Clone X Oc - Tumblr Posts
technical devotion
echo x f! original character - ongoing
masterlist !
description:
Kan is a technician who wishes to do more with her life, so when she hears of a secret clone rebellion that is taking shape, she jumps at the opportunity to help. Her technical skills, along with her positive attitude and acute friendliness, make her fit into the operation immediately, but there's one clone who she can't seem to crack.
warning: this story will have at least one NSFW (18+) part later on. I debated taking it out and having it as a oneshot but what I have planned is more or less integral to the plot so I won't be taking it out. minors begone!
chapters:
part one: a new life | 2.2k words
part two: boundaries | 2.4k words
part three: decryption | 2.3k words
part four: call to action | 2.6k words
part five: objective | 3.3k words
part six: visitors | 3.1k words
part seven: a new post | 2.6k words
part eight: playing the part | 3.7k words
part nine: getting nowhere | 2.7k words
part ten: unveiling truths | 3.2k words
part eleven: co-existing | 2.9k words
part twelve: handy | 2.5k words
part thirteen: leaving | 2.2k words
part fourteen: changes | 2.5k words
part fifteen: promises made | 2.6k words
part sixteen: old friends | 3.9k words
part seventeen: taken | 3.4k words
part eighteen: the search | 2.6k words
part nineteen: safety | 2.6k words
info about my oc, kandam'aira:
playlist:
a few songs that remind me of echo & kan ♡
technical devotion, part fourteen: changes
a/n okay so I have no restraint, I uploaded the last chapter and then immediately wrote this and am posting it immediately. also I am sorry I cannot write lingering conflict, I have no backbone. also new banner!! bc I'm indecisive. now that you know all my issues, enjoy!
warnings: depiction of a panic attack, smoking
last chapter | next chapter | master list | join the taglist
Echo had expected things to be different when him and Kan got back to base, but he hadn't expected it to be so immediate.
They had barely set one foot inside before they were whisked into command, where Kan was informed that her skillset would prove useful for mission planning, and that she would take on more responsibility from now on, gaining the unofficial rank of Sergeant. She had been honoured, of course, but it felt like something that was very much out if her comfort zone. She wasn't a leader, she was a follower, and that's how she liked it. Though, if Rex had faith in her, she trusted his judgement.
Echo was happy that he'd be working with Kan more regularly now, but so was almost everyone else in the room. He couldn't blame his brothers, she was gorgeous, and almost elusive to most of them, having never spoken to them. He watched on painfully as she reunited with Howzer, jumping into his open arms and hugging him tightly, and as they stayed touching each other, catching up excitedly.
Then he watched her reunite with her other friends from across the mess, Oscar ruffling her hair as he hugged her from the side, and Teddy high-fiving her and embracing her for good measure for beating Howzer to a proper command position.
Echo felt so foolish.
Foolish that he thought he was special because she was kind to him, foolish that he thought he was lucky to get to experience her touch, and foolish for ever even entertaining the idea that she could possibly harbour feelings for him.
Kan was kind, but she gave out her kindness to everyone without exception. That's what made it so hard for Echo to feel negatively about her - it wasn't her fault, it was his. His mistake.
And now it was too late to do anything about it.
He had fallen for her. Hard. And now he would have to carry on as if she was any other person at the base. He didn't know if he could, and so, reluctantly, he tried to distance himself from her.
Kan noticed immediately when Echo started pulling away. For one, whenever he had to address her in the command centre, he would call her ‘Kan’. She didn't mind of course, it was her name after all, but she had got used to him calling her ‘M'aira’, and she much preferred when he called her that. He was the only one who did, and that's what made it special.
He also never came to see her in her office, never said a word if she ever sat with Rex and Gregor at meal times, never spoke to her before bed, and she hadn't looked into his eyes since the day they got back. It hurt her a lot, and the only logical conclusion she could draw was that he was embarrassed of her. Embarrassed to call her M'aira, embarrassed to talk to her, and embarrassed to even look at her.
She didn't know why he felt that way, but it was obvious that whatever bond they had created during their time away from base was just a one sided thing. That it hadn't meant anything to Echo.
Between that and her new command position, Kan was extremely stressed out.
Her brain was going at a klick a minute, unable to shut off from either mission plans or Echo. She couldn't focus, and the only respite she got was sleep but that would elude her because the cause of half her problems was sleeping right next to her. She had begun sleeping in her office again, though her back certainly wasn't happy about it.
