The Bad Batch: Oneshots

Past

     Echo woke up to a sudden shaking. His eyes shot open, hand already going to his hip in search of his blaster.

"Shhh, everything is fine." Echo quickly flipped on the small dim light connected to his bunk, finding a young Omega standing next to him with a guilty look on her face, most likely from waking him up.

"Omega? What's wrong?" He wiped the tiredness out of his eyes, swinging his legs over the side of his bed.

Omega twisted her hands together. She really didn't want to be a bother, but she needed someone to walk her to the parlor. "I kinda told Cid that I would participate in a Dejarik competition today...and it sorta starts in ten minutes."

"You what?" Echo looked at her in disbelief. Of course Cid would ask her to do something like that and knowing Omega and her huge heart, she said yes. Sure, they owed Cid a lot of favors, but she could have at least ran it by of them before asking Omega. Hunter would have freaked out, which was why she probably didn't tell them and why she was asking him out of all people.

"I'm sorry, I just—Cid said it was really important anddd that I would get my usual sixty percent." She hoped the mention of credits would ease the blow. To her relief, Echo stood up with a sigh.

"Okay, okay. I'll take you." Echo grabbed his helmet, trying to make as little noise as possible as the rest of the batch was still fast asleep.

"Thank you, Echo." Omega whispered, giving him a smile as she opened the side door. Echo guided her through the faintly lit streets of Ord Mantell to Cid's parlor which surprisingly had a line outside of it. It was a bit concerning that there were that many people there to gamble, but then again there he was, taking his only sister to participate.

"Great. Cid's gonna kill me for being late." Omega began to bolt through the crowd only to be held back by Echo.

"Cid's lucky that we're—I'm letting you even go to this." He would make sure to have a nice long chat with the Trandoshan about talking to them before any big decisions. "You make sure to tell Cid you have exactly three hours, including ten minute breaks and then you're done. Hunter said to lay low and the fact that he doesn't even know makes this worse."

"Three hours?" Omega whined, throwing her head back. "Cid said this would take the whole day."

"Omega..."

"Right, right. Three hours." Omega nodded. "Can I go now?"

Echo couldn't help but smile at her. She was quite the kid. "I'll be back in fifteen minutes. I forgot to leave the others a note."

"Thanks, Echo." She gave him a quick side hug before running into the parlor. Echo watched as she disappeared inside. Now all he had to do was come up with an excuse for when the rest of the batch found out where he had taken her. As he left for the ship, he brushed past a stranger, accidentally bumping into them.

"My bad," he apologized, continuing his path.

"Yeah, it is your bad," the stranger snipped back.

"No need to be rude," Echo muttered, sending a nasty look over his shoulder at the passerby.

The stranger stopped in their tracks. Whipping around, pointing a finger at him. "Hey, you were the one that ran into me," the female voice snapped.

Echo stopped in his tracks. A cold chill was sent down his spine as he slowly turned around. Her voice brought back a lot of old memories. Ones that he hadn't thought about since...

"Commander Tano?" he shakily asked, taking his helmet off. He didn't even notice when it hit the ground.

"What?" The girl tore her hood from her head, revealing the oh so familiar facial markings. "How do you...wait..." The Togruta stared into his eyes; eyes that she had seen for many years, day after day, yet each one held their own shine. "E-Echo?"