crosshair leave that Echo finds himself alone with Rex. "Where are you going from here?" he queries.

"I'm not sure yet," he replies, "But I'll keep searching for traces of Fives."

"You want some help?" Echo finds that he can't look at Rex as he asks it. The Batch needs him, yes, but this is Fives. And a chance for freeing Hunter. How is he supposed to pass on that?

"You are the reason this is happening!"

What if Hunter was right? What if Echo is going to get the others hurt? He doesn't think he could handle the guilt of it. They need Hunter. Echo's not their leader, and after how things went down, he can't even pretend to be. He's not sure they'd want him to be, and he couldn't blame them for that. Tech is best suited for that role, even if he's not much of a leader, either. He knows Wrecker and Crosshair in a way that Echo never will. He knows what they need. Echo doesn't, and more than that, he doesn't feel worthy. Leading them was Hunter's role, and maybe it's not Echo's fault that Hunter isn't with his brothers anymore, but trying to lead them now would feel too much like he's trying to replace Hunter.

No one can replace Hunter.

Rex is studying him. "Help would be good, but is that really what you want?"

Echo sighs. "I owe them this," he answers, resting his scomp on the table in front of him. "If we can find Fives and find out what he's learned, maybe we can rescue Hunter."

"Hunter isn't the only one who needs rescuing," Rex adds softly. "I want to help all our brothers. The war might be over, but not for me. I'll be fighting for all our brothers now."

Echo smiles sadly. "The General did promise he'd see us free."

"And he will," Rex answers. "You know him. He won't stop fighting until he's seen this through."

Of course, he won't. That's just the way Anakin Skywalker is. He freed his home planet from the Hutts as a teenager with a ragtag group of half-trained former slaves and his Jedi master, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Echo heard the story many times over after General Skywalker took control of the 501st Legion. He's someone the boys always looked up to, someone they idolized and wanted to be like. Unlike with General Baylan, and unlike with many, if not most, of the other Jedi Generals, the 501st wanted to follow General Skywalker. Maybe it was because he wasn't a Jedi anymore, maybe it's because he was a slave, Echo doesn't know. But he does know that if his General needs him, he'll be there no matter what.

"I know." Silence settles over them, and it's strangely comforting. "I need to talk to Tech," Echo admits, "Tell him what I want to do. I don't want to leave them, but I think – I think it might be for the best. I'm needed more elsewhere."

Rex searches his face, and Echo feels like he's being judged, but he doesn't look away, holding Rex's eyes. "Alright," he says, "I imagine help will be hard to come by. I can't turn it down."

He lingers a moment longer before going to find Tech. He's on the Marauder, searching for whatever information he can find on Raada. "Tech, can I have a word?"

Tech turns toward him. "What is it?"

"I'm thinking about going with Rex," he admits. He doesn't know how else to say it, even if it's a bit blunt.

Tech stills, and though his expression hardly changes, Echo gets the feeling that he's hurt – which he'd been afraid of from the start. "I see," he says stiffly. "I presume this is because of Fives?"

"Yes," Echo confesses because he can't lie about that, "But it's also about Hunter. If we can find Fives, he might know what we can do to… get Hunter back."

The tightness doesn't leave Tech's face. "That is a logical conclusion, but it will not be so easy to get Hunter back from the Empire. He will resist us every step of the way, and I imagine he will turn us in if we give him that chance."

"I know it won't be easy," Echo replies, "But I'm not giving up on him."

"I never said you should," Tech all but snaps, pointedly turning away, back to his datapad and research.

He knows he shouldn't leave things like this, but Echo doesn't know what else he can say, what else he can do, so he turns away and leaves, hoping it isn't a mistake he'll regret.

It's later in the afternoon, when he's with Rex again, that they hear yelling and screams from the children from outside. They run outside to see a commotion on the other side of the fence. Omega is out there, and so is Wrecker, who is in the process of finishing gutting a nexu that must have attacked them. Somehow. Why are they even out there?

