#fives lives

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"The first step might be finding a way to get some news of what is really happening," you replied. "If what the emperor said is true, then all of the clones had chips that made them do his bidding, but does that mean forever?"

"I don't know. He was focused solely on Order 66 at the time and I didn't catch much else."

Fives ran his hand through his hair. He'd shaved it pretty short this time after trying to add some lightning bolts like Kix had, but ended up shaving a huge chunk off. It had only started growing back.

You dried the last dish and thought for a moment. Based on what you knew, Fives had been incredibly effective in war, but starting from a place where he felt alone with no real direction was hard on him. You decided to call it a night and got into bed together. He snuggled against you and fell asleep to the feeling of your fingers combing through his hair.

By the morning, he was still out like a light. He had exhausted himself mentally, so you got up and made some caf. You pulled out an old scanner and started searching for some holonet news. Things were bleak, but reporters painted imperial-caused tragedies as accidents or blamed the victims. Planets were being scoured for resources, people killed or removed, and it seemed like no one could stop it. Then you came upon a channel broadcasting some updates from the senate. Clones were forced into some kind of retirement and you didn't want to think about what that entailed. The young reporter mentioned speaking with clones outside of a bar on Coruscant. Now that was a lead.

Fives rolled out of bed and you could hear his familiar yawn. He wandered out of the bedroom, lifted his shirt just enough to scratch his waist, and yawned again.

"Feeling better?" you asked. He nodded. "I think I found a lead."

He was immediately more awake.

"What'd you find?" he asked.

"It seems that clones are being phased out of the military and this reporter interviewed one at a clone bar on Coruscant. Ever heard of such a place?"

"79's," he replied. "Won't be in business for long if the clone army is on the way out."

"Well, then we should go there sooner than-"

Fives kissed your cheek and started packing. You grabbed whatever food you could travel with. Mostly bread and a jar of nut butter, dried fruit, and containers of water. You brought what you could carry and headed to the space port. It was about a day's walk through the forest of Endor, but you knew the route well. Fives managed to hide his face partially under a hood and avoided speaking. While you were in a remote location, he didn't want to give away something as obvious as his DNA should the Empire send out some kind of patrol. There were no other clones in these parts.

You managed to catch the last transport of the night and headed toward Takodana. From there the transport would take you to Cerea, then along the Great Gran Run to Kinyen before following the Corellian Trade Spine all the way to Coruscant. Fives sat in the back of the transport next to the window. He tried hiding under his big hood, but worried less once you made it to Kinyen. Surely some clones could be spotted along one of the major hyperspace routes and he reasoned he was safe. Where there were clones, Fives could hide. It helped when he noticed that just about everyone else on the transport was just a regular person heading somewhere and minding their own business.

You couldn't help yourself from falling asleep next to him as the blue of hyperspace flew past and he pulled you close. He smiled to himself at your comforting presence.

Triple Zero was busy and once you got off the transport, Fives wanted to head to 79's right away. The adrenaline drove him and you knew he wasn't going to rest until he spoke to a brother. You held his hand but he led the way. He let out a deep breath as he walked through the doors. He hadn't been here since the night it happened. Since he was on the run.

Fives scanned the room impatiently, looking for a familiar face. Of course they were all familiar, but he hoped to see someone from the 501st, if it was even called that. Then he thought better of it. You both sat at the barn next to a pair of clones wearing some new gray uniform.

"What's your story?" he asked them.

"We just got discharged," one said. A tattoo of a bird's claw poked out under the sleeve of his shirt.

"What are your plans now?" Fives asked.

"No idea," the other said. "Some senator was in here not long ago trying to help us. I have her information. Might be good to see if we can at least get some kind of work." He sighed. His hair was going gray.

Fives let them talk. These two clearly had a lot on their mind and felt safe to share it with a brother, even if they'd never met before. They'd both served on the same naval ship and had been together since they were cadets. Most of their brothers were killed by the Jedi they were escorting during Order 66. One padawan managed to escape, but it pulled on their heart.

"I don't know what happened, or why," the first clone admitted.

"I'm still at a loss. The whole time I tried to fight it," said the other. "If we weren't where we were on the ship, then we probably wouldn't be here. Spent I don't know how long trying to hunt down the padawan, but no use."

"It wasn't your fault," Fives said.

They looked at him even more confused.

"I wasn't around for Order 66. Let's just say they tried to put me out of commission for what I found out. The decked was stacked against us the whole time."

The two clones just stared at each other before finally introducing themselves.

"I'm Convor," said the clone with the tattoo.

"And I'm Helix," replied the graying clone.

"Fives," he said before introducing you.

Before you could say much, a clone with a mohawk quickly walked up to the bar and sat on the end next to Convor.

"Boys, I got some news." He was anxious. He looked around as if he was worried he would get caught. It was the middle of the day and very few people were about, but a quick glance seemed to help ease his mind.

"What's going on?" Helix asked. "This is Fives, by the way."

"Fives?" the third clone asked. "Like ARC Trooper Fives of the 501st? Aren't you dead?"

"He got better," you quipped.

"I was, almost," Fives said, again introducing you and making sure the boys knew you were trustworthy.

"Wait what?" Convor asked.

"Long story for the road," Fives answered.

"I'm Zee," the third clone said to you and Fives. "And I just spoke to Rex."

