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electrikworm · 6 months ago

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Test Subjects: Part 7

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Relationships: Crosshair & Echo & Hunter & Tech & Wrecker

Content Warnings: Blood and injury, Drug Usage, Emetophobia

Summary:

On the way to Kamino, Echo has some questions about the stims with answers he isn't too fond of. Arriving on Kamino doesn't make the stress they're going through any easier either.

Word count: 4’113

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Echo squints, rubbing at his temple. He's far from a stranger to headaches, but one caused by a concussion certainly bears its differences to Echo's usual ones. For one, the nausea is an additional layer of annoyance the ARC could have done without.

After throwing up back in the base, Echo thought he'd been rid of the uncomfortable sensation. No such luck. Sitting in the Marauder, smell of sick and blood clinging to the air, its slowly taken hold of Echo once more.

Even with Tech mopping the floor hastily, the sour smell lingers. The bucket he'd used to clean now sits next to Echo, just in case the nausea gets worse.

The blood that ran down the back of Echo's head has dried partially, leaving his skin feeling sticky. He doesn't feel like dealing with the injury, the med scanner having revealed that it isn't life threatening. Neither Tech nor Hunter seem inclined to deal with their wounds either, the worst of Hunters having already been patched up.

Wrecker groans, limbs twitching but remaining unconscious. Echo's tried to immobilise Wrecker's hands and right leg, all containing fractures that would benefit from being jostled as little as possible. Despite the ARC's best attempts, the involuntary spasms shaking Wrecker's body still cause him obvious pain. Echo lightly squeezes Wrecker's shoulder in sympathy, though the sentiment is likely lost on his unconscious brother.

The exhaustion washing over Echo has been steadily increasing, going so far to make his eyes slip closed once or twice. He can't afford to sleep, not without knowing that the whole squad is safe. Echo has to distract himself from the urge.

Hunter's been very quiet since he broke down crying, silently watching his brothers. Echo would feel bad bothering him. But Tech rarely doesn't want to talk, so Echo turns to him.

Tech's sitting between Wrecker and Crosshair, alternating between observing his vode and staring at his datapad. Whilst searching for a topic to ask Tech about, Echo's mind wanders to the conversation they had before Hunter returned.

“Something's been bothering me Tech,” Echo starts. “You don't think the Separatists poisoned our stims?”

Echo struggles to think who else would benefit from such an action, dreads to think that Tech believes someone other than their enemy would do so.

“The stim wasn't poisoned,” Tech states, voice tainted by his injured neck, eyes raising to meet Echo's for a split second.

“What other than poison would cause this?” Echo gestures at Crosshair and Wrecker, his sudden movement making him feel a little dizzy.

“Ah, I should clarify that whilst it is not poison, the stims have still been tampered with. This was however done in an effort to enhance them.” Tech looks almost nervous as he pushes his goggles to sit on his face right, the stress obviously making him a little less composed than usually.

“Enhanced?” Echo asks. What Tech says makes little sense, only serving to confuse Echo. He'd never heard of enhanced stims, any ones that cause these reactions making no sense. Echo doubts Clone Force 99 is so genetically different to non-altered clones for the reaction only to be present in them.

“It is simply an experimental substance sent out as a trial run, nothing to worry about if I had noticed it on time,” Tech answers, scowl ghosting across his face at the latter half of his statement.

Despite the stabbing pain in his head, Echo can't help shake it in disbelief. None of this makes any sense. “Why would we be given something like that? Was it an accident?”

Now it's Tech's turn to look confused. He glances over to Hunter, who's preoccupied with watching Crosshair, before looking back at Echo. “Surely you've had new and experimental supplies tried out on your squad before,” Tech states, Echo answering with a shake of the head.

“Never even heard of that happening.”

Tech stares blankly, tilting his head to the side before turning back to his datapad. “That is strange.”

“You're telling me this was deliberate, that Wrecker and Crosshair almost died thanks to an experiment?” Echo doesn't want to believe that that's what Tech is telling him. Clones lives are expendable, that's a fact he grew up with. But handing out untested, potentially dangerous substances to soldiers feels excessive.

