Rust is the New Spice

Chapter 6: Storm

Rust is the New Spice

Chapter 6

Storm

~Flash~

Echo jumped and curled into a little ball as the ground rumbled below the Bounty. He heard shuffling and whispering before peeking out from under his blankets. Lloyd stood next to Jay who was rubbing his eyes. Was it a war? Were they being attacked? He felt someone's hand on his forehead. He looked up at his brother's cold blue optics.

"It's just a storm Echo. You may go back to sleep now. Jay and Lloyd will steer us clear of the problem." Zane rubbed his brother's forehead. It felt a little odd, perhaps droids could catch colds?

Nah...he would know perfectly well that droids never could catch colds. The thought was almost laughable.

~Flash~

Echo jumped and clung to his brother's arm. Master Wu looked up from his talk with Nya who was talking to him now. Storms weren't unheard of during this time of year, but they needed to be on standby if something did happen.

"It's alright Echo." Nya tried to sooth the...were those tears? "He is pretty different from you, Zane." Nya reached over and ran a cloth over the scared nindroids cheek.

"Different? I do not wish to be different from him. He is my brother." Echo said. Nya looked up at Kai who smiled at him.

"Nah, being different from your sibling isn't bad." Kai sat down next to his sister. "I'm Nya's brother." This caught his attention.

"You both are...family?" Echo asked.

"Yup, our parents are the same. Kai's older than me." Nya nudged her brother lightly, putting her head on his shoulder. "He took care of me just like Zane is taking care of you."

Echo smiled up at Zane and then at Kai.

"Will you be there...just like Zane is for me?" Kai gave him a cocky smile.

"No one will ever stop me from taking care of her. They've tried...a lot...I lost count at 12..." Kai ran his fingers through his unkempt hair. He had only just woke up

"By last count, Nya has been captured 18 times." Zane said and shrugged as he looked down at his hands.

"We all have had our fair share of captures...including myself." Master Wu said. Echo looked up at them and nodded.

"Myself...once." He said as he held up one finger.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of Echo. Even Lloyd has been captured a few times." Master Wu patted his nephews back.

"Even you brother?" Echo asked. Zane nodded as he sighed.

"A few times yes." He wasn't about to tell him that he had also been killed once.

~Flash~

Echo jumped and looked around at the window and jumped up looking out.

"Jay!" He practically climbed out the window. Zane had to hold him back.

"It is alright Echo. Jay is the master of Lightning. This will not harm him, and it never has." Zane informed him. Just as soon as this was said a bolt hid Jay and Jay absorbed the bright flash and just sighed as steam came off him.

"All's good!" he called out.

"Doesn't it...hurt?" Echo asked Jay. Jay snorted and stretched as he came back up the steps.

"No, but it does make things taste strange for a bit." Echo didn't expect that.

There was a bright flash, but the light kept going. He turned to see the sun poking over the distant mountains.

"Oh...wow..." He watched as the reds and oranges broke through the clouds. Zane smiled as he watched his brother marvel at the sky.

"Come on Cole, gotta make breakfast." Jay said as they walked toward the kitchen.

Echo leaned over and whispered to Zane.

"Cole is cooking?" He asked his brother.

"Yes..." Zane informed his brother. Echo walked over to the side of the ship and looked down.

"Echo what are you doing?" Lloyd asked him as he picked up some of the damaged tools from the lightning.

"Thinking of jumping ship...I was informed that Cole is cooking..." Lloyd looked amazed.

"May I join you?" Lloyd asked.

Zane snorted as he tried not to laugh.