Star Wars: The Clone Wars - One Shots

To The Fallen Dominoes

The sound of the 79's was always loud, especially when the 501st was visiting coruscant. Any shinies would have to spend a lot of time adjusting to the noise in order to have a good time. Fives and Echo, however, weren't new to the loud chatter and laughter that the clone bar had. In fact the two brothers had come to find comfort in the loudness as it was a reminder that they had survived another battle, they had lived another day.

Not only had Fives and Echo grown used to the sound of the bar but regular attenders had become familiar with seeing the two domino twins always accompanying one another. They were never without the other, everywhere they went they were by each other's side. The names Echo and Fives had practically melted into one name. The two were more than brothers, they were best friends. They couldn't imagine their lives without each other, they now shared a life and if they lost the other they would be broken, only half a life.

However, that was the least of their worries as soon as they stepped into the bar and their ears were filled with chatter and excitement that always filled a person after they had a few drinks. "Fives, Echo," the bartender called as soon as they walked in, "I was wondering when the both of you were going to trickle in. What made the both of you so late?"

Fives shrugged and he and Echo made their way over to the bar. "We're ARC troopers now, Rex was giving us a briefing." Fives puffed his chest out and grinned. "We attend the after battle briefings now."

Echo nodded. "Yep, although I have to admit they're not the most exciting things ever."

"ARC troopers," The bartender said in clear awe, "now that's inspiring. I knew you boys would get there one day. I assume you've been on Kamino the last few times that the 501st has come to Coruscant."

Fives nodded. "Yep, we've been busy cleaning up from the battle of Kamino. There's been a lot of work to get done."

The bartender smiled. "Well I'm glad that you boys are okay, I was worried something had happened to both of you. I would have asked Jesse or Kix or Hardcase but I was worried it would be a touchy subject that they wouldn't want to talk about. However, knowing that the both of you simply got a promotion is a lot less morbid than the alternative of you going missing."

"Yep," Echo said, beaming, "just a promotion, nothing more or less."

The bartender clasped his hands together. "This calls for a celebration, how about I get you boys a few drinks. They'll be on the house. Consider it my congratulations gift."

"Hey, that would be awesome," Fives said, looking at Echo then back to the bartender, "Besides we deserve such a celebration." He winked to show that he was joking and the bartender laughed before turning around to prepare their drinks.

After a few moments he turned back around and set the small glasses on the counter in front of Fives and Echo. "Alright, drink up boys."

Fives and Echo both said their thank yous and the bartender nodded before turning his attention to some of the other clones. Fives grabbed his drink before turning to look at Echo. "What should we toast to? Something as big as us becoming ARC troopers deserves a toast of some sorts."

Echo thought for a moment before shrugging. "I feel like a toast to us getting a promotion is too generic for the situation. We should toast to something with more meaning. Maybe something more meaningful to us."

"We could toast to the 501st? All of them are extremely important to us from Rex to Kix to Jesse and Hardcase. Even to some of the newer members that we haven't fully gotten to know yet."

"I like the idea of toasting to some of our brothers but there's got to be some who are more meaningful to us specifically."

Fives thought for a moment before perking up, an idea having popped into his head. "What if we toast to our fallen brothers. Hevy, Cutup, and Droidbait. We would never have gotten to where we are without them."

"I think that's a wonderful idea."

"To the fallen Dominoes" Fives said, raising his shot glass.

Echo smiled sadly and raised his shot glass to clink against Fives'. "To the fallen Dominoes."

At the sound of the small clink Echo and Fives thought back to the heroic moments of their now deceased brothers that they had grown up with. There was Droidbait who had died working to try and fight off the separatists from invading the Rishi Moon outpost unknowingly trying to prevent the death of his fellow brothers. There was Cutup who had been eaten by the giant eel while they were trying to escape from the enemy. Finally, there was Hevy who had died defending not just Fives, Echo, Rex, and Cody but all Kamino and with that all of his brothers from all battalions. Without him none of them would be where they were today.

"To all the fallen Dominoes," Fives repeated quietly before downing his drink.