A returning Echo

Chapter Twenty Two

"He's mine now! I get to cuddle him forever!"

"When I get back there, I'm stealing him and taking him to the bunks."

"I'll hide him when you come home."

"He likes me more."

"He's a stuffed animal, he doesn't have feelings," you laughed.

"Still likes me more," Echo chuckled.

There was a brief minute of silence before Echo started talking again, and what he said took you by surprise.

"When we get married, is the wedding going to be big or small?" He asked. You couldn't see, but he'd laid down and was now staring up at the top of his tent, a small smile on his lips.

You took a minute to respond, waiting for the slight shock at his question to fade.

"Well, you have to ask me to marry you first," you laughed. "But I think small would be nice."

"Where would we have it?"

"If you like Dohbar, I think it would be nice to have it there."

"Hmm," he hummed contently, smiling as he closed his eyes.

"I love you, Echo," you said softly, and he could hear the love and adoration in your voice, laced with tiredness. Maker, you were his galaxy, and he was going to marry you someday.

"I love you too dar-"

The sentence was cut short by an explosion. Echo's tent was tossed into the air and he went flying with it. A sudden cannon blast from the enemy had landed next to where his tent was set up, and he'd not been prepared.

The soldiers around him were yelling, panicking as they ran out of their own tents. Anakin was yelling orders, and Rex was leading troops into the sudden fight. But Echo didn't know or hear any of this, the impact of the throw had knocked him unconscious.

"-cho! Echo! Echo please!"

When he finally woke up, his ears were ringing and head pounding. His body ached, and when he reached for his armor, he was shaking.

"Echo come on!"

"I'm here darling," he scratched out, groaning at the pain consuming him.

"Echo what happened? Are you okay?"

"I think we're being attacked," he said, sitting up and holding his head.

"Echo! Kriff, I thought you were dead!" Fives shouted as he ran over.

"Not yet, but I will be if I don't get this armor on," Echo responded, reaching for his chest plate. "I'll talk to you later, darling."

"Please be careful, Echo," you said, and he smiled at his commlink.

"I will. I love you, y/n."

"I love you too, Echo."

The comm ended, and Echo went back to putting his armor on.

"Echo, take a minute, you just got blasted through the air," Fives said, setting a hand on his brother's shoulder.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me," he responded, standing up but stumbling a bit. Fives instantly had a concerned look on his face, grabbing Echo's arm again.

"Kix wouldn't let you go back out like this."

"Well, Kix isn't around."

"Actually, I am," Kix said, having run over to the two ARCs. "I can just look at you and tell you're in no condition to fight."