Teddy was a perceptive clone, and he could see how haggard she had become. He contantly asked how she was, but she would always just say she was tired, that was it. She had none of the usual spring in her step, and after a couple weeks of it not going away, and only getting worse, he finally did something.
He dragged her outside after dinner, with the aim of getting her to relax. He took her over to the edge of the platform, and they sat down, looking out on the view of the deep reds and browns of the rocky terrain that surrounded the base.
“Here” He offered her his cigarra after he'd taken a drag, “To help you relax”
“No thanks” She said simply, accompanied by a weak smile.
“Kan…” Teddy began. He didn't really know what to say, but he tried his best, “What's going on with you? And I want a real answer this time”
Kan looked up at him sadly, her eyes glistening, before looking out to the view again. “I don't know, everything is just too much at the moment” She took the cigarra from his hand and took a long drag before passing it back.
Teddy watched on in worry, “What is? It might help to get it off your mind”
Kan sighed deeply, exhaling the smoke, “It sounds so ridiculous when I say it out loud though”
“I'm sure it doesn't, come on” Teddy urged, and he could see her cracking, beginning to open up.
“Well… for one, being a Sergeant is absolutely no fun” She said pointedly, and Teddy chuckled.
“Why not?”
“It's so much responsibility, I can't stop thinking about how my actions affect everyone here, how I could be the reason for someone being killed or captured by the Empire” She explained, her shoulders slumping with each word.
“Have you talked to Rex about it?” Teddy asked.
“No” Kan laughed, “I couldn't, he's such a natural, he wouldn't understand”
Teddy shook his head, “Just because he's a natural doesn't mean he lacks empathy. I'm sure he'd be able to help ease your worries”
“Maybe about that” Kan mumbled, loud enough for Teddy to hear it.
“What else is going on then?” He asked, taking another drag.
Kan looked out at the view despondently, slumped forwards onto her knees. He gave her the time to answer the question on her own time, which took longer than he was hoping.
“It's Echo” She finally whispered.
“Echo? What about him?” Teddy hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary with him.
“It's- We-” Kan sighed aggressively, “We were getting on so well during our mission, but when we came back, it's like he hated me or something. He never talks to me unless it's regarding a mission but even then it's more talking around me to other people, and he never looks at me anymore, I just-” She stopped herself before she could get choked up.
“You just what?” Teddy pressed.
Kan chewed on her lip, “I really thought he might like me back, you know?” She said quietly, and Teddy understood immediately.
He placed his arm around her shoulders and hugged her into his side. “I know, I know” He spoke soothingly, rubbing her arm.
Kan rested her head on Teddy's shoulder, “It's just embarrassing, to be wrong”
“Yeah, but hey, that's on him. If he doesn't like you, he's a di'kut”
Kan looked up and saw the small grin on Teddy's face, and her own lips curled up, “Yeah?”
“Absolutely, you're a catch” Teddy said, earning a small giggle from Kan.
“Thanks Teddy, so are you”
“I know” He smirked, resting his head against hers as they looked out again.
“Thanks for bringing me here, I really needed this” Kan spoke sincerely.
“No problem K” Teddy squeezed her slightly before standing up, “Let's go inside yeah?”
Kan didn't respond immediately, looking over the setting sun, “I think I'll just stay here for another moment, watch the sun set”
“Alright, I'll see you later then” Teddy said, giving her shoulder a supportive squeeze before walking away.
When she knew Teddy had left, Kan finally let herself cry.
She let out a choked sob, the product of bottling up her frustration, anger, sadness and embarrassment for weeks. Now that she had popped the cork, she couldn't stop the flow of tears that fell from her eyes. She pulled her knees to her chest and buried her head in them, her vision blurred and her breath ragged.
She thought of her mother and father. She wondered if they would be proud of the work she was doing. She thought of Master Unduli, she thought of Spider, she thought of Senator Organa, she thought of Rex, Howzer, Gregor, Oscar, Teddy, and finally, Echo. Every insecure thought, every nasty thing she ever had to say about herself clogged her mind in an instant, and she felt as if she couldn't breathe.
She let her legs hang over the side of the platform again and gripped the edges tightly. Her eyes were screwed shut and her breathing was only becoming more unstable, no matter how much she tried to calm it. Her stomach was in knots, she was choking on the tears that wouldn't stop falling, and her body was shaking involuntarily. She knew what this was, she had experienced them enough, and she just hoped that if she could grip the platform hard enough that it would subside quicker. She had no such luck.
