STEALTH and TRACK: BOOK ONE

C H A P T E R T H I R T Y

THIRD PERSON POV

"Does anyone copy? Is anyone there?"

"Omega?!"

"Omega!"

The Marauder exploded into a frenzy as Hunter and Fern dashed to the front of the ship, where Echo and Tech hurriedly worked on connecting with Omega. The sergeant nearly knocked the spectacled clone over as he took control the situation. "Omega, can you hear me?! Omega!" he called fiercely, desperately wanting to reach the young girl.

"Echo, it's long range. Boost the signal!" Fern ordered, perhaps a little too forceful. But they risked losing her.

"Is anyone there?" Omega's staticky voice sounded.

"Omega! Can you hear me?" Hunter's brows sank as he fought to reach her.

"H-hunter...?" she finally complied, gasping with relief. "Ha, I'm here! I got away, but you have to hurry."

"Where are you?"

"I...I-I don't know where I am." Omega's voice trembled.

"Hang on, kid! We're coming for ya!" Wrecker promised.

"The signal's too weak to establish a direct connection trace." Echo sighed in distress.

"Half-Pint, can you hear me?" Fern leaned in close over Hunter's arm. "It's Fern."

"Yes, I can hear you."

"Listen carefully, okay? We need a relay of your position. Try to create a power surge. Is there a electrical panel nearby you can hook your comm device to?"

There was a pause before the young girl answered, "Yes. It looks like the ones on Tipoca City."

"Good girl. Now activate it."

"It worked. Now what do I—" Suddenly, Omega gasped, and a familiar raspy voice to Hunter's and Fern's ears growled, "By hook or by crook, you are coming with me."

"Bane... You stay away from her!" Fern shouted the pointless threat.

"Let go!"

"Omega!?" Hunter took over shouting for the girl. "Omega!"

"Hunter, I need you!"

The signal was cut off...

"No!" Hunter slammed his fist into the console, and then flinched under the strain of his chest wound.  "Echo, status report." he groaned.

"I was unable to pinpoint a location."

Fern sighed in defeat, her head dropping in dead weight. "That's not good enough, Echo. Try again."

"I have." the cyborg clone insisted. "I won't be able to lock on a location until I can get that power surge or some kind of beacon."

"We have to have faith Omega can do it on her own." Tech stated.

"And what if she doesn't?!" Hunter aggressively sighed.

"He's right, Hunter." Fern relaxed. "We have to believe in her. All we can do now, is wait..."

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FERN'S POV

It would over an hour until navigational system burst into a series of alarms. 

"I think I got her." Echo exclaimed. "She's in the Lido System." Everyone scrambled to and hovered around him and main console.

"Where in the Lido System?" Wrecker questioned.