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Teenage Boys Are Stupid

Summary:

Echo and the Dominos are only eight years, but here they are, completing their training and being shipped out two whole years before they are meant to be. Echo has no idea how they'll survive the horrors and trials that await them as literal children. Teenagers, if he wants to be kind. Nor does he know if he can get through the war without revealing to Fives that he is head over heels in love with him. He isn't sure which situation is worse.

Or- A story of finding yourself and your position in the galaxy while fighting a war and falling in love.

Notes:

Clone Shipping Big Bang is finally here!! I have been so, so very excited to get to post this. Speedie Dominos is an idea I've had forever and I am delighted to share with you all!! Working with my wonderful artists has made this all the more fun, and I can't wait to add in what they've worked so hard on!

The story will updated daily for the next 17 days, to give it a bit more suspense. Enjoy the start!

(See the end of the work for other works inspired by this one.)

Chapter 1: I'm Just a Baby!

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

21-0408 had no idea how, or why, this was happening. All he knew was that it shouldn’t be and he was scared . The Citadel obstacle course was for ten years. It was the final test meant for cadets getting ready to be shipped out. Not for a batch who hadn’t even fully reached their eighth year yet! Yet, here the five of them were; standing in the Citadel’s entrance with their trainer Bric glaring them down. 

The siniteen had the same harsh look in his yellow eyes as he always did, but somehow this time, it was much more intense. 21-0408 was even more worried at the bubble of horror the look caused to grow in his chest, as he had no idea what they had done to earn it this time. 

When Bric spoke, and he found out why they were there, the bubble burst and his heart felt like it had fallen to his feet. Air felt like water and he couldn’t remember how to do anything but stand there in a tight, terrified, parade rest.

“Listen here, you sorry excuse for sentients. We all know that the lot of you isn’t worth my time to even look at, let alone train. And I don’t have any intention of wasting another two years of it on you.”

“What does that mean?” 27-5555, or Fives as he had repeatedly insisted was his name, (an ironic fact in 21-0408’s mind because it was still a number ) demanded. His chin was stuck up defiantly and 21-0408 did his best not to flush at the way it made him seem untouchable. And far too attractive for his own good. Or, more accurately, for 21-0408’s good and peace of mind.

“It means that as of now, the five of you are on the cusp of your tenth year, not your eighth. I plan on getting your failure out of the way so I can put my time into cadets that myself and the GAR can actually be proud of. You start Citadel training bright and early boys, so get used to this place. You’re going to get your asses handed to you here often in the coming months.”

With a huge, nasty looking grin he pushed through them and out of the training grounds, leaving the five of them to stare after him, dumbstruck. The shocked, nearly horrified, silence was broken by 4040. Who after a long moment, finally let out a huge, gasping exhale before speaking.

“He can’t do that! How the hells did he do that?! We don’t even look like ten years! How can we possibly pass as a group of ten years! We’re practically babies still!”

“He likely hacked the system.” 00-2010 whispered softly. “It says we’re almost ten years, so they think we’re almost ten years. There are so many of us, they’ll believe the systems over even our own words in a heartbeat.”

“But 4040 is right! We look like babies!” Fives exclaimed. “How would anyone think we were nearly ready for combat! Think that we were about ready to be shipped out!?”

“They’ll just assume that we all just have a big case of baby face. That as a batch, we have some sort of gene mutation or something.” 782 said gently before adding in a more firm tone, “And if he wants us out of his nonexistent hair, we’ll get out. But not by failing.”

“What do you mean?” 21-0408 asked softly, unsure what his brother was implying. When it hit him though, he gasped and shook his head. “You, you think we can actually pass this!? As eight years!? This is the hardest test Kamino has! There are ten years who fail!”

“I know we can.” 782 insisted firmly. “We just have to work together and prove Bric wrong.”

“Then what?” 00-2010 asked. “They send a group of eight years off to war?”

“Eight years who have missed two years of training cus their trainer is a psycho!” 4040 added in a sharp whisper.

“They won't know we’re eight years.” Fives replied with a small shrug. “They’ll just see five exceptional cadets with baby face and send us off to the front. Really, we’re getting the better end of this.”

“Unless we fail and are sent to maintenance.” 21-0408 stated bluntly, before adding in a terrified voice, real fear gripping his chest, “Or worse, are decommissioned.”

The other four stared at him with near identical looks of horror and he flushed, ducking his head to look away. He hadn’t meant to say that out loud. It just suddenly came to his mind and he couldn’t stop himself from voicing it. He really didn’t want to alarm his batch, but if they were deemed too much of a failure, decommissioning was actually a very real possibility. It happened all the time, or at least, it had before the Jedi stepped in. Some cases still snuck through, though, and if it happened to them as well, 21-0408 was terrified that it would be his fault. 

782 was brash and headstrong, but he knew everything about weapons and was a natural leader. 4040 liked to laugh and always had a joke handy, but he knew how to get around failsafes and traps better than nearly all other cadets. 00-2010 was shy and somehow managed to get stunned at least every other simulation, but he was an expert in both droids and people. Fives, well, as far as 21-0408 was concerned, Fives was the perfect soldier. Charismatic, brilliant, brave. (Beautiful, though he would never, ever admit that out loud.)

21-0408 was all that was left and, well, he didn’t add anything to their unit. He was just the weird one. The odd vod who memorized things for fun, who repeated nearly every single thing he heard, especially things he knew were important. (Like orders.) He thought reg manuals were interesting and enjoyed looking up obscure facts for fun. Some days, he was certain there was something wrong with him because even his own body felt wrong and he couldn't figure why. There was nothing he brought to his unit, and he knew it.

He was sure the others knew it too. If they did, though, they had at least never said anything explicitly. They never actually pointed out when he did or said things that were weird or off putting. To his surprise, they didn’t even say anything about the stupid slip up he just had with the decommissioning comment. 782 just cleared his throat before speaking firmly.

“That is why we won't fail. Understood?”

They all nodded in agreement, 21-0408 the most adamant of them. He wasn’t going to let them fail. He would fix literally anything he needed about himself to make sure that he wasn’t a detriment. He wasn’t going to be the reason his vod’e were decommissioned. His childhood dream had always been to be an ARC, but he knew that would never happen for him. They were the ones who were ARC Trooper material. 21-0408 would do everything in his power to see them get there. Everything .

Notes:

Thank you so much for reading! This whole chapter has me thinking of the 'I'm just a baby!' video and sniggering, thus the chapter title. Its silly but I love it. They're just lil babies and I love them even more. Hope you enjoyed, I would be beyond happy to hear from you!

Chapter 2: In a Big Old World

Summary:

The Citadel testing is not going great, and 21-0408 blames their smaller size. At first.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Even with 782’s firm insistence that they would be okay, that they could do this, they really weren’t okay. And 21-0408 was pretty certain they couldn’t do it, either. They failed every single damn time they had tried. They just couldn’t get even half way through the Citadel no matter what they did. It was an impossibility. 

21-0408, at least at first, blamed their failure on their underdeveloped bodies. This course was designed for fully developed, muscled and trained ten years. Was designed for someone physically twenty. Not a group of terrified teenagers. They were too small to maneuver the course correctly. Their legs were too short to get to cover before the droids knocked them down. They weren’t strong enough to use the obstacles the way others did. They just. They weren’t old enough for this.

With every failure though, the five of them were getting more and more stressed. As more and more stress piled on their shoulders, the failures became more harsh. More devastating. Less only because of their physical limitations and more due to them lashing out at each other. More to them losing the teamwork and trust that they had built up over eight years as stressful failure after stressful failure fell on top of them.

21-0408 did his best to try and keep them calm. To support them. To remind them what they were supposed to be doing and that they should be doing it together . It didn’t help though. Instead, all it got him was a cruel nickname.

Every time one of them called him ‘Echo’ he felt like he was being stabbed in the sternum. It always left him momentarily breathless in the worst way. It was as if he had forgotten how to inhale in the face of his hurt. Like the only thing his body could process was pain. He had no idea that a mental hurt could feel so damn physical.

The worst was when Fives used that name like a biting insult. He had always been the one who had stressed the importance of names, yet here he was. Giving 21-0408 a name he hadn’t chosen. A name that was meant to be mocking. That fact, on top of 21-0408’s growing feelings for him, made the hurt all the more piercing. 

The worst occurrence though was during their last practice run the night before the final test. They were all stressed and exhausted. 21-0408 was at his wits end with that stupid, painful nickname and had been unable to stop himself from snapping at 00-2010 not to call him it. The way he had done so was painful enough, but barely even seconds later Fives made it all the worse by shouting at him with so much venom he felt like he had been doused in ice.

“Shut up with the instructions! You’re not in charge!”

He couldn’t bring himself to pay any more mind to their once more failed attempt after that. Really, he paid no mind to anything at all even as they made their way back to the barracks in disheartened despair. Fives’s words were just circling around in his head on a torturous repeat.

He wasn’t trying to be in charge. He really, really wasn’t! He knew he wasn’t their leader. He was well aware that 782 was the one with the leadership capabilities. All he wanted to do was help them. Make sure they had all heard what to do, knew how to succeed. And he couldn’t help it! He had to repeat the orders. Had to make sure his team knew what to do so they would be safe. He wasn’t trying to be bossy!

That was all Fives heard though. 21-0408 wasn’t helping, he was just being annoying. Was that all Fives has ever thought of him? Was he just an obnoxious, bossy vod that he would be more than happy to be able to get rid of?

21-0408 had to blink back tears at that thought. In doing so, he came to the startling realization that he was standing in front of his locker in the barracks. He had spent the whole walk back to their quarters in a spiraling panic, and then stood there for who knows how long. It had to have been multiple minutes at least, as 00-2010, 4040 and Fives were already in their soft clothes and lounged in their beds. 

His attention was pulled in their direction when 00-2010 half begged, half snapped, at Fives and 4040 to stop arguing. He had no idea what they were fighting about, but it just added to his stress. To his fear. And, regretfully, caused him to lash out at 00-2010 because he was there, and because 21-0408 was still hurt by his use of the ‘Echo’ name earlier.

“Can you stop being nothing but droidbait out there?”

“Hey!”

He felt guilty immediately at the sound of 00-2010’s hurt tone, but 782 appearing at his side distracted him from it. He was also still dressed in his training armor as well, and immediately started in on attempting to encourage them again. At least, that was what 21-0408 thought he was trying to do, and 21-0408 was sick of hearing it. It was the same thing over and over again, and it wasn’t helping .

“I’m thinking like an ARC Trooper.” 782 practically snapped at him when he made his annoyance obvious, and 21-0408 couldn’t help but snap in return.

“ARC Troopers follow orders!”

He hated himself for it, but 782’s ‘encouragement’ really was beginning to do nothing but irritate him. 21-0408 may be well aware he wasn’t their leader, but if 782 wanted to be one like he was supposed to be, then he needed to start acting like it. Because he may be talking like a leader, but he sure as hells wasn’t acting like one. Leaders didn’t try to go off on their own, doing everything without care for their team. 

The answering snarl on his face had 21-0408’s hackles rising, and it was only made worse by the words that 782 drawled, the intention to hurt clear on his face.

“Care to repeat that, Echo ?”

21-0408 had no idea what possessed him, but the use of that damned name in such an obviously insultive way had something inside of him snapping. Snapping to the extent that he didn’t even hesitate to swing his fist as hard as he could at 782’s face. Not that it got him very far with 782 immediately blocking his arm. And then Bric halting any other attempt by appearing seconds later.

Any fire 21-0408 had had burning within him was extinguished immediately. He practically curled in on himself and muttered out a complacent, “Sorry Master Chief” at Bric’s admonishment. He couldn’t afford to do anything else. Not with how thin the ice he was standing on already was.

Once more, he stopped paying attention to his surroundings. He didn’t care to hear what Bric was saying. He knew it was all some line of, ‘you are all failures, hurry up and prove me right, why do I waste my time with you?’ It was all he ever said, and 21-0408 didn’t think that he could hear it even one more time. 

He didn’t know if he could hear anything any of them said any more, not if he was on such a thin fuse that he would attack 782. So, he continued to pay no attention as 00-2010 stopped 782 from going after Bric and just methodically began to remove his armor. Despite ignoring his surroundings, he was incapable of ignoring his own thoughts. Especially when they were so pointed. And so true.

He couldn’t stop thinking that Bric was right. They would fail tomorrow and never leave Kamino. 21-0408 knew it would happen, he just didn’t think it was right. Or fair. They had only just entered their eighth year. They shouldn’t be deemed defective as literal teenagers! No other unit ever had been.

A small part of him wanted to go to General Shaak Ti first thing tomorrow morning and tell her what Bric had done. He was sure she would put a stop to it. He just didn’t know if he would live another day if he did so. He doubted that Bric would let him get away with exposing him.

21-0408 didn’t want to die, but he was willing to do so for his team. He just had no way of knowing whether or not Bric would go after them too, and he couldn’t chance that. So, he pushed that thought aside as he curled into his pod. Whatever happened tomorrow would happen. There was no sense in worrying about it any more than he already was. Sleep was really all he could do right now. Sleep, and desperately hope for the best.

Notes:

Thank you for reading everyone! Poor Echo is not doing great, but things get better! I promise.

Chapter 3: Prepared, Yet Scared, to Fail

Summary:

The Dominos take the Citadel test. It does not go well, but 21-0408 gets a surprise he wasn't at all expecting.

Chapter Text

Putting armor on the next morning felt wrong. Like he was dressing for a funeral for himself levels of wrong. 21-0408 didn’t know if it was because it was one of his days where every bit of his body felt wrong and all he wanted to do was cry, or if it was because he knew he was essentially doing exactly that. He may not have been walking to his literal death, but after today he knew without a doubt that his life was as good as over.

Which he knew was a very dramatic thought. There was nothing wrong with Ninety-Nine or with helping him in work 21-0408 knew needed to be done. It wasn’t glamorous work, but necessary. 21-0408 really was aware of that. It didn’t mean he was happy about having that role dropped onto him. Not when he was never really given a chance to reach his dreams.

From a very, very young age he had wanted nothing more than to be an ARC Trooper. He had wanted nothing more than to be one of the lucky few allowed to add the pretty skirt like kama to his armor. He wanted to prove that he was good enough to be considered a specialist. That his defects didn’t make him a bad soldier. He wanted to show that he was enough . That he has what it takes to be one of the best. 

As a young cadet he had always been laughed at whenever he voiced that desire. The ARC’s weren’t just the best, they were the best of the best. And he was 21-0408. An obviously mentally defective clone. He stood no chance of earning that kama. Of reaching his dream.

He had always tried not to let it get to him, but he supposed that they really were correct. Because here he was, just barely in his eighth year and already determined to be too defective to be a soldier, let alone an ARC Trooper. Putting it simply, no matter what he had hoped for,  he truly was just not good enough. And it hurt.

21-0408 knew that it hurt his team too. Even more so, really. Because they were all better soldiers than 21-0408. Every single one of them deserved their chance even more, and here they were, also about to lose it.

They were all trying to hide it, but it was futile. He could see the fear and worry etched clearly across their faces. They were visibly nervous, even when they were standing at attention in front of Commander Colt. 21-0408 wanted to try and lift their spirits, but even he realized the joke he made wouldn’t work to do so. He didn’t at all blame them for ignoring his drawled out, ‘Think he means us, boys’ when the Commander mentioned the incredibly impressive times of Bravo squad.

Despite not blaming them, a part of him that was desperate to be recognized was still hurt by it. He did his best to push that part as far away as possible, though. It wouldn’t in any way be useful to him now. Would, in fact, just be detrimental to hang on to a useless pain.