"Ha," laughs Wrecker, waving his now-blood-and-gut-covered vibroknife in the air, "That took care of 'im!"

Suu follows them out, ushering her children inside, telling them to go finish packing – probably to get them away from the scene – as she helps Omega through the fence.

"What happened?" demands Echo, looking between Omega and Wrecker. "Are you alright?"

Omega sniffles. "I – I was trying to get the ball," she answers, her voice shaking, "I didn't know. I – I'm s-sorry."

Rex crouches down in front of her. "Hey," he says gently, "It's okay. You weren't hurt, were you?"

"Nah," Wrecker replies as Omega mutely shakes her head, "I got there 'n time." He seems to be in better spirits after having gutted the nexu, and Echo eyes the blood and nexu pieces splattered on his armor with distaste.

"You need to get cleaned up."

That is a sentiment that Suu strongly seconds, and she orders Wrecker to the back of the house so he can take off his armor and change into something clean.

"I leave for a few hours, and you get yourself into trouble." Crosshair sounds amused, but also annoyed. "What happened?"

Echo explains, since Rex has taken Omega back to the Marauder so she can calm down from her ordeal. He tries not to think about it too hard, the way Rex was interacting with her. It reminds him of his Commander, of his General. It reminds him of what it was like before, when he was still a part of the 501st.

Crosshair looks both askance and exasperated by what happened. "How're we supposed to take care of her if she's attracting predators to herself?" he asks. "I can't imagine Raada has any less than Saleucami."

Suu pauses from where she was coming out of their home with a change of clothing under her arm, laughing softly. "Crosshair, that's what children do. They get into trouble. It's our job to protect them."

He makes a face. "It just seems…"

"Harder than being a soldier?" Echo guesses dryly. "It is."

Guilt gnaws at him because he knows that once he leaves, the Batch won't even have his expertise – however limited – to rely on, and – maybe it's not the best decision, to leave, but he doesn't know what else to do. He can't settle down on a planet like Raada. Not only would he stick out too much with a scomp arm, but also, his ability to do things would be severely limited. He'd get in the way more than anything else, and he can do so much more good with Rex. They'll be safe there, on Raada, and that's what matters. They're capable. They can take care of Omega.

They have to.

**w**

Crosshair follows Wrecker around to the back of the house to see him cleaning off his armor. He opts not to look too closely at the mess on it. "I heard you gutted a nexu in front of the kids," he drawls, amused.

"It was gonna eat Omega," Wrecker argues, frowning down at some slimy bits of something that are stubbornly stuck onto his chest plate.

"Mm. Hopefully you didn't let it swallow you so you could stab it to death," Crosshair deadpans.

"Ha!" Wrecker laughs, "Funny."

Crosshair smirks. At least one thing hasn't changed. With how different everything feels now that Hunter is gone, he needs the reassurance even if he'll never admit it.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Echo asks. He's leaning against the side of the house, expression tight.

"What is it?" Crosshair questions, frowning. Echo's not usually this tense. Did Cut already tell him about the troopers they saw? He'd thought Cut went to find Rex and Suu first.

He sighs. "I want to go with Rex," he admits, "He'll need help finding Fives, and once we get the intel Fives has, there might be a chance we can get Hunter out."

Logically, it makes sense, but Crosshair just feels numb. "You're leaving," he states, hands clenching. He wishes he was still wearing his armor instead of the civilian clothing he donned to go into town with Cut. Like this, he feels too vulnerable. Exposed.

Echo nods. "It's not forever," he answers, "I'll be back, but I need to do this."

Crosshair can see the hurt in Wrecker's eye, a hurt that he'll never give voice to in the same way Crosshair himself never would. Echo chose them, wanted them when no one else did, and now… he's choosing to leave them. They need him. They just lost Hunter. How are they supposed to function with only three members? They've had five for so long, and now they have a kid, too. He – how can Echo just… leave?

