Broken Trooper;;

There was so much to catch up on — years of history he’d lost ( maybe only two and a half, but it felt like so much more ), never to regain or change its course. As much as he tried to adjust his footing, the floor continued to tilt and yank out from under him. With every new piece of information, Echo felt his processor core stutter and scramble at the reception of data that he, himself, could not possibly comprehend. How did it get worse ? And it kept getting worse. Maybe that was why Kix had advised he not push so hard — why he shouldn’t be asking Jesse the many things he was asking. He’d thought he could handle it, but with the way his mind seemed to be tugging in various directions, Echo wasn’t sure. Learning about Fives after the Citadel would have broken his already cracked spirit — knowing his brother suffered so much because of him. He never should have run for that shuttle.      “You’re different … you’re not his twin.” Baritone voice was lowered to a mumble, guilt lacing between every word with firm grip. “If I didn’t run for the shuttle the way I did… if I had just waited…” He would have been here ; he would have been able to help on Umbara, to help Fives — maybe do more than kill his own brothers at the hands of their enemy. Mind pulled again, memories flooding back as eyes blinked through them, trying to focus on the present.        “What … ?”

Oh — Jesse was apologizing. And asking him if he was all right. Echo shook his head a little, clearing his throat to steady his voice. He needed to stop thinking about Fives — needed to stop trying to piece together what his twin brother was trying to do ( I knew he’d get into trouble without me… ). His ear was ringing, his skull was splintering and he could feel the ache already forming along the left side of his eye. The world blurred together before Jesse’s voice broke through and he pulled himself back.      “Don’t. It’s — we can figure it out later.” Because he was beginning to get a splitting headache across his skull. “You did what you could. That’s… really all anyone can ask.” Right ? You all could have done more, he wanted to say, but he refrained. Left hand lifted and he gently eased Jesse’s aside. “I’m all right. Just got dizzy for a second. M’still getting used to everything and Kix says my mind has a tendency to wander more now. Just got lost in thought.”

Maker… he was tired. Shoulders dipped beneath new armor and his body seemed to lose its energy just as quickly. Too much to process — it was all too much to process. He could hear Kix in his head, urging him not to push himself ( you aren’t ready for it, Echo. You’ll be overwhelmed ). He felt like he wanted to crawl out of his own skin and metal and disappear.      “Shot on Coruscant…,” Echo repeated, words trailing off into a mild scoff, as if the air had pushed out of his metallic lungs entirely, “Don’t you find that a little suspicious ? The lack of detail ? You’re an ARC… you should know how strange this all sounds. And everyone here just believes that ?” He took a breath and eased a hand out, trying to push through the dizzy spell forming.        “I’m the last of my batch, Jesse. The last Domino left. And the only person who seems to feel that is me. I want to know who shot my twin… I want him to tell me why.” Immediately, mind went to a thousand different responses ( most of which involved his knuckles jammed into the nasal ridge of a brother ), form swaying in response to the sudden influx of information all at once ; too many emotional responses coupled with information constantly flooding. And it keeps getting worse.       “… I need a minute.”

                                He knew how messed up it sounded.. and since everything with Fives, Kix had been acting funny... Who was usually close friends with him seemed to put a distance between them... Nights usually spent at 79′s was spent doing anything else... Guilt bubbled up knowing that they were on Coruscant that night and they didn’t do anything to help their brother. Echo’s Twin. Someone they’d been fighting so hard to keep alive and with them.. he was gone. They failed Echo and now... he had to deal with the grief that would likely consume him from knowing what was going on. With almost no information given to any of them... A somber look settled over the ARC’s face. He could only give him the information he knew. And that wasn’t much. Who was responsible he knew. But no one involved spoke more on it. But now.. there was a distance between the soldiers and their general now. Captain Rex withheld information from him now, there was a slow distance building... and everyone could see it.

                   If there was anyone... “Hardcase might be able to answer more.. he was.. talking to Commander Thorn months ago... The Commander was in the room with Fives when he was supposed to be talking to the chancellor.. before what had happened.” But he paused, hand moving to gently squeeze Echo’s good shoulder. “Don’t blame yourself. It’s not your fault. Captain’s been quiet.. Kix stopped hanging around Seventy Nine’s... S’just been me." Echo didn’t need to know that bit.. but he could try to reach out. He didn’t need to know this.. but he should know he’s not alone if feeling such. Shinies would sit with him just because he was an ARC trooper.. only to talk poorly of Fives and get snapped at to leave him the kriff alone and stop talking poorly about their ARC like that.

