STEALTH and TRACK: BOOK ONE

C H A P T E R F O U R T E E N

THIRD PERSON POV

"Fern?" Echo called as he arrived back at the ship. He found the female clone halfway inside the open hull with her legs flailing about.

"I'm stuck!" she shrieked. "A little help?!"

"O-okay, hold on, hold on." Echo slid his shoulder underneath her stomach and gently hoisted her out of the ship. When her feet touched down, Fern huffed in frustration; her face was drenched in sweat. She inadvertently pounded her fist into Echo's armor as she pushed away. "Who's the one working on their own now?!" she yelled at the ship and crunched her arms together.

"Um, what are you talking about?" Echo cautiously asked, trying to hide the rolling of his shoulder where she punched him.

"Nothing," Fern shook her head and hands. "I couldn't reach the stupid repulsors underneath the ship without someone like Wrecker to hand me the parts and pull me out. Where did you get these droids?" She finally noticed the cyborg-clone's new companions. They waddled and rolled around the scattered mess that were the ship's mechanical organs, anxiously beeping and whirling through their modulators. 

"Long story." Echo replied, and then turned to the tallest droid and allowed her to start instructing the smaller ones to start reassembling the ship. "Go on, Fern." He nodded to the side. "Hunter is heading east of town. You can catch up with him in search for Omega."

"Yeah," Fern nodded half-heartedly, and then switched on her comm. "Boys, I'm heading out. Hunter, give me your position and I'll meet you."

Instead of replying to Fern, the sergeant called for Wrecker's position over the comm. When there was no reply from the latter, he then asked for an update from Tech.

It's like he doesn't realize I'm here, too...Fern's mouth twisted in a pout, which Echo pretended he didn't see. In his mind, however, he was thinking, Hunter is going to get a mouth-full if he doesn't respond soon...

Fern was about to head out anyway, when Wrecker panted over the comm, "I, I got to find Omega..."

"Tech, where's Hunter?"

"Hunter's got it handled." Tech chimed in. "Get back to the ship. Fern, I suggest you stay put. We're going to need to make a quick escape and cannot afford all of us searching about."

"Fine." Fern growled, and stomped right back into repairing the ship without another word. While she reattached wires, she could hear Tech's and Hunter's chatter over the comms. On Hunter's side, she heard the bustling of aircraft and buzzing of a hoverbike's engine that Hunter must've obtained, whizzing through traffic to save Omega. Fern could also detect blaster shots.

He could use backup... she thought. Even Tech wouldn't help me out...What was the point joining Clone Force 99 if they weren't going to include me when things were dire?

"Fern," Echo placed a hand on her shoulder as if to silently ease her mind. Fern shrugged him off, but not in spite, for she appreciated the sentiment - she just didn't appreciate the feeling of uselessness. With the help from the maintenance droids, the ship was back in one piece once again, and Echo released them from duty. At the same time, Hunter came swooping in from above on a hoverbike, with Omega in front between his arms. He screeched to a halt and huffed, "We need to go. Now!"

"Wrecker, pick up the pace. We don't have all day." Tech stated in his gauntlet. The muscular clone appeared from the entrance, panting, "I'm here."

Fern allowed everyone to board the ship first, following behind Echo, with Wrecker in the rear. This time, Fern joined Tech at the controls as co-pilot, taking the latter by surprise. Nevertheless, he accepted the change quickly to power up the ship and zoom into space. Once they were clear of the planet's atmosphere, Hunter dropped his bag and sighed heavily, "She must've been a bounty hunter."