I’m a little disappointed that there very little Echo & The Bad Batch fanfics out there. The ones where Echo is adjusting to his new squad and also recovering from all the things that had been done to him before getting rescued.
If there are some like this out there in the world, can you guys recommend me some?
Synopsis: The Bad Batch meet a new friend on Ord Mantell. She might just change their lives forever
Warnings: None this chapter
Chapter 1 Chapter 2
Chapter 3: Socialization
Read on AO3
Tech didn’t need to use many of his synapses to take off from Ord Mantell and bring the Havoc Marauder out of its atmosphere. He spent most of his attention on watching his oldest brother in his peripheral vision as Echo ran the preflight checks, and maintained stabilization as the copilot, just like he always did. As they lifted off from the yellow-orange horizon and into the black, Tech watched the reflection from the viewport change along the useless access ports adorning Echo’s scalp. They waxed moon-like from pale yellow to white, glowing neon blue when Tech finally made the jump to hyperspace. Echo, ever vigilant, made his usual status checks on the ship once they were safely at light speed, plugging his scomp connection into the port next to his hip.
Tech unclipped his harness and turned to Echo, who didn’t even spare him a glance. “Hey, Eyayah. Ne ceta.”
At the childish nickname and sincere apology, Echo did turn his full attention to Tech. “What for?” Echo asked, suspicious.
“Smith. You seem to really like her. I gave you a hard time. She seems like she’s got a good head on her shoulders.” Tech adjusted his goggles and tilted his head. “I took the liberty of looking into her business history and financials. Smith’s Fabrication is not and never has been involved with any underworld organization. It appears the only debt Smith Audrey owes is to the Ord Mantell government in the order of yearly property taxes on her shop, which have never been in arrears.”
Echo stared at Tech, his teeth clenched in bitter disbelief. He wanted to be angry at his little brother. Data gathering was Tech’s love language, and in his own way, this was Tech showing he wanted to take care of Echo and make sure the way forward was safe.
“Eh, thank you Tech.” Echo slowly disengaged from the ship.
Tech just nodded absently. “I forget sometimes, that there are things we can’t provide… I can keep your cybernetics in working order, but we certainly don’t have fabrication capabilities onboard the Marauder.”
“Among other things.” Wrecker interrupted, stepping into the cockpit holding a datapad. The big man had a grin plastered on his face. “I know Tech gave you shit about that pretty lady Echo, don’t listen to him. You two hit the rack - I’m on watch.” Wrecker let Tech pass him in the cockpit, taking the pilot’s seat with a groan.
Echo sat for a moment longer, looking at his brothers in dumbfounded embarrassment and not a small amount of anger before unbuckling his own harness. He turned his seat around to face away from the viewport to see Hunter coming up to stand beside him.
“Tech giving you a hard time, huh?” Hunter leaned against the bulkhead with his arms across his chest, not quite looking at Echo.
Echo rubbed the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache starting to bloom behind his eyes. “What’s new?”
Hunter sighed through his nose. “Have your fun while it lasts, vod. But we’re all gonna have a hard enough time with Omega’s attachments when the time comes -”
“Are you a fucking Jedi now?” Echo was incredulous. “I’m not ‘attached’ - I just met her for fuck’s sake!”
“Hunter! He just met her!” Wrecker grumbled, tossing a data pad he’d been holding onto the console.
Hunter chewed his lip. “I think you’re hearing me wrong vod. I said, have your fun. Just know your brothers expect to live vicariously through you!”
Echo nearly threw himself out of his seat. “Maker help me!”
Hunter laughed and swung his muscular frame into Echo’s vacated copilot’s seat. “What’s our ETA?” He called over his shoulder.
“Six hours, 14 minutes.” Echo replied. “Sir.” He added.
“Wrecker’s on watch and I have some recon to send out. You should hit the rack while you have a chance.” Hunter turned toward the viewport.
Echo stalked off toward the back of the ship, flopping down into his bunk and pulling a thin pillow over his eyes.
Tech watched closely as Omega soldered a connection in her dismantled data pad, their helmeted heads pressed together at his workbench in the back of the ship. The crackle and fizz of the soldering iron along with Tech’s slow and precise instruction had lulled Echo into a light slumber just a few feet away in the crew cabin. It was quite in the Marauder, Wrecker thumbing through a graphic novel on a data pad in the pilot’s seat while Hunter sent a few sub space messages to their contacts before dropping off into a deep sleep himself.
“Tech? Why is everyone so exited about Echo asking Smith to make something for him? It seems like a lot of fuss over a business transaction?” Omega held the solder up to the connection point and began to heat it with the iron just as Tech had instructed.
