Inevitable {Tech}

Chapter Twenty One: Ordo Moon

"What happened with you and Cass back there? You came out looking like a wide-eyed porg," Echo asked while he ignited his flashlight.

"Nothing. We talked and I patched up her wounds. That is all," Tech shrugged, but his voice faltered slightly near the end.

"Well...what did you two talk about?" Echo squinted and cocked an eyebrow.

"I'm afraid I can't disclose that with you," Tech shook his head and headed towards the damaged capacitor compartment.

"Oh? You're keeping her secrets now?" Echo raised his brows. "You two must be closer than I thought," he teased.

"No. I simply don't yell at her," Tech stated and reached for the compartment, prying it open easily from the damage.

Echo scowled and hurried beside Tech. "Hey! I was just-"

Echo stopped when he heard a dull hum and light footsteps come up from behind. His eyes reflected the green glow of Cass' saber as she approached them.

"Are you two alright?" she muttered through her breath mask, then turned to peer into the darkness ahead. "I've got a bad feeling about this place."

"We're okay, Cass," Echo gently answered, still unsure of where they stood.

"Everything is going well," Tech answered and averted his attention to hauling the cylindrical hunk of metal into the hull. He blessed the Maker that the capacitor malfunctioned to keep his mind off Cass, for not a moment passed that he wasn't trying to process every emotion he was feeling.

"Careful, those capacitors hold a massive charge," Echo warned and pointed a finger.

"I'm well aware. I just need to secure it," Tech answered and began installing the part carefully.

A distant snarl sounded in the distance and caught Echo and Cass' attention.

"What was that?" Echo muttered.

They spun around and waved their lights into the darkness, only to be met with a haze of fog. Echo began circling the ship and Cass followed closely as they heard more repeated snarls in the haze. But with nothing to match the sound to, they slowed their pace.

"Cass, can we talk about earlier?" Echo stopped in his tracks and turned to face her.

Cass swallowed hard and met his hollowed face in the darkness. When the green of her lightsaber reflected towards him, she could see the sincerity and remorse laced into his eyes. She glanced into the darkness for a moment, then back to him.

"Is this really the time to talk about this?" she mumbled as she kept her senses attuned to the distant growls.

"It's killing me Cass, I'm...I'm so sorry," he pleaded.

"Sorry for what, exactly?" she pursed her lips and glanced at the ground briefly. She knew what he did, but she also truly wanted to hear the words come straight from him.

"For yelling at you and—and saying those things," he mustered up an answer. "I overreacted...my actions were uncalled for."

Cass digested his words and nodded slowly, keeping her gaze lazily fixed on the glow of her saber.

"I got mad at you when I should've been at your side, making sure you were okay. I got scared and expressed it in the wrong way. It's no excuse but-"

His words faltered as he began replaying his actions in his head. He fought back a string of tears that formed out of frustration and disappointment in himself.

"Echo," Cass reached out and grabbed his hand gently.

"When I saw you out there, I saw myself," he sucked in a breath and met her eyes again. "Running out there alone...it felt like the citadel all over again."