Old Republic - Blog Posts

I’m a big Star Wars Visions fan and I’m always excited when they release a new season. It’s always so intriguing to see how the Star Wars universe is interpreted through different cultural perspectives and there’s always an exciting addition to the universe.

To be honest I like to view each episode as a sort of “soft cannon” with it being completely cannon to me unless contradicted down the road.

I tend to think that each episode fits into 1 of 3 categories

Category 1: Can’t be “officially” cannon without complete reworking

The Duel- a gorgeous reinterpretation of the Star Wars universe but it completely reworking the way the world works

Tatpooine Rhapsody- Could definitely work but makes the Inquisitors and Vader seem less threatening by having them never notice he’s a Jedi. But it is a very heartwarming and fun story!

Category 2: Could work but need some reworking

The Twins- A great story mirroring the skywalker Saga but it can come off a bit extreme/outlandish to some people. I would see if we dial it back (like the force unleashed) and found a right point in the timeline it might work.

Aau’s Song- a beautiful short that uses music in such a unique way. The only thing needed would be to clarify where/when it occurs in the timeline. (I’m thinking after the Old republic but before the high republic)

Journey to the Dark Head- Some of the best action we’ve ever had in Star Wars and I think it could work if we found the right place for it. Again, I’m thinking the old republic era.

Category 3: could seemlessly fit into Cannon

Bandits of Golark- a young force sensitive kid on the run, Inquisitor, and the hidden path. It fits in and doesn’t contradict anything.

The Spy Dancer- A great story about lost family during the empire that would be a nice cannon story.

The Village Bride- A fugitive Jedi on the run from the empire helping save a village from pirates. On of my favorite Visions stories that fits perfectly into cannon.

All of these are such great stories and I can’t wait for S3

Réalisé au crayon de bois :)

Arc Trooper Echo x Old Republic Jedi Reader

Before the War, Before the Fall...

You were never supposed to be here.

Once, long before the clone army ever existed, you were a Jedi Knight of the Old Republic. A warrior of the High Order, trained in the arts of peace and battle alike. Your robes were stitched from tradition, your saber forged in a time when the galaxy still believed in balance. You fought in the Mandalorian conflicts, aided in the fallout of Sith uprisings, and stood beside legends long turned to dust.

And then, during a critical mission—classified even by High Council standards—you were frozen in carbonite for protection, hidden away on an unmarked moon. Preserved in silence. Time passed. Empires fell. Republics reformed.

You were forgotten.

Until General Skywalker found you.

Woken from carbon stasis nearly a thousand years later, you emerged into a war-torn galaxy so alien, it barely recognized you as Jedi. The robes were the same. The Code had survived in pieces. But the people... *they* were different.

Especially the clones.

You had never seen soldiers bred for war. The first time you met the 501st, they moved as one—disciplined, deadly, proud. But each man had a spark of something unique. Echo's spark shone brightest to you.

ARC Trooper Echo, all calm focus and sharp wit. Loyal to a fault. Quietly brave. There was a warmth beneath his helmet that reminded you of someone you lost long ago.

And over time, in the stolen spaces between battles and strategy briefings, you found yourself seeking him out. And he—hesitantly, almost shyly—did the same.

You shared jokes, glances, meditations by moonlight. Nothing official. Not even a kiss. Just the ache of something growing where no roots should've taken hold.

---

**Now...**

The hangar echoed with the sound of carbon-freeze generators.

You stood near the chamber platform, arms folded, watching the 501st prepare for the Citadel mission. An infiltration like no other. High risk. No guarantee of return.

Your heart beat in time with the distant hiss of steam. You'd been in carbonite before. You wouldn't wish it on anyone.

"You really want to go through with this?" you asked as Echo approached, helmet tucked under his arm.

He smirked. "I've seen worse."

You raised an eyebrow. "Really? *Worse* than being flash-frozen and dropped into a fortress built to kill Jedi?"

He shrugged with a boyish tilt of his head. "When you put it like that..."

You stepped closer, lowering your voice. "I don't like this mission. Something feels... off."

Echo's smile faded just slightly. "I know. But we follow orders."

You stared at him a long moment, eyes locking with his.

"I've had my fair share of carbon-freeze," you said softly, a wry smile tugging at your lips. "Trust me—it's overrated. Don't make it a habit."

Echo chuckled, but there was something in his expression—hesitation, maybe. Or hope. His fingers brushed yours briefly.

