STEALTH and TRACK: BOOK ONE

BONUS CHAPTER SEVEN: Fern and Wrecker

THIS IS A MOMENT SHARED BY FERN AND WRECKER AFTER THE EVENTS OF BRACCA, AFTER OMEGA HAS BEEN TAKEN BY CAD BANE, AND THE BAD BATCH WAIT IMPATIENTLY FOR A SIGNAL...

THIRD PERSON POV

Fern had just finished bandaging Hunter, who wanted to immediately jump into action and find Omega. "Oh no," she slammed her hand into the chair's head close to Hunter's ear, looming over him with intimidation in her stance. "You no longer have the authority to give orders at this moment." She gripped the back of the seat next to Hunter's head, her other hand on her hip and a smirk spread across her face. "As the self-proclaimed team medic, when it comes to the health of the men, including you..." She leaned her face in close, her nose almost grazing Hunter's, and whispered with wicked grin, "I outrank everyone."

The rest of the clones witnessed this spectacle with such awkwardness that they averted their stares. Just minutes before, she had an affectionate demeanor about her as she nursed him, but now she had reverted to her old sadistic self, spitting quips like it was playtime all the time. Fern released Hunter from her trance and ordered him kindly to lie down in the back of the ship while the rest of them looked for Omega.

"Fine, but the moment you find Omega—"

"I'll let you know, I know." Fern smiled and helped him to his feet. Once she had him relaxing, more or less, in the back of the ship, she turned on her heel and headed for the communications system. There was very little she could do, except send out a signal to Omega's comm device. However, the bounty hunter who kidnapped Omega wasn't just any scum from a backwater planet...This was Cad Bane, the most ruthless and clever of all in the galaxy.

Fern's nerves were getting the best of her as she imagined the litte girl in his grimy hands. Her own hands clenched in frustration as beads of sweat began to trickle down her temples. Out of nowhere, she felt a shoulder on her shoulder. Glancing up behind her, expecting Echo, she realized it was Wrecker.

"Y-you okay, Fern?" he asked in a low voice. Fern exhaled through her nose. "To be honest, I haven't been okay since we touched down on Bracca. With what happened..."

"Yeah, I know." Wrecker grumbled, rubbing the side of his head, where the inhibitor chip used to be embedded. Fern's chip had also activated, but she had somehow managed to break free of the chip's control for a split second, passing out in the process.

"How did it feel? For you, I mean." Fern breathed, recalling the moment she had launched herself at Wrecker when she witnessed his transition, mustering all the strength she could to stop him from choking Tech. Looking back, Fern realized just how... terrifying Wrecker could be. How dangerous he truly is. Wrecker had always been a very strong and efficient fight...if it wasn't for his outgoing and carefree personality, Wrecker had the potential to be one the most ruthless soldiers in the galaxy...Order 66 took away Wrecker's humanity, his very soul, and transformed him into a monster...

"I could see everything happening before me, but my body moved on its own. I had no control over my actions. I just had to watch it all happen..." Wrecker described in a serious tone, his head hung low. Fern nodded, erasing the horrible image of that mindless killing machine that wasn't the clone before her. "That was how it was for me...I could see the barrel of my blaster aiming right for Hunter's head... And I guess, I fought back just enough to turn my wrist. I had to muster every ounce of strength for just one inch of control...And it caused me to pass out."

"I wasn't strong enough like you." Wrecker collapsed into the seat next to Fern. Her mouth formed a straight line as she reached out a comforting hand on the big guy's forearm. "That's not true, Wrecker. I believe you fought it more times than I did. Am I right? On Corellia?"

Wrecker turned his head to meet her eyes, and she smiled. "I am right. See, who are telling is strong when you will always be the strongest member of the Bad Batch!" Fern paused, then added, "It's okay. I understand. I'm probably the only one here, with the exemption of Rex, who truly understands. But it's over now. We are going to find the Half-Pint, and we are going to put these events behind us. Right?" Fern felt slightly embarrassed telling Wrecker all this—it wasn't really true to her character. But she also couldn't stand the sight of her friend in such a state, the image tugging at her heart.

"Yeah," Wrecker scoffed. "Thanks, Fern. You are right. We'll find her!"

"That's what I like to hear." She turned her focus back on the communications panel, where in her peripheral vision caught Echo staring at her. She side-eyed him, and the cyborg clone smiled and nodded at her, as if to silently say Good job and Thank you simultaneously. Fern exchanged the gesture, feeling like she had bonded with both clones without saying much.

But perhaps, that's all she needed to do. Perhaps it was that she may have felt she didn't say much, but it meant everything to Wrecker, and Echo. This relevation swelled up inside Fern, and it actually made her, happy, despite the situation she and the others were currently in. She had even more of a motive to save Omega now.

Looking back at Wrecker, Fern bounced up and pecked his cheek. The big guy blushed in the brightest shade of red so rapidly, Fern found herself fighting the urge to laugh. "Thank you, too, Wrecker."