She heard her name shouted, but to her it sounded feint, like she was underwater. She curled up again, facing away from the voice. She heard them again, and felt someone touch her back gently, though they might as well have struck her with lightning for how she reacted.
She flinched away, trying to find her voice, managing to choke out “Go away”
Her own voice sounded foreign to her ears in this altered state of being, but she couldn't think about it for too much longer before she was enveloped by a pair of arms. She rested her forehead on the person's chest, heaving and trying to calm herself. As she came down from the worst of it, something about the person felt so familiar, and she soon realised exactly who it was when they brought a hand to the bare skin on her back, and it was exceedingly cold and smooth.
She knocked herself backwards, falling onto her backside as she looked up at him, the catalyst of all her problems. Echo was looking down at her with worry painted on his face, and she frowned as her breathing evened out more. She scrambled from the floor and uttered apologies as she ran away from him, back towards the base.
Echo followed after her, catching up to her quickly and moving around her so he could stop in front of her.
“M'aira, what's going on? What's the matter?” He asked, placing his hands gently on either side of her arms.
Kan didn't say anything. She just stared at him, her chest heaving and a deep frown settled over her features.
“M'aira?” Echo said quietly, stepping towards her, but Kan stepped back a few paces.
“Why are you calling me that?” She tried to speak plainly, but her voice was still thick with emotion.
“What?” Echo asked, confused as to why she would ask that.
“Aren't you worried someone is going to see us talking?” She asked, her voice breaking.
Echos heart fell from his chest, “What do you mean?”
Kan could feel her bottom lip begin to quiver and she instinctively dug her teeth into it to stop it. She wasn't going to let Echo see her cry. Well, anymore than he already had.
“What’s going on M'aira, why are you upset?”
The use of the nickname once more sent her over the edge, “Because of you!” She shouted, though her anger was swallowed by embarrassment as she barged past Echo and made her way inside.
Echo stood frozen on the spot.
Because of me? But I haven't even spoken to her in… oh.
He quickly followed after her again, not entirely sure where she was headed but he hoped it was towards her office. He saw the door close from the end of the hall and heard the lock engage immediately after, something he didn't even know the door was capable of.
He knocked a few times, and heard Kan sniffle but she didn't reply.
“M'aira, please open up” He said gently, leaning his forehead on the door.
“Go away Echo” She replied, and Echo sighed deeply.
“Kandam'aira… please, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you”
The door then zipped open and he fell forwards slightly, finding himself in the room as Kan closed the door again.
“What did you mean to do?” She looked up at him sternly, her cheeks stained by tears.
“I-” He couldn't admit to his feelings right now, that would only confuse her, “I just thought you might want some space”
“Why would you think that? I thought we were friends, Echo. Friends at least look at each other from time to time”
“I know, I'm sorry, I guess I just figured that we'd been together for a while and you might be sick of me” He stated, though it came out more like a question.
“Well I don't” Kan crossed her arms, and Echo blinked at her.
“Don't what?”
Kan rolled her eyes, “I don't want space”
“Oh, right” Echo said awkwardly, and Kan felt her undeniable fondness for him returning as she looked up at his blushing cheeks.
She then quickly wrapped her arms around his torso, hugging him tightly, “I missed you”
Echo could feel his heart ache as she gripped him tightly, and he matched her hold, resting his cheek on the top of her head, “I missed you too”
Kan pulled back, looking up at him sheepishly, “I'm sorry you had to see me all…” She wiped her cheek, “Panicky”
“I don't mind, I'm just sorry that I caused it” He said, bringing his own hand up to wipe the wetness from her cheek.
Kan sighed, “It wasn't just you”
Echo gave her a questioning look and she shook her head slightly, “I'm just stressed, but I'll be fine”
“What are you stressed about?” Echo pressed.
“Nothing, I think I'm going to get an early night now” She said, opening the door.
“Hey” Echo gripped her shoulders lightly, “We can talk about it if you want?”
“Another time maybe” She smiled up at him, “Goodnight Echo”
Echo sighed with a worried smile, “Goodnight M'aira”
Kan's smile grew at the use of the nickname as she stepped away from Echo, hoping its return was permanent.
