The Bad Batch ONESHOTS (Plus Other Star Wars Stories)

Chapter One: Fern, Tech, and Echo

THIRD PERSON POV

"And that's my game." Omega smirked up at Fern, who was absolutely baffled by the kid's strategy skills. "Want to go again?"

"You know what, Half-Pint." Fern sighed, accepting defeat for the tenth time. "Let's take a break. I think I'm going to check on Echo and Tech, see if they have finished the ship's maintenance. Wrecker, come entertain her while I'm gone." The big guy obligied, switching spots with the female clone. As she strolled towards the stairs outside the parlor, Hunter met her halfway.

"Fern, are you heading back to the ship?" he asked.

"I am," Fern nodded. "I figure I'd help the boys with repairing the ship. It's been a week since Kamino, and they still haven't fully repaired the damage it received on Daro. I feel bad for not chipping in. You know, since we were the ones who were captured." She let out a light laugh.

"Better not keep them waiting, then." Hunter smiled, and planted a small kiss on the top of her head, gently pushing her along. Fern's cheeks burned and, clearing her throat, she continued her way to the Marauder. When she arrived, she found Echo working on the hull. Tech must be inside the ship repairing all the systems.

"Need any assistance?" Fern offered, her hands folded behind her. Echo paused on his task and sighed. "I'm not sure why, but my portjack is freezing up. I can't reset the systems until I can properly alternate its rotation." He tried to demonstrate what he meant, raising his right arm and attempting to gear the socket, but it sputtered before cranking at a clock pace.

"That's not good." Fern pondered for a moment. "I could fix it for you if you like."

"You can do that?"

"Echo, I can do anything that involves machines." Fern scoffed. "I'll just treat it like I would with any droid...Not that you are—"

"It's fine." Echo stopped her before she could digress. "Tools are over there."

"Let's go on the ship." Fern gestured, and the cyborg clone followed. Tech noticed them. "Echo, are you here to reset the systems?"

"Not now, Tick." Fern waved him off. "Echo and I have our own project to complete." Once they set a station on top of their gonk droid, Fern got started on repairing Echo's droid arm. At first, she worked in silence. Tech hovered just above her as if to manage her progress.

"Pliers." She held out her hand to him.

"Do you think—"

"That you'll be assisting me?" Fern finished. "Yes. Pliers, please." Tech reluctantly retrieved the tool for her, and she started with peeling back the lightly rusted plates to reveal the interior mechanics. First, she had to completely deactivate the arm's connections to Echo's main nerve system. "You may feel some numbness..." Fern breathed to her patient.

"That's fine."

It was a delicate process, but at least Tech wasn't backseat managing. In fact, the intellectual droid was learning a thing or two while observing. Fern's brows furrowed the longer she worked, and eventually Echo noticed and questioned her concerned expression. "Is there something wrong, Fern?"

"It's nothing." she assured before sticking out her hand again. "Tech, the sparker."

"That tool has a name." Tech rolled his eyes before handing it to her.

"And yet, you know what I mean anyway." she glanced over with a smirk before thanking him. She zapped at the wires with extra caution, not wanting to overheat Echo's arm. Echo watched that smile disappear the moment she began working again. "Does this make you feel uncomfortable?" he asked her, and Fern halted immediately.

"Of course not, Echo." she blinked. "I'm happy I can help. What in this galaxy would make you ask that?"

"You seem nervous, that's all." Echo said. Fern sighed. "I'm sorry, it's just I don't want to mess up."

"I thought you said you can do anything that involves machines." Echo grinned.

"You are not a machine."

The air around the three clones grew heavy... Tech even glanced up from his datapad. The only sound that was audited was the zapping sparks as Fern continued to weld wires back in place. "If you don't mind me asking, what does it feel like? Being like this, I mean..."

"It's...different." Echo sighed, unsure how to explain his new body. "But, in some way, I feel more useful as a soldier. I know I was strong before the Citadel. Fives and I...we were a team. This new body I obtained on Skako Minor, saved my life though. The Separatists kept me alive for their diabolical benefit, but they saved my life..."

"Your modifications do provide uncomplicated access an average droid can during missions, equiping your unfortunate experience to a better purpose." Tech added.

"Oil." Fern requested, and Tech obligied. Echo scoffed softly. "After General Skywalker, Rex, and the Bad Batch rescued me, I knew I could never go back to serving as a reg. I wasn't a normal clone anymore. I'm, grateful, that you, Hunter, and the others accepted me."

Fern lightly squirted some oil into the port-jack gears, wiping up the excess with a small rag. Her fingers became grimy from it and other impurities. "When's the last time you refined your arm?" Echo didn't reply, and she laughed. "I'm almost finished. It's going to be just like new."

"I appreciate it."

"I appreciate you." Fern stated. Both Tech and Echo blinked. "I don't know if I should say this, but, when the mission was arranged to go to Skako Minor, I was invited to join...and I rejected the moment I found out Clone Force 99 was the squad working with Rex and General Skywalker. I couldn't stand the idea working with that squad. I was still holding a grudge against Hunter...And then, I found out they rescued you and brought you home, and I felt so incedibly guilty..." Fern's hands stopped moving, hovering above Echo's open portjack. "I'm sorry...I should've swallowed my pride and came with the Bad Batch to take you away from that place..."

"You're tredding on the past, Fern." Echo reached his human hand over and touched her forearm closest to him. "The important thing is, I'm here now."

Fern didn't respond, but she did resume her task on Echo's arm. Tech didn't respond either, for he was unsure on what to say. Echo smiled, patting her arm slowly as she worked.

"There." she finally sighed with satisfaction, sliding the last plate in place. "Try rotating the port-jack." Echo obeyed, the rod drilling in the air between them. His eyes widened. "Fern, this—How did you do this?! It feels brand new!"

"You're welcome." Fern smiled, putting away the tools. "Now we can finally repair the Marauder to her former glory."

"Indeed," Tech adjusted his goggles. "Fern, will you assist me?"

"Gladly." Fern rose from her seat. But before she could follow Wired-Brain to the main console, Echo grabbed her hand. When she looked into his light-brown eyes, they were full of gratitude. "Fern, just because you decided to not join the squad when they rescued me, that doesn't you haven't since. When we were on Raxus, you helped me open my eyes to the reality after the war ended. You even took my side to rescue Gregor when we were on Daro. So you don't need to apologize. You've saved me plenty."

Fern's eyes shined. "You know, one day, I'll design a detachable bionic arm for you. Then you can switch out a port-jack and a hand."

"You would do that for me?" Echo's grew wide. Fern squeezed his fingers with a smile.

"Of course, that's what a comrade does."