Though it did surge back up when 4040’s “Oh, bravo for Bravo Squad” actually received chuckles from the other three. 21-0408 had to reason it was because 4040 was actually funny, and not because they were ignoring 21-0408. Not that reasoning it away that way helped to rid himself of the small pang of hurt he felt.

He wasn’t the funny one, he knew, but he was smart. So, when he suggested they watch Bravo Squad so they could maybe learn something about the Citadel, he expected them to think it could be at least a little beneficial. Even if they weren’t enthusiastic, they’d at least see the strategic benefit of doing so. He wasn’t expecting 782 to snap at him to shut up while using that name.

21-0408 couldn’t help but to immediately duck his head down, shoulders practically curling up to his ears. The only reason he could figure that his whole team would be so hostile to him was that they had fully, finally realized he was the reason they were failing. And that realization hurt more than anything else ever had.

To his utter surprise, a hand was suddenly on his shoulder. He turned to see who it was and nearly gasped when he saw Fives standing there with a soft smile on his face.

“He doesn’t mean to snap. It’s a good idea, and 782 knows it. He’s just scared.”

“Oh, so it's not me acting like I’m in charge?” He couldn’t help but to snap, eyes widening instantly at the shocked look that crossed Fives’s face. Immediately, 21-0408 was shaking his head and adding on quickly, “I’m sorry! That was rude. I didn’t mean it.”

“No, you did. And you should have. I’m sorry, Echo, I shouldn’t have said that yesterday. I know you aren’t trying to be controlling.”

His eyes widened even more at the use of that name as an actual name and Fives frowned.

“What?” he asked, his tone shockingly concerned.

“It's just, that is the first time that name has been used as, well, a name.” he admitted with a small, self conscious shrug.

“What do you mean?” Fives questioned, his frown increasing alongside the worry in his voice, “You really hate it, don’t you?”

He shrugged again, eyes refusing to meet Fives’s. “It isn’t a bad name when it's said like a name. I just. I can’t stand it when it's said like it's an insult. Which is all it ever has been before.”

A completely horrified expression crossed Fives’s face. “Oh, karking hells! I’m so sorry! You’ve gotta say something to the others. Names, they’re important. You are the only one who gets to determine what your name is, 21-0408.”

After his small, but heartfelt, speech 21-0408 was completely speechless himself and could only stare at Fives in shock. The other man gave him another soft, reassuring smile and squeezed his shoulder before nodding to where the rest of the team had disappeared.

“C’mon. Let's go do your brilliant idea, yeah?”

He nodded in almost a trance and followed after him. Now was not at all the time to process all the incredibly kind things the man he was helplessly pining after had just said to him. So, no matter how much he just wanted to float around in the compliments and kindness, he had to force himself to push them out of his mind in order to actually pay attention to what Bravo Squad was doing below them.

He started actually paying attention just in time to hear Fives say firmly, “We’re better than these guys!”

No. No they weren’t. Bravo Squad were amazing . Not only were they actually old enough, and trained enough, to complete the course well, but they worked together wonderfully! 21-0408 had never seen Domino work even a fraction as well together. Even when they hadn’t been at each other’s throats. They didn’t have a chance of doing even half as well as Bravo, let alone better.

Something the others were realizing quickly despite Fives’s insistence of the opposite. Even with both 782 and 21-0408 trying to encourage them even further as they rode the elevator to the course, 4040 still whispered to them softly.

“They are so much better than us.”

21-0408 paid no mind to whatever Fives said to him in return. Because despite trying to give assurances, he knew 4040 was right. They were far better, and Domino was screwed.

He was sure of it before they even started, but from the moment 782 said to leave 00-2010 behind he knew that they were done for. He wasn’t at all surprised when Commander Colt appeared to tell them they failed. It still felt devastating to hear.

Leaving the obstacle course after that almost felt impossible. He wasn’t really sure how to move. What to do. It was only Fives’s light touch on his elbow that had him following after the others. Though, Fives stopped him with a gentle arm across his stomach before they could continue on to the refreshers with the other three.

21-0408 snapped out of his daze and gave the other man a confused look. “Fives?”

“Come with me to General Ti.”

“What?” 21-0408 asked, blinking rapidly. “Do you, do you want to tell her what Bric did?”

“If it comes down to it, yes.” Fives replied bluntly. “But I want us to ask for a transfer first. I don’t want to chance that asshole hurting the other three, or us, but you have to get a chance to be deployed.”

“I’m sorry, what!? I have to!” He had no idea what Fives was on, what he could possibly be talking about. He should be making this offer to 782, not to 21-0408. It just made no sense.

Fives nodded vehemently. “Echo, sorry, 21-0408, you’re a tactical genius! I’ve seen some of the strategies you’ve drawn up! Besides that, you stay calm in any situation and always know what to do! You never get overly emotional, you both follow rules to a T, but bend them when the situation calls for it. You think outside of the regulation box, even if you love reading them. You are destined for so much more than maintenance duty!”

21-0408 could barely comprehend what Fives was saying and had to make himself focus on the point that startled, and worried him, the most. “You’ve seen my strategies!?”

“I saw a couple you left open when I borrowed your training datapad. That’s not the point though! What is important is that you need to be a soldier. The GAR needs minds like yours. Which is why we have to go talk to General Ti. I know you’d never ask for yourself, but you would for me.”

That sentence had 21-0408’s heart pulsing and he swallowed thickly before asking, “Why, why do you say that?”

“Because you’re selfless and would do anything for us.” Fives’s cheeks, to 21-0408’s utter surprise, darkened as he added, “And, well, I’d like to think that we’re close, 21-0408.”

He was in complete awe that Fives even wanted to be close to him, let alone that he was shy to ask. That awe didn’t stop him from quickly nodding though.

“We are!” he quickly assured him before adding in a whisper. “I, uhm, I consider you my best friend Fives.”

Fives practically beamed, his face lighting up exponentially as he replied, “And you’re mine, 21-0408.”

After thinking about it for not even a second, something he never did, he told Fives with no hesitation, “You can call me Echo.”

His expression morphed into shock very quickly and he asked in a worried tone, “Don’t you hate that name?”

“I hate when it's said like an insult.” he corrected. “You, you’ve been using it like a name today and it just. When you say it like that, Echo feels like it is who I am, not what I am.”

“Is it who you want to be?” Fives stressed. “That part is important, you know. Getting to be who you want, not who you are told you are.”

He thought for a moment and then shrugged. “If I’m honest, I don’t know. But I’d like to find out.”

Fives’s smile turned beyond soft and he nodded. “Alright, then. So, Echo, would you please come talk to General Ti with me?”

21-0408 only had to hesitate for a second before he was nodding. Fives was right that he would never go to the General for himself, but if talking to her gets Fives, and hopefully the others, a second chance he was more than happy to give it a try.

Chapter 4: Through it all, Ready to Fight to Succeed

Summary:

Backed by General Ti's belief in them, Domino Squad is fully prepared to pass the Citadel.

Notes:

I ended up way too busy to post yesterday, and am sorry that I missed it! Also, just wanted to say, I've gotten a surprising amount of bot messages here. Which freaked me out since I didn't know they were possible. I don't know if anyone else has been seeing a rise in then, but just in case, I wanted to be very clear that this is 100% the product of hard work, stress and a few actual shed tears. No AI involved in its creation at all!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

21-0408 was not at all shocked that General Ti knew why he and Fives were coming to speak with her. Though, he was a little surprised that Fives was. What he was most surprised by though, was that she had already decided to let the whole team repeat the Citadel the next day. The surprise turned to utter disbelief though when she bluntly told them she believed in them. That she was sure they could master the course if they just worked as a unit.

They only managed to get a few feet away from her doorway before Fives was asking in a stunned tone, “Does she, does she truly believe we can pass?”

“Yeah.” 21-0408 nodded, his voice in just as much awe. “Fives if a Jedi believes we can work together, believes in us…”

“Then we can do it!” he exclaimed, halting in the hallway and earning an annoyed glare from a vod who had to maneuver around them. “Echo, Echo, we failed because we were told we were going to fail. We never thought we could, so we didn’t! But now, now we know we can! Because a Jedi believes in us! And that means so much more than jackass Bric trying to twist our heads into thinking we aren’t worth being soldiers. We are. And we’re gonna prove that bastard wrong!”

21-0408 didn’t get a chance to reply before Fives was grabbing his hand, an action which had his cheeks darkening significantly, and dragging him down the hall. 

“Woah, what’re we doing?!”

“Telling the others!”

He was unsure how they would tell the others without telling them why they were talking to the General in the first place. Something 21-0408 really, really didn’t want to do. So it was no hardship for him to let Fives handle it.

Which was good, because as soon as they came to a stop by their bunks, the other boy was calling out loudly for the three members of their batch. The only one who appeared was 00-2010, a worried look on his face.

“What’s wrong, Fives?”

“Nothing!” he exclaimed, arms spreading out at his sides dramatically. “Everything is beautiful!”

00-2010 blinked and then asked slowly, “Uhm, what?”

21-0408 couldn’t blame his confusion. From where 00-2010 was looking, it seemed like they were, at the very least, getting sent to janitor duty and Fives was excited about it. A notion that Fives was all too eager to correct him of as he  continued to exclaim loudly.

“We went to talk to General Ti! She agreed to let us do the Citadel again tomorrow!”

His mouth fell open and he quickly scrambled down the ladder to glance between the two of them. “Wait, really! She actually did!?”

“She did!” Fives practically screeched. “Not only that, she said she believes we can do it! That she has faith we can work as a unit and pass!”

“No way!”

21-0408 nodded and finally spoke up. “Really! She said that if we work as a team and support each other, she knows that we can do anything. She seemed very certain of it.”

00-2010’s face split into a huge grin and he bounced on the balls of his feet. “That is amazing! I can barely believe it!”

“Right!” Fives shouted in return. “I almost feel like I’m dreaming! We have to tell 782 and 4040! Where are they?”

“Oh, uhhm? I have no idea?” 00-2010 glanced around the barracks, a heavy frown taking over his joyful expression. “I haven’t seen them since we got back from the showers. They should be here?”

As if on cue, 4040 rounded the corner, moving gingerly. 21-0408 was instantly worried, even though he greeted them with a wide grin. He always wore that grin, no matter the problem. It wasn’t at all reassuring. Something was wrong, and 21-0408 didn’t like it.

“Hiya fellas. What’s up?”

“General Ti is letting us do the Citadel again tomorrow!” Fives exclaimed. “And she believes in us!”

“More importantly though, what happened to you!” 21-0408 practically demanded. “You don’t look so good.”

“Oh, nothing, Bric just wanted to chat.”

“He hit you!” All three of them shouted and 21-0408 shook his head.

“How dare he! Fucking with our files and trying to ruin our lives is bad enough, but assaulting you!” he exclaimed and the other two nodded.

“You should report him.” Fives suggested firmly, but 4040 shook his head.

“Eh, it's okay. He was just trying to provoke me into attacking him back. No big deal!”

“It is too!” 00-2010 exclaimed. “He hurt you!”

“No, really, it's okay!” 4040 assured them. “Especially because we get to do the Citadel tomorrow! That's amazing! Means we can prove him wrong! Oh! And he helped me choose my name!”

“Really!”

“What is it?”

“That’s great!”

The three of them, Fives, 21-0408 and 00-2010 exclaimed together. 4040 beamed, his chest more or less puffing out proudly. 

“Name’s Cutup! Cus I’m full of jokes and always a cut up! Get it!”

Fives grinned and grasped Cutup’s shoulder, shaking him happily. “Cutup! It suits you perfectly! I love it!”

“Yeah! That's two of us down, three to go!”

With only a bit more thought than he had had with Fives, 21-0408 cleared his throat before speaking softly. “Actually, I think I already have mine.”

Cutup and 00-2010 turned questioning eyes on him while Fives beamed, his expression oddly proud. It was that expression that gave him the nerve to speak firmly.

“If you guys can stop saying it like it's an insult, I, uh, I actually do like Echo as a name.”

Both of their eyes went huge and Cutup even gasped.

“Oh, oh karking hells Echo, I am so, so sorry! I didn’t even realize I was doing that, but of course that's the way it sounded! I really didn’t mean to hurt you, I promise!” he exclaimed, his expression turning more and more panicked with each word.

21-. No, Echo gave him a soft smile and shook his head. “Its okay, Cutup. I forgive you.”

“I’m sorry too, Echo.” 00-2010 mumbled gently, his expression nothing but remorseful.

“I forgive you too, 00-2010. It's alright. I understand. I can, uhm. I can be annoying.”

“No.” Cutup shook his head. “No matter how frustrated we were, calling you something you didn’t choose like it was your name, and using it like an insult, isn’t called for. Okay?”

Echo gave a soft, touched smile and nodded. He hadn’t at all expected that and was touched by Cutup’s vehement insistence. And by 00-2010’s adamant nodding in agreement.

After a second, though, 00-2010’s face reddened and he rolled his shoulders before speaking softly, “Ah, about the name thing? You guys might think I’m crazy, but I, uh. I like the idea of Droidbait as a name.”

Echo’s eyes went wide and he was very quickly exclaiming, “I shouldn’t have said that! About you being droidbait! It was rude, and I was frustrated, but like Cutup said that doesn’t excuse it, either! I am so sorry!”

He smiled and shook his head. “No, Echo, it's okay. I have said way meaner things when I was frustrated! And besides, I don’t think of the name like that! I’m not Droidbait because I get hit all the time; I’m Droidbait to be a distraction for you guys. I’m the one who draws fire so you guys can keep us all safe. I want to be that, and I see nothing wrong with it.”

“You sure?” Fives asked, voice tight in concern. “Not even other vod’e will fully understand.”

Droidbait shrugged. “Don’t need them to. You guys do, and you guys are the ones who matter.”

“Hells yeah we understand!” Cutup exclaimed, earning a nod from Fives.

“Damn straight we do! Look at us, all named and talking things out! We’re going to kick ass tomorrow, and I’m going to hug you all now, okay?”

Before Echo could fully prepare himself for what that meant, Fives was dragging him into a hug. He was quickly crushed between Fives’s chest and Cutup, face nearly pressed right into the former’s throat. He froze for only a moment before he wrapped his arms around all three of them.

“Where’s 782?” Droidbait asked, his voice coming from a muffled position to Echo’s right. “He’s missing out.”

“Dunno, but we’ll get him included too when he comes back.” Fives promised.

782, though, wasn’t even back by morning. Something which had Echo immediately worried. He wasn’t the only one, either. 

“Where is 782?” Fives asked, his voice tight as his head swiveled back and forth.

“Yeah, where is 782?” Echo, well, echoed. He didn’t care though. They had to find their missing teammate, and as soon as possible. They needed him now more than ever.

Droidbait voiced why for him, his voice nearly shrill in its worry. “If he’s not here, we all fail!”

“Not today, brothers.” 782 said as he practically materialized before them. “Today, we pass.”

Echo shared a relieved, elated, look with the other three. One that only grew when 782 turned his head over his shoulder to add in a firm, but satisfied, voice.

“Oh, and one more thing. The name is Hevy.”

Notes:

Thank you all so much for reading! Would be delighted to hear from you.

Chapter 5: To Prove My Worth

Summary:

The Dominos once more attempt the Citadel Test

Chapter Text

Riding the elevator to the Citadel course this time felt entirely different to every other time that Echo had done so. This time, he was calm and content, sure of their victory. And the other Dominos at his side were exactly the same. They were one, cohesive and named , unit and they were ready to finally show this course what they could do.