He knows it's important, knows that getting Hunter back matters more than anything else, but he's still hurt. First Hunter. Then Echo. Who's next?

"Be careful," he says finally because the longer he stays silent, the more likely Echo is to pick up on how hurt and angry he is.

Wrecker laughs, but it sounds forced. "Don't get into trouble without us."

Echo smiles sadly. "No promises. You can call me anytime for anything."

Crosshair nods and then turns back to Wrecker's work, as though watching him clean his armor is the most interesting thing in the world, a myriad of emotions burning within him. Calling Echo isn't nearly the same as having him there. He's angry. He knows he shouldn't be, but he is, and it takes all of his willpower not to say something cruel or biting to Echo. He would never do that. Echo chose them, and even if he's leaving now, that still means something to him, something too important for him to tarnish with his anger.

He should have expected it, he supposes, because they all know how important Fives is to Echo. Of course, if it comes down to it, he'll choose Fives over them. He understands it – he would choose his brothers, the ones he grew up with, over anyone – but it still hurts.

"This is because of what Hunter said to you, isn't it," Crosshair realizes. His eyes slide to Echo to see him recoil, just a bit, almost unnoticeably, but enough for him to know that he hit his mark.

Echo huffs. "I don't know that he's wrong," he admits. "Without him…"

He doesn't even need to finish. His meaning is obvious, and it's something Crosshair has been worrying over too. Without Hunter, they're vulnerable. He's always been the one to lead them, the one who knows what to do. If he's not here, chances are high that someone will get hurt. Badly. It's something he doesn't want to think about because staying with the Empire wasn't an option for them, either.

"I know," Crosshair says quietly, turning away to Wrecker.

For a moment, there's quiet, but then, Echo leaves. Crosshair can hear his footsteps retreating, but he doesn't watch him go, can't bear to. "Can't believe he's going," he murmurs to Wrecker.

"Yeah," his brother answers, shaking his head, "Me either, but I s'ppose it's a good thing, if he can get to Hunter."

Crosshair chews on his lip, trying not to remember Hunter's scream in the hangar as he collapsed. "I guess." He can't even fake enthusiasm, because the truth is that he doesn't think Echo will succeed in getting to Hunter. Hunter is… He's too good at what he does, and he'll never listen to Echo. He's too angry at him, and not entirely unrightfully so.

"Crosshair, Wrecker!" It's Tech, and he sounds alarmed.

Crosshair exchanges a worried look with Wrecker, and they head for the front of the house. "What is it?" he asks.

"We need to go. Now," Tech answers. "Cut told us what you saw in town, and my scans have picked up incoming speeders. Rex and Echo are getting Cut's family to safety. We need to cover for them."

"W-what happened?" Wrecker demands, turning to Crosshair. "Ya didn' say anythin'!"

"I didn't realize it was this urgent," he replies. "I saw some 501st troopers in town. They're probably here for Rex."

There's no time to gear up, so Crosshair runs to the Marauder to get his rifle, checking to see that Omega's on board. She is. She's in the gunner's mount, and she turns toward him when she hears him enter. "Stay here," he orders. "We'll be leaving shortly."

Omega's eyes widen. "So soon?"

"Troopers are here," he answers, voice clipped, "Looking for Rex. Stay." Because if she wanders off, chances are high that they won't even realize it until they're gone, and then… Yeah, no. They are not going to lose the kid, too.

"Take care of yourselves," Rex says to them as they meet briefly by the front of the home. "Call us if you need anything."

"We will," Crosshair promises. He can't imagine any reason why they'd be contacting Rex once they get to Raada, but well, at least they have options, if they need help.

Echo pauses to say goodbye, but only briefly before he and Rex head off with Cut's family. And that's when the troopers get there. Crosshair knows that Rex won't want them dead, and he respects that, but they're trying to kill them, too. He can't afford to be picky. Doesn't mean he makes kill shots. He takes up position on top of the Marauder, picking off the regs one by one, shooting out their speeders' engines when he can.