“Yes,” Tech answers, “although it is my job to identify these supplies and asses them. I never would have cleared these stims for usage had I not missed them.” The fact that Tech blames himself goes unspoken but implied.

Echo groans, rubbing at his forehead. He doesn't have to energy to deal with this kind of osik. He can't believe anyone would allow such experiments to take part on the battlefield. Had Echo just missed this happening before the citadel, or was this exclusive to Clone Force 99? Either way, it's deranged to put troopers at risk in such a way.

“What kind of experimental stuff have you gotten?” Echo asks.

Tech thinks for a moment before responding. “All sorts. Mostly food and medical supplies, the occasional weapon too.” He pauses again, pulling up the sleeve of his blacks on his left arm, exposing a scar Echo had seen before. It's large, covering a big portion of Tech's forearm. The scar is almost rectangular in shape. Echo had wondered where it came from, but Tech wasn't usually that interested in sharing stories about past injuries. “I'm sure you've seen or at the least hear of temperature neutralizing patches before,” Tech says.

“Yeah, only seen them used once though.”

Echo had been surprised by its use when he first saw it, Kix explaining it to him after. A trooper got hit by a boiling acid spitting reptilian and the substance had refused to stop boiling even after it covered his skin.

But as soon as the neutralizing patches were applied, the spit stopped generating heat. Of course the soldier was still left with horrific burns, but those patches quite likely saved his life. The neutralizing properties of the patches are quite clever, Kix had told Echo, able to balance out extreme temperatures in both directions and neutralize them, without causing damage to the skin below.

“Then you are familiar with how they work?” Tech asks.

“I don't know details, but I understand the gist of it.”

“When they were in development, we were given a pack of them. I'd deemed them safe to use and was quite fascinated by the mechanics behind their temperature adjusting properties. We had no use for them for a while, at least not until I managed to spill hyperdrive-coolant across my arm whilst I was doing maintenance on the Marauder.” He adjusts his goggles again.

Echo hisses in sympathy. Whilst he's always managed to avoid being anywhere near hyperdrive-coolant spills, he's heard of accidents involving the stuff and the sometimes catastrophic outcomes.

“I applied the patch and within seconds, the hyperdrive coolant had been increased to a comfortable temperature. The only issue was that the entire patch heated up to do so and continued to hold that temperature, which lead to it rapidly burning into my skin. With how hot it was, I was struggling to find a way to remove it without further damaging myself. If Hunter hadn't heard my colourful swearing and made the split second decision to pull the patch off, I might have had permanent damage to my arm's movement.” Tech laughs. “Some of my skin did come off with the patch, but I do appreciate Hunter's quick handling. He caused himself some impressive burns on his hand in the process.”

There's an amused expression on Tech's face, one which Echo can't mirror with his persistent displeasure with the situation. Medical supplies that could go so drastically wrong should never be tested on the field.

After a moment of silence filled with nothing but the laboured breaths of their downed kih'vode filtering through the oxygen masks Tech speaks again. “You are absolutely certain you've never had experimental supplies tested on you or heard of brothers that were exposed to these trial runs?” he asks, voice low and serious despite the way his swollen neck muffles it.

Echo nods, regretting the action immediately. “Not once.” Inhaling deeply, Echo continues. “It's a stupidly risky thing to do, testing this stuff on the field. We saw today the damage that these experiments can cause.” Anger slipping into his tone, Echo gestures at the youngest members of their squad with his scomp.

Tech shrugs. “It is a risk, but it is certainly time efficient.” He doesn't look up from his datapad whilst he speaks, tone flat. “And usually, it is my responsibility to keep these experiments from going wrong.”

There's frustration in Tech's voice, his expression, but not as much as Echo would have expected. Clone Force 99 are fiercely protective of each other, the ARC had seen it time and time again. After they'd quickly accepted Echo into their ranks, that sentiment was extended to him as well. For something like this not leave them boiling with anger, they must have been exposed to this kinds of treatment for all their life.

The fact that the four or them have been used in tests extensively isn't anything new to Echo. They're called “experimental” for a reason and he'd seen the aftermath of their upbringing. Some scars they bare are too symmetrical, too methodical, to be from the battlefield and, whilst it's the worst in Wrecker's case, they all show aversion to medical treatment. It all brings up some frightening resemblances to Echo's time with Techno Union, being torn apart and put back together, poked and prodded in labs and the issues he still harbours from that time.

