LOTH

Killed during Order 66

Named at the same time as Loth, because he liked to try and follow Loth up to the aforementioned high places, but when they fell and Loth landed gracefully, Trip tended to fall flat on his face

A lot better at social stuff than Loth, who tends to stand behind him when they’re in large groups (though after he is alone in the 104th, Loth is forced to become more sociable)

Likes to paint with Deck and Sprint, and prank King whenever he has a chance

Moved to 501st post-The Battle after passing ARC training with Loth

Killed in The Battle

The ‘leader’ of the group, and more extroverted

Name is a misnomer, and often assumed to be because of his role within his squad of batch brothers, whereas he actually ended up with it because of his prowess in Dejarik (Chess), and how often he would win against his brothers (“King me!”)

While he is very outgoing, he is also brash and hot-headed, and his brothers are his main source of control and regulation

After missions Sprint or Loth will often come and curl up on his bunk with him while they share music over their comms to calm down

Killed in The Battle

Named for both his affinity for card tricks (and always having a pack of cards on him somewhere) and his affinity for punching droids

Despite being drawn to close combat and one of the more ‘annoying’ (his brothers love it) hobbies a person can have he is even more withdrawn than Loth, and while Loth often used Trip a a human shield in social situations, Deck would then use Loth as a human shield

The best artist of their squad, and the one his brothers like to go to first to plan out their armor designs or to get help with a certain part of it they can’t do well enough themselves

Killed in The Battle

Named for being the fastest karking clone anyone in his squad have ever seen, they swear the Kaminoans mixed something into his tube

He is hyperactive, and constantly tapping on something or moving around, and his brothers often try and shield him from getting in trouble by high command when they are around, because he appears to be insubordinate because of it

Loves to tuck himself into any of his brothers’ bunks rather than his own, which helps him sleep at night (they don’t mind)

The battlefield is empty, just the corpses of his brothers and the burnt remains of their ships. Loth wakes to a buzzing in his head, spotty vision, no hearing, and a body shielding him from the elements. It is Trip. He has been cut down by a laser sword, but it seemed that in his last moments he had used his own flesh as a shield for Loth, falling over him when he was killed. The damage done to Loth’s head had protected him from further investigation, left for dead next to the other final member of their old squad.

Loth cannot carry the corpse away from the aftermath, as much as he tries to, ignoring the screaming pain in his head and the darkness in his vision. He passes out several more times before he gives up. He takes only the viroblade that Trip had lovingly cared for after being gifted it by a civilian on a planet they had liberation from the Separatists. It is all he can manage. He turns his back to the battlefield turned graveyard.

He does not make it far before losing consciousness again, the brain injury taking its toll on top of all the other injuries he sustained.

Eventually scavengers come to pick through the carnage, hoping for things to loot and sell, and they come across Loth, who they first assume is dead, but on realizing he is still alive, haul him back to the city a little ways away

The scavengers have an old medical droid that fixes Loth up the best it can (which is not great), essentially just sealing up injuries so he doesn’t die from blood loss or sepsis.

Rex and his small crew that he has put together in order to liberate as many of his brothers as he can have stopped on an Outer Rim planet to pick up some goods and try and see what information the traders have on Empire engagement this far out from the central part of the galaxy

Rex hears tell of a clone fighter in an illegal underground fighting ring, and takes some men to investigate, fearing the worst

Terrified that they are here to kill him for defecting or some other punishment, Loth runs, but he is on one leg and one glitching leg, and starving. He does not make it far.

When Rex catches up, he explains what he is doing, and Loth agrees to come with him. He is grateful for Rex offering a place for him, even after he has been rendered useless and broken. There is nothing else for him to live for, and he hopes Rex and his squad can be his second chance (though he doesn't think he deserves one)

The medical droid was an old model with little equipment on hand, and he is left with debilitating side effects of his head injury. His hearing is almost completely gone, his vision in the eye from the injury is fuzzy, and he finds himself losing time, and forgetting simple things. When he speaks, he stutters often and forgets words or whole sentences. His hands perpetually shake.

He feels as though it would have been better that he died with Trip. But the thought of killing himself now hurts knowing that it will mean that no one would be left to remember his squad. He cannot forget Trip, King, Deck, and Sprint, and so he keeps going.

The scrappers who pull his half-alive body from the wreckage realize what he is: a clone trooper. A fighter. A weapon.

