Cejanr (A Rexsoka SWTCW Fanfic)

65

"Gave me cool legs and the ability to talk to machines." Echo smirked. "What did you get when you died, trauma?" He asked. Fives smiled, but Echo recognized the far away look in his eyes.

"Among other things. I got a cool scar." Fives joked, carefully detaching his shiny blue beskar breast plate and setting it on the floor gently. He rolled up the form fitting grey shirt he wore under his armor to show Echo the ripples of a purplish white starburst about the size of an apple just under his navel.

Echo raised a silver eyebrow. "Nice. I have one like that, but it goes all the way around." He snickered. Fives let out a low whistle.

"What are those from? Did they try to cut you in half?" He asked, pulling his shirt down and carefully replacing his chest plate. Echo shrugged.

"Think it was from the explosion, but they probably did something to attach my legs too." He said, frowning as he grasped at the holes in his memory. Fives's face crumpled slightly.

"It should have been me. I never should have let you go first." He whispered. Echo cocked his head to the side.

"Now that's a load of bantha dung and you know it. I took point. I got excited and rushed ahead." Echo took Five's hand and tugged off his glove, pressing two of his brother's fingers to the side of his neck. "And I paid for my mistake. But I didn't die." He whispered, letting Fives feel the heart beating under his fingertips.

"They took my arm, messed with my head snd innards, but the didn't touch my heart. And that heart won't stop beating anytime soon if I have anything to say about it. I promise, vod'ika." He swore. "I don't blame you, Fives. I never will."

Echo's commlink chimed. The Bad Batch were here and landing. The bay doors split open and revealed Hunter's ship. From the cautious way it was guided in, Echo guessed it was Tech flying. He looked at Fives, who was looking at him with wide eyes.

"I have to go now." Echo rasped softly, leaning forward so his and Fives's foreheads met gently. Fives clung to his last squadmate.

"Don't, don't leave me alone again. I don't wanna be the last domino." Fives begged. Echo's own eyes were misty.

"You're not a domino anymore." He whispered, tapping the beskar over Fives's heart. "You're mandalorian. But," he took a shaky breath. "When dominos fall, we fall together. I'll see you on the other side of the war."

Fives stared at him before slowly nodding, hanging his head. "I'll see you on the other side of the war. If..." He paused, swallowing past the lump in his throat. "If you ever get into hot water in the Mandalore system, ask for Quintus Kryze."

Echo nodded before shaking his head with a laugh.

"Quintus. Of course you picked that name. Couldn't call yourself Fives so you named yourself Five." Echo joked, making Quin's lips twitch upward as they grasped hands in a mandalorian handshake.

"Goodbye, Echo." Quintus choked out. Echo smiled.

"Goodbye, Quintus." Echo released his hand and walked over to the ship now waiting at dock where Bo's ship had been.

~

Rex stood in a misty jungle at night. His surroundings blurred together, sometimes looking like Trandosha, sometimes like Umbara, or even like the forests on Onderon.

He let out a breath that froze in the chilly air, a cloud of steam billowing out from his lips as he started forward. Despite the chill, he wasn't cold.

He heard snapping in the brush behind him and his heart rabbited in his chest. Almost without his conscious consent he was flying in the opposite direction, as fast as he could.