As their comms went off and the orders were relayed, hopefully for the last time ever,  he turned his head towards the others and said simply, “Orders came in clear.”
With a teasing, yet kind, smile in his direction, Cutup asked, “Anything you want to repeat Echo?”

For once, he could hear the question for what it was. A genuine offer for him to do something that soothed him, something that had him feeling safe. This time, though, he didn’t feel like he needed that added security. So, he just grinned back and shook his head. “Not today.”

Cutup winked which just had Echo grinning even more. He could hear Hevy on Cutup’s other side checking in on Droidbait’s shoulder and the other’s lighthearted reply. They really were feeling so very different than every other time they were standing in this elevator. They were a unit. A team. A family. 

As they came to a stop, Fives cemented that fact by looking them all over and saying firmly, and encouragingly, “We all know what to do.”

They nodded in response and then as one surged forward. Unlike the last untold number of times they had done this, they continued as one to fight through the droids. They called out to each other, warned each other, helped each other. It was seamless. Beautiful, almost, even. Until they finally reached the Citadel Ascension.

The moment they realized that their cables were gone, Echo felt a surge of terror fill him. Those cables were beyond essential. Like Droidbait very aptly put it, without those cables, they couldn’t finish. And if they couldn’t finish they would fail. Again.

Everyone else realized that too, and despite knowing it, hearing Fives voice that fact in such a disheartened, pained, tone caused a helpless feeling to crush him. One that felt like a physical blow to Echo’s sternum.

“So. This is it.”

Hevy gave a very firm shake of his head. “Not exactly. See those guns there?” he gestured to the huge guns positioned evenly up the wall. “We can use those as a step ladder to scale the face.”

“Use the guns?!” Echo couldn’t help but exclaim. “Are you crazy?”

“Trust me.” Hevy promised. “I know weapons. This will work.”

The four of them exchanged looks and then perfectly in sync they nodded. Droidbait then grinned and hefted up his weapon.

“I’ll draw their fire, you guys blast them!”

He ran forward to do exactly that, leaving Echo and the other three to take out the series of guns. Something that took far less time then he had expected it to. They were actually relatively simple to take out, when you knew what you were doing.

As soon as they were all down, Echo more or less vaulted himself up the Citadel face. Without the guns firing constant rounds out at them, they really did make perfect foot holds. It took next to no effort for Echo to pull himself up the vertical path and to the top. 

The moment that he was solidly on his feet, he ran faster than he probably ever had to the glowing red rod. The moment his hands closed around it, he held his breath and jerked it from its hold. Part of him was terrified something else was about to go wrong, but no. The light flashed green. They had done it. They had passed.

Echo stood stunned for a long second, only broken from his stupor by Hevy’s loud shout of glee and Fives lifting him off of his feet. The second he was airborne, he was letting out a loud delighted shout of his own, waving the bright green rod in his hand jubilantly over them. Soon, all five of them were exclaiming with wild abandon, far happier than he had ever heard any of them be before.

“We did it!” Fives screamed almost right into Echo’s ear. “Eyayah! We did it!”

Echo laughed, far too delighted to blush at the Mando’a version of his name though he knew that he likely would if Fives ever used it again, and nodded. “Because Hevy is a genius!”

“No!” Hevy draped his arm over Echo’s shoulders and shook him enthusiastically. “Because of all of us! We are a team brothers!”

“We’re the best damn team ever!” Cutup exclaimed. “And our next stop is ARC Trooper!”

Echo laughed again as he fondly shook his head. “Well, maybe we should see some combat first?”

“Combat, shombat!” Fives cried, nonsense that Echo ignored in favor of paying attention to what he was actually saying. “It's been your dream for years, Echo, and together we will see it come true! For all of us!”

“Damn straight we will!” Droidbait shouted as he reached them, tossing himself into their hug with an exuberant laugh.

Echo couldn’t help the no doubt brilliantly red flushing of his skin, and was super grateful for the awful lighting and visor covering his face. He would forever remember how much it hurt when none of them believed in his dream. When they all, these four included, laughed at him. Now though, now not only did his team support him, but maybe they had an actual chance! 

No, more than a chance. Echo was determined now. Nothing was going to stop that dream. Not when the largest hurdle for it was just crushed, and crushed brilliantly. Not when, for the first time ever, he felt truly, completely connected to his brothers. Like he was one of them, and together, they could reach anything, do anything, they put their minds to.

Chapter 6: And Let No One Take It From Me

Summary:

Dominos have a talk with Ninety-Nine before leaving Kamino.

Chapter Text

They should have known that their celebration wouldn’t be allowed to last too long. Despite passing and being actual Troopers, at the unheard of age of just past the beginning of their eighth year, there was still the issue of Bric. A being who was not at all happy with them.

After securing the medals to each of their chests, he leveled them with a look that could only be considered icy. 

“You aren’t my problem any more. But I promise you, if anyone ever finds out what your real ages are and my part in changing that, you will all regret the day you were decanted!”

He left them then, the five of them staring after him near speechlessly. At least, until Cutup demanded, “The hell is his problem? Shouldn’t he be happy we’re leaving? We’d be less likely to tell on him now than if we had failed! Doesn’t he realize that? Admitting now could just get us stuck here .”

“Tell on him for what?” Ninety-Nine demanded, startling all of them, as he had appeared silently. “Did he just threaten you?” His expression was fierce and protective as he added, “Was that what I just heard?!

“It's okay Ninety-Nine.” Fives promised him. “Nothing to worry about.”

He shook his head. “I don’t know, Fives. Is Bric the reason you all did the Citadel so early?”

They exchanged looks and Echo cleared his throat before reluctantly nodding. He knew it was better to tell their brother the truth, because Ninety-Nine would find out somehow. And he would much rather it was from them.

“Bric made the systems believe that we’re ten years. So, as far as Kamino is concerned, we are.” he admitted with a small, helpless shrug.

“What!” Ninety-Nine practically screeched. “Guys!”

“Shhh, Ninety-Nine!” Hevy hissed. “There’s nothing we can do about it and really, it worked out well for us.”

“You’re eight years !” Ninety-Nine hissed back just as vehemently. “I should have known he had done something! If General Ti hadn’t allowed you guys to redo the course, I’d have gone to her and told her something was going on! I still want to!”

“You, you, won’t though. Right?” Droidbait asked nervously, a worried expression on his face that Echo was sure was mirrored on his own.

He sighed heavily and shook his head. “No, but I really wish that I had.”

“Ninety-Nine, it's okay.” Echo assured him softly. “We passed, and we’re getting to leave here. This is a good thing.”

“You’re children!

“We’re all children.” Hevy stated bluntly. “We’re an army of children. Two more years won’t change much.”

“It will change everything . '' he stressed. “You are all physically sixteen . Even natborns aren’t allowed to do anything at sixteen, let alone fight a war!”

“We’ll be okay.” Fives vowed. “You know us, Ninety-Nine. It's hard to keep these Dominos down!”

“Hard to knock us down at all!” Cutup added adamantly. 

Ninety-Nine just glanced around them with a heavy frown. After a long, tense, minute he sighed and nodded. “Okay. Okay, I just. I worry. You know that. You’re my brothers. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

Hevy nodded and reached out to set a hand on his shoulder. “We know, Ninety-Nine, and we promise to do our best to be safe.”

“That's all I can ask.”

Fives, to no surprise of Echo, pulled the smaller man into a tight hug. An action that all of them happily copied. When they had all pulled away, Fives draped his arm around Ninety-Nine’s shoulders and gave him one last tight squeeze. 

“We’ll see you again as soon as possible, brother.” Fives swore, expression completely serious. “Promise.”

Ninety-Nine gave him a soft smile. “I’ll hold you to that. You guys should get going. Can’t have you missing your deployment assignment and graduation.”

Ret’urcye mhi , Ninety-Nine.” Echo told him softly, which earned him another small smile and the goodbye repeated in a soft voice.

As they headed down the hallway, leaving Ninety-Nine, and to his surprise Hevy, behind Echo turned to Droidbait to whisper as quietly as he could.

“Do you think that Ninety-Nine had a point? About us being too young for war?”

Droidbait gave a tiny shrug. “Maybe? But Hevy was right too, really. We’re all too young.”

“What if us developmentally still being teenagers makes us less capable?” He asked, voicing a thought that had been plaguing him since their first Citadel run. At first, it really was their age holding them back. Now, he was concerned it could continue to do so.

“I don’t think so, Echo.” he replied reassuringly. “I mean, you aren’t going to become any more of a tactical genius with more training here. Hevy isn’t going to become more of a weapons expert. Fives’s exceptional observation skills and quick thinking aren’t going to get any better. Cutup isn’t going to figure out better ways to diffuse a situation from any one on this planet. Bric made sure that we had outgrown Kamino. We may not technically be old enough, but we aren’t going to gain anything by staying here.”

He had a point, though it was an incomplete one. And Echo was more than happy to finish it for him. 

“True. And you aren’t going to become more of a droid, and people, expert here. Nor are you going to become better at keeping us together than you already are.”

Droidbait stumbled and gave him a wide eyed look before letting out a gasping whisper, “Me!? Keep us together?”

“Of course. Cutup can diffuse situations, but you’re the one who stops us from fighting. You’re the one who does all he can to keep us safe. It's all you, DB.”

He was silent for a long moment and then said in another whisper, this one hoarse and full of emotion, “Thank you, Echo.”

“There’s no need to thank me. I only said what was true.” he bumped their shoulders. “And agreed with you for that matter! We don’t need this place. Not when we have each other.”

“Yeah! And besides, maybe we’ll be given a really safe, easy post where our ages don’t matter! You never know!”

Chapter 7: Just a Baby, Searching for Who I am

Summary:

The Dominos get settled on Rishi, and Echo begins trying to find ways to feel more like himself.

Chapter Text

Echo blamed this on Droidbait. He really shouldn’t, he was aware. He knows it was irrational, and absolutely nonsensical, but he did. Droidbait cursed them and now they were stuck on this boring, dry moon apparently full of giant worms? Eels? Giant monster things that had them trapped inside. This was Droidbait’s fault, and Echo wasn’t quiet about it.

“Wait, why?” Cutup demanded when Echo bluntly suggested as such.

“He cursed us. Before we left Kamino he said we might get an easy post. And now we’re here.”

Fives raised an eyebrow. “You believe in curses?”

“No, but I feel like someone needs to be blamed for this posting.”

“Maybe Ninety-Nine did tell General Ti about us being aged up and this is her way to make sure we don’t get killed as eight years?” Droidbait suggested with a sheepish grin. 

Hevy shook his head. “No, she’d have just kept us on Kamino.”

“And maybe stabbed Bric with a lightsaber. That’da been cool.” Fives added with a grin.

Echo snorted. “No. General Ti is far too sophisticated and poised to just stab him.”

“Feed him to the fishes!” Cutup cackled complete with arms spread wide and a manic grin. It was an exclamation that instantly had Hevy groaning. 

“Not this again! The Jedi aren’t a Force gang, or mob, or whatever you claim they are!”

“How do you know! They’re ultra secretive! They might be!” Cutup retorted, stabbing his finger in Hevy’s direction dramatically. 

“Weren’t we blaming Droidbait for all of this!” Fives interrupted quickly, arm sweeping around to encompass their very dull barracks. Dull, but as far as Echo was concerned, better because they weren’t made entirely of suffocating pods. One thing this place had over Kamino!

“No, no. Let's have the Jedi debate again!” Droidbait replied, earning an unimpressed look from both Echo and Fives.

Thankfully, Cutup didn’t take the opening and instead said, “Or, we could be optimistic? Look on the brightside?”

“Which is?” Hevy asked skeptically. 

“Well, no trainers,” he replied. “And even better, no Kaminoans.”

“Both fair points!” Echo agreed. “No pod sleeping. Oh! Open datapad and holonet access!”

“Well, yeah, you’re right.” Fives said, even though he sighed and added, “But, I mean, this is a dead end assignment. We won't go anywhere here.”

“Not necessarily.” Echo retorted. “It's not fun , not at all, but we are the last line of defense to our home. If we fail, all of our brothers are in danger. It's dull and not what I was wanting, not at all, but it is important.”

“And boring.” Hevy drawled pointedly. “You just said so.”

“But better than Kamino!” Cutup more or less shouted as he pointed in Hevy’s direction again, this time even more adamantly. ”Admit it! Even Echo did!”

Hevy gave a put upon sigh and nodded. “Okay. Yes. It's better than Kamino.”

Despite not at all being what he wanted, it really was light years ahead of Kamino. There was so much more they had accessible to them on the Rishi moon that wasn’t available to them on Kamino. Freedoms that they had never had before. Entirely because the only person truly supervising them was another vod. O’Niner was a good Sargeant too. Professional, but kind. He understood that this was a dull, boring post and had no issue with them finding entertainment when not on duty. 

Something Echo eagerly took advantage of. He had his team thinking that most of what he did was read the Regulation Manuals. And while he did do that, it wasn’t all he was utilizing the data pad he had been given for. He was just unsure he wanted his vod’e, Fives in particular, to find out what he was reading and watching outside of the manuals.

Not because it was bad. It was just, well, he wasn’t ready to share it. Stumbling across do it yourself beauty products was an accident. Loving them, and wanting to actually do them, was a surprise. He only wished he had a way to actually do so. He just had no way to get most, if not all, of the things needed. Until he found one video that he was certain he could find the pieces for without having to request them or even really leave the base.

Except, the most important part, meant a trip outside . Not far, and not outside of the base’s boundaries, but outside. And they weren’t actually allowed outside. To find what he needed, he’d have to go down to the dark, murky water. And that was apparently not safe because of the supposed giant eel monsters.

The desire to do so gnawed at him for days though. He would wistfully stare out the window far too often. To the point of Cutup teasing him about wanting to run away. He just gave a nervous laugh in response, because that was a better assumption than them knowing what he really wanted to do.

Eventually, the urge to actually try his hand at finally making one of the creations he had fallen in love with had him approaching their Sargeant. Who seemed to be well aware of Echo being stuck in a dilemma as he just gave him a soft, near invisible, smile as he approached.

“How can I help you, Echo?”

“Uhm, sir, I was just wondering where we are allowed to go outside?”

“Anywhere where we have built on, so to the edge of the landing pad.”

Echo’s shoulders sagged at the expected response. “Oh. Okay. Thank you, sir.”

O’Niner stopped him from leaving with a soft utterance of his name. Echo halted in his effort to turn away and gave him a questioning look in return.

“Why do you ask?”

“Oh. Uhm. I wanted to go to the water’s edge. There was something I wanted to try and find.”

“Which is?”

Echo resisted the urge to fidget and replied hesitatingly, his cheeks heating up as he did so. “Uhm. Shells sir. I, uh, found this video? Its instructions on how to make, uhm, well, hair clips? It's how to make hair clips with shells. And I really wanted to try.”

O’Niner stared at him for a long moment before nodding. “Okay. Take someone with you and stay alert.”

Echo stared back at him for even longer before speaking, his voice practically dripping with hope. “Sir?”

“You heard me, trooper. Take a vod and go find your shells. Personalization is important. Just stay alert. There are supposed to be man eating eels out there.”

He beamed and nodded. “Okay! Thank you, sir!”

“No need to thank me, kid.”

Echo let out a nervous laugh at the word ‘kid’ and practically ran from the Sergeant. He had no idea if the older vod realized just how young he and the other Dominos were, or if O’Niner was a first gen, or what his use of the term was. He also had no desire to find out. Not then, at least. All he wanted right then was to drag one of the others with him to the beach.