For a second, Tech was struck dumb, truly not knowing what the correct response was. He couldn’t deflect or defer to anyone else, being essentially alone with Omega. “I believe Echo and Ms. Audrey may be attracted to one another, er, in an adult manner, Omega… outside of their business transaction. This presents a security risk for us, as we attempt to keep a low profile.”
Omega set her tools down and turned to Tech. “He likes her?” The smile was evident in the girl’s tone.
“Ah, yes. Now you should continue with this connection before the solder cools or the connection will be fragile and you will need to remove it and start again.” Tech tried to move their conversation back to the lesson.
Omega was not to be deterred. “He likes her in a sexual way?” Omega turned around further and removed her soldering goggles on the work helmet she wore. Tech stepped back, keeping his welding goggles firmly in place.
“I believe so, yes.” Tech replied. Omega continued before he could try to steer the conversation away.
“So what happens next? Will he court her? Do they go on a date? Does Echo even have ability to have intercourse?” Omega asked earnestly.
“Oooookay!” Tech took the soldering tools out of Omega’s hands. “I think we’ll end our repair lesson for the day.” Tech set the tools aside and finally removed the welding goggles so he could really look at Omega. “I’m not going to give you the sexual education one-oh-one talk. I’m fairly certain you understand the biology of nat born humans.” Omega just nodded. “But I know life on Kamino hasn’t afforded you a lot of socialization. This is new territory for all of us, ad’ika. Clones in the GAR were forbidden to have relationships, sexual encounters, anything like that.”
Omega frowned. “But, you had to reach sexual maturity to develop physically enough for combat.”
“Precisely.” Tech smiled. “And because of this, we had to be allowed to express hormones. The one thing the Kaminoans couldn’t stop. For a long time they thought Clones were sterile.”
“But Cut -” Omega began to ask.
“Indeed. Cut and Suu were able to have children, proving that theory false. To get to that point however, men and women of all species must find a mate that they find suitable, through trial and error, opportunities clones were forbidden from partaking in, and, frankly, were assumed to never be able to enjoy or be interested in.” Tech shifted nervously where he stood, realizing how close he was coming to dangerously ambiguous territory.
“But now that we’re on our own, it might be possible for all of us to live a different life.” Omega said slowly.
Tech looked up at Omega, taken aback by her insight. “That is correct.”
Omega, abandoning the circuit board on the work table, began walking out of the hold toward her little room in the gunners nest. “So Echo and Smith could get married and have children like Cut and Suu….” she mumbled.
“Dank ferrik! Omega, no! Come back here.” Tech pulled off his goggles and scrubbed a hand over his face, reaching out to tug Omega back into the hold. “Sit. We have much to discuss.” Replacing his goggles, Tech lifted Omega onto the workbench. He swung the attached stool from where it was connected to the hull of the ship and sat in front of Omega with a sigh of frustration, preparing to finish what he started.
Tech didn’t get much sleep on the way to Tatooine, which made shooting their way out of Tosche Station with three crates of power converters meant for the Rebellion no fun at all. Clone Force 99 spent most of the trip back to Ord Mantell trying to get the sand out of their armor. Hunter would find it in his hair for weeks. Tech slept nearly the entire way back to make up for his impromptu socialization lessons on the trip out. And if Echo let Omega land the Marauder on Ord Mantell, well, Tech didn’t need to know.
It was mid-afternoon when they arrived back at Cid’s, leaving the goods in the ship for safe-keeping. Cid was behind the bar, which was unusual, but even more unusual was that she was serving a patron.
“Look what the loth-cat dragged in! You get my packages?” Cid asked sardonically as the squad came through the parlor door, their armor covered in Tatooine’s dust.
“We got your goods. They’re on the ship.” Hunter confirmed. Wrecker was immediately behind him, fairly blocking the entrance.
“Good, cuz I’d hate for your lady friend to be kept waiting much longer.” Cid drummed her fingers on the bar as Smith turned in her seat to see them coming through the door.
Familiarity didn’t come to Hunter or Wrecker, but when Omega came around Wrecker and saw Smith, the girl’s face split into a smile. Tech grinned and Echo’s eyes grew wide when he saw her familiar countenance at the bar.
“Smith! I’m so happy to see you!” Omega hugged Smith like an old friend.
“Happy to see you too, Omega!” Smith slid off the stool she was sitting on and wrapped an arm around the girl. “I stopped in to let Echo know his part’s ready at the shop.”
Cid came around the bar and shouldered her way through. “Broody and Goggles, why don’t you come on back and settle up while Cyborg here entertains the lady. The rest’ a you’s can go gorge yourselves on Mantell Mix.” Cid rolled her eyes as she sauntered toward her office.