"If I don't make it back—"

"You *will*," you cut in.

He held your gaze. "Still. If I don't... I'm glad it was you."

The words hung in the air like an unsent message. You swallowed the ache in your throat.

"I'll be waiting," you whispered.

Then the chamber hissed open, and Echo stepped inside. You watched as he was encased in freezing mist—familiar, haunting. And then he was still.

---

They returned.

Most of them.

But not him.

You heard the news with numb detachment. "Echo didn't make it." Skywalker didn't meet your eyes when he said it. Fives couldn't speak at all.

You were handed Echo's pauldron. Burnt. Cracked.

But the Force...

The Force *whispered* something else.

In meditation, beneath the endless hum of the ship, you reached for that flicker—the warm, stubborn light of him. It was faint. Weak. But not extinguished.

You pressed your hand to your heart and said nothing.

Because you knew.

*Echo was still alive.*

And whatever the cost... you'd find him.

---

You couldn't let it go.

No matter how much time passed, or how many battles you fought alongside the 501st, there was something you couldn't shake—a gnawing feeling deep in your soul. Echo was out there. You knew it. The Force whispered it to you every time you closed your eyes.

You felt him.

The report had come through the 501st's channels—Echo was alive, but he was a prisoner. He had been taken to Skako Minor and reprogrammed, twisted into something... else. A broken version of the man he had once been. But you didn't care. You would bring him back. You would save him, no matter the cost.

Rex was right beside you, his unwavering loyalty to Echo just as strong as your own. The two of you, separated by a galaxy of uncertainty and destruction, had always understood each other in ways the others couldn't. Rex had never let go of his brother, and neither had you.

And now, you couldn't help but feel the heavy weight of the decision as you prepared for the mission. You weren't just doing this for Echo anymore. You were doing it for both of you—him and you. For the love of a comrade, a soldier, a friend, and perhaps, deep down, someone more.

"I won't rest until we find him," you whispered to Rex before the mission began.

Rex gave you a stern nod, though his eyes were soft with the same grief you carried. "We're not stopping until we bring him home."

You shared a glance with him—a silent understanding of what this meant. Echo had always been there, in the trenches with them, in the hardest of battles. But now, it was different. The question of who he was had morphed into something unrecognizable. Would the man you both knew still be the same when you found him?

---

The mission was critical, and time was running out.

You, along with Rex, Anakin Skywalker, and the Bad Batch, had infiltrated the outpost on Skako Minor. The Separatists had taken Echo—one of the finest ARC Troopers—and turned him into a prisoner, forced to serve their twisted agenda. You, however, weren't going to let that happen. Not if you could help it.

Echo was still alive. He had to be. You could feel it.

The journey to the outpost had been a long and difficult one, but now, standing on the precipice of their base, you knew what needed to be done. You had trained with Echo, fought beside him. He was family, and you weren't about to lose him to the war.

The place was cold, mechanical, and sterile—almost too quiet for comfort. It felt like a graveyard. But the faintest sound of movement ahead cut through the silence.

You turned, locking eyes with Rex. His jaw was set, his gaze firm. Beside him, Anakin stood, ready for anything. And then, there was Echo.

But he wasn't the same.

There he was—strapped into an array of machines, wires trailing from his body, his face emotionless. The pain of seeing him like this nearly broke you in that moment, but you knew it wasn't over. He was still Echo.

"Echo," Rex called softly, stepping forward. "We've got you, buddy. We're getting you out of here."

For a moment, there was nothing but the hum of machines and the silence of the outpost. Then, a flicker of movement. Echo's head turned slowly, his eyes blank, as if the man you once knew was buried deep inside somewhere, and this was just the shell.

You stepped forward, your heart racing in your chest. "Echo? Can you hear me?" Your voice was calm, but it cracked with the emotion you could no longer contain. You were here. You had found him.

Slowly, Echo's lips curled into a small, dry smile—familiar, but tinged with something distant.

"You know, I was starting to get used to this place," Echo's voice was robotic, distant. "It's better than the barracks, but I think I could've done without the wires."

You laughed softly, despite the ache in your chest. "You always did have a way with words. Still, this is no place for you. We're taking you back, Echo. You belong with us."

Echo's gaze flickered toward you briefly, his eyes dull but still alive with some trace of recognition. "You... came for me," he muttered, as though trying to process the reality of it.

