The Bad Batch Aftermath{TechxOC}

Rescuing Hope

Valerie rubbed the bridge of her nose and sighed in defeat. "You know Valerie with this information I told you, I must protest you going on this mission." Riyo said, still on the holotable.

She looked up at the senator again. "Yea I know, I would be disappointed if you didn't protest."

"Please be careful. You are an important ally and an even greater friend." Riyo said before clicking off the holotable. Valerie rested her hands on it, thinking for a moment.

"Dank ferrik!" Valerie slammed her fist on the table. "What am I going to do?" She whispered. She stood straight up and left the room. No one was in the hall she was in, she started walking towards the bridge, trying to come up with a plan of any kind to rescue her master.

"Valerie!" Someone called out and she slowed her pace. When the other person caught up she looked at them and saw it was Eloise. "Are you alright? You look disheveled."

"Disheveled?" Valerie questioned, "and I'm okay I guess. Lots on my mind and so little time."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" She asked.

"I don't think so, but thank you." The two of them walked in silence for a few minutes. Valerie needed a distraction before she lost her mind. "So how's your medic training going?"

"It's going good. Echo and some other clones are going on a rescue mission soon and Echo asked if I would like to join him." Valerie looked over to the Twi-lek and saw her grinning from ear to ear.

Valerie raised an eyebrow. "Are you going because of your medic training or because Echo asked you too?" Valerie's tone teased.

Eloise looked down at the ground, trying to hide her smile. "A bit of both." Her voice was almost a whisper.

Valerie smiled. "You like Echo." She nudged the other girl.

Eloise stroked the lekku that hung over her shoulder. "I mean maybe a little."

Valerie laughed. "Not just a little! You have a crush on him!"

"Shh! Not so loud." Eloise laughed too. "Echo has been so nice to me since you all rescued me. He's patient, kind, caring, and he doesn't ever touch me without my consent. I know he was a prisoner at one point too, so I know he understands what I went through. Don't get me wrong, everyone here is so nice but Echo has gone out of his way to make sure I'm doing okay, checking up on me, making sure no one is being rude to me, things like that. He's such a gentleman. Echo was the first person to my rescue when you came back for me."

"What happened, back on Ord Mantell? I never got the chance to ask you."

"One of the Zabrak men grabbed me, he said that master ordered him to 'dispose of me' as intruders were attacking him. I wasn't sure what that meant so I tried running away, but he grabbed me. He held his knife up to my throat and before he could kill me. The person who saved me, Echo, shot him and I collapsed to the ground. I thought at first I did die, but he came over and held his hand out for me and when he pulled me up he got me behind him as more Zabrak men came running in. He used his body to shield me and for some reason I clung to him. Given my history as you know, I'm usually wary of men but at that moment I trusted him completely."

"That's good Eloise, that you were able to trust him." The two of them stopped in front of the bridge. "Echo is a good man, an honorable one. He's rescued me as well. I'm happy for you and if you do try to pursue that, it may take time as Echo is very much a dutiful man. He takes his role very seriously."

"I know Valerie, that's part of why I think I like him. Under his rough and gruff exterior he's a big softie and sweetheart. He checks up on me regularly whenever he can."