Hunter and Tech followed Cid, leaving Omega and Wrecker with Echo and Smith at the bar.
“I finally get to meet the lady Omega’s so keen on!” Wrecker held out his hand for a handshake. “I’m her brother Wrecker.” The big man’s eyes twinkled with mirth.
Smith took Wrecker’s gentle handshake with a surprised smile. “Nice to meet you Wrecker! Smith Audrey.” Smith was dressed much the same as she was the last time they had seen her, except that her hair wasn’t nearly as covered, tied loosely at the nape of her neck, stray curls haloed around her face and the rest cascading down her shoulders. “I really hope Wrecker isn’t teaching her hand-to-hand combat!” Smith said to Echo.
“Hand to hand combat?” Echo’s eyes grew wide. He looked at Omega who was beaming at him. “No! Of course not!”
“I’m gonna teach her to disarm explosives!” Wrecker laughed.
“Seriously?” Smith asked, truly disbelieving.
“Oh yes! I finally disarmed a smoke detector last week!” Omega bounced on her toes.
Wrecker held a hand up for a high-five. “Thirty-seven seconds! Atta girl!” Omega gave Wrecker a high five. “Next time, electro-shock charges.”
“OOOO!” Omega exclaimed, her eyes round with excitement.
“Wait a minute, now!” Echo cut in.
“Oh Maker!” Smith laughed, looking from one to the other, her eyebrows nearly tangled in her hair.
“Alright, alright.” Wrecker held up his hands in surrender. “Meg and I have some celebrating to do. If you’ll excuse us.” He held out his hand for Omega.
“Nice to see you Smith! We have a date at the Mantell Mix booth!” Omega slipped her tiny hand into Wrecker’s paw and let him pull her out into the alley.
And then Echo and Smith were alone in the bar.
“They are quite the pair!” Smith said fondly.
“They are.” Echo turned to see Smith looking at him with a little grin on her face. “What?” He asked.
Smith sat back down on her stool. She had a glass of some neon blue alcohol sitting in front of her. “Nothing. You’re all just cute, is all.”
Echo scoffed, but came to sit on the stool next to Smith. “We’re cute?”
Smith sipped at her drink and nodded, never taking her eyes off Echo. “Yeah. Four men in armor, one of them the size of a karking house, dotting on a little girl? That’s cute.”
Echo felt his face go hot and tried to look anywhere but at Smith. “Yeah, well, thank you.”
“How does that happen?” Smith inquired.
“Long, long story.” Echo gave a wry laugh. “I’m sure your story is much better.”
“I’d love to hear it.” Smith leaned in close. Echo could smell her hair, feel the change in the air when she moved into his space.
The blinking game lights and neon of the bar cast Echo’s features into sharp relief, which Smith studied as they talked. She could see his brothers in him, as well as Omega, and though she didn’t know his past, she could see that he was but a shell of his former self. Smith fiddled with her glass and the cocktail straw, itching to reach out and soothe the skin around the unused access ports on Echo’s scalp. His soft, expressive eyes, that drew in and showed his worry so easily… she wanted to press her thumb along his eyebrows and hold his face in her hands. And when he smiled… his lips were at their fullest and she would swear whatever was in that drink was making her want to bite them.
“Perhaps a story for another day. We’ve been to Tatooine and I have sand in places I didn’t even know I had.” Echo smiled. They shared a uncomfortable grimace and dissolved into laughter.
“I feel for you!” Smith winced. “Oh! I almost forgot! I don’t have your tool, I need you to come by the shop to make sure it’s calibrated correctly, but I was going to drop this off.” She reached into her satchel and brought out a small jar, handing it to Echo. “It’s something I make for a few of my cybernetics customers. It’s for the join between skin and durasteel. Apply it after you bathe.”
“Apply it after I bathe…” Echo repeated. “Thank you. Now if I had a real shower with real water!”
Smith frowned. “You don’t have a fresher?”
Echo shrugged. “Sonic on the ship. No shower here.”
Smith set down her glass with a thump. “Oh no, no. That will never do.”
I wonder what went through the Bad Batches’ minds about Echo during their escape on Skako Minor. Tech was to first one to see Echo and then Wrecker- and then the rest of the batch. I mainly wonder what was going through Crosshair’s head when he meets Echo
(I still remember Crosshair grabbing Echo’s shoulder at one point during the fight with the droids in the village)
I’m now on a mission to watch every single Star Wars: The Clone Wars episode that has scenes of clone troopers. I only know/remember a few and I want to know all of them.
