Chapter Text
Cheap perfume. A woman, she’s aroused, ready. Hunter’s senses flared. His eyes flicked to the door of Cid’s office back to the trandoshan as she explained a simple drop off job.
“Hey! Bandana! I’m talkin’ here. Where’s your head at?” asked Cid.
“Oh…nothin’” Hunter said as he snapped his attention back. “We got it” he said taking the datastick from Cid. I never had these distractions on Kamino. Just another thing to get used to in this dump.
The others noted Hunter had seemed distracted during the briefing and after they exited Cid’s office they all looked at him expectantly to explain where his mind went. Hunter didn’t say anything but glanced at another door in the hallway with Cid’s office. The other’s saw where their Sargent’s eyeline lead and said nothing.
Omega noted all the subtle glances and asked “What is it? What is everyone looking at? What’s that door?”
“Nothing. A closet” said Hunter not inviting any discussion. “Tech do you know the coordinates for this job? It’s not too far, right?”
“The specific coordinates are indeed stored in the Marauder’s navigation banks” said Tech and shared a confirming nod with Echo.
Echo picked up what was happening and continued the conversation focusing on the mission to keep Omega from asking questions about the other door in the hallway. “Yeah, even if we didn’t we were actually in that sector a few months back. Maybe we can cut down travel time, minutely.”
Wrecker picked up on their trick and said “Oh yeah! Was that the place with the blue trees?”
And once he gave Tech the opportunity to share tangential knowledge there was no opportunity at all for Omega to interrupt.
“While it was vegetation, Wrecker, they were not trees…”
Cid watched them leave then glanced at the backdoor at the other end of the hallway as a male humanoid with a wide brim hat and high collared coat obscuring his identity entered. He stood at the other door in the hallway. Cid shrugged and turned away, listening to the man be buzzed into the locked entrance.
The man made his way up a narrow set of stairs to a second locked door. He pressed the intercom and the occupant of an apartment upstairs confirmed the visitor’s identity and allowed him in. The occupant of the room upstairs was a scantily clad human woman with long brown hair and wide hazel eyes. She wore a racy red negligee and said “Welcome. Precisely on time, as usual!”
Later that week the Bad Batch returned to Cid’s parlor and griped about the usual lack of information, unexpected challenges, and lack of payoff. They walked straight back to Cid’s office to debrief and pick up their payment. A portion of the pay went straight back to her to cover expenses and into drinks they were about to consume.
Upstairs Reelie was sitting at her vanity using it as a desk to review her bills and administrative work. She checked how many clients she could reasonably fit into the coming weeks. “How much time do I have?” She mumbled, but really she was thinking How much more of this can I take?
She looked at a paper calendar and dragged a finger across the dates. She nodded and accepted the schedule she had, double checked how much she was projected to make against her end goal. She picked up a holo still and it opened up. She balled up her fist as she looked at the image of a large farm house out on a backwater planet. “You can do it!” she shook her fist to encourage herself.
She then turned her attention to what she had made from the previous week. Her encrypted account transfers made it through and she was pleased with the few extra credits she could save. Lastly she opened a draw and pulled out a lockbox full of tips and cash payments she received over the week. I do not want to walk down the street here with a lockbox full of all these credits. I bet Cid has larger denominations. I could hide them on my body until I get to the bank for deposit.
Reelie dressed in a simple blue tunic and pants, checking each angle of her body in her mirror. I look respectable, yes? Yes. She then descended the stairs to Cid’s office with her box in her grip. She checked the indicator to see if Cid was marked busy, saw not, and popped into Cid’s office. She stopped short. The office was full of the mercenaries that had been hanging around the base lately. And they weren't happy.
The men stopped their grumbling, but not their scowling when she entered. The furrowed brows of four grown human men, and one powerful trandoshan made her grip her cash box tightly to her chest. A blonde adolescent girl then leaned out from the shadow of black and red armor. Clone armor?
The girl cheerfully waved and smiled. “Hello!”