"Captain Rex?!" Fives asked.

"He's willing to help us get out of here. Apparently some of the programs they are suggesting for retired clones lead to no where good, but I trust Rex."

Time stopped for Fives. Had Rex taken what he said to heart? What happened since then? Did Rex realize what was happening as the war came to an end? What about General Skywalker?

Fives came back to reality when you put your hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"What's the plan?" Fives asked.

Rex would meet them at the rendezvous across town. Some repair shop. He said he would pick up Zee and any other clone who needed assistance.

You looked around the group. Clearly, not a clone.

"Rex will be fine with you," Fives said. "At least he will if he's the same man I knew and based on the work he's doing now, I'd say he is."

You nodded. "I'm with you, always," you said to Fives.

"I know," he replied, placing a kiss on your temple.

"Maybe I should have gotten shot and left for dead," Helix quipped.

"You just need to meet the right person," Fives shot back. "I could do without the getting shot."

You all anxiously passed the time at 79's, ordering some bar food and pretending like you weren't about to escape what felt like the most dangerous planet in the system. If Rex had to help clones who had done nothing wrong find a way off planet, what other horrors did the Empire hold?

A little over an hour later you all headed to the rendezvous point and making it just a little ahead of the agreed upon time. The garage door was open and to anyone else it would appear that no one was there. As soon as you all stepped inside, two clones appeared from behind a large speeder, weapons drawn. One was blonde and the other very pale with cybernetic implants.

"We said clones, Zee," the blonde one insisted.

Both clones stepped closer, now very obviously pointing to you, until the pale clone put his blaster down and uttered a barely audible, "Fives?"

"Echo?!"

The momentum of the room changed.

"Please don't shoot my partner," Fives asked with a chuckle as he embraced his brother.

"I thought you were dead," they both said in unison.

"When?" Rex asked, joining the pair, temporarily forgetting their audience.

"I thought I was a goner too," Fives said. "It's a long story."

"Plenty of time to tell it on the ride out of here," Rex said, nodding in the direction of their ship and then greeting you, Helix, and Convor.

"Glad to have you all here," Echo said.

Fives gesticulates wildly. “You were supposed to be on my right! You’re always on my right.”

Echo is about to pop a plug. He shoves his disparate arms under Fives’ nose. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m left-handed.”

Fives glances down at Echo’s scomp, clearly meaning to say something wholly inappropriate, but then snaps his mouth shut and says, “Okay, I forgot about that.”

Echo grunts and throws both his arm and his scomp up in exasperation before leaving in a huff. He can’t talk to Fives like that.

***

Of course, Fives comes to find him later. Echo is sitting on the crumbled remains of the outer wall of their compound, looking out over the sea of clouds, when Fives approaches.

“Hey,” Fives says quietly.

Echo nods in greeting. He swore to himself he wasn’t going to cry but now that Fives is standing there, looking for all it’s worth like not a day has passed since they set out for the Citadel, Echo fears he might choke if he opens his mouth. He was so ready to have Fives back. It was like getting his limbs back. But it turns out that you can’t just attach new parts to old hardware.

Fives leans on the broken wall to Echo’s left and stares at the cloud cover spreading out before them. “I’m sorry,” he mumbles.

“Me too,” Echo agrees. He was so angry when Fives didn’t notice Echo’s minute change to a maneuver they had pulled dozens of times during the war. He wanted so badly for Fives to catch on, for things to be as they were before. Echo should have realized that it was an impossible wish. They both almost died (and to this day, Echo isn’t entirely sure that he didn’t die all the way at least once), Fives was marked a traitor, shunned even by his own brothers, Echo was used and abused and altered beyond recognition. Fives went on without Echo, and Echo found a place within Clone Force 99 and then with Rex - again. Their paths diverged and meandered away from each other - and it changed them.

But they found each other again and that has got to mean something.

Fives fidgets for a few moments before standing up and moving to Echo’s right side. Echo gives him a confused look, but Fives merely nods firmly as he settles his elbows on the chipped top of the wall. “Yeah,” he notes, “that should work.”

Echo smiles fondly when he realizes that Fives is trying to adjust to their new situation. Maybe Echo should too. The changes he’s gone through are more visible and are still giving him grief every now and then but that only means he can point to something tangible when he’s angry. Fives doesn’t have that luxury. Echo sometimes sees him rubbing his chest where the blaster bolt presumably hit. Fives always covers it up with a joke, says it’s just another token of war, but Echo knows that’s not true.

“I’ve become a pretty good shot with my left,” Echo muses.

“I noticed.”

“I could use someone to watch my right flank though.” Echo holds up his scomp, the hard edges glinting in the setting sun, scratched and dented by constant wear and tear. “Pretty shit to aim with this.”

Fives bumps his shoulder against Echo. “That’s what I’m here for, buddy.” He doesn’t look at Echo when he sighs, “I’ll do better next time. Promise.”

Echo smiles. “Me too.”

Fives gives a resolute nod and together they watch the clouds drift past as the sun slowly sinks below the horizon. This is quieter than they’ve ever been, but Echo likes it. He still knows when Fives is sitting on a dumb comment though so when Fives opens his mouth Echo has a pretty good idea of what’s coming.

“And you are absolutely sure that we can’t weld a blaster to your scomp?”