Though, he didn’t know which one. He didn’t know Buddy, Escape or Nub well enough to want to ask one of them. Hevy was out of the question as well. The oldest of their batch was so bored he’d go looking for one of those eels. His first thought was, of course, Fives. But he would be devastated if he thought that Echo’s search was silly. He didn’t want to chance Cutup turning it into a joke. His best bet, really his only one, was Droidbait.

He waited until the younger boy was alone to gain his attention. When Echo called out his name, Droidbait gave him an open, questioning look. For a very brief moment he contemplated telling him it was nothing and running away.

He ignored that urge though. He was a soldier, he didn’t run away from anything. Let alone something as silly as his desire for shells. So, instead, he cleared his throat in order to nervously ask, “DB, would you go down to the beach with me? O’Niner said I could, but I had to take someone with me.”

“Sure, Echo!” he agreed eagerly, his expression turning delighted. “I’d love to! Though, just out of curiosity, why didn’t you ask Fives? Not that I don’t want to go! Just, you always do things with Fives.”

He flushed and raised one shoulder in a shrug. “I don’t want him to laugh at me, and I know you never would.”

“Of course I wouldn’t!” he exclaimed before asking in confusion, “Why in the hells would Fives laugh at you?”

“Because I want to go to the beach to look for shells.”

Droidbait stared at him as if that wasn’t in any way an answer. With a skeptical raise of one of his brows he questioned in a lost tone, “Okay?”

Echo sighed and reluctantly continued. “Thes shells are to make hair clips. I found a video on how to do it. I want to give it a try.”

Droidbait’s face lit up. “That is awesome, Echo!”

His brow furrowed. He hadn’t at all expected that reaction and couldn’t help asking, “Really?”

“Yeah! We’ve all started with personalizing ourselves, and that is such a neat way to do it!”

“You don’t, I don’t know, think it's too feminine? All the videos of these crafts were geared toward, and made by or for, women.”

“Psha, gender is for the natborns! Express yourself however you want! Who cares what natborn people think is ‘masculine’ or ‘feminine’ or whatever. If it feels like you, make it yours!”

Echo was stunned by that response and had no idea how to respond. Which Droidbait seemed to notice without issue because he just reached out and wrapped his arm around Echo’s shoulders.

“Come on, Eyayah. Lets go get you your shells!”

Chapter 8: For What I Need

Summary:

Echo and Droidbait go on a search for shells and end up with an interesting encounter.

Notes:

This chapter has the first of the artworks, a truly beautiful masterpiece done by reaalikaasu! So many thank yous for being such a wonderful artist and teammate! I'm very lucky and grateful to have gotten such a gorgeous piece of art for these boys!

Chapter Text

Leaving the GAR structures to head down to the planet’s, slightly frightening, beach was far more thrilling than Echo had expected it to be. It was rocky and the sand was a strange black color, the water an even darker, mysterious shade, but it was more entertaining than their tiny base was.

There was also, to his surprise, so many different types of shells to look through. A lot of them were huge , but a fair few were of decent size. There were so many that he and Droidbait were able to gather a significantly sized pile of prospective choices fairly quickly.

They put the shells down together between them and sat down in the sand in order to find the best ones. It was comfortable, relaxing. Though, not long after they began, Droidbait broke the comfortable silence they had fallen into in order to speak up in soft question.

Echo and Droidbait surveying shells

“Why were you afraid to ask Fives to come out here with you?”

Echo froze, his eyes refusing to move from the dark brown shell in his hands. He had no desire to see Droidbait’s expression as he replied tightly, “I already told you.”

“Uh huh. And why does it matter if Fives makes fun of you and not the rest of us?”

“I, well, it's just…” he stuttered out, having no idea how to explain his feelings for Fives to his younger vod .

“Echo. Breathe. You can talk to me.”

He gave a heavy sigh and glanced up to finally meet Droidbait’s eyes. His younger brother was staring at him with a kind, and understanding, look in his eyes. A look which had Echo once more sighing and looking back down to his hands, which were fiddling with the shells, as he tried to convince himself to reply.

Eventually, he took a deep breath and very quickly blurted out, “I’m completely in love with Fives and I don’t want to make him think I’m any weirder than he already does!”

“What!?” the other gasped. “You think Fives thinks that you're weird?”

“Course he does.” Echo replied bluntly, confused and a little frustrated that Droidbait would insinuate otherwise. 

“Echo, you two are best friends!”

“Well, yeah, but so are we? And that doesn’t automatically mean that he doesn’t think I’m weird.” he picked up a particularly pretty golden shell and immediately put it in his ‘to keep’ pile. “I’m the odd one that says and does things no one else understands, and Fives is the suave one that everybody immediately adores.”

“You know, that goatee only makes him think he looks suave.”

Echo snorted, but didn’t voice that he himself thought the goatee only added to Fives’s appeal. It made him look older and slightly more sophisticated. Or, as sophisticated as Fives could be. The five on his temple, though, was a little cheesy. Even if it did suit him.

Something must have shown on his face at the thought, though, because Droidbait was suddenly grinning so wide Echo noticed even though he wasn’t really looking at him.

“Oh, Force, you think it's attractive!”

Echo felt his face darken like crazy as he ducked his head even further. Droidbait just started laughing and he immediately flashed the jackass an indecent gesture. 

“Shut up.”

“Okay, okay! I’m stopping!” Droidbait promised, his laughter actually subsiding. He ruined Echo’s relief though when he continued with, “Seriously, Echo, just tell him.”

“What! No way!”

“Why the hells not!”

“Because he’ll shoot me!”

Droidbait stared at him in disbelief for a long moment. He continued to just look at him like he was out of his mind for a long while before eventually stating in a completely lost tone, “You’re serious.”

“Yes!” he exclaimed, unsure how his brother could have assumed he wasn’t for even a second.

“Oh, for stars’ sake! Echo. Fives adores you! There is no way he doesn’t feel the same way as you do!”

“Fives sees me as the annoying and kinda weird brother he has to make sure survives because he can’t do it himself.”

“How can you be so smart but so dumb at the same time?”

Echo tossed an ugly gray shell at Droidbait, which just had him laughing like the jerk he is. Though, he did quickly sober up and met Echo’s eyes pointedly.

“I mean it. How can you not see how much you mean to Fives?”

“Nothing to see.” he muttered in what he knew was a petulant tone of voice. He didn’t care. This was a stupid line of discussion and he really wanted nothing to do with it. He and Fives were just friends, and Fives would never want anything more. No matter how much he wanted, needed more. Nothing would ever happen. End of discussion.

Droidbait must have realized how much he really didn’t want to talk about it because he just sighed and asked, “Promise you’ll at least think about talking to him?”

He huffed but nodded, even if it was only to end this entirely. “Okay. Fine. I’ll think about it.”

“Thinking about it is a good start!” he practically cheered. “And then maybe someday you will…”

Echo quickly held a hand up to stop him, his attention now purely on the rocky cliff at Droidbait’s back. His younger brother stopped talking, but then huffed.

“Awe, come on Echo…”

“DB, shh! There’s something over there.”

“What?”

He was also immediately on alert, the shells in his hand lowered softly to the ground. Slowly, he turned so that he was facing  the area of the cliff that Echo was staring at. Moments after he was focused in that direction, the rocks moved and something huge was vaulting at them.

Neither Echo nor Droidbait hesitated to think. They were just simultaneously standing, blasters in hand, and shooting whatever this thing was as quickly as possible. Their instant reaction paid off, as the giant thing fell dead at their feet instead of turning them into an easy snack.

They stood side by side, breathing far heavier than necessary for a long moment before Droidbait let out a near hysterical laugh.

“Well, I guess the Rishi eels really do exist.”

Echo nodded and took a few hesitant steps forward to peer down at the dead eel. It was ugly and oozing blue blood everywhere. It was both fascinating and horrifying.

“Should we call the others?” Droidbait asked. “The Sergeant at the very least should see this.”

“Yeah.” Echo replied. He quickly gathered the shells he had liked most into his belt and then raised the comm on his arm up to his face.

“Fives?”

“Hey, Eyayah! Where are you?”

Even standing in front of a dead eel and with his heart still practically in his throat, the way Fives said his name like that still had him blushing. The combination of adrenaline rush and bashfulness had him incapable of saying anything other than a simple, “Outside.”

“Outside?”

“Mhmm. Can you grab O’Niner and everyone not either on patrol or observation? There is something you all should see.”

“Sounds interesting!”

“I promise, it is.”

A few minutes later, Fives, Hevy, O’Niner and Buddy appeared. The second they all came within eyesight of the dead eel, they stopped as one and Buddy was exclaiming loudly.

“Holy kriffing shit!”

O’Niner nodded in agreement before he was cautiously leading the others around the long body to stop beside Echo’s and Droidbait’s sides. He gave Echo a little grin and said, “Well, now you know why you had to bring someone with.”

Echo gave a small laugh and asked, “Have you seen one of these before, sir?”

“I haven’t. Wasn’t even sure they existed, to be honest. Wasn’t going to chance you boys’ lives on it though.”

“Think we can eat it?” Fives asked with a curious expression as he bent forward to look more closely at the carcass.

“It doesn’t look edible.” Hevy replied with a shake of his head. “Looks like a giant mess of poison to me.”

“It is bleeding a weird blue.” Buddy agreed. 

“Man, Cutup, Escape and Nub are going to be so disappointed they missed this!” Droidbait remarked. “It's the most exciting thing we’ve ever seen here!”

“I’ll bring them out when shift change happens.” O’Niner stated. He then asked, “How did you spot it?”

“Echo did.” Droidbait replied.

All eyes turned to him and he straightened his shoulders subconsciously. “Well, sir, I saw the rocks over there shift. It was like wind through grass is supposed to look like almost. Subtle, but there. Then this thing was practically charging out of wherever in the rocks it was managing to hide.”

“Good job, Echo. You too, Droidbait. An interesting first kill, but a good one nonetheless.”

“And an actual kill , too!” Buddy exclaimed, clapping Droidbait on the shoulder. “Isn’t like it's just some clanker!”

“Yeah, good job.” Hevy gave a small smile and nod to them. Which didn’t at all have either of them preening.

“Did you get what you came down here for?” O’Niner asked and when Echo nodded he smiled. “Good. Let's head inside then. We can research if this thing is edible for sentients or not and figure out what to do with it if it isn’t.”

Echo nodded in agreement to that suggestion, more than happy to get off this beach now that he had his shells. As they were shuffling around the dead eel, Fives surprised him by squeezing himself in at Echo’s side and draping an arm over his shoulders.

“Told you you were a badass.” he whispered in his ear, causing a flush to spread across his cheeks.

Despite the embarrassment, he still whispered gratefully, “Thanks, Fives.”

The grin Fives gave him had his heart beating almost as quickly as his softly spoken reply did. And the fact that it caused it to beat faster than even getting attacked by a huge eel did, was something Echo would never admit to anyone.

“Anytime, Ey’ika.”

Chapter 9: To Find What Makes Me, Me

Summary:

Echo finally gets a chance to make his shell clips.

Notes:

At the half way point! Next chapter is the start of the Rishi episode and heavier plot points! For now, enjoy Echo finding some self love!

Chapter Text

The excitement of the eel died down quickly, and the Rishi base went right back to its dull regularity. Though, now with a dead eel right below their base as a permanent reminder of their existence and the only interesting thing to ever happen to them. As the eel very much wasn’t edible, they decided to just leave its carcass where it was. Not really like they had much of a choice. It was way too large for even nine fully grown men, well four and five secret teenagers, to move. 

Because of the small excitement the eel had caused, Echo found himself waiting to attempt his hair clips. Entirely because he wanted to make them in peace. And for some reason, all of the vod’e on base wanted to hear his and Droidbait’s tale of the eel multiple times. It really was that boring of a posting that the death of a huge eel was treated like an actual war story. Which was a little sad in Echo’s mind.

Now that all of that had died down, he felt like he could actually finally look at his shells. Which he hadn’t even been able to do yet. He had brought into the base a little over ten of them, but when he looked them over in better light ended up deciding on using only four. 

Two were black, round and mostly flat. He figured they would hide in his hair really well and would be good to start with. Hopefully, they wouldn’t be noticed and he could try wearing them without the rest of the base commenting on their existence. Or worse, questioning why he was wearing them.

The other two he chose to work with were golden and swirly. They were beautiful and Echo adored them. He was just a little worried that they were actually too beautiful for him. They were elegant and classy and he was, well. He was neither of those things.

He was still determined to make all four of them into clips, self depreciation be damned. Which turned out to really not be all that hard of a process. Finding the metal and adhesives he needed was much easier than getting the shells had been, no giant eels involved. Making them just came down to carefully following the step by step process the video showed. So really, they were almost too easy to make.

When he had completed them all, he was nearly too nervous to actually even look at them. He pushed those nerves aside though and forced himself to pick up one of the golden ones to study it.

It came out wonderfully. With the armor polish covering the shell it was even brighter and more dazzling. The black ones were, too. Instead of looking like dull black circles, they were glossy and sleek. Elegantly simplistic, almost. Just holding them in his hand had Echo feeling giddy with anticipation.

Despite the joy the sight of them brought, he was still far too scared to actually wear them, even the black set. It took days for him to gather enough courage to actually put them into his hair, despite having thought about doing so every single morning since completing them.

The second he actually did, though, something within him settled and a weight he has always felt but never understood lifted off of his chest. They were subtle and barely seemed to be there, but the sight of the glossy black shells clasped within his hair at each temple had him beaming . They felt right. And more importantly, they made him feel right.

Despite that, when it came time to leave the ‘fresher and face the others, he almost put his bucket on in order to cover the new addition to his hair. On Kamino, he would have. Then again, on Kamino he never would have made the clips to begin with. He would have shied away from anything that separated him from the others. Anything that made him, well, Echo .

That alone was enough to have him not put his helmet on. He wasn’t that Echo any more. No, he wasn’t CT-21-0408 anymore. He was an actual person, with a personality and interests and by the ka’ra he was brave enough to show his family who that was. He was brave enough to exit the ‘fresher with his head held back and confidence in his step. 

Though, the second he entered the barracks, a little ‘meeping’ sound left him when he ended up nearly nose to nose with Fives. A red flush crossed his face in an instant and he tried to step back, but Fives followed, eyes narrowed on him.

“What were you taking so long for in….”

Fives’s words were cut off when his eyes, which had been studying Echo’s burning face, caught on the clips in his hair. His eyes widened and Echo was immediately terrified that his confidence in them had been greatly misplaced. He couldn’t handle if anyone told him they were stupid, or looked stupid on him. Let alone Fives .

“Are they dumb!?” he gasped out, voice higher than it normally was as his hand shot up to touch them. Maybe even pull them out of his hair and toss them away for good. Fives reaching up to cover Echo’s hand with his stopped him from even being able to try to, though.

“No!” he exclaimed vehemently, his head shaking in a frantic manner to match his tone. His voice softened though when he continued with, “No, Ey’ika, they are far from dumb. They, they’re great. You look great.”

His face heated up even more and he rolled his shoulders and neck. Purely just to move his gaze away from Fives’s intense honey eyes that made his knees feel weak. He was already blushing, he didn’t need to embarrass himself more by staggering.

“You really think so?”

“Yeah! Did you make them?”

“I did.”

“Damn!” Fives’s expression turned bright as his eyes widened. “That is impressive, Echo!”

“Uh, no.” he corrected with a shake of his head. “They’re really easy. I just followed a video.”

“And it's still impressive!” Fives swung his arm over Echo’s shoulders and pulled their sides flush together. “C’mon! We have to show the others. They’ll be just as impressed as I am and then you’ll have no choice but to believe me.”

