STEALTH and TRACK: BOOK ONE

C H A P T E R T H I R T Y-O N E

THIRD PERSON POV

When the clones returned to Ord Mantell, they headed back to Cid's parlor after making a quick pitstop to purchase a box of Mantell Mix for Omega as sort of a comfort food after her life-threatening ordeal. The young girl was perched on top of Wrecker's shoulder, gobbling down the savory treat in full content, when she asked when their next mission would be.

"With two bounty hunters after you, it'd be wise to keep a low profile." Tech suggested.

"Tech's right." Hunter halted and helped Omega down, and she hopped right into Tech's waiting hands to steady her. She beamed up at the intellectual clone with the biggest grin as Hunter explained how there was just too heat on them at this moment.

"Never stopped us before." Wrecker scoffed proudly, but the sergeant shut him down. "The kid's been through enough. She needs a break."

"She seems fine to me." the muscular clone shrugged. Fern glanced over at Omega, who stood between Tech and Echo, the latter literally sniffing out the Mantell Mix. She agreed with the big guy. In fact, Fern noticed the young girl seemed chipper than ever. She wasn't sure if she should be concerned or not. But then, Hunter had a point... 

We are drawing too much attention to ourselves with bounty hunters like Cad Bane on our tail, she mentally debated. But it's not like we can hide either, not in our current financial situation.

Fern placed her hand on her chin in a thinking position. "I don't think we should cut missions altogether, however. I mean, we still need to eat. Then, there's the matter of our debt with Cid. Missions are still an option, but perhaps we can execute multiple missions at once by splitting into smaller groups."

"Oh yeah!" Wrecker exclaimed with a fist pump. "That'd be fun, right, Sarge?" He playfully punched the clone's shoulder. 

Hunter shook his head at him before turning his focus to Fern's suggestion. "We'll keep an open mind."

Well, it wasn't a no.

The squad headed down into the parlor, where Cid was waiting for them with a datapad in her reptilian claw. "About time you showed. I've got a mission for you lot." She didn't even give them a moment to settle at the bar before nose-diving into her briefing. "A simple extraction on Raxus."

"Raxus?!" Tech and Fern exclaimed in unison, but the latter took over in exposition. "That's the former center of the Separatist government."

"And it's since become an Imperial outpost—"

"I'm not interested in a history lesson. Goggles." Cid waved her hands to stop them both.

"What did I say about nicknames, Cid?" Fern growled. "I have full reign here."

"You're the instigator, Princess." The Trandoshan fired back. "Anywho, you're being hired to locate and free Senator Avi Singh from his confinement. My client will meet you at the given coordinates to brief you." She held out a coordinator chip to Hunter.

"You can't be serious." Fern dropped her chin in disbelief with her arms crossed. "Help a Separatist? Us? Let me ruminate over that and decide...Hmm... Yep, I don't think so, Cid."

"Don't get smart with me, Princess." Cid snapped, waving the chip between her fingers. "Your debt's still not paid, remember? A job's a job. You of all your species should know that."

Before Fern should retaliate, Hunter stopped her with a hand on her shoulder and shot her a glare. Then, he took Cid aside where the rest of his squad couldn't hear. Meanwhile, the female clone dug her knotted arms deeper into her diaphragm, grumbling in frustration, "I can't believe her. The war just ended a few months ago, or did she forget who our sole enemy was?" Her eyes briefly locked with Echo's, and she knew they felt alike.

"Yeah, yeah, Bandana. Just get out of here, will you?" Cid chided. Fern took that as Hunter accepted the mission; she rolled her eyes and hopped off the bar counter. The sergeant ordered everyone to move out to the ship, but momentarily stayed behind to talk to Omega. He later caught up with his squad, where Fern glanced behind him and realized the young girl had not followed.

"You didn't." Fern frowned with her brows raised in disbelief. "Cid? Baby-sitting? It would've been better if she came along this despicable mission."

"Fern, you said yourself earlier that we didn't have much choice in taking jobs. We need the money."

She didn't argue back, but she was still upset as they boarded the ship. She retreated to her room at the gunner's mount to have some quiet time and clear her crowded mind. Hunter decided to let her be until they reached Raxus. Furthermore, Echo donned the same attitude as Fern; of course, he had a more personal reason than the rest of them...

As she curled up in her room with her head resting on top her bent arm, she tried to not be too angry at Hunter's decision—she knew they needed the money and, as mercenaries, they couldn't, shouldn't take missions personally. Her hand reached out to Omega's clone trooper doll that leaned against the Tooka doll that formerly belonged to Wrecker. Holding the trooper in her palm, a smile escaped her lips as she admired the artwork Omega had painted on it to make it look like a Bad Batcher. With a skull sketched on its tiny chest plate, it reminded her a lot of Hunter.

Rolling onto her back with her head propped on the wall, Fern lightheartedly bounced the trooper by its little arms between her fingers, her amused smile growing wider by the second. Eventually, her frustration melted away; she hugged the doll close to her chest and closed her eyes, breathing mindfully. She could the boys bickering from the cockpit, but her head was in a different space, and, to her surprise, Hunter lingered in her mind...

Wait, Fern's eyes shot open, and then averted them from the ceiling. She pressed one hand to her forehead. She tossed away the little trooper with the other. What is this weird feeling in my head? This can't be what I think it is. Scrag, my chest is tightening, too? Maybe I should get Tech to examine me. I feel...sick...

Before Fern could really comprehend her condition, she heard her name being called and that they were entering Raxus' atmosphere. She quickly picked herself up, fanned her face with both hands until her fever subsided, and pulled back the curtain to hop down from the mount. Once she reached the cockpit, she felt like normal once more.

With the clearance codes that Cid's client provided them, they descended to Raxus' surface with ease. Touching down within the colorful, temperate woods, the clones, armed, filed down the steps with Tech still persisting, "I am simply stating that the codes did, in fact, work."

"Yeah, Wired-Brain?" Fern rolled her eyes. "Well, I am simple stating that we are hindering on a planet we know very little about. You know, because it was in Separatist control and now the Empire..." Before she could fully comprehend her newfound awareness, there was a rustling behind the trees in front of her. Everyone pointed their blasters in that direction. Then, what emerged was a glossy, white service droid.

"Who are you?" Tech questioned.

"I am your client." A proper female voice modulated from the droid. "My name is GS-8."

"We're working for a droid?" Wrecker presumed, confused.

"First time for everything." Fern shrugged.

"That is correct." GS-8 confirmed. "My master, Senator Singh, was arrested for speaking out against the unjust occu—"

"We don't care." Echo growled, still aiming his blaster at the 'client'.

"Just take us to where the senator's being held." Hunter moved on.

"Right to it." GS-8 noted. "I like you. Very well. Follow me." She turned on her metal heel and waddled as she led the way.