STEALTH and TRACK: BOOK ONE

C H A P T E R T W E N T Y-S E V E N

THIRD PERSON POV

It was a race against time, and the clones were running out of it. Fern followed Hunter, Tech, and Omega up top the rafters. In one swift movement, the former kicked off Hunter's laced fingers to place a charge above them. Upon her descension, Tech's hand linked their wrists, and he used the momentum to swing her up at another beam to secure another one. Hunter caught her under her legs and arms, and skillfully tossed her back on solid ground. Omega then clasped onto Fern as she leaned down to place the last one.

All while this was happening, the engine was dangerously approaching its maximum charge; the fiery blue hue burned brighter with every passing second, and the air being propelled inward rocked everyone's balance off. The entire chamber trembled ferociously. Clone Force 99's time was up when the main power core culminated its last charge, and illuminated with a bright white explosion.

"Everybody, get down!" Wrecker shouted. Hunter shielded Omega with his body. Tech and Echo tag-teamed protecting Fern, for she too wore no armor. The muscular clone ignited the chargers, and the entire cylinder rim denotated into a series of eruptions. The outer portion snapped off the main ship, toppled down with reverberating groans, and smashed into the planet's surface vertically. To avoid falling twenty stories, everyone had to cling to the chamber in some form of fashion. With the impact of the ground, however, the chamber shuddered, and Fern lost her grip. She would've disappeared forever if it hadn't been for Tech, who saved her once again by locking his arm around her thin waist. His hold was painfully tight, but it was better than the abyss below.

That's when the chamber split into two, separating Hunter and Omega from the rest of them. "Hunter!" Fern cried out as she lost sight of him. Unfortunately, she couldn't worry too much as when the second crash occurred, the cylinder rolled heavily a few times, tossing her, Echo, Tech, and Wrecker along the metal rims. It was the only time Fern wished she'd wore a helmet, because if it wasn't for Tech, she would've died from head trauma. The intellectual clone wrapped his whole body around her as they both bounced along. At last, they all came to a stand, still alive.

"Hunter, come on." Fern immediately called on her gauntlet. "Are you okay?"

"We landed on portside." Echo added. "What's your status?"

"Omega and I are by the engine." Hunter huffed. "And we got company." Fern heard blaster shots on the other side of where she stood.

"Hold on, I'll come to you." she said.

"That'll take too long." Hunter objected. "We'll all meet at the Marauder."

Fern helped Tech to his feet. He seemed shaken up, but she was sure he felt worse. When the four of them began to move out, they realized they were farther away from the ship than Hunter and Omega. It would take longer for all of them to meet up.

"Go on, Fern." Echo urged, as if to read her mind. "You're faster than all of us. You can meet them and support them until we catch up. Go!"

Fern nodded and activated her enhanced skills, sprinting forward in hopes to cross paths with Hunter and Omega on her pursuit for the ship.

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FERN'S POV

I raced over the mountains of scrapped ship parts to reach the Marauder as swiftly as I could. With my long legs and agility, I leaped, dropped, ducked, soared, and pivoted, not misplacing nor tripping a single step. My heartbeat gradually increased the closer I got: I don't know if it was from the adrenaline or from the sudden anxiety I was experiencing.