Echo’s token protest was ignored and he was paraded around the base like some sort of show animal. He would have been embarrassed if every single vod there wasn’t delighted, and as Fives said they would be, impressed by his clips.

Hevy complimented him on the ability to make them, still certain of the talent it took even when Echo explained it was just a step by step process. Droidbait and Buddy were extremely vocal about how good they looked, a fact which had Echo blushing more than he already was. Cutup, Nub and Escape were amazed that he had had the patience to do all that delicate work multiple times. Over all, they all seemed to really like them, and Echo felt silly for having been so anxious for them to see.

To his utter surprise, even O’Niner liked them. When Fives dragged him to the Sargeant to show him, he gave Echo a smile and clapped him on the shoulder.

“Looking good, kid.” he told him as he gave a little nod. “Personalization feels nice, doesn’t it?”

Echo gave a sheepish grin, eyes flickering to the side to where Fives was grinning widely at him. Truly, the support from him and the others felt even better than the clips themselves did, but he still gave a firm nod in response.

“Yes, sir. It really does.

Chapter 10: When Hardship Inevitably Happens

Summary:

A regular, boring day takes a sudden turn for the far worse.

Notes:

Here is the start of the Rookies episode! Heavier plot time! As a warning, the only ones stationed on the Rishi base that survive are the Dominos, so there are Original Characters, and O'Niner and Nub, deaths. But they aren't graphic. And mostly you just see Echo's thoughts and feelings on it.

Chapter Text

Echo wore his clips religiously for the next week and a half. His team liked them, and they made him feel good. He saw no reason not to wear them. He kept to the black ones, though. He still wasn’t sure about actually trying the gold ones out. They felt special, and he wanted to wait for a special time to wear them. The black ones were just fine for now.

The first day he didn’t put them in his hair wasn’t because he hadn’t wanted to, but more because something in his gut told him not to. Though, whatever that feeling was also told him to safely store them in one of his belt pockets. Which he was grateful for. Because if he hadn’t he would have lost them forever.

The day started out like they all did. Woke up, beat the still groggy others to the sonic, shoved a nasty ration bar into his mouth and then did his early morning observation shift. It was when the others began to trickle in that things began to change.

Hevy came in to relieve him while Droidbait and Cutup came in from their patrol shift. Fives, Buddy and Escape were there to do occasional surveillance of the less important sensors. They all gave greetings like normal, but Fives immediately veered towards him instead of his normal spot.

Once he reached his side, he lifted a hand up and ran fingers through Echo’s hair, causing him to feel like he had suddenly swallowed his tongue. Fives didn’t notice though and just asked him in a teasing tone.

“No clips today?”

He shrugged, ducking his head away in an attempt to hide his no doubt scarlet cheeks. “Felt like maybe I shouldn’t today.”

“Why?” Hevy asked, spinning his chair with a despondent air. “It's not like anything is going to change. Watch empty skies for a few hours. Walk around an empty landing pad for a few more. Eat crappy food. Sleep. Exactly like yesterday. And exactly like tomorrow will be.”

“Well, aren’t you a bucket of sunshine today?” Cutup remarked, which had Droidbait snorting. 

“That doesn’t even make any sense!”

Echo gave a fond shake of his head at the resulting argument as to why it did, in fact, make perfect sense before excusing himself to go find his data pad. He figured he’d get some reading in or watch a video or two for a little while. Normally, he’d seek some alone time after a shift, even a boring solitary one, but today he felt like staying with the others. Another step out of his ordinary routine. And one the others also noticed.

When he returned, Cutup had put that radio station he adored on and Hevy and Droidbait had decided the best sort of excitement they had was to arm wrestle. A sight that had him sighing and fondly rolling his eyes.

“Shouldn’t you be watching your scope, Hevy?” he asked with a teasing raise of his brow.

The question had Hevy letting out what could only be considered a huff as he slapped his hand onto the screen.

“All clear,” he drawled sarcastically. “Just like the last hundred times I checked. Shouldn’t you be having that thirty minutes of ‘leave me alone you all drive me nuts’ time?”

Echo rolled his eyes again and shrugged. Hevy really was, apparently, in a mood today. A mood he was only happy to make worse by grinning over at him as he waved his data pad.

“I figured I’d stay with you all instead, this time. Besides, I like that it's slow. Lets me catch up on the reg manuals.”

His squad, Buddy and Escape all let out loud groans and Hevy gave a dramatic shake of his head.

“What is wrong with you? We should be on the front lines! You know this! You agree with this!”

Cutup grinned and tilted his head over his shoulder. “Leave him alone. They left him in his growth tube for too long.”

Echo shot him an unimpressed look, which just earned him a grin in return. He gave yet another roll of his eyes and tuned out their, very repetitive, conversation. He only started paying any mind to them when O’Niner came into the room to once more lecture Hevy in the importance of their post.

Not because he thought the lecture was fascinating, but because he respects the sergeant enough to listen to his repeated lectures. Not that he doesn’t respect Hevy. He does! But Hevy remarked about how boring Rishi is basically every other day. It was a rant that Echo could really do without. 

He wasn’t entirely against the monotony of their regular days. Not really, he did like the routine of it. But, he did also agree that he would rather be doing something much more interesting. Which was why, after O’Niner had dismissed them, when the sensor screen he had set himself before started blinking, he was nearly giddy to tell the Sergeant about it. It may not have been much, but it was something interesting and different. 

“Incoming meteor shower!”

“Raise the shield.” O’Niner instructed before adding to Hevy, “You wanted excitement, Hevy.”

“Right.” Hevy replied, voice dripping in sarcasm as he added, “Ooh, meteor shower .”

Echo tried his best not to snort at that. Hevy’s lackluster response was warranted, but Echo personally thought the meteor shower was cool. It was something different! And later maybe he would be able to convince someone to go study the meteors with him. 

It very, very quickly became far less cool when Nub didn’t check in. Nub always checked in. He was nearly as painfully strict with deadlines as Echo himself was. There had to have been something very wrong for Nub to have not checked in.

It went from bad to worse when Escape and Buddy were sent to investigate what was going on with Nub. Because they never came back.

The sound of blaster fire and shouting alarmed Echo to the point of him almost freezing. It was only O’Niner running in the direction of the sound that had Echo able to practically launch himself after him. Without their Sergeant’s automatic response, he might not have remembered what he was supposed to do at all. Might have forgotten the soldier he was supposed to be.

A very small part of him wished he had. Entirely because by the time he reached the doors, he was greeted with the sight of Buddy and Escape dead on the floor, Commando droids standing over their bodies like they were nothing as they fired at O’Niner ruthlessly. 

The moment that the Sergeant noticed Echo behind him, he shouted for him to send out the alarm. Something that Echo didn’t even stop to think about before attempting to do.

Attempting, being the operative word. He wasn’t able to get an alarm out. He wasn’t able to do anything. The damned clankers had disabled everything. 

He shouted that out to O’Niner, causing the Sergeant to immediately call back. 

“Get a message to the Fleet! We have to let them know…!-”

He never got to finish his sentence. The trio of Commando droids shot him down as one before he could. Watching him get killed was like a punch to Echo’s gut, but he could do nothing more than shout his name in pained, horrified, alarm.

Fives pulling him away was the only reason he didn’t foolishly run forward and drag O’Niner with them. O’Niner, Buddy, Escape. Nub, wherever the clankers had left him. All four of them, dead. Gone. When just minutes before they had been joking around like it was any other, dull, regular day.

He wanted to fall into a haze desperately, but he knew better. Knew he had to be prepared. So, he stayed completely alert and attentive to their surroundings as they ran back towards the center of the base. When the five of them reached the Command center, Cutup immediately tore the controls from the wall, a derisive statement about slowing them down leaving him. Though, for once, it held none of the jaunting teasing tone Cutup was known for. 

Fives, brilliantly, pulled the grate off of the air tunnels and gestured all of them towards it. “This way! Hurry!”

“We can fight!” Hevy exclaimed.

“There are too many of them!” Fives and Droidbait yelled out in tandem. 

“Just get in the damn tunnel!” the former added firmly. “We don’t have time to stand around here and debate!”

Hevy huffed but hurried in, Droidbait, Cutup and Echo following. Echo paused to wait for Fives as he closed the gate behind them, and then they hurried to catch up with the other three together.

When they got to the end of the tunnel, but before it opened up to the cliffs, they came to a stop. A stop that allowed them to breathe and take in the utter chaos their lives had suddenly turned into.

The base was lost. They had failed at their one job. Echo had no idea how this had happened so suddenly. So quickly. One moment all was normal, and then everything was wrong and half of them were dead. A fact he still couldn’t comprehend, and a pained whimper left him, completely outside of his control.

“They’re gone.” he whispered. “O’Niner, Buddy, Escape, Nub. All just. Gone.”

“I know, Echo.” Fives said softly. “I know, and it hurts, but we can’t mourn them right now. We have more important things to do.”

“What do we do?” Droidbait asked. “We have next to no weapons, and hardly any way to defend ourselves. Do we just sit here and hope they don’t find us?”

“No!” Hevy exclaimed fiercely. “We fight those damn clankers. We fight and we take our post back!”

“How?” Cutup demanded. “Ask them nicely if they’ll please leave? We can’t break in. We aren’t armed enough to fight. We aren’t in any way prepared.”

“We find a way.” Fives insisted. “We’re Dominos. Improvising is what we do. Like hell are we going to let those damn clankers get the best of us. Do you agree?”

As one, they nodded. Echo was terrified, distraught and possibly even panicking, but he knew Fives was right. They were Dominos. They were soldiers . And they wouldn’t fall. Not when they had so much to fight for.

Chapter 11: And Change Arrives

Summary:

Dominos meet Commander Cody and Captain Rex

Chapter Text

After catching their breath and managing to get their bearings as straight as they possibly could, they left the tunnel in order to creep along the cliff’s edge. Droidbait and Hevy took point while Fives was in the center with Echo and Cutup taking up the rear. They only got a few steps from the tunnel’s entrance though before Echo was freezing with a gasp.

“Eels! We have to stay on the lookout for eels!” he exclaimed, refusing to let one of those monsters take them by surprise. Not after what had happened to the others. The fear of the droids was bad enough, but he wasn’t losing a member of his family to a damned eel.

“Roger!” All four of them called together without hesitation and he sighed in relief.

Echo was far beyond relieved that he had remembered the horrifying, slithering monsters, entirely because not even a full minute later, the rocks around them were shifting and one of the ugly bastards was charging for them.

He and Cutup began to shoot at it first, but Fives was quickly spinning in their direction and adding his shots into their barrage. The moment three of them were shooting the thing, it crashed down to the rocks, dramatically rolling away from them. It left blue streaks across the cliff’s edge. A sight that would have been mesmerizing if its origin wasn’t so disgusting.

“Whoo!” Fives cheered. “Domino Squad, Two. Eels, Zero!”

“That thing almost bit my head off!” Cutup exclaimed.

“I’m pretty sure it would have just eaten you whole.” Hevy remarked and Cutup’s head snapped in his direction. 

“Not comforting!”

“How is this for comforting; you are alive and we still have a mission to complete!”

“Your bedside manner could use some work.”

Echo groaned and tilted his head back. An action which immediately had him gasping and pointing up above them and to the ship arcing across the sky in the direction of their base.

“Look!”

“It's Commander Cody!” Droidbait cheered at the same time Fives gave a sigh of relief.

“The Inspection Team! Thank ka’ra.

“We have to warn them.” Hevy stated bluntly before turning to Echo to practically demand, “Get a comm line to them!”

Normally, Echo would have bristled, or maybe even snapped, at the tone the other used to address him. But the task given was far too important to get uppity at Hevy’s rudeness. It was yet another impossible order, though, and he was quickly shaking his head.

“It's no good.” he sighed as he lowered his arm. “Their comms are on a different set then ours. I can’t hail them.”

Fives cursed, but Hevy gave a shake of his head.

“It's okay. I’ll just signal them with this flare.”

He lifted the droid attack flare and shot it into the sky, the red illuminating everything around them ominously. Fitting, Echo was certain, for something so alarming and with such negative meaning to turn everything around them so haunting. 

“Where do you think the Commander will go?” Droidbait asked with a small frown. 

“The most logical option would be over the edge on the side of the cliffs.” Echo responded, turning his head away from where the flare had just vanished. “The water offers nowhere to hide, no possible cover and no escape.”

“Let's go in the most likely direction, then.” Hevy suggested. “The area isn’t that big. We’ll come across them sooner or later.”

Hevy was right, of course. Though, Echo hadn’t at all expected the two officers to hold them at blaster point and demand them to remove their helmets. The only reasoning he could think for them to be uncertain about their identities was that the droids had stripped their fallen brethren and stolen their armor. A thought that had him disgusted and removing his helmet with haste. Partially to not get shot, but also heavily because he suddenly felt like he was going to get sick.

The disgust, though, was quickly overtaken by awe when the older vod in blue took out a charging eel with one, perfectly aimed, blaster shot to the eye.

“Nice shot .” he couldn’t help but stating breathlessly, his tone just as awed as he was. It earned him a strange look from Fives he couldn’t even begin to decipher and an introduction from the other man.

“My name’s Rex. But you will call me Captain or Sir.”

Something in the Captain’s voice had Echo’s spine straightening even further, a reaction he was surprised to see his whole team share in. Though, for some reason, the other officer almost looked amused as he spoke.

“I’m Commander Cody. Your new boss.”

Fives then nearly caused Echo’s brain to explode by snapping into a perfect salute and introducing himself with, “Sirs! I’m CT-27-5555.”

Echo and the other three all turned surprised, slightly alarmed, looks onto Fives. Echo was a little worried Fives had suddenly lost his mind. He couldn’t think of a single time he had ever heard Fives use his CT number as a name. Not to any one, for any reason. And certainly not to another vod. The fact that he had was worrying and beyond confusing.

Hevy seemed to think so as well, because he was immediately speaking, his voice a little off. “We call him Fives. I’m Hevy. These are Echo, Droidbait and Cutup.”

Commander Cody nodded to each of them as they were introduced and asked, “Where’s your Sergeant?”

“Dead, sir.” Echo informed him bluntly, shoving away the tightness in his chest the sentence brought. “We’re all that is left.”

Despite having been talking to the Commander, he was unable to keep his eyes off of the Captain and whatever it was he was doing to the eel. It was much easier to watch him lightly touch the dead monstrous being than it was to stare into the Commander’s worried, tight, and disappointed face.

When the Captain turned away from the eel, his expression was a cross between amused and the one Commander Cody wore. Which, really, wasn’t at all reassuring. Neither were the words that came out of his mouth.

“Looks like we’ve got ourselves a batch of shines, Commander.”

Echo frowned at the unfamiliar term aimed at him and his brothers. He straightened his shoulders even further and asked, “Shinies, sir?”

“That's right.” Captain Rex said as he made his way towards Echo. “Your armor. It's shiny and new.” His hand was suddenly slapped against Echo’s chest, the touch firm enough he felt it. “Just like you.”

Despite the almost mocking words, his expression never wavered from the tight concerned one. Echo was sure he wasn’t entirely mocking him, and in turn, his team. He was also worried about him. He was worried about all of them. And while Echo understood, he had no idea how to make sure he knew that they were prepared.

Glancing down to his chest to see the bright blue handprint against him had him suddenly feeling even more like he had to prove himself. He had to show this Captain that he could trust him. He had to show him that Echo and his team were worthy of their place in the GAR. Had to be sure that they weren’t doubted for even one second. That they were seen as much more than the children they really were. He had to prove that he was worthy of the mark left on him. Even if it was one the Captain hadn’t even intended to leave.

