#cbe 2024

"Echo... you know it’s not true," you whisper and gently run your hands across his cheek. This is new. Something changed since he came back from his last mission with Rex. He hasn't told what happened there yet, you only feel that he's stirred up.

Echo is leaning into your touch, eyes fluttering as he allows himself to indulge in the warm tenderness you give him. But there are still some hard lines from his frown on his forehead. His mind still haunted by doubts.

He grabs your hand with his to hold it in place. Friends. That’s what you both are used to be. Lovers... He doesn’t dare to hope. Not with him being... him. His thoughts travel back in time, to an ARC trooper, skilled, diligent... powerful... handsome.

"I wish I had met you sooner, cyar'ika. I would have romanced you and loved you like you deserve."

His words ache. How can he even think he's not enough for you? Doesn’t he see how he makes you all weak and flustered when he's standing in front of you so close. When he’s looking at you the way he does. Whatever it is he doesn’t dare to voice... his kind, amber eyes betray his desires, they make you ache for him even more.

"Do you want to love me, Echo?" You ask, finally crossing the invisible line that separated the two of you for months. And then you tilt your head and lean closer to nibble on his earlobe. It makes him hold his breath...

Stars, he wants to love you. Wants to make your every dream come true. If only he could... if only he'd allow himself to.

"Do you want me to love you?" You whisper, bypassing his predicament by changing the question just a little bit.

A faint sigh escapes his lips as you ghost your mouth along the curve of his neck. Ever so slowly deeper and deeper, leaving him sensitive and longing for so much more. Echo closes his eyes, relishing in the sensation of your lips as your warm breath tingles on his skin.

"I do..." he sounds almost breathless as he surrenders.

Here it is!

My first submission for @karttaylir-darasuum 's clone x reader bingo 2024 event. A moodboard and a few lines to kindle your imagination.

Square: Echo

Since the moment they have left the ARCA barracks, neither of them had said a word. Darman walked at a hurried pace towards the hangar where the attack shuttle with which would leave the planet was already waiting for them. Niner did his best to keep up with him. Rede followed in their wake, just as silent but probably for a different reason.

It had only been a few hours since Darman and himself had left Roly Melusar’s office. A few hours since the final plan to desert was now decided. He probably should have been sleeping, but Niner hadn't gotten a wink of sleep all night. Rede, blissfully unaware of what's going on, had been snoring like a vibrosaw for hours. Dar had been lying motionless in his bunk, probably awake too. However, Niner hadn't dared to talk to him. Prying eyes and ears could be anywhere. At dawn, while the other two were packing, he took advantage of a favorable moment and retreated to the 'fresher to use the secure channel in his helmet and contacted Ordo.

“We're on our way to you, vod,” he had said, trying to sound as noncommittal as possible.

“About time,” Ordo had replied. "It wouldn't be long before I would have grabbed Dar by his gett’se and dragged him out of there myself!" It had been one of Ordo's usually harsh answers, and yet Niner had clearly heard the joy and relief in his brother’s tone.

“I’ll report back to you when we’ve left Coruscant’s orbit. If you don’t hear from me in the next three hours, something has gone wrong.” With one click he had ended the connection.

With every step Niner took, he more and more felt like his pulse rate was going to hit the roof. Everything was as usual. Commandos who practiced on the parade ground, droids who carried out cleaning and repair work. And yet he had the feeling that all eyes were on them. He resisted the urge to turn his head and look around.

And what's next? The moment they are going to take off with the shuttle, life as he had known it would end. No army, no training, not even a structured daily routine. All he would have left would be his brothers. At least that would be the way it has always been. Dar, in his black Katarn armor next to him, gave him a sense of certainty. And finally, after so long, he would see Fi again! A thought he found some solace in. Rede, however... What would happen to him? Dar called him a blank slate - Niner thought he was an incalculable risk. To avoid the inevitable and to control the oppressive feeling that was almost suffocating him, he tried to make plans. He didn't get very far...

Because as soon as the shuttle came into view, he saw the colorfully painted Katarn armors of Delta Squad, as well as the featureless, dull gray one of their new squad member, in its shadow. His heart sank and he heard Dar curse under his breath. Were the boys here as reinforcements? Or as snitches? Or had they already been busted before they even left the Imperial compound?

“You’re already out and about?” Boss greeted him as they were within earshot.

“Could ask you the same thing,” Niner replied as both men eventually placed their right hand on each other’s left shoulder in greeting. Even though everyone was wearing their helmets, Niner could tell there was something else just by the tone of their voices. Something unspoken.

“It has come to our attention that you have been assigned to a special mission.”

“Oh yeah?” Darman sounded noncommittal. “Where did you get that from?”

“Holy Roly. We had a briefing this morning about our deployment on Ossos.” When Niner heard that Delta was assigned to another planet, he relaxed a little, at least for his standards. Still, the fact that anyone else was informed about their operation at all gave him an overtone.

"Where are you heading to?" Scorch, who had remained conspicuously calm until now, asked a short time later.

“Well, he didn’t trust you that far, did he?” Darman teased.

“Not everyone can be as buddy-buddy with him as Squad 40,” Scorch sneered.

Then it was quiet. None of the men moved, and Niner wondered if he and Dar were about to end up having to shoot their way into the shuttle. The odds were against them. All of them.

“Anyway, we wanted to say goodbye to you,” Boss said. “Oh osik… I forgot the farewell present for you in the quarters.” He turned to Fixer in a conspicuously theatrical manner and tilted his head towards the barracks. “Go back and get it!”

“Why me?” Fixer grumbled in response. “Can’t Levin go? He’s the new kid on the block.”

Farewell present? Niner tensed imperceptibly, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Darmansubtly reach for his vibroblade in his vembrace.

"You're right! Levin, there's a little box in my locker with a fancy red bow on it. Can you please go and get it quickly? Then we’ll head off to Ossos.” Niner couldn't shake off the feeling that something was indeed very wrong. Since their joint special mission on Coruscant, the relationship between the two squads had improved a lot, but he wouldn’t go to the point where they’d give each other gifts. So what did Boss aim at? Call for reinforcements?

Levin growled like Fixer had before, although a little quieter and more reserved. The fact that he was the new guy left him little room for negotiations with his sergeant. He turned to leave... a blue glowing circle of a shot sent him stunned to the ground. A split second later, a second one followed and Rede collapsed next to him to the ground, unconscious. Dar and Niner both simultaneously drew their dezees. Win-or-bust. Was it pure coincidence, fate or the subconscious that stopped them from firing straight away? Whatever, Niner sent a silent prayer to the Force.

Scorch shrugged his shoulders and jumped down from the ammunition box he had been sitting on until just now.

“Are you planning to strike roots over there or are you going to give me a helping hand?” He nudged Darman with his shoulder before grabbing the immobile commando by the wrist and dragging him toward the ramp. “Come on, we can’t take forever before someone notices!”

As if in a trance, Darman and Niner grabbed Rede to haul him aboard the shuttle.