                             He shifted to look around, trying to find somewhere Echo could sit if he needed a minute. After being told, he shifted to pull over a box, nudging younger brother lightly to sit on it. “I know how suspicious it is, Echo. I can’t say anything about it and I don’t know if full what happened.. but I refuse to mention it to our general.” He shifted, arms crossing over slightly broader chest. “I snapped at Commander Blitz when he tried to tell me I better be a step up from the last ARC in our battalion.” It was an insult to his little brothers. “He threatened to send me to Seventeen if I didn’t straighten my attitude out.” But he bit his tongue and managed through training. Now he he was... Full ARC and wanting to help... but not able to start because his brothers were pushing him away.

There was something jarring about the way his mind easily slipped into memory, like a system searching an archive, it took all attention away from current tasks. Jesse’s voice became muddled in the background of distant churning echoing within his ears ( one side much louder than the other ). The crackle of data’s movement coursed like sludge through winding gutters, dragging each new piece of information to be processed — every third word distinctly louder from Jesse’s realm of existence. Attention desperately split between his chatting and Echo’s now reeling mind. Eyelids twitched in attempt to blink, but remained frozen open ( like ice along the skin, lashes caked with frost ), glaze settling over distant stare. Further and further he drifted from the vague warmth of the hazed sun, back to the cold case what held him for rough year. CT-1409 … CT-1409 … CT-1409 … CT-1409 … CT-1409 … CT-1409…

    “I wasn’t here.” Words mumbled out with slow pacing, dragging as if spoken through sleep. Completely unfocused, caramel gaze flicked left, then right, as if reading through countless stream of decrypted sequences, searching for an answer he could not find. If he had been there, would things have been different ? Would Fives have had someone in his corner advocating for him — telling the truth in a different way ? Would Echo, the great strategist that almost destroyed Republic forces on Anaxes, be able to out-wit one who kept secrets ? Oh, Fives was a terrible liar … they all knew that. But Echo… Echo knew when Fives was trying to lie and when he was telling the truth. Domino twins knew each other well. “He needed me and I wasn’t here…”

I keep sending my signal … why don’t they answer ? It’s cold — I can’t move. Fives… Fives, where are you ? Rex — My head hurts — CT.1409 … CT.1409 … CT— Echo, hey… Echo.  Before returned ARC could chase the rabbit too far down the proverbial tunnel and be lost, a faint clicking registered. No… not clicking - snapping. As if released from iron prison once more, remaining muscle loosened and eyelids fluttered in dazed blinks. Vision cleared, black spots fading as they formed into a gloved hand before his eyes, fingers snapping. As if dragged up from depths of Kaminoan ocean, Echo breached the figurative surface with a quick gasp, Jesse’s voice becoming less garbled. Clearer and clearer, his name came through.

    “Eh — Jesse…?” As if the man hadn’t been standing there the entire time. Quick glance around provided reassurance that he was, in fact, on Anaxes. Relieved breath sucked in and dragged out, shoulders sagging. The mental drain such simulations had on him — and this had only been the beginning stages of the response. “Sorry. Think I just… I just got distracted.” Echo lifted a hand to pinch his temples, pressing hard against metal and flesh to ease the pulsing pain, pin pricks of tears edging the eyes before they were blinked back. The painful surge was so strong, he’d nearly stumbled.      “I… I don’t — I lost track of what we were talking about,” he confessed, laughing with a raspy sound, lowering his hand. He suddenly looked much more tired, bags under eyes darker — like everything had sunken in and drained him along with it. “You don’t really believe all that skrag about Fives …do you ?” Ever the stubborn one.

                       Some parts of him wanted to tell Echo about everything. Fives coming back from the citadel. How he disappeared from existence for a couple weeks before they found him heading to the showers. He remembered none of them could get the door to his room open and when it did open, it was an empty room. General Skywalker was certain he was in his room, and sometimes stopped by it to try to coax him out... But the more he tried, the more closed that door felt. The further their last ARC trooper felt. Kix tried so many times to talk to Fives through the door only to be met with silence. He remembered stopping by to try to check for fives and the door opened--only for the room to be empty. Documents left untouched on tables as though they were left there before a mission then never touched again.

                                    He felt terrible when they’d finally managed to get Fives to Kamino--Kix had written a strict order that was signed off... she had received him then they welcomed a few new troopers. Tup and Dogma. among others. Normally they would be in training courses that would work with Fives and Echo.. but seeing as Echo was gone and Fives was on Kamino... it fell to Captain Rex to decide how to best train them for their specific maneuvers. Jesse had offered to help, though he wasn’t entirely sure how helpful he would be. Brown eyes shifted to Echo, apology set int hem before he frowned and shifted. “To be fair, Echo... None of us were really there for him either. Kix and I were at Seventy-Nine’s... I’m pretty sure both of us were already plastered. No one else was helping him. The guard were searching for him... Kix and I were questioned. But they didn’t get anything out of either of us. I’m... I’m sorry.”

