When Echo arrives with information with the final chances of tipping the scales against the Empire, and the Bad Batch are faced with a choice – staying safely in hiding and ignoring the hundreds of their brothers who need them, or stepping forwards and endangering themselves to play the hero. Either way, Tech knows they'll regret it.
I PROMISE NOBODY DIES!
Tech actually beats Echo to the landing zone. He will admit to being proud of it. Echo is far older than he is, and would be expected to win. Instead, they end up landing the ships about the same time, and Tech makes it to the bottom of the ramp before Echo's has finished lowering – though his is moving considerably slower.
Echo laughs, crouching to hug him briefly. "Good to see you. You weren't kidding – this place is remote."
"What was that about decrypting data?" Tech queries.
"This," Echo answers, extending the data stick. "The sooner we get this open, the better. The Empire's doing something with our brothers. We don't know what, but they're disappearing. The general thinks it's something bad."
"That does sound concerning," Tech agrees, backing up as the rest of his brothers see Echo and swamp him.
"We've missed ya!" Wrecker yells as the twins hug him.
"I haven't been gone that long," Echo replies with a laugh.
"Felt like it," Crosshair argues, "You've been gone for weeks."
"Yeah, I really lost track of time."
"How was it?" Omega asks. She's happy to see him, but, Tech thinks, wary. He's scared, too.
"Oh, it was fine. A few... interferences here and there, but we did good, I think. We're making a little bit of progress, at any rate."
"They told me about the vision," Omega adds, "Do you know what that's about?"
He shakes his head. "No. Sorry, I got nothing to offer. But I just thought I'd come here to see if you were okay."
"I think we are doing fine," Tech offers, "There was a tsunami, which did damage this island, but we are otherwise perfectly safe."
"For right now," Echo objects.
"You think the Empire might find us here?" Omega asks.
"I don't know. Are you sure you want to stay here?"
"I don't know that, either," she replies, "You know, for soldiers, putting down roots is an occupational hazard. But you know, I've come to see we're more than that, Echo. You can be, too."
"Ah, that's not the life I want. At least not right now."
The twins exchange glances. They are, no doubt, planning something mischievous, but Tech will focus instead on this data. Not how upset he is that Echo's not back to stay. The truth is, they all miss him, and they cannot function to the full extent without him. He is the only full trained soldier, aside from Omega.
That makes it hard.
But it is not fair for Tech to request that of him.
***
He could do the decryption anywhere, but hiding inside safely away from where Lyanna and the twins are playing tag, screaming in more high-pitched tones than their voices should be able to go, seemed like a good idea. Echo is sitting on the ramp, Hunter leaning on his shoulder, and Omega's talking to both of them when he finally makes it through.
"I finished the decryption," Tech calls down to the others, brows knitting as he scans the data.
It has a list of prisoners. Just their numbers. None he recognizes, Except –
YOU ARE READING
Mom Omega
أدب الهواةAfter becoming the sergeant of a not-even-squad consisting solely of herself and Echo, Omega had genuinely lost hope of seeing her little brothers again. She didn't expect it to change. Until it did.
