The Plans We Made • TBB

4.Echo

The Poletec scouts brought them all the way to the top of a rocky hill, pointed to a bunch of stilts a few miles away that ascended up past the clouds and out of view. And then the locals left the Republic fighters alone.

    General Skywalker turned to face the six clones. "Hope nobody's scared of heights."

    Sunset, Crosshair, and Hunter turned to Wrecker, who shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I'm not scared of nothing. I just...When I'm up real high, I got a problem with gravity."

    Sunset pulled her helmet up to rest on top of her head. She grinned at the explosives expert. "Sounds like a fear to me, man."

    "Speaking of problems, I am no longer picking up Echo's signal." Tech chimed, glancing up from his datapad. Sunset furrowed her brows in confusion, leaning closer to Tech to look at the screen of his datapad.

    Rex turned around, shaking his head in confusion. "I...I don't understand. You said it was coming from this city." He pointed to Purkoll.

    "I can only speculate, but it is possible there's a latency issue with the frequency caused by all these atmospheric disturbances." Tech explained, putting his datapad away and pulling out another device.

    Sunset pulled her helmet back on all the way and gazed up at the city being held up by thin stilts.

    "Or...maybe they sent the signal to lure us into a trap. And maybe your friend's actually dead." Hunter speculated, looking right at the Captain. That was what Hunter thought was happening from the beginning, that the signal was meant to capture them. "Well, I can't be the only one thinking of that." He said, crossing his arms.

    Sunset, squinted her eyes, her mind racing through different possibilities, different reasons that the signal has disappeared.

    Rex was getting worked up about the mission, he's too personally involved. "Look, every mission could be a trap." He retorted, pointing angrily at the Sergeant. "This one is no different. I'm telling you that signal is being sent by Echo himself! He's alive!"

    Crosshair tilted his head. "I think you're letting your personal feelings get in the way because you left him for dead at the Citadel."

    The signal is being sent by Echo himself.

    Rex began slowly approaching Crosshair. "I had no choice. You hear me?"

    "Oh, I don't blame you. I would've left him for dead too. Besides, he's just another reg."

    Rex punched Crosshair, and then again and again.

    Sunset rolled her eyes, turning her back from the fight. Could the signal only be activated when Echo himself plugs into the system? And when he's not connected, the signal turns off?

    Wrecker picked Rex up by the scruff of his neck. "Hey! Why don't you pick on someone not your size?"

    "Idiots." Sunset muttered in disappointment. She turned to the spectacled clone. "Tech, let me ask you something." She went on to tell her brother her thoughts about the signal.

    Tech's eyes lit up and he pulled his datapad back out, checking a few things before meeting eyes with his sister. "Sunny, that could be it." He said proudly.

    "You'll be a whole lot smaller when I'm through with you." Rex growled.

    General Skywalker broke up the fight between the three clones. "That's enough!" He snapped, stepping between Wrecker and Rex. He turned to Hunter. "Sergeant, take your men and scout the area for a tower entrance. I want to talk to my Captain alone."