"You know we would," you said, your voice firm, yet gentle. "You're one of us, Echo. You don't leave your squad behind."

But Echo's face darkened, his expression turning pained. "I'm not the same anymore," he said quietly, almost regretfully. "They've done something to me. I don't know if I can go back to being who I was."

The words hit you hard. But you refused to back down. "That doesn't matter. You're still the same person, Echo. You've always been there for us. We are still here for you."

Echo shook his head slowly, his eyes never leaving the floor. "I don't know... I don't think I can go back to being that soldier. I've changed."

Rex stepped forward, his voice low but commanding. "You're more than what they've made you, Echo. You've always been more than that

For a moment, Echo seemed to consider this, his eyes moving between you and Rex. But then, he shook his head slowly.

"I don't know if I can go back to who I was," he said softly, his voice tinged with regret.

Rex's hand clenched into a fist. "You don't have to go back. We're here for you, Echo. We'll fight for you."

Anakin stepped forward, his voice calm but commanding. "We'll help you, Echo. We're not leaving anyone behind."

Echo's expression remained stoic, but you could see the flicker of uncertainty in his eyes.

"Maybe... maybe I'm not the man you want me to be," he whispered. "Maybe I'm not that soldier anymore."

The pain in Rex's eyes was palpable, but his voice was resolute. "You're not alone, Echo. You never were. And we're not leaving without you."

The escape was chaotic.

Once Echo was freed from the machine bindings, the alarms blared throughout the facility. There was no time to waste. You, Rex, Anakin, and the Bad Batch fought your way out, blasters blazing, all while Echo struggled to regain his bearings. His movements were stiff, his mind clouded from the reprogramming, but with every passing moment, you could see him coming back to himself—albeit slowly.

It was Anakin who led the charge through the outpost's corridors, his strategic mind piecing together their escape route even as enemy fire rained down on them. Rex covered you, his blaster raised and steady, while you kept your focus on Echo, guiding him through the madness.

"You're with us, Echo. We'll get you out of here," you said, trying to keep him calm. He didn't respond, but the faintest nod was all you needed.

When you reached the hangar, the Bad Batch took their positions, covering the exits and keeping the Separatists at bay. Echo was stumbling, but he kept moving forward, a faint glimmer of the soldier he once was starting to re-emerge. You didn't know if he would ever be the same again, but for now, he was with you—and that was all that mattered.

"Keep moving, Echo," you said as you pushed him toward the ship.

"I'm with you," he muttered, his voice rough but steady. "I'll never leave you behind."

Finally, after what felt like hours of intense combat, you made it to the ship. The engines roared to life, and the transport shot off into the atmosphere, away from the chaos of Skako Minor.

As you all settled into your seats, the adrenaline of the escape began to wear off, and the weight of what you'd just witnessed settled in. Echo was alive, but he was still so far from being the man you remembered. The wires, the reprogramming, the suffering—it was all etched into him in ways you couldn't yet fully understand.

But you were determined to help him heal. You didn't care what it took— and you wouldn't leave him behind again.

- - -

The chaos of the mission on Skako Minor had finally settled, leaving an overwhelming sense of relief in its wake. The Marauder, the ship piloted by the Bad Batch, now cut through the stars as it headed towards the Republic fleet. It was a rough ride—no surprise there, considering the crew—but it was a comforting one. There was a sense of familiarity with the Bad Batch's eccentricities, their usual banter filling the air around you. However, the most comforting part of all was Echo, sitting across from you.

It had been a long and arduous rescue, but Echo was finally free—physically, at least. The mental scars of his time with the Separatists would take longer to heal.

Echo was seated across from you, leaning back slightly in his seat, his expression distant. His posture was less rigid than usual, but you could see the storm behind his eyes. The escape had been harrowing, and he was still processing everything.

Wrecker, the ever-vibrant and boisterous member of the Bad Batch, was rummaging around in the back, most likely looking for snacks. "You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say we were all a little too quiet today," he said with his signature grin, tossing a bag of chips to Tech, who caught it with precision.

Tech raised an eyebrow but accepted the snack. "We've just been through a rather intense operation, Wrecker. A little silence isn't a bad thing."

Meanwhile, Hunter leaned against the wall near the cockpit, his piercing eyes scanning the ship's systems, though his attention occasionally drifted toward you and Echo. You knew he respected Echo's capabilities, but you also suspected that he had noticed the bond growing between the two of you.

