[ To Margaery, Freckles was a gun... he didn't used to be. He used to be a mantis assault droid, and she's about to see how he was destroyed.
When Hadriel fades away Margaery finds herself in a brutal firefight. The colorful soldiers and their would be saviors are hopelessly outnumbered. Wash is huddled behind some crates providing cover while the others run away, towards the only way out of their cliff-isolated little canyon. There's a precariously fragile tunnel through the rock that they're hustling through to the waiting ship on the other side, Freckles as a mantis guarding the entrance.
From Wash's position, through all the gunfire, it's hard to make sense of the chaos, but his team's shouts are audible through his helmet's radio.
"What are you doing, where's Wash?" Tucker's voice, though Margaery can't see the familiar teal armor on the field. He must be through the tunnel.
"He's still at the base!"
"What?"
Another voice, sounding panicked, "Sir, if we leave now, they'll just follow us back to headquarters!"
"Aw, shit, somebody get me some explosives!" This voice isn't familiar either, but it sounds authoritative -- presumably the leader of the soldiers helping them.
Tucker's voice chimes back in. "Wait, guys, there he is! Wash! Wash, come on!"
Wash glances back towards the escape route, and now Tucker is visible through it, waving for Wash to hurry the fuck up.
"We've gotta seal this tunnel!" Another random soldier, maybe the one who was running with an armful of explosives that just got shot straight in the head before he could set any charges. The man on the other side of the opening goes down too, leaving Freckles their sole defense. There's no other cover left for Wash between his position and only way out...
He looks to the enemy force advancing towards his friends, checks his clip -- he's nearly empty. Back to Freckles... and he makes a decision. He can't run. He has to protect them at all costs.
"Freckles..." Wash hesitates before giving the command, then takes a deep breath and orders the droid to do the trick Caboose taught him, which isn't quite what it sounds like. "Shake!"
"Hey, no, what are you doing?!" The last he'll hear from Tucker is frantic, and Wash's gaze settles on his friend for the next few moments before Freckles obeys.
Shake doesn't mean himself -- it means everything. The Mantis stomps the ground with a massive robotic foot, hard. The ensuing shudder is enough to collapse the tunnel without explosives, an avalanche of rock coming down between Wash and Tucker. Closing it off, trapping Wash with the enemy but saving his friends. That's it. They're safe now... Wash is not. Neither is Freckles, who is caught in the collapse, massive rocks crushing his metal form.
Wash lets out a sigh, relief and acceptance, even as his HUD blares a proximity warning. An enemy soldier has rushed up and takes a mighty whack at his head. The memory fades as Wash blacks out. ]
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When Hadriel fades away Margaery finds herself in a brutal firefight. The colorful soldiers and their would be saviors are hopelessly outnumbered. Wash is huddled behind some crates providing cover while the others run away, towards the only way out of their cliff-isolated little canyon. There's a precariously fragile tunnel through the rock that they're hustling through to the waiting ship on the other side, Freckles as a mantis guarding the entrance.
From Wash's position, through all the gunfire, it's hard to make sense of the chaos, but his team's shouts are audible through his helmet's radio.
"What are you doing, where's Wash?" Tucker's voice, though Margaery can't see the familiar teal armor on the field. He must be through the tunnel.
"He's still at the base!"
"What?"
Another voice, sounding panicked, "Sir, if we leave now, they'll just follow us back to headquarters!"
"Aw, shit, somebody get me some explosives!" This voice isn't familiar either, but it sounds authoritative -- presumably the leader of the soldiers helping them.
Tucker's voice chimes back in. "Wait, guys, there he is! Wash! Wash, come on!"
Wash glances back towards the escape route, and now Tucker is visible through it, waving for Wash to hurry the fuck up.
"We've gotta seal this tunnel!" Another random soldier, maybe the one who was running with an armful of explosives that just got shot straight in the head before he could set any charges. The man on the other side of the opening goes down too, leaving Freckles their sole defense. There's no other cover left for Wash between his position and only way out...
He looks to the enemy force advancing towards his friends, checks his clip -- he's nearly empty. Back to Freckles... and he makes a decision. He can't run. He has to protect them at all costs.
"Freckles..." Wash hesitates before giving the command, then takes a deep breath and orders the droid to do the trick Caboose taught him, which isn't quite what it sounds like. "Shake!"
"Hey, no, what are you doing?!" The last he'll hear from Tucker is frantic, and Wash's gaze settles on his friend for the next few moments before Freckles obeys.
Shake doesn't mean himself -- it means everything. The Mantis stomps the ground with a massive robotic foot, hard. The ensuing shudder is enough to collapse the tunnel without explosives, an avalanche of rock coming down between Wash and Tucker. Closing it off, trapping Wash with the enemy but saving his friends. That's it. They're safe now... Wash is not. Neither is Freckles, who is caught in the collapse, massive rocks crushing his metal form.
Wash lets out a sigh, relief and acceptance, even as his HUD blares a proximity warning. An enemy soldier has rushed up and takes a mighty whack at his head. The memory fades as Wash blacks out. ]