Echo watched Jesse with a neutral expression, but the curve of his brows and softening around the eyes showed appreciation — at least Jesse wasn’t staring at him like he was some exhibit for display or, worse, the enemy. The newly made ARC trooper conversed normally, as if Echo had just come back the same as he ever was ; he wasn’t sure when he’d drifted off into his head, but he pulled back as he, once again, referenced Fives.        “… Yeah. It’s a little hard.” If there was one person who would have been at his side, regardless of what anyone said, it would have been his twin. Though, Echo was sure he would have to worry about Jesse throwing a swing at someone just as much as he would have Fives. “Still got that hot-headed temper or can I stop worrying about the trouble you’ll cause?” Casual as his words were, and as teasing as he meant them, they were also heartfelt. A little brother jokingly pestering the older. Jesse, after all, had been there before the Dominoes. A small laugh huffed through, head shaking slowly, small smile tugging at the lips subtly.        “All you have to do is fill the empty spaces with needless information, like weather conditions, terrain travel, inter-personal squabbles, team morale… I’ll show you. Don’t worry — we’ll make a decent ARC outta you yet.”

Caramel gaze lowered as a sigh hefted shoulders up, then down. It had been difficult to process the damage he had caused on Anaxes — the number of casualties he was certain were due to his own tactics. He hadn’t been allowed to read over those reports ; trust was a factor in all limitations, but Echo knew Kix had a hand in controlling what he did and did not see, most likely to control just how overwhelmed he could become. For as put together as Echo seemed, he was barely able to stand most of the time. Between the glaring eyes of brothers and hushed whispers of avoidance and disgust horror, Echo had chosen not to socialize or get to know anyone new. One would think waking up from stasis would bring something good — waking to a better outcome. He’d only woken to a worsening war and less familiar faces ; losses he could not have predicted. And a lot more that he did.        “I don’t think they let traitors stay ARC troopers, Jesse…” But, Echo trailed off as Jesse continued and his expression shifted to one of hope and relief — finally… answers. “ ‘Course not, Jes. It’s not something I’ll repeat.” His tone had all but begged ; just tell me. 

Attention was all but glued to the other ARC trooper. From the instant Jesse had huddled close to speak to the very last syllable that dropped — Echo was keen on keeping neutral. But, as the story spun round and round, his brows creased in mild frustration and confusion.        “I knew he was gone, but…” Assassination attempt … ? Fives ? His twin didn’t half-perform at anything — if he wanted to take someone out, he would have. But the anger and frustration was beginning to mix with a heavy weight — sorrow. The regret of not being present when he was clearly needed ; who better to have had his back than his twin ? It sounded fake, like Jesse was lying to him, and a smirk almost pulled as Echo allowed fantasy to give way. Words choked out in slow drag, like a mumble in one’s sleep, mind already slipping out of his control. Fives, what the hell were you getting into this time ?         “Fives wouldn’t do that — Fives wouldn’t do that without a reason — he wouldn’t just lose it like that. You know that — everyone knows that. How can they say that ? This — it’s a joke… right ?”

Jesse wasn’t joking. And despite claiming he knew nothing factual, his emphasis on rumors only made colder man’s blood burn ( boiling for a fight ). His brother, his twin, reduced to nothing but hearsay and rumor — too much information. Fives, his batchmate, best friend and twin, labeled a traitor in his own way, shot down like any other enemy, conspiracy surrounding it, lies and slander tied between, a virus that may or may not have existed, Rex and Kix had known and neither one had said a damned word. Glaze settled over empty stare, gaze focused no longer on Jesse, but staring at a distant point no one could see, trying to process everything as it was.

            He knew Fives wouldn’t let anyone pick on Echo. The fact that anyone bothered to try was what made the Trooper furious. The whole reason he was an ARC, the whole reason he even so much as agreed to it was because of the twins. Firey spirit of Fives and the quieter presence of Echo... He appreciated both. He cared about both. When Fives returned without twin, trooper had known by the look on his face that Echo wasn’t caught up talking about strategy. He was gone. And the trooper before him would never know that blank stare that came with the first look at Fives after the citadel. Jesse owed it to him to do what he could.

                     There was a soft laugh, the trooper giving a small smirk in response to the joke, careful nudge given mind to possible soreness. He knew the guy wouldn’t just bounce back from being stuck in stasis. “Nah, someone looks at you sideways and I’ll end their career. Not as quickly as Fives would have, but pretty kriffin’ close.” Kix would be busy as he had been while they were here, but.. He’d seemed preoccupied with something extra when he wasn’t working on the wounded. Attention moved to the other trooper, small smile given. “Look forward to it.”

                                   He knew it was Echo’s voice they’d found, but he hadn’t been part of the extraction team. He knew that it was going to be a struggle. It was because of the rumors he’d heard that he realized Echo was even here. Which meant Kix would need to be pulled away every so often so he wouldn’t work himself sick. Now he was afraid to let anyone else near, knowing how poorly brother had been treated well before he was lost at the Citadel. “You’re still an ARC trooper in my book. And if the Captain has anythin’ to say about it.” loyal, kind, and often times the trooper that could be relied on to have another plan in place in case things got messy.

