fromryloth-tocorellia:

fromryloth-tocorellia:

Fives and Aliit Toqema – (slightly) more canon compliant

In light of the fact that there will now be both canon Bad Batch and an after BB canon, I’m keeping my regular version but the way I’m thinking of making it work with the show is like this (because I can’t deal with unsolvable pain):

Everyone thinks Fives is dead. He’d been wearing a blaster-proof vest, and no one had argued when Rex insisted on taking his friend’s body to the morgue, so it was merely a matter of getting out of sight to meet the two rogue clones who were waiting to get Fives off Coruscant. Fives thinks Echo is dead and vice versa. Rex can’t tell Echo about Fives because of safety issues, and it kills him. Echo and Fives find out about each other during one of his Secret Holoskype calls with Rex where they give each other updates because Rex mentions Echo’s new prosthetic arm works as a godsdamn everything multitool and Fives just stops.

“Echo’s alive?”

“…kriff.”

“Rex, you have to let me see him.”

“It’ll blow your cover. It’s not safe!”

“He’s my squadmate!”

“Fives, you can’t afford-“

“Rex. What if it was Cody?”

Rex goes quiet for a long time before sighing. “He has to swear to secrecy. I won’t risk your safety or the safety of all the vode you’ve rescued.”

“Of course.”

“Good. Wait, I’ll be right back.”

When Rex returns, it’s with a clone with hair that’s finally started growing back, three prosthetic limbs, and a wary expression.

“Rex, what’s so important you had to swear me to-“

“Echo.” He freezes and looks at the screen.

“Fives?”

And ARC Trooper Fives breaks down crying.

They both explain, carefully. Fives shows Echo the small section of Toqema blue he has in his hair now, and Echo shows Fives what his prosthetics can do. Rex stays off to the side, out of view, but his joints are weak with relief to see these two men, his friends that he’s known from shinies, reunited and happy again.

Echo knows he can’t tell anyone, that the 501st can’t know. But knowing that Fives is alive, that his brother is safe, warms Echo right to the core.

And if there’s a chance to join him, at all, Echo might very well jump on it.

@arctrooperfivesbutt this is the thing! That I wrote!

Thank you!!!!

So we all agree that this is canon from now on.