Reelie shut her mouth which had gaped open at the height and breadth of the one eyed tank of a man nearest the door. Cid greeted Reelie with a bark “WHAT!?”
Reelie flinched then said “I'll wait in the hall…” and made a hasty exit.
A few moments later all the men exited the office and settled at the bar. Omega and Wrecker went to get some Mantell mix instead of drinks. Tech, Echo, and Hunter settled down with their favorite adult beverages and Echo spied Hunter was distracted again. Reelie slipped into the office after they left.
“Hunter…what is it?” asked Echo.
Hunter looked at him, glanced at the entrance as assurance Omega wasn’t in earshot. “That woman has a new perfume. It’s awful” he grumbled.
Echo’s brow jumped at the sensitivity of Hunter’s nose. Tech offered “Perhaps you could speak to her about it and explain-“
“I’m not talking a woman like that, Tech!” snapped Hunter.
Echo looked away and tried to hide the frustration with his brothers that played across his face.
Tech persisted “I doubt she will charge you for a conversation, Hunter. My minimal dealings with her she has been very reasonable and polite. Cid would not rent to her if she was trouble. Prostitution is legal here and she is fully licensed and supervised by the city. I see no reason why you hold such unfounded hostility towards her.”
“I don’t want Omega thinking that line of business or it’s people are legitimate. It’s not. I’ve seen men ruined by women like that. They get wrapped up in all sorts of other questionable trades. I don’t want Omega exposed to that mess.”
Echo and Tech shared a glance and both withheld the eye rolls they both so desperately wanted to unleash. Echo said “Hunter, we just escorted a few crates of really questionable materials to a really questionable place.”
Tech added “And made a really questionable profit off it which does not get reported to the government. In this regard Ms Reellie is more legitimate than us. She pays taxes.”
“Would you say that if Omega wanted to take up …” his eyes jumped towards the hallway and back at his men. “…that profession you'd be fine with it?” Hunter raised his glass at his men to emphasize the point.
Tech said “If Omega said she wanted to be a companion or prostitute, I indeed, would not recommend that path. However, not everyone has the same talents, support, nor access to options as Omega. I do not see Ms Reelie’s choice as an ethical nor moral failure on her part.”
“It doesn’t matter” said Hunter. “I have to…I want to protect Omega from all of that” Hunter took a longer drink, trying to collect his thoughts. “I don't want her befriending someone so…you know…trashy.”
“I will talk to Ms Reelie then” said Tech. Echo hid a smirk behind taking a drink knowing Tech was saving his extra cash to have a quick visit with the woman. And when Echo finally gulped down the last of his drink he tried to hide his grin further by covering his mouth with the back of his hand like he was wiping his mouth.
“No….” Hunter sighed. “It doesn’t matter” he said sounding defeated and somehow not aware that Tech was itching to visit the woman upstairs.
The sound of Wrecker and Omega laughing down the stairs caught their attention and they all wordlessly decided to end the conversation. Omega said hello to everyone and ran up to Hunter to tell him all about the latest little thing she learned along the way.
Echo whispered “Dealings? When have you spoken to her?”
“I admit we have not had lengthy conversations, but I have passed her in the hall before.”
Echo was amused by his brothers minimal dealings with women. He knew many of the interactions between most clones and women were fabricated. There were no women on Kamino and the battlefield generally did not allow any real socializing outside of escorting terrified crowds of civilians. Even the bases and stations on various worlds were secure and isolated from the general public. Elite troopers who were allowed time on Coruscant did not all get a chance to visit 79s, also known as ”the Clone Bar”. Most other establishments did not accept credits from clones. Any interaction with the opposite sex was limited, and the glimpses into civilian life were often magnified.
“Didja talk to ‘er?” Echo asked already knowing the true answer.
“Indeed I did” said Tech when he took a drink.
“I mean beyond an excuse me” clarified Echo.
“Your question was if I spoke with her, not if we shared our deepest thoughts and feelings.”