But that that treatment would extend beyond Tipoca City's walls is a shock.

Staring down at his lap, Echo moves his right arm, powering the scomp link up. Something inside it makes a grinding noise as it spins, making the ARC cringe.

He hasn't got pain receptors in the limb, but Echo had soon come to learn that in a strange way, he can still feel the scomp and everything that goes on within. It's wired so intricately into his nervous system, Echo's mind registers it fully as a part of his body. Damage to his prosthetics, whilst not painful in the classical definition, certainly doesn't feel good.

Echo would love detach the scomp from his body now that he's aware of the damage its taken, but doesn't want to be without it whilst members of the squad are at risk. Repairs will have to wait and Echo will just have to bear the discomfort a little longer. After all, it can't take that much longer until they get to Kamino.

Tech coughs, drawing Echo's attention in time to catch him rubbing at his neck.

“You sure you don't want to put some bacta on that? Can't be comfortable,” Echo says.

That manages to get Hunters attention, no matter how dazed he is. “You don't sound good Tech,” he comments, brows drawn tightly together.

Tech waves off one-handedly. “No time. This report must be completed by the time we land.”

Echo almost laughs. “Since when do you care about reports?” Clone Force 99 reports usually consist of little more than a few sentences, hastily slapped together minutes before they have to be handed in.

“This is different,” Tech says. “We will get in trouble if reports on experiments aren't done right.”

Hunter nods. “Not worth skipping these,” he says, “they'll just keep giving us the untested equipment until we hand in a report, either on how using it went or a detailed explanation on why Tech thinks using it is a bad idea.”

“Well unless it's weapons, then Wrecker's frequently the one to point out possible improvements,” Tech adds.

“So you've got to write and hand in a report right now?” Echo's only ever had to write reports as an ARC, and even then it was rare. This just feels cruel, being so strict in this specific situation. But the scientists of Kamino rarely worry about being cruel, Echo thinks with a frown.

“Yes, as well as give a detailed verbal account of what happened once we get to Kamino.”

“Whilst you're injured?” Echo asks, looking at the hunched way Tech sits. He looks terrible, beat up as he is, and sounds even worse than he looks.

“It's never stopped them before,” Tech states, going back to typing on his datapad.

Not wanting to disturb Tech further, Echo keeps quiet, going back to watching Wrecker closely. Exhaustion still tugs at Echo, but he won't let it win. It's just a little further to Kamino, just a little further until Wrecker and Crosshair will be safe.

At least, Echo has to hope that they will be. There's a chance even the medics on Kamino won't be able to save them. Or worse, that the damage to their bodies is bad enough for them to be decommissioned. Echo pushes the thought from his mind, choosing to focus on the laboured rise and fall of Wrecker's chest instead.

Inhaling shakily, Echo allows himself to hunch as he sits. Despite the persistent risk to his brothers lives, the adrenalin is leaving the ARC's body and leaving him to feel every ache and pain it had previously covered.

Echo can't really tell how long it takes to get to Kamino, nor if it felt like an eternity or like a half an hour at most. Time feels weird in these types of situations.

It all gets even weirder once they land.

Tech had informed the medical staff of their situation beforehand, so as soon as the Marauder made contact with the landing platform, the ship is swarmed by medics. Faster than Echo can keep up with, Wrecker and Crosshair are being transported off. The only thing Echo has time to do is think about the fact that this may be the last time they see either of them.

The three of them get escorted out of the ship soon after, Tech being dragged down a different corridor at the first corner. Echo walks, but at least they get a stretcher for Hunter when they see he can barely walk.

Heart racing, Echo sits on a medbay bed, Hunter in the one next to him. He hates even the smell of these kinds of rooms, but most of all he hates how cold they always are.

Thankfully he isn't left to his thoughts long, a clone medic entering a couple minutes after their arrival. Echo doesn't recognize him, the clone not bearing any features that make it possible to do so, even his hair only being little longer than the regulation cut.

He comes to a halt at the foot of Echo's bed, small smile on his young face. “Hello, I'm Ceta and I'll be your medic.” After the brief introduction, he begins scanning Echo.

