The Bad Batch: Oneshots

Clouded Mind

The ear splitting sound of a bomb snapped Echo out of his trance. He gripped his blaster tighter, aiming it at another B1 about to shoot at his brother. How he got there, he didn't remember, but all that mattered in the moment was that they won.

"Fives, I could use a little help here!" he shouted to his brother as droids surrounded him.

"Yeah, I'm coming!" the ARC blasted his way back to him. Soon all the droids were taken care of, leaving the usual mess of disembodied humps of metal.

"Took you long enough." Echo punched his brother playfully on the shoulder.

Fives took his helmet off, resting it on his hip. "Like you would do any better."

"Well, maybe if you followed the plan to its exact-"

"Blah, blah, blah. If I wanted to re-read the manuals I would have." Fives rolled his eyes, making talking motions with his hands.

"They would do you some good," Echo retorted just as Tup came running up to them.

"The Captain said he's ready to go back to Coruscant, but if you're so inclined to remain on this garbage planet then you're more than welcome to stay," Tup said as if trying to recall Rex's exact words.

"He wouldn't leave us," Fives said in an over dramatic gasp, but started to walk back.

"Good ol' Rex," Echo chuckled under his breath as he and Tup followed.

Landing on Coruscant was always a good feeling after a long campaign. Though they were never given the nicest things, the barracks were good enough to call home.

Echo plopped down on his bunk, running a hand through his hair as more men spilled into the room.

"Already tired?" a loud voice said too close to his ear.

"Shut it, Hardcase. I'm trying to sleep." Echo slapped his brother's hand away that was poking at his shoulder.

"I wouldn't be sleeping just yet," Rex said entering the room. "Turns out we're needed elsewhere. General Skywalker said we're just here to refuel, so don't get too comfortable."

A mix of groans and 'yes sirs' echoed through the barracks.

"Hear that Echo? That means get up!" Fives pulled his foot with enough force to jerk him off the bunk, causing him to land on the ground.

"Ouch! What was that for!" He glared, picking himself up.

"Time to go, brother," Hevy said, pushing past him with an amused look plastered on his face.

"Can't we catch a break sometime soon," Echo mumbled as he placed his helmet back on.

The next planet was called Umbara. In all honesty, it creeped Echo out. It was dark and gloomy, unlike any other planet he had known. The second they touched foot, shots came left and right.

"Bet I can get more than you," Hardcase shouted at him, declaring competition. Leave it to him to make war a game, but even he couldn't refuse the challenge.

"Not a chance!" Echo hollered back. He had already begun taking down multiple Umbarans. It was just another mission that he would have to get through. Just as he raised his right hand to fire another round out of his pistol, he realized it was no longer there. His whole hand to forearm was gone.

"What?" he rasped, trying to figure out what had happened. He didn't recall any pain of getting shot. Either way it wouldn't be enough to blow his arm off without him noticing.

"Echo! Keep up!" Rex called back.

"Y-Yes sir," he sputtered, trailing after. He would need to see Kix later for sure.

Midway to keeping up with everyone he stumbled, his legs no longer working. Like his arm, they too disappeared, leaving him stranded.

"What's happening to me?" he whispered to himself.

He couldn't breathe. He reached up to take his helmet off, just noticing that it wasn't his helmet. The one he had pulled off his head was black and grey with the number ninety-nine painted in red on the forehead.

He glanced down at what was left of himself to see that his previously white armor was now dark. He grasped his head to make the sudden aching in it stop. His one flesh hand came in contact with something metal. He gently brushed his hand over his now bald head with a device connected around it.

His heart stopped.

"Fives! Rex!" He glanced around in hopes his brothers would come back for him. To tell him what was wrong.

From a distance he could see the rest of his legion taking down all that was left. He tried to convince himself that everything would be okay, but all that faded when he heard General Skywalker shout.

A singular shot rang out as the general fell to the ground. Tup stood over him, his blaster smoking.

"No!" Echo shouted, his voice going raw.

Next was Fives. He clutched his head, sinking to the ground. Even from where Echo was, he could hear Fives rambling about something called inhibitor chips. Jesse stared at him before sending a shot through his chest, silencing the ARC.

"Fives!" Echo yelled at the top of his lungs, somehow catching the captain's attention. Rex came rushing over, sliding next to him.

"Echo, what happened to you? What's going on?" Rex's own desperation showed through.

"I don't know, I don't know." He shook his head as he watched as more of his brothers developed blaster wounds out of nowhere. Some were worse than others. Everyone dropping dead, like a worthless battle droid.

"Good...Good soldiers...Follow orders." Echo looked at Rex who now had tears streaming down his face as he raised his DC17's to the ARC's chest, his hands shaking.

"Rex? What are you doing?" Fear taking over his every thought. He couldn't die this way. He couldn't.

"You're a traitor. All traitors must be terminated," Rex's voice sounded so robotic. Nothing like how his friend was like.

"Rex, please! Stop!" Echo backed away. Metal was now in place where his limbs had disappeared, but he didn't know how to use them.

"I'm sorry, vod." Rex gave him a heartbroken apology before pulling the trigger.

Echo shot up. Sweat drenching his forehead. He panted, trying to catch his breath.

He was on a ship, in hyperspace. No dead brothers littered around him. His senses finally came back to him. The reeking smell of the Marauder and the vacant bunk across from him.

"Echo?" a soft voice (almost the way Fives would say his name) asked, making him jump.

"Are you okay?"

Echo wiped at his eyes as a child placed a small hand on his chest plate, the other hand embracing a stuffed toy.

"I'm fine, Omega," he said quickly. "Just a dream...It wasn't real."