Echo merely laughed.
Cid exited her office with Reelie who held her red metal cash box in her arms. Cid said “C’mon. I can help you with that” she told the petite voluptuous woman walking behind her. Cid called out to Hunter “Hey, dark and broody, did you spend all those credits already?”
Hunter frowned “We haven't had all that much to drink.”
Tech slid from his stool and approached and settled behind Hunter observing and eager to talk to Ms Reelie.
Cid asked “You got some larger denominations? Ms Reelie here wants to bring some cash to the bank but doesn’t want all the attention that credits jangling in her pockets would bring. Want some smaller denominations?”
Echo, Wrecker, and Omega approached and each put a large credit on the bar. Reelie quickly saw she was in a predicament. She put a few smaller piles of credits down on the bar and picked up the larger ones and plopped them into her box. She looked down at the five brassy credits they gave her on top of the pile of various chips she already had. Reelie looked back at Cid and said “You really don't have anything?”
“I already told ya. The armored truck comes early morning and picks up my cash. I got nothing big.”
Reelie closed the lock box and thanked everyone. Before she slid the box off the counter Cid said to Hunter “Why don't you just walk ‘er over to the bank, Bandana? Or one of your goons here.”
“Not gonna happen, Cid” said Hunter, looking away, not able to meet Reelie’s eyes.
Echo went back to his stool on the other end of the bar, losing interest in the situation.
Wrecker looked at Hunter for direction, and Omega looked at Wrecker then Hunter. Before Omega protested Tech stepped forward and said “I can-“
But was immediately cut off by Hunter “NO Tech.”
Echo looked over in surprise. Perhaps Hunter had picked up on Tech’s interest in the illicit woman. Hunter spoke to Cid, ignoring Reelie. “I'm not having my men walk around or getting into trouble with her.”
The outright insult surprised everyone. Cid scoffed and shot back “Ain’t none of you able to afford her anyway…” Cid remembered Omega was there and quickly amended trying to add vagueness “…her services…I mean.”
Omega piped up “She needs some help Hunter. It's a simple task!” She didn't know yet why everyone was so uncomfortable with Ms Reelie. Omega hadn't gotten a chance to ask either.
Hunter sighed and said “Fine…Echo, you go with her.”
Cid whispered to Reelie “Good choice. He smells the least bad.”
Reelie giggled and thanked Hunter who ignored her. Reelie glanced over at her escort at the end of the bar and walked towards him. She winked at Omega along the way.
Echo's face showed his surprise, then twisted into contained anger. Reelie introduced herself and thanked him for his help. They walked towards the exit and spoke briefly about the destination.
Wrecker thought he was an obvious choice for the job, but then Hunter cleared up why he chose Echo “He won't get into trouble, even if she tries” said Hunter under his breath.
Tech tried to hide his disappointment. Wrecker shrugged, still not connecting the dots and motioned to Omega to continue the game they were playing. Cid just shook her head with irritation at Hunter and walked back into her office.
Echo and Reelie walked down the filthy dank alley where Cid’s parlor was located and turned onto the broader avenue. Echo kept his eyes peeled for anyone who may try to mark them. They didn’t speak much except for when Reelie gave directions. Soon they were in a nicer part of town and Echo started to feel out of place. They waited at a cross light and he admired the tall glass buildings and the clean new sidewalks. “Do you, eh…want me to wait here?” he asked.
She looked at him surprised and asked “Are you embarrassed to be seen with me?”
He furrowed his brow at her and said “No, but I’m… This area looks nice. Do you need me?”
“Yes” she said, a bit irritated. The light changed and they continued across the street. She said “Just because it’s clean doesn’t mean it’s safe.”
He nodded “True.”
She said “My bank is on the next block.”
Echo glanced at their reflection in a shop window and then back on their path. He saw no immediate threats and offered no conversation. He absently scratched his neck and Reelie spotted his skin just under his blacks.