“You should look at Hunter first,” he says, pointing over to him in case the medic was only given their CT numbers. Ceta's face falls.

“I've not been given clearance to treat any of the experimental members of the squad, neither have I been given any information on any of their well being.” The medic pauses, nervously adjusting his stance. “Is he at great risk?” Ceta keeps glancing over at Hunter.

“He lost a lot of blood,” Echo says. “And what do you mean you don't have clearance?”

“Where's he bleeding from?” Ceta asks.

“Blaster wound in his left thigh,” Echo answers quickly, not repeating the question he asked Ceta.

The medic nods, moving to Hunter's side quickly. He introduces himself again, Hunter groaning in response. When Ceta pulls on gloves, warning Hunter of the imminent touch, the tracker still flinches.

“I just need to check your leg. I won't do anything without warning you first, alright?” Ceta speaks calmly, not trying to touch Hunter again until the Sargent nods.

Removing the bandages quickly, Ceta picks up a pair of bandage scissors. "I'm cutting your blacks, Hunter. You'll be provided with new ones later or an alternative set of clothing for your time in medbay if you wish." This time, Ceta's words aren't up to be questioned and he has no time to wait for Hunter's affirmative answer. After cutting the blacks, the young medic looks around, like he's waiting for something to jump him. His eyes flick between Hunter and Echo. "I'm not supposed to do more than keep you from dying, but I can't leave you like this. Disinfectant and bacta is the best I can do for you, but only if you don't say I gave it to you, alright? They'll wring my neck if they find out I've been doing unauthorized work on experimental clones."

Echo would love to know why treating Hunter is such a big deal. Hunter nods. "S'okay, I know how this works." Ceta sighs. "Alright, that's good then." He's quick with disinfecting Hunter's leg, but takes the time to get a good layer of bacta on the injury. Whilst he's wrapping it tightly, he looks over at Echo. "Since you're part of the squad, I thought you were aware of their medical situation," Ceta says. "It never came up, so we didn't tell him," Hunter says, only serving to make Echo feel more on edge. He's had enough things come to light today, he doesn't want to deal with more of this osik. "Whilst on Kamino, only a select few members of medical staff are allowed to work on Clone Force 99's experimental members. Since all authorized members are either treating CT-9903 and CT-9904 or questioning CT-9902, Hunter will have to wait." Ceta pauses, securing the end of the bandage. "I'm sorry, I don't know any of your brothers names. Or how any of them are doing for that matter." Hunter waves him off. "Don't worry about it." "Why this stupid rule about who treats you on Kamino?" Echo asks, baffled. He'd seen the batch treated by other medics on the field before, though they were never pleased about it. Ceta shrugs, switching his bloody gloves for new ones. "Because Nala Se wants to make sure as much information about us goes through her as possible," Hunter sighs. "She can't control that off Kamino, but here she can. It's a rule that remains from our cadet years." "Can't even give you something against the pain," Ceta says, exhaling as he moves to Echo's side again. "I expected as much." Hunter leans back on the bed, still looking extremely tense. Echo huffs. He's had enough of the constant stress today, but knows it's far from over. Not whilst they have no news on Wrecker and Crosshair's state. Ceta is efficient with his treatment of Echo, being mindful of the ARC's aversion to most medical things. Echo's glad a clone is treating him, the droids put him on edge. This close, it's very clear that Ceta can't have graduated long ago.

Echo's concussion is assessed, both through the scan and Ceta checking the dilation of his pupils with a torch. With a bacta patch covering the cut on the back of Echo's head, the worst of his injuries are dealt with. Ceta's thorough though, seeing to the various bruises Echo's picked up as well. Some of them have already taken on an impressive colour.

“Can't say I'm an expert in regards to prosthetics, but I know a little about cybernetics and can check them for you,” Ceta offers.

Echo can check those on his chest himself, but others are harder to reach, especially the ports along his spine. He accepts the offer, turning to allow Ceta access to his back. His blacks came off a while ago already, so they're no longer in the way.

To distract himself from the unfamiliar hands on his back, Echo unlatches his scomp. Echo's gotten used to his new squad helping him with his cybernetics, having anyone else do so still makes the ARC feel jumpy.

