FORESIGHT and SCOPE: BOOK TWO

C H A P T E R F O R T Y-F O U R

Echo picked himself up and nodded his head towards the Marauder. "Keep an eye on them."

Omega gazed over her shoulder at me and my chest tightened; her round cheeks were stained with small tears. I forced a smile in attempt to comfort her and nodded. "Go on. Hunter is waiting. I'll be right behind you, Half-Pint." I watched the young clone race off to the Marauder, where the sergeant was indeed bided at the top of the ramp. The sergeant and I locked eyes for a moment, and in that instant I wanted to change my mind and bolt to Omega's side, wrapping her in the biggest hug...

"Fern," I turned my head at the sound of my name. Echo adjusted his helmet under his arm as his shoulders relaxed. "This decision was not made lightly. There were, a lot of considerations. Most came from what you have told me in the past."

Our conversation on Serreno flashed through my mind: "But you, Echo, are different. You are a reg...bred, trained, and experienced for large amounts of companionship and duty, and your trauma at the Separatists' hands made you much more compassionate than I think I, the others, and even you realize. You care for those you don't even know because you do not want them to experience what you have experienced.
While Hunter focuses on providing the good life of his squad, you focus on providing the good life to others. And that, is admirable..."

I chuckled softly. "So I convinced you where your true purpose lies?"

The cyborg clone stepped forward with his hand stretched out. "That's not what I meant."

"It's not what you think." I said back, and paused for a moment to regain my deteriorating composure. Why was it so hard to speak? "You and I both know, sooner or later, you were going to move on from this life," I gestured to the ship. "and pursue the one you belong in. And I," My breath exhaled with airiness, "could not be more happy I helped you realize that."

I reached out and wrapped my arms under his, hooking my palms on his armored shoulders. My chin rested in the crook of his neck. I inhaled slowly as my eyes fluttered close. I had known it all along: Echo didn't want to give up the fight. While he didn't want anything bad to happen to his brothers, Omega, and me, he didn't want to say goodbye to his life as a soldier if it meant having to stop helping people. That was who he was...

CT-1409...Despite never officially meeting him until after the war, I knew all about Arc Trooper Echo before I joined the squad. His given name made him stand out as the 'by-the-book', unassuming cadet, who graduated despite everyone saying him and the rest of the Domino Squad were defective. He survived an attack on Rishi moon with only one other member of his squad. He lived through hard-won campaigns and heroically defended Kamino. Our Echo was then captured and experimented by Wat Tambor and the Techno Union, lost his best friend and batchmate to the mechanism of Palpatine's evil plans, and he survived Order 66 and the bombing of Tipoca City. After all he endured as one man, he was still willing to put his life on the line despite everything he had been through...because it's the right thing to do.

And I could not be any more proud of him.

My mixed feelings of respect and melancholy churned in my heart and stomach, and I felt them weigh me down. I wondered if Echo could feel that weight in our embrace. My breath scoffed as I tightened my grip on his shoulders to hold me up. "I guess you'll have to wait on that bionic arm I promised you." Echo pressed his hand in between my shoulder blades, but remained silent, like he couldn't find the words. I sensed this and sighed, "Hey, it's like you said, 'it's not forever.'"

"I was going to tell you earlier."

"I know," I released our hug. Raising myself on my toes, I pecked a small kiss on his left cheek as I held the other with my palm. "and, on Serreno, I would've joined you."

Finally, I stepped away and looked to our onlookers. "See you around, Captain." I gave Rex a two-finger salute. He acknowledged me with a nod. I then turned to Riyo and bowed. "The next time we meet, I hope it is on less dire terms, Senator."

"Agreed." The young Pantoran woman approached me and tightly hugged me under my arms. "Be safe, Fern."

"You, too." I breathed. After one more squeeze, I jogged to the Marauder and boarded it. Hunter was there waiting for me, just he did for Omega. Once the ramp closed behind me, Tech piloted the ship off Coruscant with Wrecker as his co-pilot. I swallowed my tears down and inhaled sharply before gazing up at the sergeant. "Omega?"

"Your room." He gestured with a nod. I looked to the back of the ship and my heart broke when I saw the young girl clutching her Lula doll to her face and chest. Echo had wanted to tell me when he made his decision...yet he and none of the other boys thought of telling Omega beforehand...

"Will you go talk to her?" Hunter questioned softly.

"Not right now." I decided. "She needs a moment before I do. So do I—I mean, I just need my own moment to figure out what I would say. After all, I was caught off guard as well..." I muttered the last part under my breath. Omega's last words to Echo replayed in my head: "We need you, too."

I saw Hunter retract his outstretched arm. "Echo had told us you know him the best. That you figured out his character before he truly understood himself, and that you were the reason he wanted to start anew. He said, out of all us, you would accept his decision the most."

"He's correct." I forced a smile. Although Hunter's message warmed me inside, my mind wandered. But that doesn't make the departure any less painful...I know I'll move on eventually, as we all do, but then there's Omega...Echo leaving temporarily...it might as well be forever to her...

It's okay. She will adjust eventually. I will help her along the way. Whenever she needs me, I will be there for her.