Guarded (#2 Post-Order 66 Series)

Guarded - Part 13

The blaster was leveled at Echo's forehead before he could even blink. "Jex, who the kriff are these people?" Sabé growled.

"Bodyguards hired to help protect the queen. They're trustworthy."

Her brown eyes bored into Echo's, and her grip tightened on the trigger. He knew it was foolish to expect any recognition when he shared the same face as millions of others in the galaxy, and even more so when he had changed so significantly since their last encounter. "How do you know me?" she snarled. "Who are you?"

Echo slowly holstered his weapon, waving at Crosshair to lower his as well before raising his hands in surrender. He wet his lips as he looked at her. "You and I have met before. A few times during the war. I served in the 501st under General Skywalker. I was an ARC trooper, used to have a handprint on my armor. My name is-"

"Echo died," she spat. "He was killed at the Citadel. I attended his memorial with the senator." The metal pressed harder against his forehead. "Try. Again."

I didn't know they had a memorial. That was nice. He shook his head slightly. Focus. "I was dead, but the Separatists took me and...revived me? I'm not sure of everything that happened, but I was taken to Skako Minor, fixed up with all of this," he said, gesturing at his cybernetic limbs, "and then had my neural network tapped into so that I could counteract the GAR strategies, many of which I had helped come up with. Captain Rex, Anakin, and Clone Force 99 rescued me. It was towards the end of the war, so I'm not surprised you didn't know, but I swear to you, it's me."

Sabé wasn't convinced, her gaze hardening. "That's quite a story."

His mind raced. Suddenly, a memory rushed to the forefront of his brain. "We were providing security on a diplomatic mission with General Skywalker once before I made ARC. Fives and I were both there, escorting you and the senator to meet with one of the neutral planets. I can't remember which one, but I do remember Fives shamelessly flirting with you, and you told him that if he didn't back off, his name would have to be changed to 'Fours' and then you just walked away. He never did figure out what you meant by that, but it was enough to get him to shut up." He laughed softly at the memory.

Her glare softened, and he saw some of the tension in her grip on her blaster relax.

He continued. "Your robes were dark purple that day. I remember because you got jostled that evening at dinner and spilled wine on yourself, but you joked that it blended in perfectly. I couldn't suppress a laugh under my bucket, and you shot me a glare when you heard."

She pulled the blaster from his forehead, and her eyes were wide.

"Echo."

She flung her arms around his neck before anyone could move, and he laughed gently as he hugged her back. "It's good to see another familiar face," he chuckled.

Sabé pulled back from him, her hands cupping his cheeks as she inspected him. He felt her eyes on him, and it made him shift a bit as she took in all of the changes to his physique. She squeezed his shoulders. "Too bad about your hair," she teased. "You had a great head of hair."

"It's much lower maintenance now," he joked, relief washing over him as she took him in. It's nice to have someone not comment on the machinery for once. Her eyes were combing his face until he noted her focusing on something on his head. She took his chin gently in her hand and turned his face so that she could see the right side of his head, and he felt her fingers trace the small scar on his skull.

"It was true about the chips then," she said quietly.

"Yeah. Yeah it was." He noted Crosshair straighten out of the corner of his eye. More true for some than others, he thought. Looking over her shoulder, he took note of the small droid hovering behind her. "That droid wouldn't happen to be a medical droid, would it?" he asked hopefully.