The determined looks on the other four’s faces made it very clear that they felt the same way. That they would do everything they could to be sure that by the end of the day, the last thing they could be called was ‘shiny.’

Hevy, as always, spoke up firmly, his tone holding no question. “Sir, me and my batchmates are ready. We’ll take back our post. Shiny or not.”

Captain Rex turned to face them, a slow smile spreading over his face. “There’s hope for you yet, rookie.”

Chapter 12: To Be Sure We All Survive

Summary:

The Dominos, Captain and Commander retake the Rishi base.

Chapter Text

The Commander and Captain guided them up the cliff side, only stopping when they reached the edge beneath the base. Once there, Captain Rex turned to face them, pulling the large rifle off of his back as he did so.

“Look sharp, Rookies. As long as those tinnies occupy this base, our home planet of Kamino is at risk.”

Had nearly any other vod pointed that out, Echo would have been unable to stop himself from reminding them how obvious that was. That they had been aware of this face from day one. It was the Captain though, so all he could do was give him a respectful nod. And then stare at him in disbelief as he handed the rifle over to Echo.

He accepted it immediately, though with wide eyes and a thick swallow. Which was instantly followed by him embarrassing himself even further than he already had by speaking.

“But there are so many of them.”

His urge to duck his head and hide increased tenfold when Captain Rex gave a firm shake of his.

“Doesn’t matter, kid. We have to retake this base, so we will retake this base.”

Echo nodded quickly, refusing to let this man think that he was a coward. Because he wasn’t . He wasn’t afraid of those clankers. He had never once been afraid of them. They had been prepared to try and take the base even without the officers. And they would do it, no matter what. He just really, really didn’t like their odds.

Neither, it seemed, did Commander Cody because he was tilting his head in the Captain’s direction to ask in what might have been a condescending tone, “How do you propose we get through those blast doors, Rex old boy?”

The choked off laugh that Cutup let out at Echo’s side would have had him shooting his brother an unimpressed look had Captain Rex not replied without hesitation. Almost like he was used to the Commander talking to him like that. Which for all Echo knew, he was.

“I have a few ideas.” 

Echo was unsure if the plan that he laid out was brilliant or ridiculous. Tricking the droids into thinking they were one of theirs was a good idea in theory, droids really weren’t that smart. But the actual execution of it was like watching a very slow motion trainwreck.

Commander Cody to his left seemed to agree, if his defeated headshake, face palm and muttered, “This is never going to work,” were any indication. Somehow, though, it actually did work. He supposed that droids just had to be even stupider than they looked. Which made their ambush of the base all the more embarrassing.

He just hoped that the Captain and Commander didn’t see it the same way as he did. Didn’t see their failure to keep the base as them being a failure. If they did, Echo was determined to prove that assumption wrong. Though, he supposed almost laughing at Captain Rex’s deadpan, “Roger. Roger.” as he shot the commando droid down wasn’t a good place to start. Not when he and the others had to react in the next instant to shoot the other incoming commandos out. 

Despite the seriousness of the situation, he was also tempted to laugh at Hevy’s question of leading the attack. Captain Rex really didn’t seem to be the type to let someone else take point. Not even the Marshal Commander with them. He couldn’t believe that Hevy even thought to ask. Then again, Hevy wouldn’t be Hevy if he hadn’t.

All humor he felt was quickly, and utterly, replaced with terror though. Seeing Fives take a blaster shot to the shoulder had Echo’s heart skyrocketing to his throat, the terror of what could happen here almost overtaking him. His first instinct was to dive over him. Cover him. Help him. Commander Cody’s hand on him stopped him from carrying out any of those actions, though.

“He’s okay.” the Commander assured him. “Focus on the battle.”

It took all his strength to listen. He trusted the Commander, but it was Fives. Fives who he loved. Fives who was his everything. Fives who would be incredibly pissed if Echo got himself hurt fussing over him.

It was that last thought that had him paying full attention to the battle. He wasn’t going to do anything to disappoint his best friend. Or to make the others, especially the Captain, think that he was a weak link. He couldn’t sword fight a droid and pop its head off like Captain Rex, but he could certainly shoot one. He wasn’t going to be useless just because he was worried.

And he did! Then, like he seemed to want to do that night, embarrassed himself again by exclaiming, “I got one!”

The second the words left him, his cheeks got hot and he was incredibly glad to have his helmet hide the blush. He was even more thankful that it hid the acidic glare he shot in Hevy’s direction when his brother spoke.

“Sorry, Echo. I got that one.”

“Like hell you did!” he bit back, which caused Cutup to snigger.

“You tell him, Echo!”

Hevy ignored them both in order to taunt the droids. Echo rolled his eyes and turned away from them. He was far more interested in finding out how Fives was doing then listening to their childish antics.

He seemed okay, upright and moving without issue. There was a small singe mark on the right side of his armor, though, and it was enough to have him worried all over again. He walked towards him, but before he could voice his concerns, Commander Cody was speaking out to all of them.

“Get to the window. Looks like we’ve got more visitors.”

Echo jerked his head in the direction, eyes widening at the sight of a significant number of ships hovering just outside of the atmosphere. “It looks like a Separatist fleet!”

“That is why they commandeered this outpost.” Commander Cody observed, his voice tight. “They’re initiating a full invasion.”

“We have to warn Command!” Captain Rex ordered, his tone sharp and commanding.

Echo didn’t hesitate to move away from the window to the control desk in the center of the room. It didn’t take him long with the systems to realize that connecting with anyone in the Republic was completely impossible.

“Those clankers sabotaged our transmissions. They hard wired the all clear signal. It will take me time to repair, but I can do it.”

“We don’t have time.” the Captain stressed. 

He tried not to flinch at the tone and only barely managed not to. The Captain had a very good point. They didn’t have the time it would take Echo to restart and clear the system. A fact that was made very clear when Cutup exclaimed for all of them to look back out the window. 

When he lifted his head to do so, he was immediately swallowing thickly as dread filled him. Numerous drop ships were heading from the fleet down to the surface. He knew that whatever amount of droids could fit into them had to be exceptional. And that it didn’t bode well for them at all.

Cutup, as he always did, did his best to diffuse the tension the sight of the ships caused by clapping Hevy on the shoulder and saying, “Well, Hevy, you always said you wanted to be on the front lines!”

Chapter 13: I Will Do Whatever It Takes

Summary:

They formulate a plan to alert the Republic, and Echo has a heart to heart with Fives.

Chapter Text

Echo really hoped that ‘front lines’ was an exaggeration to what they were about to face, but he doubted it. And Commander Cody solidified that thought almost as soon as he had it. Which made the situation seem even more grim than it already had.

“We can’t protect the outpost long against an army of clankers.” He glanced around them, his expression turning tight and worried. “Not with only seven of us.”

Captain Rex nodded. “Then we’ll destroy the outpost instead.”

Echo spun his chair around to face him, panic causing his expression to no doubt be wide eyed and ridiculous. “But, sir! Our mission is to defend this facility. At all costs.”

The Captain met his eyes, an act which had Echo freezing. “Missions change, kid. We have to warn the Republic about the invasion. They’ll take notice when the all clear signal stops.”

“That's right!” Fives agreed in an overly agreeable tone. “They stop receiving our beacon, it will be obvious something is wrong. Message received, even without a specific message sent.”

“And it will be faster than fixing the signal, right Echo?” Droidbait asked.

“Well, yes,” he replied as he looked between them. “Much faster.” He didn’t add that it was much more dangerous. He was sure they all knew.

Despite likely knowing all the risks involved, the Captain still nodded. “Then it's settled. We need every thermal detonator in the inventory.”

Hevy shook his head. “It’ll take more than a few detonators to destroy this outpost. Certainly more than what we have.”

Echo may hate this plan, but he wasn’t going to hinder it. Especially not when an idea of how to make it work perfectly hit him. And it wasn’t at all because he wanted to impress the two superior officers. It was just a good idea. That was all.

“We can use the LT!”

His team and the two officers turned to look at him. He couldn’t help the sheepish blush that spread across his face at their attention, but he refused to be embarrassed. This was a brilliant plan and he was going to be proud of it, attention be damned.

“This moon freezes for over half the year. We use liquid tibanna as fuel to heat the base.”

An intrigued look crossed the Commander’s face. “Liquid tibanna. Highly explosive.”

Captain Rex gave a firm nod. “Good. We need to bring the tanks here and prep the detonators.”

“Fives and I have the tibanna.” Echo volunteered them, and Fives was immediately nodding.

“We do! Hevy, you’ll know the detonators best.”

“Got them.” he agreed with a nod of his own.

The two of them branched off from the others, who Echo was sure were heading towards the armory. The moment that he and Fives were alone, he glanced quickly towards him, fully prepared to speak. But the other beat him to it.

“This is an amazing plan, Echo.” he complimented sincerely. “You’re brilliant.”

He flushed, not totally sure what to say to that. So he just awkwardly expressed his thanks and quickly changed the subject.

“Not important, though. Are you okay?!”

Fives gave him a soft smile. “I’m fine, Eyayah. I promise.”

“You got shot .” he informed him unnecessarily and then added with even less necessity, “With live fire!”

“I know, and my arm is a little sore. But I’ll be okay.”

When they reached the tibanna storage, Echo reached out with his arm to stop him from entering. Fives turned narrowed, contemplative eyes on him and Echo swallowed thickly.

“I can’t lose you, Fives.” he whispered tightly. “I just. I can’t.”

“Hey,” Fives reached a hand out to rest it against the back of Echo’s neck. “You wont . I’m right here.”

He let out a pained sound. “But you could not be. You almost weren’t.

“Ey’ika, we’re soldiers. Sometimes, we have to take risks. Take chances. And when that happens, we just need to trust that we will come out the other  end of it okay.”

“I know.” he admitted weakly, despite his anxiety rising at even contemplating anything other than a happy end. “But I just. Losing you would break me, Fives.”

“No. It wouldn’t.” he squeezed the back of Echo’s neck firmly, causing him to lean back into his hand. “You’re strong, Echo. Stronger than I am, than Hevy is even! You’re resilient and brave and can do anything. You don’t need me here to thrive.”

Echo was so very close to admitting his feelings. To just blurting out that no, he couldn’t because he loved him didn’t Fives understand? But he couldn’t do that. This wasn’t the time, nor the place. He refused to give a battlefield confession, because it was like he was giving into the possibility one of them wouldn’t make it. And he refused to accept that possibility. 

So, he just nodded shakily. “Just, please. Be safe.”

“As long as you promise to do the same, okay?”

“I will.” 

“Good.” he shocked Echo by pulling him forward to rest their foreheads together. He wanted to sink into it, to sink into Fives’s embrace and never leave it. He didn’t even get to savor this simple touch for even a moment, though, because Fvies was pulling away just as quickly as he had pulled Echo in.

“We will be okay, Ey’ika, because we have your brilliant plan. So, let's get this tibanna and get it in motion so we can get the hells off this rock. Yeah?”

He nodded nearly as shakily as before, but quickly pulled himself together to give a more firm one. “Yeah.”

It didn’t take them long after that to gather all the tibanna up and head back to the others. Once there, with everything settled, Captain Rex was calling out to all of them.

“Alright, listen up! There’s one target of interest in the sector. Kamino. It's the closest thing any of the vod’e have to a home. Today, we fight for more than the Republic. Today, we fight for all of our brothers back home. Understood?”

They understood. They had been told every day just how important their post was, and now that it was proving true, every one of them was going to do their best to not fail. To not fail the officers before them. To not fail O’Niner. To not fail every single one of the vod’e .

So, as one, they called out the only reply possible to such a question.

“Sir, yes,sir!”

Chapter 14: When Pain and Grief Try to Win

Summary:

The Rishi base is blown and Echo has Feelings.

Chapter Text

Echo hated being separated from Fives, Cutup and Hevy, but he knew that they were much more suited for frontal assault while he and Droidbait helped the Captain set up the tibanna. Entirely because those three were completely incapable of being still. Or moving slowly, carefully and cautiously like they had to do to prep the explosives. And he knew that in war, you took the assignment that suited you best. That you knew how to do best. Didn’t matter how much it stressed you out to be separated. You took your orders, and you did them.

The explosive prep work wasn’t actually slow at all, it was just delicate and precise. Things that he and Droidbait excelled at much more than the others did. So, they worked alongside the Captain to get everything ready. Though, it was to no surprise at all to him that Captain Rex was the one who finished prepping the detonator itself.

What was a surprise, was that he handed it to Hevy the moment that he and the others reentered the control room. He didn’t pay any attention to whatever conversation they were having, though, and instead slid his way over to Fives’s side.

“You still in one piece?” he asked in a soft whisper.

Fives nodded. “Same as I always am. You ready to blow this place?”

“I think Hevy is going to be the one to do the blowing,” he remarked with a nod towards where he and the Captain were speaking. Ignoring Fives’s juvenile snigger he added,“But I am ready to get us out of here for good.”

Fives hesitated and then asked, “Do you have your hair clips? I can cover for you if you need to go get them?”

Echo flushed and was beyond relieved his face was once more hidden behind his helmet. He couldn’t believe that Fives was willing to help him get something as inconsequential as his hair clips. It caused a fuzzy, delighted feeling he couldn’t fully put words to build up in his chest.

“I have them.” he assured him. “They’re in one of my belt pockets. I felt like I needed to put them there this morning, even if I wasn’t going to wear them.”

That morning, when everything had been normal and the closest Echo had ever been to a clanker was the training ones on Kamino. He could scarcely believe how quickly things could change, and was a little shocked at his oddly perfect timing to have had such foresight.

Fives, though, didn’t seem to think it was odd at all. He just nodded and said, “Oddly beautiful foresight, and perfectly you.”

His blush darkened and he was incredibly relieved when the Commander ordered them through the tunnels. He didn’t know how to address Fives giving him compliments, especially not ones that called him beautiful . But he wasn’t running away! He was ordered away. There was a difference.

There was also a difference in this run through the tunnels compared to when they had done so hours before. Unlike last time, there was no fear. No horror and panic and pure grief. This time, it was just anticipation and excitement at the prospect of completing such a vital mission.

When they reached the ledge beneath the cliffs, Captain Rex gave Hevy a pointed nod. He had only barely finished the gesture before Hevy was pressing the detonator in his hands.

The base turning into a raging ball of fire and smoke was both a relief and a stab in the heart for Echo. With the all clear beacon gone, the Republic could come and help them keep Kamino safe. The plan that they had created together had worked. Their brothers were safe. 

But at the same time, that had been his home for months now. He had started to really learn who he was there. And more importantly, their vod’e’s bodies were in there and they had just blown them into billions of unrecognizable pieces. Like they were nothing. Had meant nothing. And Echo didn’t know how to reconcile the two facts in his mind.

Hevy, clearly, didn’t have the same issue as he let out a content sigh as he lowered the detonator to his side.

“I always did hate that place.”

His words had Echo making a small, incredibly high pitched sound in the back of his throat. Fives’s soft touch to the inside of his wrist stopped him from feeling like he was going to spiral out of control into the nothingness of space. Only barely, though, and he had to take a deep breath to center himself again. An act that also barely worked.

Had the Commander and Captain not been there, he would have turned to Fives and clung to him as if his life depended on it. He would have fallen into his embrace and let the comfort of his best friend, his everything, calm him down from the grief and panic trying to crawl up his throat. He could do none of that, though, and had to swallow it all down. The only comfort he allowed himself was the brief press of his wrist against Fives’s. It was enough for that moment. It had to be. 

“You think it worked?” Droidbait asked in a small, worried voice.