“Mr Echo, that rash looks pretty intense. Do you want to stop at a pharmacy?”
He winced and then patted the spot “No no…it’s…it’s fine.” He looked embarrassed and said “I know what it is.”
“Do you have something for it then?”
His mouth flattened into an annoyed grimace and he shook his head. “Yes and no.”
She stopped before they got too far from the pharmacy and said “Well what is it?”
“Our shuttle only has a half fresher. I…” he stopped, really ashamed. “I wipe down every day, but it’s…”
“It’s no use if the clothing you have isn’t clean” she stepped closer and got up on her toes to get a closer look “So a rag cream isn't going to fix it.”
He nodded. “We don’t exactly have a full laundromat aboard either.”
“And the places in that neighborhood are questionable. Putting your clothes in those quick dry machines could result in a louse infestation.”
He was clearly disgusted by the idea and stopped scratching. “Sorry” he said quietly, really embarrassed.
She shrugged. “I understand. It's alright.”
He slid her a look that said yeah, right.
Reelie hesitated, but then decided to confide in him. “I…I was homeless for a while” she said quietly remembering the lowest point in her life. “I bathed in public fountains at night. I dodged the authorities, but I just couldn’t…” she shook her head. “If I offered for you to use my shower, would you…”
Echo’s face softened, then went hard. “I think if any of us went up to your place…” he shook his head. “I appreciate the offer, and would love to just step into a fresher, but…”
“He really hates me” she said.
Echo grimaced. “I think if he spoke to you he would see you’re just… a…nice…woman.”
They continued walking. “Thank you” she said “If it’s any consolation, you don’t smell as bad as the rest of those guys. Or much at all, really.”
He chuckled and said “That’s a low bar.”
They came to the bank, and Reelie made her deposit. She then went into an office and met with a Mythrol in a business suit in a small glass office and Echo stood outside the door. He looked around the bank and secretly enjoyed the crisp clean air and quiet murmurs as everyone kept their eyes on their screens and phones. The office door opened with a click and slide interrupting his day dreams of working in a sanitized environment. The banker smiled and waved off his client and her strange companion.
Echo knew he stuck out and did his best to obscure his face without looking like he was obscuring his face. He just looked down.
They began to walk back and Reelie saw a treat-transport making its way down the street. It's repetitive nursery chimes attracted a bunch of kids who ran out and up to the large window on the side of the transport where a corpulent Calamarian began to hand out treats to the kids. The treat-transport continued to drive 1 down the path. As it approached, Reelie ran over and waved it down. “C’mon Echo! What do you want?”
“Oh, uh…nothing, thanks…” he said almost confused about why she would stop the truck. “I’m not hungry” he said just before his stomach gurgled revealing a his constant gnawing hunger.
She smirked and asked for a colorful cold treat in an edible cracker cup for herself and a box of rainbow colored candy for Echo. The truck continued on it’s way and when Reelie handed Echo the box she said “If you don’t want it, you can give it to the girl. Your…daughter?”
“Omega? She’s my…our… sister” he replied trying to find a way to answer her question. The neighborhood began to get darker, and the streets grimier.
Her eyes searched Echo’s face and glanced over his armor and prosthetics. “Anyone ever tell you that you look like a clone?”
He sent her a warning look “You could say I’ve heard that.” Echo was full well aware that he was an outlaw, a deserter. If found by not just Crosshair and his ilk, but any Imperial, he would be executed and his brothers would be endangered. He took the treat and rattled the candy around in the box.
They were back in the seedy neighborhood and she said “I…wasn’t certain…I didn’t want to jump to any conclusions.”
Echo visually swept the area and while he saw a number of shady characters starting to emerge, there were none he couldn’t take alone. “Right. Well. Best if you don’t.”
She halted before they went down the stairs to Cid’s and said “I usually go in the back door.”
He grunted in response and was about to stomp down into the parlor and thought about drowning himself in a drink. He was too disciplined to actually do so, but he sometimes found consolation in staring at a full drink and debating whether being too drunk to walk would help his frustrations.