          And messy they just got, he watched Echo while he processed the words that left him, but he knew that the twin of Fives would never truly accept what he just heard. “I know he wouldn’t go after someone unless he was protecting his brothers. By the time Ringo Vinda happened, he was tired of losing brothers.. he was just starting to get closer to fully past your passing.” He stopped after a moment, noticing the distance in the trooper’s eyes. The look of being here but also not. “Echo?”

Fives. The instant Jesse mentioned him, Echo felt his attention latch. Head tilted and stare became inquisitive — silent indication that he wanted to know more. But, the sentence was gone and disappointment overtook his expression, small huff through the nose the only sign. Echo had always been with Fives, especially after Rishi. The two Dominoes left standing became twin ARCs known to all in cobalt legion. It felt strange to be standing without him at his side — a solid indicator that he was, in fact, gone. Details he wasn’t allowed to brush up on, he supposed, as Kix had avoided any topic with Fives in it. The secrecy made him wary ; did they just not trust him anymore ? He couldn’t blame them… the Separatists had his mind in their hands for a long time. Who knew what else they did ? Blinking, Echo shook his head subtly, bringing himself back just in time to hear Jesse speaking.          “Mm… yeah. Seems like it wasn’t that long ago.” Small smile tugged at his lips, but it wasn’t quite all there.

Echo was quiet and reserved, whereas Fives was loud and obnoxious. Together, however, they became an incredible duo that not only swept in battle, but were known to cause trouble now and then. Nodding, he moved to follow, trying not to wince at the soreness from freshly made docks for prosthesis. He was relieved to be rid of the old droid gear, but design wasn’t everything.        “I never minded the reports, really. They were actually my favorite part of mission wrap-up.” Of course Echo found them enjoyable — compiling reports and reading reg manuals were some of his best ideas for a good night in. Not to mention, he didn’t entirely trust Fives to write a cohesive report — it always ended up scribbles and bullet points before he scurried off to seventy-nine’s. Voice perked up just enough to not be a tired drag, brows lifting.        “Maybe I could write some up for you…  if they ever let me near mission details again. Think I’m on probation right now or somethin’ with the way people stop talking when I come around.”

Brows pinched as he awkwardly tried to cross his arms, scomp tucking under his arm. He glanced alongside, watching Jesse for a moment before he looked contemplative. He could lie, but he didn’t want to tempt Kix’s wrath.        “Kix said to go slow. I’ve been in stasis for two years, so I’ve clearly missed a lot. He lets me read mission reports, but only a little at a time and it has to be cleared by the Captain or General. But they seem less detailed and a lot of information isn’t accessible to me. And every time I ask about Fives, everyone brushes me off. Not that other troopers around here talk to me — they just walk away. I’m not fragile — I’m still an ARC trooper… aren’t I ?” Was he ? Metallic boot scuffed against the ground as he walked, gaze focused on every step taken.          “I don’t know… feels like they don’t trust me, they just don’t want to say it.” He tipped his head slightly. “But, you trust me, right Jesse ?” A prod. “You can’t keep a secret to save your life anyway, as I recall.”

          He felt bad already having stopped talking, but he knew how much trouble he would be in if he told Echo anything that wasn’t cleared. He knew why they were withholding a lot of information. Casualty rates being one of the things that were deemed too much for recovering soldier. “It’s gotta be frustrating to come back to all of this... I don’t imagine it’s much easier without your partner in crime.” One of the trooper’s few ways of handling everything that he had to deal with. He remembered a time where there was no Fives without Echo. Not only did he have to see a time for Fives on his own... Now he would have to watch as Echo was now without Fives.

                “Don’t get me wrong, mission reports are fine, it’s a nice wind-down from working in the field.. But sometimes, I just can’t think well enough to write everything down for debrief.” He remembered seeing Fives working absent mindedly on reports, though often he looked like he wanted to be literally anywhere else. “Eh, they need to lay offa ya. You’re onna the finest soldiers in the GAR. You and Fives were the best we had in the five-oh-first. But it’d be nice to work with you on some in the future.”

                      Brown eyes shifted to glance at the other trooper. He knew Echo deserved better than the often times overprotective care that Kix could give others. “--Of course you are, Echo. You worked your tail off to become an ARC trooper..” words may have come a little too fast, however, he knew... he would have to tell him. “I could get in a lot of trouble for telling you anything about what happened to Fives, Echo.. but you deserve to know.. Just know what I heard is hearsay. Rumors.” He didn’t know what exactly happened.. but he would tell him the details of what he did know. “I trust you. But you didn’t hear any of this from me.”