It's a successful diversion, relatively, since it draws the regs to them and away from Rex and his escaping shuttle. They hold the line, he and Wrecker, while Tech fires up the engines, waiting for Rex's shuttle to depart.

"We're clear," Echo informs them, his voice crackling through the comms, and moments later, the shuttle takes off, angling up and away to safety.

Crosshair drops from the top of the Marauder onto the ramp, backing inside with Wrecker right behind him. He can hear the faint sounds of blaster fire as the regs continue shooting at their ship, but they make it away without being stopped. He lowers the rifle, automatically going to stow it away. The adrenaline crash wears off slowly, and then, only then, does the reality of everything sink in.

Echo… is gone.

He's gone.

The Marauder has never felt quite so quiet before, and he – he doesn't know how to feel about that. There's always been four of them, but now, there's only three. The kid doesn't count. She's not a soldier. She might be their sister, but she's not – she's not one of them in the way the others are, even Echo. She doesn't understand war or fighting or being a soldier. She's innocent of it all, and Crosshair likes that about her.

He goes to the cockpit, settling into his usual seat behind Tech, determinedly not looking at the one opposite him where Hunter usually sat.

The light pattering of approaching footsteps can only be the kid, but he doesn't look at her as she enters. "Where – where's Echo?" she asks, suddenly sounding afraid.

Crosshair pauses. He – didn't tell her?

"He left," Tech answers, curt.

Omega falters, her eyes widening. "Why?"

"Echo worked with Rex before he joined us," Crosshair tells her, reaching for a toothpick and shoving it in his mouth. If he has to be the one to explain, he's going to do it with a distraction. "Rex's looking for one of Echo's squad members. He wanted to help him."

She looks a little hurt, not too unlike how the rest of them feel. Crosshair wasn't there when Echo told Tech, but he knows he's hurt, too. He can see it in the tension of his shoulders and the tightness of his expression. "But…" She trails off. "What're we going to do now?"

"We will carry on with our plan of going to Raada," Tech replies. "Clone Force 99 existed before Echo became a part of us, and we will continue to exist after."

Crosshair flinches at the reminder, biting into the toothpick hard enough to nearly fracture the end. The thing is, they might not need Echo to survive, but they need Hunter. Clone Force 99 only existed because of Hunter, because he was there to lead them, and Crosshair has no idea what they'll do now that he's gone. Will – will they still be them without him here? Are they still a squad with only three members – four including the kid? He can't bear to ask, though. He doesn't want to know what Tech will answer.

"Okay," Omega says, climbing into the copilot's seat. Wrecker moves forward, into the cockpit, his heavy hand landing on Crosshair's shoulder. If he leans into it a bit, neither of them will talk about it. She's quiet for a few moments, but she's fidgeting, twisting his hands together in what must be a nervous gesture. Something's weighing on her.

"Problem, kid?" Crosshair asks, leaning forward, flicking his now-fractured toothpick aside.

She shrinks in on herself a bit, and when she turns her head to look at him, he realizes that the amulet that had been on her forehead, one that matched Nala Se's, is gone. He doesn't know when she took it off. "I know I made a mistake," she admits finally, looking down at the floor, "And I – with Echo gone – you're not… going to get rid of me, are you?"

There's a pause as they all digest that.

"Why would we get rid of you?" Tech asks.

"You said you wanted to come with us," Crosshair tells her, sudden anxiety twisting inside of him. "Has that changed?" If she decides to leave them, too –

Her eyes go wide with panic. "No! I left with you. I want to be here!"

"You're stuck with us, kid," Crosshair answers with a small smile. "You won't be getting rid of us that easily."

The way her expression softens, her eyes brightening with gratitude, almost makes up for the hurt he feels over Echo leaving. Almost.

"Yeah, you're stayin' with us," Wrecker adds firmly, patting her head, "No matter what."

It's a promise.

And it's one that Crosshair desperately hopes they can keep.

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