Rex, too, had been quietly observing, but it was clear from his relaxed posture that he was relieved. Everyone had come out of the mission alive, but the tension was far from gone.

You turned your attention back to Echo, noticing how his eyes occasionally flickered toward the viewport. The stars outside were nothing compared to the turmoil inside him, and it hurt you to see him struggling.

You shifted in your seat and, without thinking, reached across the aisle to gently nudge his arm. "You know, I've had my fair share of carbon freezing," you joked softly, trying to lighten the mood. "So I can't say I'm jealous of you getting to do it again."

Echo blinked, looking at you as a quiet smile tugged at his lips. "I think I've had enough of it for a lifetime," he said with a soft chuckle. "That last time wasn't exactly a vacation."

Your heart fluttered at the sound of his voice, the way the tension in his shoulders relaxed. You shared a brief moment of eye contact before he looked back at the stars, and you took the opportunity to close the distance just slightly, your hand brushing against his. It was a small gesture, but it spoke volumes in that quiet moment.

The Marauder continued its journey through the void, the hum of the ship's engines filling the air. But it wasn't just the ship that seemed to hum now—it was the quiet connection between you and Echo, something that had always been there, unspoken. The bond between the two of you felt more tangible now, as if the events of the mission had brought you even closer together.

Wrecker, still in the back, called out over his shoulder, "Hey, you two going to just stare at each other the whole ride, or are we finally going to get a real conversation out of you?"

Echo let out a quiet laugh, his eyes flicking to you with a playful, almost sheepish expression. "I think we're getting there."

You couldn't help but grin at the playful teasing, but your heart was racing. A brief glance passed between you, and for just a moment, you felt like the weight of everything—the war, the danger, the mission—faded into the background. It was just you and him, the connection between you two solidifying in that quiet space.

Echo's voice was lower now, more intimate as he leaned slightly closer. "I don't know how to say this, but... I'm glad you were here. I don't think I could have made it through this without you."

Your chest tightened, and for a moment, you didn't know what to say. The words were too big to express, but the warmth in your chest was enough to convey everything.

"You don't have to say anything," you replied quietly, your voice barely a whisper. "I'm just... happy you're safe."

Echo gave a small smile before his thumb brushed against the back of your hand, sending a flutter through your stomach. "Safe, but not unscathed."

The words lingered between you, but this time, it didn't feel like an obstacle. It felt like a truth you were both starting to accept. For the first time in what seemed like forever, Echo wasn't just a soldier you fought beside. He was something more. Someone more.

- - -

When the Marauder finally docked with the Republic fleet, the hangar bay was filled with the usual bustle of activity. You all disembarked, the quiet tension of the mission still hanging in the air. Everyone's expressions were marked by the weight of what had just happened.

Echo, though physically alive and well, still seemed lost in his thoughts. The Bad Batch, as usual, carried on with their typical behavior, but there was a more subdued air about them. Hunter gave a curt nod of approval as you all made your way toward the command center.

As you walked together, Echo's hand brushed against yours again, a simple, tender touch that made your heart skip. You looked at him, your breath catching in your throat.

"Well, I guess we're back," you said with a light smile. "Not exactly how I imagined the rescue would go."

Echo smirked, his fingers lingering on yours.

Your heart swelled at the softness in his eyes as he looked down at you. You couldn't help the smile that spread across your face, the affection clear in your gaze.

Before either of you could speak again, Rex came up beside you, giving you a teasing look. "Hey, I don't know what's going on between you two, but I'm pretty sure you're both walking into a warzone if you don't get it together soon."

Echo chuckled, his face reddening just a little. "Rex is right, you know. Maybe we should take some time to... figure things out."

You nodded, your heart racing. "I think that's a good idea."

Wrecker, who had been trailing behind, chimed in from a distance. "Oh great! Another love story brewing on this ship. I hope it's not as dramatic as the last one!"

You and Echo exchanged a playful glance, both of you rolling your eyes at Wrecker. Amused but not wanting to pry on the Batch's secret love lives.

With your hand still in his, Echo leaned in slightly, his voice soft. "I'm not going anywhere. Not this time."

You smiled, feeling an overwhelming sense of peace settle over you. "Good. Because I don't think I could do this without you."

The two of you walked side by side toward the command center, the quiet between you now a comfortable one. You had no idea what the future held, but in that moment, you knew one thing for sure—you and Echo had finally found something worth holding onto.

_______

Part 2