She stopped him with a hand on his shoulder and said “Mr Echo?” He looked back at her and she handed him five 20 credit pieces. “For your troubles.” She then turned around and sprung into a run around the corner toward the back door with her empty cash box.
Echo returned inside and placed the credits next to Hunter on the bar.
“What’s that for?” asked Hunter.
“For my troubles, she said” said Echo.
“I don’t want her dirty money” said Hunter looking over at Omega cheering as she scored a goal on the holo game against Wrecker.
“It’s a hundred credits, Hunter. We need every cent we can get. She has a bank account and reported income. Our money is dirty. This is the most legitimate cash we’re going to make for now” argued Echo.
Hunter noticed Echo was a bit angrier than usual. “What’s your problem?”
“Nothing. We just made us a nice chunk of change and you’re being unreasonable. We should be asking you, what your problem is.”
Echo heard the rattling of the box of candy in his belt, surprise widening his eyes. He turned around and saw Tech examining the text on the back of the box. “Tech! What is wrong with you? Are you a pickpocket now?” and he swiped the box out of his hand.
“I thought it an unusual item for you to be carrying” explained Tech. “I was merely examining it’s contents.”
Echo shook his head then saw the sound caught Wrecker and Omega’s attention on the other side of the room. Echo shook the box at Omega “For you” he said. The girl skipped over eager to get her hands on whatever it was.
“What is it?” she asked once she settled at his side.
Echo crouched down and Hunter looked on. “Candy, I dunno” said Echo. He read the colorful box. “Looks like fruit flavored…” he found the description “hard candies that pop, snap, and crackle in your mouth.” He placed the box in her hands.
She cheerfully said “Thanks Echo!” and peeled open the box. She offered to Echo, Hunter, and Tech and they waved it off. She ran back to Wrecker and showed him the candy and they shared the sweet snack.
Hunter looked critically at Echo “I thought you just went to the bank and came back?”
Echo shrugged “She…she stopped a treat transport” before anyone responded to that he said “I didn’t even know that was a thing! She grabbed a frozen dessert for herself and got me a…” he shrugged “… box of candy.”
Tech’s eyes went wide “A treat transport? I thought those were only found in suburban areas with picket fences and many children?”
Echo shrugged “It was a nice area. We were walking out towards the green parks in Sidell.
“Indeed” said Tech. “That is a nice area. I guess it was an enjoyable walk?”
Echo frowned at Tech and shook his head. “It was uneventful” Echo knew Tech was desperate to talk to the woman and was going to pepper him with all sorts of questions. “Look, I didn't want to do it anyway. Just…” Echo shook his head in irritation and walked off toward the bathroom “I gotta take a piss.”
Echo came out of the bathroom and Hunter was standing there waiting for him. Echo was ready to dig his heels about keeping the money and Hunter said “I’m sorry Echo. I…I couldn’t send Tech because he is growing a bit obsessed with her. And Wrecker…” Wrecker and Omega both cheered as the game played a colorful holo for the winner. “Well, he is keeping Omega busy today and I suspect that woman could have manipulated him a bit too easily.” He looked back at Echo. “I knew I could depend on you.” He was holding the cash. “I thought you escorting her would earn us some favor from Cid, but cash is good too” he conceded.
Echo looked sad. He said “I know why you picked me, Hunter and it’s nothing to do with what you said. Thanks for trying to frame it different, but I know the truth.” He walked back into the area and Hunter’s brow hardened, frustrated with himself. Echo was right and Hunter didn’t know how to approach the situation. Hunter and the rest of the Batch, save Omega, were aware that Echo’s lower torso had been torn to shreds. Tech was very familiar with Echo’s physical wounds and knew their extent, in intimate detail. Hunter could sense Echo had a lot of prosthetics, but once he learned Echo had lost his manhood he suddenly had this feeling that he had to treat Echo different. I know I shouldn’t. I know he’s the same guy, but that loss changes a man…if he still even feels like one. Is that what Tech meant by more machine than man?
