FORESIGHT and SCOPE: BOOK TWO

C H A P T E R T W E L V E

THIRD PERSON POV

It would be hours before Crosshair and Athena boarded a shuttle for transport to Coruscant. While they were waiting, the bounty hunter observed the extraordinary pace of the Empire invading and establishing their "peaceful and orderly" presence in the fortress city of Desix. There were a mix of clones and other soldiers called stormtroopers posted every square inch, monitoring and interrogating frightened citizens. Some were being escorted onto ships for unknown reasons...

Crosshair, leaning against the stack of crates they both were standing by, until ordered otherwise, tucked a thin toothpick between his teeth. His Imperial helmet sat on his left while Athena huffed on his right. She turned to the elite clone. "Care to share?"

Crosshair did not respond, his seemingly-permenant sneered eyes stared straight ahead. Athena rolled hers and blew a raspberry. That was when he glared down in his peripheral vision. "Must you act like a child?"

"No," Athena shrugged, then shook her clasped hands in his face. "But as long as I'm still being treated as your 'prisoner,' I feel like I'm obligated to do whatever annoys you most." Again, there was no response, and Athena's nose strunched in frustration. "Ugh, come on. I said I want to join the Empire. What am I going to do until I meet this Rampart? Really, are the restraints necessary?"

"Don't do that." Crosshair said.

"Don't—don't do what?" Athena blinked.

"Don't make that face." Crosshair manuevered the toothpick on the other side of his mouth. "She made that face a lot."

"Let me guess," Athena sighed. "Fern?"

No response.

"So, who is she anyway?"

Nothing.

"You're unbelievable." Athena grumbled under her breath.

"I heard that."

"CT-9904," A stormtrooper approached the two of them, ending their little banter. "you are requested to take the bounty hunter on Shuttle #821. CT-2224 is waiting for you."

"Come on." Crosshair picked himself up from the crates and grabbed the center part of Athena's cuffs. They proceeded their way across the space port. Athena spared a glance over her shoulder at the stormtrooper, then up at the back of Crosshair's head. So you are a defective clone...

"What?" he suddenly growled. "You clearly want to say something. Say it. I've had a hard time shutting you up yet, so don't stop now."

"Clones switched back to being called by their numbers?" Athena shrugged, keeping her true thoughts to herself.

No response.

"You and Cody called each other by your chosen names."

Nothing.

"Why bother making me ask if you aren't going to answer?" Athena grew agitated. Her wrists ached, and were possibly swollen, from the constant strain of the cuffs. Especially when Crosshair continued to yank on them to pull her along. At last, they made it to the ship to take them back to Coruscant. Cody was waiting for them, just as they were told. However, neither of them acknowledged the commander. In fact, the elite clone momentarily released Athena to remove his toothpick, flick it away, and secure his helmet over his head. Cody stepped up the ramp behind them and the ship departed from the port.

Inside the shuttle, Athena and Crosshair were seated side by side and Cody was located directly across. Unlike his friend, the commander held his headgear on his lap. He found himself staring at the woman. It was truly uncanny...Although it was trim just below her ears, the curtain bangs perfectly framed her diamond-shaped face, the raven shade of her hair mirrored Fern's smooth locks. They had the same nose, lips, markings...even an identical slender build. Athena was wearing an obsidian chest plate over a maroon-colored, short-sleeved top, which showed off her toned arms. She also sported tight cargo pants with combat boots very similar to what Fern would prefer. Cody exhaled when he noticed her eyes though...Despite them having those indistinguishable dark-brown orbs, there was a hint of fire in the bounty hunter's...and not a warm, cozy, glow of one.