There is a fighting ring on the planet, and the scavengers realize they can make good money, even with the clone in the bad condition he’s in

They make a ‘deal’ with Loth, who is half out of his mind, to fight in the illegal ring on their behalf, where they can receive prize money and betting profit, and they’ll give him medical care, housing, and a meager paycheck in return

Stuck between hallucinations, a broken chip lodged in his head through which the Empire is still trying to control them, and extensive physical injuries, Loth agrees, not understanding what’s real and what’s flashback and trauma

They outfit him with an old droid leg to replace the mangled one that was amputated to avoid infection, and he enters a new era of his life

His mind slowly pulls itself back together from scraps, and though he suffers from permanent side effects of the TBI, he is able to eventually make sense of his surroundings past the nightly opponents he is pitted against

He collects what little information he can from the Outer Rim trading post he finds further North on the planet, and hearing news of a new Empire, pieces together a vague understanding of what happened

With the malfunctioning/broken chip from the errant blaster fire, he sees the error of the Order, and knows that if he wants to survive, then he has to stay hidden

While he is stuck here, eventually he meets a Twi’lek and Chiss who are also fighters in the ring in similar debt situations

The Twi-leks name is Zanji and the Chiss is Cser’ji’ovoacu (Corename: Rjio), and they are lovers, seeking any kind of solace in a world where they’ve sacrificed much of their dignity and morals to blood and money

When the meet Loth, they first are simply friends, drawn together because of their similar circumstances, the smallest kindness and soft tough in their struggle, but eventually becomes closer

Loth falls in love with them, and they with him, and for a short while, Loth wonders if this could be worth survival, worth the life he is stuck in now

TBC...

Upon joining Rex, Loth chooses to leave his name behind. He does not feel as though he deserves it any longer, and it hurts him to hear it, knowing that his original squad will never say it back to him. He cannot be that person.

Rex understands this, as do the other rescued clones, and they use other nicknames for him, that come from a new family and a new way of existing

He is given a new prosthetic, and though it is a modified clanker leg, with the shortage of resources that Rex is functioning with, he and his brothers find joy in the new life of something they were made to destroy not so long ago

He head injury is unfortunately too long past help, but his eye is fixed, and he is given hearing aids, as well as resources to learn more sign language than he and his brothers already know

He struggles with losing his old role in battle. He was an ARC trooper, but the side effects of the injury do not lend well to this position in battle. He can still hold his own, but barking out orders, and having steady aim and the like, it is lost forever.

He struggled with feeling useless, and while his brothers are just happy one of their own is safe with them, fed and warm, they see his struggle and he is gently guided into the medbay, where he is handed a pair of gloves and bandages. He dedicated everything he has to it. He can still protect his brothers, even though it looks different than before.

When he’s practicing drawing blood he needs practice-patients and always asks his brothers to help. When he’s not as practiced at it and his hands are shaky as well, he has to do it over and over again. ‘Prick’ comes from this as a nickname (and also what his brothers call him when they’re under the needle “You’re a right prick right now!”)

The next nickname, ‘Puppy’ or ‘Pup’ comes from the side effect of the brain injury. He has a tendency to dissociate sometimes, but his mind partially recognizes his brothers as safe because they’re familiar, so while he can’t communicate or anything he’ll latch on to them and sort of just follow on their heels – especially if they’re on a mission of some kind, until they’re safe again and he can be set down in a corner somewhere to come back to himself (i.e. nipping at their heels, like a puppy)

At the base there’s a corner in the main gathering area they leave – a blanket and some pillows, so he’s out of the way for people to do their thing, but everyone can keep an eye on him

During missions someone (whoever he’s attached himself to) just posts up in an out of the way spot with him, though he is not often out in the field anymore since his services are much more beneficial on base

His brothers learn that deep pressure helps lessen anxiety when his mind loses track of where he is, and often they can be found in a cuddle pile, practically laying on top of him, while watching some stream or listening to music of some kind

His brother’s surprise him sometimes with armor they’ve scrounged up from one mission or another, and they paint it for him when he is too scared to try and paint it himself, painting his leg to match and leaving the medic symbol on the side of his helmet, so he knows that they see how hard he works and appreciate it deeply

Rex hears of Pabu from other clones that settle there, and from Echo and the other Bad Batch members. He sees the work they do for Crosshair with his new prosthetic, and the mind healers that they have for those with trauma. He only wants the best for his brothers, and he knows that Loth needs somewhere that is a home. Not just a base that keeps changing, always in danger.

Loth does eventually begin to use his name again, though he just as often introduced himself as ‘Pup’ as he does with ‘Loth’. A reminder that while he has lost so much, there are still brothers out there in the stars that care for him and love him. Brothers that he has told the stories of Deck, Trip, King, and Sprint to. Brothers who will not forget, just as he will not.

Pabu becomes his home easily and quietly, unlike anything else in his life. He is given a new prosthetic, and is able to heal from much of his trauma. He finds safety and solace in working with the farm animals of Pabu, while still helping out as a medic whenever someone calls for it. He cries the first time he assists a midwife, because it will be the first time he helps bring life into the world, rather than taking from it, or trying to stop others from leaving it. He is happy. He is safe. He has a chance to heal.