Hunter lingered in the doorway to the bar looking over his ragtag squad. We’re all different than our brothers, but Echo is different even from us. Not a reg, not a 99. He sighed feeling ill-equipped to handle their situation, nevertheless an exceptional clone like Echo.
Tech filled Echo’s cup and they started to chat about other things. Hunter checked the time and went over to check on Omega and see if she had finished the assignments Tech had given to her. She had learned via similar flash training, but as she aged normally she had gaps in her knowledge that Tech was slowly filling.
When Reelie made it in the back door she saw Cid entering her office. Reelie smiled in greeting “Thanks Cid. I know they would never have considered it if you hadn’t said something.”
She shrugged. “It ain’t all of ‘em” Cid threw a reptilian glance over at Hunter at the bar.
Reelie instinctively whispered “But they all follow his lead. So thanks” she said dropping some credits in the lizard lady’s clawed hand.
“Nice doing business with you” said Cid.
Reelie then pulled an envelope from her back pocket “Here. A confirm I've paid my rent.”
“Early as usual” said Cid approvingly wiggling the envelope in the air as she turned to go back into her office. “This is why I like you, kid.”
Reelie returned upstairs and placed her lock box away in her storage closet. She looked around her small home from the door way. It was a spacious place, but also where she worked.
When a client walked into her home there was a cubby for shoes and hooks for cloaks and overcoats. Two steps up brought people onto a pristine neutral colored carpeted floor. The space was a rectangle, and directly across the entrance was a doorway out onto a large balcony that hung over the entrance to Cid’s parlor. Across the way, towards the right, next to the balcony door was a round window covered by sheer white curtains. Between the door and the window was a large king-sized bed.
She was a companion prostitute, on the higher end as Cid had noted earlier, but not the type of high end woman that the men of Coruscant and Core Worlds would show off at private parties. She was a woman they craved in secret. She found that the seedy location added excitement to the experience of her clients, but that her place of business had to be extremely clean. To further save money, she did her business in her home.
She paid special attention to neatness. The bed had small night tables on each side and lighting controlled by her voice or independent switches. There was a small but complete kitchenette along the right-hand wall that contained cooking devices, food storage, as well as a sanitizing unit for clothing and textiles.
Following the same wall as the kitchenette towards the back of the apartment brought you to a full bathroom. The bathroom too sometimes played a part in her work and was equipped with a modern refresher stall, but also a large bathtub as well as the usual and necessary plumbing. Next to the bathroom door was where she placed her vanity, that she also served as a desk. It had a well lit mirror and several drawers. What she placed on the surface depended on what client was visiting her that day.
Beyond her desk vanity was a closet door. It was often locked shut and contained clothing and accessories, as well as a large collection of linens. In the back of the closet she put a false wall and a hidden door. In this hidden storage space she kept her valuables and her lock box.
Reelie walked out onto her balcony and saw Wrecker and the girl, Omega as Echo called her, walk outside. They were headed somewhere when they saw a young woman being cornered by a couple of unsavory characters. Reelie leaned forward, about to call out to them when Wrecker spotted the situation.
After a few moments of Wrecker merely posturing and Omega shaking her fist at the attackers, the scene was over. The young woman clearly did not belong in this neighborhood. Reelie’s stomach tensed with envy. Idiot girl. What is she doing here? Reelie sighed, took a deep breath and corrected herself. Don't. It's not her fault others attacked her. Just as it’s not your fault you ended up here.
Reelie went back inside and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She smoothed out the fabric of her jumpsuit and wondered if it would be obvious what she was when she finally moved on.
Reelie shook her head to dismiss the thought and went to her vanity. She sat at the desk and opened her top drawer and pulled out the holo-still again. She placed it on her desk and turned it on. The 3D image of a house lit up. It needed some work, but it was hers. I just need a bit more cash to move and live there. And never have to do this work again.