No sooner had he asked, then multiple star destroyers were appearing in the sky above them. A fact which had Cutup letting out a delighted laugh.

“Damn straight it did! We’ve got those tinnies on the run!”

Echo’s shoulders sagged in relief. At least their brothers’ sacrifice hadn’t been for nothing. “Thank the ka’ra . What do we do now?”

Captain Rex pointed up to where smaller ships were descending from the main fleet. “Gunships! We’re getting off this crater, boys!”

Hevy, Fives and Cutup cheered as the Captain began to wave the ships down. Commander Cody, at the same time,  took his helmet off and gave them a soft smile. It was the most gentle and kindest expression Echo had seen him make. And one he hadn’t been sure he was capable of.

“Good job, boys. We couldn’t have done this without you.”

Droidbait at Echo’s side made a small ‘meeping’ noise and he turned to look at him in concern. Cutup, though, just sniggered before replying. 

“Thank you, sir. Without you, we never would have made it through this. So, thank you for saving us.”

“You saved yourselves.” Rex told them. “We just gave you the means to be able to do so.”

“Thank you, sir.” Echo replied through a thick voice. 

The Captain nodded and then gestured towards the landing gunships. “Let's get you boys out of here, yeah?”

“What happens to us now, though?” Echo couldn’t help but ask again. “I mean, we literally just blew our assignment up.”

Commander Cody gave him an actual grin . “Ah, don’t worry, Echo. I wouldn’t be concerned about that at all.”

Echo had no idea what that meant, but he wasn’t going to question the Commander. He just followed after him towards the unknown future. He knew he was right not to be concerned, though. No matter what happened now, he would be okay. Because, even if they had lost a lot today, he still had Fives and the rest of Domino at his side.

Chapter 15: (I Learn I'm Not Alone)

Summary:

Fives comforts a grieving Echo.

Notes:

A little Fives interlude! This chapter deals with grief, and the feelings the clones would have had about the war, and the fact that they were more or less made to die. Its a little heavier than the others, but not by too much.

Chapter Text

An actual firefight was both exactly what Fives had expected it to be and also not at all what he was picturing. The adrenaline rush and bubbling excitement happened exactly as he was sure they would. But the terror? The panic? The pain? He had somehow forgotten that those would also be involved. Not to mention the grief and everything that came with it.

Having watched O’Niner be shot down the way he was was nothing short of heartbreaking. O’Niner had been an excellent Sergeant, friend and brother. Losing him was a punch in the gut. But it didn’t at all compare to the terror that Echo could have been, and would have been if Fives hadn’t pulled him away, the next one he lost. He knew without a doubt that Echo had been trying to reach their brothers’ bodies, and had he, Fives would have lost him too. A fear that still lingered in the back of his mind.

If there was one person Fives could never lose, it was Echo. He would mourn and miss any of his batch, any of his brothers. But Echo? Losing Echo would ruin him, would break him to a point of devastation. He wasn’t at all sure that he could function without Echo. Not when he loved him so much. Not when the younger boy felt like a literal part of his soul.

Which was why he had done all he could to keep him safe, including taking a shot to the shoulder that could have been much more fatal had it reached its intended target. He would do anything at all to keep Echo safe. He had to admit, though, that he was a little surprised that it was a desperation that Echo returned on Fives’s behalf.

When he got hit and Echo became so frantic, so worried he couldn’t stop himself from being a little bit happy. A little bit giddy, even. Not that he was so worried! But that he cared about Fives to the point of that sort of fear. And to the point that he refused to take his eyes off of Fives. That he pulled him away to demand he was okay. All of it had him hoping .

It was a hope he couldn’t let go of, either. Echo’s eyes remained firmly fixed on him whenever they had that option. They didn’t leave him for even a moment. Not when they boarded the Five oh First’s flagship. Not when they were standing before the Jedi and getting medals pinned to their chest. Even after the Captain had welcomed them to the Five oh First and then shooed Fives away to the medics. Through all of it, Echo stayed at his side with his eyes firmly locked on his face. 

Not paying attention to superior officers, to medics, to anyone was not only against Regulations, but just so not like Echo. Fives would have been worried if he wasn’t so secretly delighted by what this odd behavior of his best friend’s could possibly mean .

Even when they got to their assigned barrack room, Echo waited until Fives had shed his armor and climbed into his bunk to even begin to get ready for bed himself. Though it was odd, and Fives wasn’t sure Echo even knew he was doing it, he wasn’t going to put a stop to it. Not only did he like having Echo’s eyes on him, but it gave Fives the ability to keep his eyes exactly where he wanted them to be too. Entirely on Echo.

The mutual watching only stopped when they both were curled in their bunks and attempting to sleep. He said attempting, because when his eyes finally fell shut, he wasn’t able to keep them closed for long. When they suddenly snapped open not long after closing, he wasn't sure why at first. But then he heard a choked off sob coming from Echo and knew without a doubt why he woke from his hazy half sleep. 

He was out of his bunk and on his feet before he even fully thought about the action. Once standing, he hesitated for only a fraction of a second before he was sitting carefully on the edge of Echo’s bunk.

“Eyayah?”

He saw Echo’s entire form tense before he spoke up in a wet voice, “I’m not crying.”

Fives frowned at the desperation he heard in his voice, no doubt silently begging him to believe him and go away. He couldn’t, though. Not when his best friend was curled in a ball and crying in the dark. 

Instead, he set a gentle hand on Echo’s shoulder. “It's okay if you are, you know.” he told him softly. “There’s no weakness to it. Especially not after a day like we just had.”

Echo was silent for so long that Fives began to debate whether or not he should speak up again or leave him alone. Before he had to choose, though, Echo was rolling over and launching himself into Fives’s arms.

Fives wasted no time in gathering him close to him. Carefully, he situated them so they were both laying across Echo’s bunk with him curled into Fives, nose buried in the joint between his neck and shoulder. As soon as they were settled, he began to run his hand through Echo’s hair and whisper comfortingly to him.

“It’s okay, Eyayah. It's okay, I’m here, I have you and it's okay to cry.”

“They’re just gone .” he gasped out in a broken voice. “Their lives, their bodies. Everything! No one will ever know they existed! Or even care!”

“We will, Echo.” he assured him as he continued to run his fingers through his hair. “ We will always remember them.”

He sniffled and then what sounded like a scoff left him. “Yeah, for however long we are still alive. But then we’ll die too and no one will remember or care about us.”

“Hey, no!” he practically exclaimed before gently lifting Echo’s face between his hands to meet the other’s tear filled eyes. “Don’t think like that! Nothing will happen to you! To me, or to any of us! We’re gonna make it through this war, and then we will make sure the whole galaxy knows just who every single one of the fallen vod’e were. Their memory won't just vanish, Echo. Because we will not let it.”

“You can’t possibly know any of that.” he replied weakly. “You can't even guarantee us tomorrow, Fives. We’re at war. Like you said, we are soldiers . We’re just numbers to everyone but each other. We die and are forgotten. It's what we do. All we were made for.”

“No!” he shook his head adamantly and resisted the urge to squish Echo’s face between his hands. “We aren’t numbers, we aren’t forgettable. None of us are. O’Niner, Buddy, Nub, Escape, they won’t be forgotten. Not by anyone who knew them, and we will make sure that everyone we meet knows what their sacrifice did for the Republic. They’re heroes, not numbers.”

He bent forward and pressed his forehead firmly against Echo’s. “As for the rest of it, I can try my damn hardest to be sure that you don’t get as much as a paper cut. No scratches, no bruises. I’ll do my damndest to keep you safe, Echo. From everything. No matter what. If there is someone who should keep on to tell our stories, it's you. And I’ll be sure of it.”

“Now you’re just being even more unrealistic.” he muttered, lashes fluttering as tears escaped his eyes.

Fives sighed and swiped the tears falling down Echo’s far too pretty face away with his thumbs. “Okay, maybe I can’t guarantee that. But I can promise that we have each other, that we will always have each other. We have the other three too. Not only will I do everything in my power to not let anything happen to you, but we will all look out for each other. No matter what happens.”

Echo reached a hand up to touch the bandage on his shoulder. “You can’t even promise your own safety, Fives. Like I told you on that rock, I can’t lose you. I, I just can’t . I know you think I would be okay, but I know I wouldn’t. Losing O’Niner and the others hurt, but losing you? I’d be devastated.” his whole form shuddered and he whispered. “I don’t know how to do this. I thought I knew what it meant to be a soldier, to fight and see others die, but I didn’t. I was wrong. And I don’t know how to go forward.”

“One step at a time.” Fives told him gently. “Tonight, well, tonight we mourn our brothers. We cry and we comfort each other and then we sleep. Tomorrow, we face a galaxy that may not have changed for anyone else, but it's changed for us, and that is what matters. We face those changes, like we always have. We start a new chapter with the Five oh First and we keep going.”

“And after that?” Echo whispered.

“Anything could happen after that.” Fives admitted. “But no matter what that anything is, we stay together. No matter what the galaxy throws at us, we face it beside each other.”

Echo sniffled and nodded his head against Fives’s. “Well, that part is easy. I don’t plan on ever leaving you.”

Fives pressed more firmly against Echo and the other’s breath hitched. For a moment, he was worried that Echo was going to pull away, but instead, he lifted his hand to press against the back of Fives’s neck. An action which had Fives letting out a relieved, content sigh.

“I’m not ever leaving you, either.” he promised. “We will beat the odds, Eyayah. We always have, and we always will. We’re one set of Dominos that will never fall.”

Echo hummed, a sound that was almost a chuckle, and nodded. “Thank you, Fives.”

“You never have to thank me. Not for being here.” 

Not for loving you, he desperately wanted to say. He didn’t though. Couldn’t. Now really wasn’t an appropriate time. Echo was mourning. He was mourning. Now was a time for comfort, not for love confessions.

So, he just held Echo tight and relished in his closeness. He didn’t need to admit his feelings, anyway. Not with the chance of them not being returned. This, having him here and close and alive, this was enough. Really. It was. It had to be.

Chapter 16: Perceptions Are Changed

Summary:

Dominos have their first morning on the Resolute, and Echo is given a very unexpected surprise.

Chapter Text

Waking up as a member of the Five oh First shouldn’t have felt so different, but it did. It was. And that wasn’t entirely due to just metaphorical, mental reasons. There were real, tangible differences. For one, the hum of the ship was different, a sensation he had never felt before. And Echo was pretty sure he could actually feel it. For another, he woke up curled snuggly in Fives’s arms, something that was very different.

The night before, the comfort and care Fives had shown him, felt almost like a dream. He had half expected it to have been a dream. But waking with his face pressed into Fives’s throat proved very quickly that the night had been real. Had actually happened. 

Unfortunately, he didn’t get an opportunity to fully enjoy Fives holding him, though. Not because the rest of Domino decided to ruin it, which probably would have made him cry if he was honest, but because a knock on the door had all of them springing up and out of bed quickly. Their quick alertness, or at least Echo’s alertness, was due to the expectation that it was a superior officer on the other side of the metal expanse. Instead, it was just another vod dropping off kits for them.

“Captain Rex said everything but your armor was destroyed.” he explained with a small, sympathetic smile. “So, here's a full kit for each of you. Hair products, body wash, blacks. Everything you could need.”

“Thank you, vod .” Hevy said as he accepted the bundles from him.

“No problem! And welcome to the Five oh First! We’re happy, and honored, to have you!”

He left and Droidbait asked, “Did he just say honored?

“Well, we are heroes now.” Cutup remarked with a wide grin. “Of course he is honored!”

“That feels weird, and kinda wrong.” Echo said as he squeezed his offered kit to his chest. “We just did our jobs without dying. And really, we didn’t even do our jobs at all. We shouldn’t have had to blow up that base, we shouldn’t have had to fail in order to succeed.”

“Sometimes, that is what succeeding is, Echo.” Hevy replied. “We did what we had to in order to keep Kamino safe. Just because our mission parameters changed doesn’t mean we failed. There was nothing different we could have done.”

“I know,” he sighed. “I guess this all feels like a dream still. Like it isn’t actually happening. We’re in a front line unit. The front line unit after successfully stopping a siege of our home planet. Things like this don't happen to us.”

“It does now.” Fives stated firmly as he gave a gentle squeeze to the back of his neck. “We aren’t underdogs any more, Eyayah. We’re soldiers. We are heroes.”

“Think anyone will realize we’re also kids ?” Droidbait asked nervously. “I mean, I think O’Niner might have had an idea, but it's unlikely to happen here. Not with so many other vod’e around. Isn’t it?”

“If the new CO is as observant as O’Niner, he might notice something .” Hevy said with a shrug. “But like Fives said, we’re heroes now. Medals and everything. They aren’t gonna send us back to Kamino.”

“Or give us shit postings either. We’ve proven ourselves completely, DB.” Fives assured him. “We’re in the big leagues now!”

Droidbait laughed and nodded. “Alright, I’m assured. Also, I call the refresher first!”

He darted towards the small room, laughing loudly as Hevy cursed him out and dived for him. Echo grinned at their antics as he turned his attention away from them in order to open and pull his new kit apart. A happy sigh left him as he sank his hands into the clean, seemingly higher quality, blacks.

“Excited for a fresh start?” Fives asked, causing him to jump at his sudden appearance behind his shoulder. 

“Yeah.” he admitted softly. “I’m still sad, but you helped a lot last night. Thank you, Fives.”

“Anything for you, Ey’ika.”

His reply had Echo flushing and ducking his head, attention resolutely returning to his gear so he didn’t blurt out his feelings embarrassingly. A feat that was getting harder and harder to accomplish. Especially as Fives kept being far nicer, far more caring than Echo could even begin to expect him to be. 

He was starting to think that maybe Droidbait had had a point that day on the beach. That just maybe Fives felt something for him. He wasn’t totally sure what to think, though, and knew that his vod would be able to help him sort through his thoughts. So, when the door to the refresher opened, he turned to ask Droidbait if they could talk later. Only to be immediately struck speechless.

The Domino’s youngest had utilized the hair grooming equipment they had been given. Not only had he used it, but he had used it well, having somehow shaved his hair down to nearly nothing except for two perfectly formed lines that were completely shaved away. They started at his temple and wrapped around his head, forming a simple, yet well done, arrow like pattern. It looked really good, and Echo happily gave him an impressed whistle. 

“Woah, DB! How did you do that so well on your own?”

He beamed . “Been practicing! I mean, drawing different styles and stuff. I’m surprisingly good at straight lines! It was hard in the back, and I think it might be a little wobbly, but there are two mirrors in there! So it worked out well enough.”

“Looks great!” Cutup exclaimed. “Too bad Commander Cody wont be here to admire it!”

Droidbait’s face turned bright red and he shoved him. “Go get a shower. You smell almost as bad as your jokes are!”

“You wound me!”

His exclamation was ignored. Instead, Droidbait turned to Echo and asked, “Are you going to wear your pins?”

Echo shrugged. “Dunno. Maybe? If I feel comfortable with the new sergeant? I’m sure if he is anything like O’Niner I’ll feel fine wearing them.”

Their new sergeant was, well, he couldn’t have been more different to O’Niner. He was energetic, enthusiastic and for some reason had a Republic Cog tattooed across his face. But that didn’t make him worse than O’Niner, nor did it make him bad at all. He was just. Lively.

“I’m Jesse!” He greeted them with a grin. He was standing in the center of the odd store room he had called them to via holo, and raised his arms out to the side as he added excitedly,  “Welcome to the Five oh First, and to Torrent!”

“Torrent, sir?” Echo asked with a small frown.

“Torrent Company! Best squad in the Five oh First. Captain Rex and General Skywalker’s personal unit. Best of the best, boys.”