Thankfully the damage to his scomp doesn't make its removal any more difficult, the prosthetic coming off like always. It's a strange feeling, suddenly disconnecting the mechanical limb. Echo's body almost panics a little each time he does so, like it's yelling at him that he just lost an arm.

The port in what's left of his upper arm thankfully seems undamaged too. Echo's had to fix it once and even with Tech and Wrecker doing their best, it still hurt weeks after the procedure. His arm looks a lot better than it did right off Skako Minor, through the scar tissue is far from a pleasant sight. Echo takes a moment to rub at the discoloured skin, hoping to ease the constant ache in it.

Echo frowns, the action reminding him of how Wrecker often offers to help them with various pains. The size of his hands and warmth he seems to constantly radiate make him a natural at relieving any muscle or scar tissue pain.

Over the years, Echo's lost many vode. From Domino squad being almost entirely wiped out, to the casualties he witnessed during his time with the 501st, Echo's accustomed to death. But his year with Techno Union, a year of constantly hanging between life and death, being used to kill soldiers he should have been fighting side by side with, Echo's tired of death. Finding out what happened to Fives still pains Echo greatly.

He'd never been without Fives, they'd been stuck by each other's sides from their cadet years on. Somehow, Echo had always imagined it'd stay that way. Despite knowing that clones die ever day, that neither of them where exempt from that, Echo never imagined living without Fives, especially after they'd trained to become ARC troopers together.

Clone Force 99 share a bond like that with each other and whilst it took a little while, Echo can confidently say he's part of that bond too. But, whilst the other members of the squad certainly know loss as well, they've been further isolated from it than other clones. Losing even one member of the squad would be detrimental.

Echo moves to remove his prosthetic legs, hoping to free himself from the dark thoughts. The ports there seem in good order too.

What remains of both his legs, about half of his thigh, is equal. Echo knows it wasn't always like that. As far as he's aware, one of his legs even survived the explosion at the Citadel. He can't remember which, only able to recall the cold table he was strapped to, screaming his throat raw as bone saws and scalpels worked away at his limbs.

When Ceta shakes Echo's shoulder, the ARC almost hits him. If he'd still had his scomp on, he might have not missed.

Breathing heavily, Echo watches as the medic holds his arms up in surrender, eyes wide.

Apologizing curtly, Echo moves back on the bed further. He's gotten more and more used to doing things with only one arm. Ceta finishes up quickly after that.

“If you need anything, just alert me,” Ceta says, seeming a bit thrown by Echo's outburst, tripping over his words. “Someone will hopefully be here soon for you,” he says, pointing at Hunter.

He turns to leave, but as he does, he pauses to wave for some reason. Ceta's expression says he doesn't know why he did that either. The action is so absurd, it gets a weak laugh out of Echo as soon as the young medic is out of sight.

Hunter's picking at the hem of his sleeve when Echo looks over to him. His vision is still blurring ever so often, but he still catches the pinched expression on Hunter's face.

“How long until we get Tech back?” Echo asks. He knows it'll be ages until they hear anything of Crosshair or Wrecker, so Echo doesn't ask Hunter about that.

“Can't say, it always depends.” Hunter looks pale, unwell. Echo wishes he could have been treated. Guilt gnaws at the ARC over the fact that Hunter has to sit there without pain relief whilst Echo wasn't just given some, but also bacta for even minor bruises.

After a pause, Hunter continues. “They'll be alright, we've been through worse,” he says. It's hard to tell if the Sargent believes his own words.

Echo nods. “They're tough, there's not a doubt in my mind that they'll pull through.” It's a lie of course, but neither of them will benefit from discussing the worst possible outcome.

“They have to,” Hunter says. Echo nods, not wanting to know what would happen if either of their little brothers doesn't make it.

Ceta is short for Paracetamol btw :)

Mando'a Translation:

Vod/vode – sibling/siblings Osik - shit Kih'vod/kih'vode - little sibling/siblings

#tbb #tbb wrecker #tbb crosshair #tbb tech #tbb hunter #tbb echo #tbb fanfiction #my writing #cw blood #echo whump #echo centric #the bad batch #star wars oc #clone oc

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