“Holy shit.” Hevy whispered and Jesse laughed.

“Damn straight!” he exclaimed. “Wanted you guys to meet me here so you can get your much deserved paint. Oh, and to give each of you these.”

He tossed something small to each one of them individually. Echo caught his and gasped, eyes going huge as he stared at the bars in his hand.

“These are E-4 bars.” Hevy said bluntly, his voice shocked. 

“Mhhm! Torrent is a Specialist Unit. Congrats on the promotions, and the medals. I hear they are very well deserved.”

“Echo has Corporal E-4 bars.” Droidbait pointed out with a grin on his face. “Why am I not surprised?”

Jesse grinned too. “Don’t worry, he’s not your boss or anything! Just means if something happens to Rex and I, and there is no one else except Torrent around, Echo’s the one who decides what happens next. Good job, kid. Whatever you did yesterday must have been impressive. Impressive enough that you caught the Captain’s eye, at least.”

Echo had no idea what to say to that, to any of this, and so just stared down at the innocent but shocking red and blue metal in his hands. He had no idea why he was the one who had been given this distinction, and though he thought it had to be a mistake, he wasn’t going to voice that to Jesse. Not yet, at least.

Chapter 17: Lessons Are Learned

Summary:

Fives has a small freak out and Echo panics that he is mad at him for the promotion. The other three set him straight.

Notes:

This chapter has the second art piece, done by the wonderful MarbledPolecat!! Thank you so much for working with me and helping to inspire this chapter! So very grateful to everything you've done to help this story keep going!

Chapter Text

Sergeant Jesse left them alone after tossing them their bars, shocking the hells out of Echo, and then pointing out all of the paint supplies. Echo was relieved, because he’d much rather paint his armor with just his batch around. Especially with Fives being so off

He had been off since Jesse had confirmed Echo having corporal bars wasn’t some sort of weird cosmic mistake. Or worse, a prank. Though, to his surprise, it was only Fives that was seemingly annoyed by this fact. He had been sure that they all would have been.

Not that he would have blamed them, nor did he blame Fives really. Hevy, or even Fives himself, would have been a much better choice to give the slightly higher rank to. If it continued to cause tension between them, Echo wouldn’t hesitate to go to the Captain himself to fix it. Not only did the better soldier deserve the distinction, but he couldn’t handle the idea of Fives being mad at him. 

The tension in Fives seemed to loosen as they gathered all of the paints and began to color the whites of their armors. At least, he was loose enough, comfortable enough again, to laugh and joke with the rest of them like normal. Echo was relieved. Though, it only lasted until Echo got to painting his chest piece.

As he pulled it to him, he couldn’t help but to stare at the dark blue handprint emblazoned across it. The dried eel blood was nearly the exact same color as the Five oh First blue paint. It wasn’t chipped at all, the substance clearly thicker than most sentient blood. Echo knew that it made more sense for him to wash it off, but he didn’t want to. It felt right, like it belonged. Like he was supposed to have it. A mark that he had earned .

So, he took one of the smaller paint brushes and began to very carefully paint over the perfect handprint. As soon as he started to, though, all lightness in Fives’s voice vanished as he spoke up in an alarmed, demanding tone.

“What’re you doing?”

“Uhm, painting my chest piece?” he replied, lifting his head up to see that Fives had put all of his armor pieces back on and had been surveying himself in a mirror. He was standing frozen now, staring down at Echo as if he had suddenly grown an extra head. Or, grown something worse even.

Fives shook his head. “No, why are you keeping that? The handprint?”

“Oh.” Echo shrugged. “It's the first mark on my armor that I’ve ever gotten? It just feels right to keep. Like I’m supposed to have it.”

“Oh, sure. And it has nothing to do with the fact that Captain Rex gave it to you.”

Echo frowned, not at all sure what in the hells Fives was talking about. He wasn’t making any sense and it was hurting his brain. 

“What? Fives, that makes no sense.” he felt he had to make sure Fives knew just how little Echo was understanding him. Which was very, very little.

“That handprint.” he gestured towards it nearly dismissively. “It's like the Captain claiming you or something.”

“No it's not.” Echo retorted immediately, even more confused now. “He was making fun of me. There was nothing even remotely like that involved and you’re being weird.”

“Sure, sure. Making fun of you.” Fives drawled. “He was making fun of you so much that you caught his eye .”

He realized suddenly what this was about and winced. “Fives, if this is about that, I’m sorry. I’ll say something.”

“Don’t bother.” he slammed his newly painted helmet on his head, the stylized image of a Rishi eel staring Echo down as harshly as Fives had snapped at him. “No need.”

“Fives, wait!” he exclaimed as he bounced to his feet, but the other didn’t listen. Just twisted on his heel and stalked out of the room.

“Fives!” Echo shouted uselessly after him, his voice cracking painfully as he did so. This was what he had been afraid of. He knew he should have said something to Jesse then and there, avoiding this mess before it could even start. 

“Hey, Echo, it's okay.” Droidbait set a hand on his shoulder, causing him to jump in surprise, before the other was guiding him back onto the crates behind him. “He just needs a moment to cool down.”

“But I can fix it!” Echo insisted, blinking away the tears that tried to gather in his eyes. He wasn’t going to cry. Not over this. He wasn’t. “I can get the Captain to give Hevy, or Fives, or, or any of you the corporal bars! It won't be hard. He just needs to give me a few minutes to get it fixed!”

Cutup gave a laugh that sounded incredulous. “You think his lil hissy fit was about that?

“Well, yeah!” he exclaimed, twisting his head to look over at him. “He’s upset. Jealous, even. What the hells else would it be about?”

Hevy turned back away from the doors to face him, his expression suddenly exasperated. “Echo, I’m pretty sure Fives agrees wholeheartedly about you getting the rank. I know I do. His freak out is very much not about that.”

“I don’t understand.” he admitted weakly. “Anything. What is his damn problem then? What did I do?”

“Nothing.” Droidbait said as he squeezed Echo’s shoulder. “You’ve done nothing wrong, Echo.”

“But the only thing it could be is the stupid bars!” he exclaimed. “If you say I didn’t do anything, then what else is he mad about other than me getting a promotion I shouldn’t have? Any of you deserve this more! I know it, you know it, and Fives clearly knows it too!”

Hevy sighed as he shook his head. “You earned those bars because it was your knowledge and plan that allowed us to blow that base to pieces. Because you were clearly skeptical, clearly uncomfortable, but you did what you had to anyway. Not only did you do the minimum of your duties, but you improved and perfected the plan in a way none of us would have thought of. You deserve the Corporal E-4. You’re the strategist, the one who rightfully should call shots, make plans. Trust me, we all agree. Fives is throwing a hissy fit because he is in love with you and too much of a coward to say it. And he thinks you have a thing for the Captain. Worse, he thinks the Captain has a thing for you too. Because he is an idiot.”

“What!” Echo exclaimed, eyes going impossibly wide as he gaped at Hevy. “Have you lost your mind?”

Droidbait shook his head sadly. “Echo, I told you when we were looking for your shells he had feelings for you.”

“I didn’t believe you!” he exclaimed, though he thought about early this morning when he had been contemplating whether or not Droidbait had been right. Could he have been? Did Fives like him? Were they telling the truth?

Cutup laughed, tearing him away from his thought spiral. “Echo, mate. C’mon. Fives is gone for you. You could be completely senseless and be able to tell!”

“That makes literally no sense.”

“You know what I mean!” he waved his hand through the air and then continued. “It is so obvious what he feels. He’s only being an idiot because he thinks you have a crush on Captain Rex.”

“No way, he isn’t that stupid!” Echo insisted, the idea of him feeling anything for anyone other than Fives complete and utter nonsense. “I’m certain it's incredibly obvious what I feel for Fives! If he liked me too, wouldn’t he have said something!”

“It is obvious.” Hevy agreed with a nod. “But Fives is just as oblivious as you are. You’re both idiots and it's exhausting.”

“Not an idiot.” he grumbled out, barely resisting the urge to petulantly cross his arms and glare at him. Instead, he looked around at all three and hesitatingly asked, “He, he really does feel something for me? Romantically? You guys aren’t just being jerks?”

“Yes!” the three of them exclaimed together.

“Echo, we would never do something like that.” Droidbait said seriously. “I promise you, Fives is as head over heels in love with you as you are with him.”

He sat silently pondering their adamant insistence for a long moment. He knew that they loved him, that they would never do anything that would hurt him maliciously. Especially not about something that was so important, not just to him but to the team. Lying about something like this would destroy their entire team dynamic. He knew they would never allow, let alone cause, that to happen.

Between that fact, and Echo’s own questioning on how Fives felt, he was suddenly sure that it was true. Fives had feelings for him, and his jealous outburst wasn’t at all for the reason that Echo had thought. It was silly and nonsense and Echo was determined to shake some, clearly much needed, sense into him.

With that realization, he jumped down from the crate and began to put all of his armor pieces back on. As he clipped his chest piece on, Cutup tilted his head curiously in his direction.

“What’re you doing?” he asked, his tone a little nervous.

“I’m going to go tell Fives he is a moron.” He replied firmly as he attached his helmet to his belt. “And then I’m going to kiss him so he realizes just how stupid he is.”

Chapter 18: Everything's Brighter, In This Big Old World

Summary:

Echo and Fives finally have a long awaited talk.

Notes:

Final chapter!! Thank you so much to everyone who has been reading, commenting, leaving kudos! You are all amazing and I couldn't adore you more! I hope this last chapter meets expectations!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Echo found Fives sitting in the rafters of the hanger bay. He didn’t know what had guided him to that spot, but he had gone there with no hesitation. Hadn’t even stopped to check in their new barracks. It was like he had instantly, instinctively known where the other was, and had been right without question.The only thing that had stopped him from going directly there, was the sudden urge to put the gold clips in his hair. He had promised himself that he would wear them for a special occasion, and finally telling Fives his feeling felt pretty damn special.

Finding Fives sitting with his back to the wall and legs hanging over the edge of a large metal beam had him worried, though. The ledge was just wide enough that Fives’s knees hit the edge of it perfectly, his lower legs swinging out in the open. One hard push and he would be tumbling down to the ground far, far below him. Despite the precarious seating, Echo didn’t hesitate to join him. He would never hesitate to be at Fives’s side, no matter the danger.

So, he sat down without saying anything and immediately pressed his shoulder to Fives’s. They continued to just sit in a slightly tense silence for a long moment before Fives was letting out a sudden, very heavy, sigh.

“I’m sorry, Echo. I shouldn’t have behaved like that.”

Echo contemplated what to say to that. He didn’t want to tell Fives it was okay, because it wasn’t. He had hurt him, made him almost cry, even. And he wanted the other to know why he had been so hurt.

“I thought that you were mad about the corporal bars.” he admitted finally, hoping that it would give Fives a bit of perspective.

“You what!” Fives exclaimed, head twisting around to stare at him. “No! Never! Echo, I am so freaking proud of you! No one deserves those more!”

He flushed and just barely resisted the urge to duck his head. Instead, he firmly met Fives’s eyes and asked, “If you didn’t think they should have gone to someone else, then what is your problem? Why did you act like that Fives? It's not like you.”

Fives’s cheeks darkened as well and he gave a small shrug. “I just, well, I…ugh! I don’t want you to have a crush on the Captain!”

Echo blinked a couple times at his exclamation and then said as firmly as he could, “I do not have a crush on Captain Rex.”

Fives gaped at him for a long while. Long enough that Echo had just begun to contemplate reaching out to gently close his mouth when he spoke. “You, you don't?”

“No. Not at all. I admire him, he's a badass who wouldn’t, but in no way do I have any sort of romantic feelings for him.” he shuddered. “At all.”

“Oh!” Fives blurted out, his expression turning lost and embarrassed. “Oh, okay. Well, uhm. That’s good. Good to know.”

“Why?” Echo couldn’t stop himself from asking, a real, nearly desperate, hope growing in his chest. Despite feeling certain that the others saw Fives having feelings, it didn’t mean they were seeing the truth. He needed to hear it from Fives, and he wasn’t sure he could breathe properly until he had.

Thankfully, he didn’t have to wait long as Fives was very quickly replying, “Because I want you to have a crush on me!”

His exclamation only hung in the air long enough for Echo to take in an excited inhale before Fives was quickly continuing as he twisted to face Echo fully.

“I want to mean as much to you as you mean to me. I want to be the one who makes you breathless and eager. I want to be the one you look forward to seeing every day, the one who always makes you smile. I want you to love me too, Eyayah, more than I have ever wanted anything.”

Echo felt as if he could have soared. Could have stood up and flown off the ledge they sat on. He felt weightless and alive . Free and whole in a way he never, ever had before. He felt right . All because Fives loved him. Fives loved him .

He beamed, an ear to ear grin spreading across his face that had Fives’s eyes widening.

“Eyayah? Are you just gonna smile at me? What’re you thinking? Is, is that okay?”

“I love you so much, you damned dikut .” he gushed with a laugh. “I’ve been in love with you for so long, I don’t remember a time when I didn’t. You leave me so breathless, I forget how to inhale. You are the person I want at my side, always. I love you, Fives.”

A grin to match Echo’s spread over Fives’s face as he let out a truly delighted laugh.

“You do?”

“Yes, you oblivious idiot! Wasn’t I obvious?”

“No! No, Echo, trust me. If you had been obvious I would have said something long ago! Wasn’t I?”

“Are you kidding me? Of course not! Droidbait even insisted you had feelings for me weeks ago, and I didn’t believe him.”

“Seriously!”

Echo nodded, suddenly much more bashful as he admitted, “I didn’t see how someone as perfect as you would see me like that.”

“Now you’re the one fucking with me! You’re the perfect one.” 

“No I’m not!”

“Yes, you are!”

They stared at each other for a moment and then burst into delighted laughter together. Echo didn’t think he had ever been this happy, this carefree. And the feeling only kept growing as Fives kept talking.

“Oh, wow. We wasted a lot of time, didn’t we? We could have had so much more for so long if we had just kriffing paid attention.”

Echo nodded. “Yeah, yeah we really, really did. Hevy said that we’re both stupid. And called you a coward. He might have had a point, at least on the first one.”

“Hevy is an asshole.” he replied and then sighed. “But he’s not wrong. On either count. I was a coward. But screw that, not any more!”

He reached out to cup Echo’s face, his eyes suddenly widening as he did so. “You have gold clips!” he blurted out and Echo laughed.

“I do. They’re my special occasion clips.”

“You look beautiful,” he replied breathlessly. “Glad to know you think this is special.

“The most.” Echo agreed and then added, “That wasn’t what you were going to say, though, was it?”

He shook his head, and then with a determined look in his eyes, he asked, “Eyayah, can I kiss you?”

Echo was pretty sure he had never nodded his head so quickly before. Fives didn’t hesitate, either. As soon as he stopped nodding, he was bending forward to press their lips together. 

He had no idea what to expect from a first kiss, but this beautiful sense of right was exactly what he had been hoping for. There were no fireworks, no butterflies. Not like Cutup’s romance novels. Fives’s lips were a bit chapped and the kiss was nothing more than lips pressed to lips. But it was the most perfect, galaxy altering contact that Echo had ever experienced. 

Nothing would ever be the same for him now, because Fives loved him. Because Fives had kissed him. Nothing would ever be the same again, and he was more than okay with that. In fact, he was nothing but eager for whatever came next.

Notes:

Thank you everyone for reading!! Just so you know, I do have Ideas for this AU all the way through to the end of the war. (As well as some AU's of the AU). At some point, I plan to actually write those ideas as well! Just not sure when I will be able to get around to it.