THIRD PERSON POV
Fern and Hunter strolled through the busy streets of Ord Mantell as noisy vendors chanted and passerbys communed. The former cupped her hand around the latter's lower bicep and, every once in awhile, pulled him aside to examine a merchant's goods, mostly for potential supplies or rations. The sergeant witnessed with awe the female clone's true mastery of civilian negotiation as she haggled half-prices like it was child's play. He offered to carry the heavier purchases over his opposite shoulder so Fern could continue to cling to his arm.
While they walked, they conversed in matters of recent events, specifically Fern's adventures on Safa Toma with the others while Hunter and Echo were away. He found it quite satisfying watching her get flustered as she struggled to explain the situation — despite how utterly worried he was when he and Echo had first overheard the broadcast over a random scroll through radio channels on the Marauder. Hence, his passionate reunion with her once they did return... The sergeant already gave the rest of his squad a lecture on their headstrong actions, even if it was Cid's greedy carelessness that started it all.
"I am concerned about Omega." Fern admitted with a sigh, biting the inside of her dark lips. "While Cid is a bother, we cannot deny that Half-Pint has been reckless. She thinks too much with her heart than with her head, and as a result we all have had too many close calls for comfort."
"I agree." Hunter hummed softly, manuevering them both through the crowd as they walked.
"This is just an observation," Fern said, her grip on Hunter's arm tightens and her chin lowered. "but I think Omega is reverting to this rebellious nature because of her own defiance of wanting to be 'useful' in the squad. She's been consistently disobeying orders, and I think it has something to do with wanting to feel equal to us...and to ease her self-guilt that she is a burden on us."
"She overheard Echo during that mission to Serrenno, as well, huh?" Hunter deduced, shaking his head. Fern confirmed with a nod, her frown deepened as she hugged herself with her free hand. "I'm not sure what to do or say. I wish I could instruct her better and help her understand that what we do and what we decide is in everyone's best interests, including her. I also wish she'd stop sneaking off and causing trouble for us..." She grumbled that last statement under her breath.
"Fern," The sergeant stopped both of them in their stride in the middle of the bustling street. "You've done a good job teaching Omega. She has come a long way in her training thanks to you, Tech, and the rest of us. We all see her as equal in this squad. She'll catch on eventually. As for her curiousity and sense of better judgement, we can work on that together. She is just a kid; she just needs time for the lessons to sink in."
"I know," Fern said, but her dark eyes told him otherwise. He didn't quite her mumbling, "However, there is something I cannot teach her and what she is missing out on..."
"Are you okay?"
Fern gazed up and locked their matching eyes. Their hearts beat in unison. A faint smile teased at her lips. "Don't worry about it." She rose on her toes and pecked his stubbled, tattooed cheek. "We should head back."
"Okay." Hunter didn't press on with the matter. He knew she would eventually share whatever was on her mind when she was ready. He allowed her to hook her whole arm through his as they retraced their steps back to Cid's parlor. Something to the left, however, caught Fern's eye. Her face beamed as she jerked Hunter aside immediately. The latter almost lost his balance. "Look at this!" she exclaimed, plucking a slim-fitting jacket from a vendor's clothes-rack.
She did not wait — with haste she adorned herself and tugged on the hems as she admired it from all angles in the provided mirror. The dark-brown, jacket hugged her thin torso perfectly, as did the long, soft-sweatered sleeves that tightly enveloped her toned arms. The entire back of the apparel had the same stretchy, warm cloth. The front was thinly-padded and had two pairs of pockets: one across the chest and the other leveled with her stomach. A bright teal-blue trim acted as the zipper. The same blue and white stripes, made of the same water-resistant material, closed in her waist on each side. "Hunter, the blue matches your armor." she giggled with delight as she drew her long braid to her front and flicked the high collar around her neck. She stuffed her hands in the lower pockets and swayed in the mirror, a bright smile plastered on her face. "This one is much better than the one I had. She can keep it — I don't care anymore."
"Who's 'she'?" Hunter inquired with a small chuckle, entertained by the female clone's giddiness over a simple article of clothing. However, when he asked, she stopped and turned her back to him, hiding her face. Hunter cocked his head in confusion. "Fern?"
"You know," Fern slurred as she laughed over her shoulder. "The one who took my bomber jacket when I got into that scuffle on Safa Toma."
The sergeant detected hesitance in her voice. "Yeah, the scuffle you refuse to disclose any further details on."
"Yep, that's the one." Fern dryly scoffed, paying no heed to her atrocious lying. She purchased her new prize and carried on, leaving Hunter briefly behind. He shouldered their supplies and followed, shaking his head in defeat. He was not blind to how the female clone had been acting strangely ever since he and Echo returned. At night, she had been sleeping restlessly, tossing and whimpering to whatever nightmares have been tormenting her. He had only asked once about it, but she waved it off like it was no big deal...The last time she had a nightmare, she had sought his comfort — now she seemed to be avoiding him and the rest of the squad whenever someone brings it up, merely disregarding them each night after the other...
They finally arrived at Cid's parlor, only to be greeted by —
"Ugh—Phee..." Fern's face turned sour. The dark-skinned pirate was perched on one of the tables, wispfully waving her hands as she literated what must be one of her tall tales of adventure to the same two locals who always showed up. Their timorous engagment only stoked the pirate's ego, and thus dramatized her narration. Fern and Hunter joined Echo and Tech, who sat at the bar counter, the latter harkening attentively. "How long has she been here?" she questioned the cyborg-clone.
"She showed up not long after you two left." Echo shrugged, swirling a half-full glass in his human hand. "Wrecker and Omega went to the junkyard in search of a compressor. They should be back shortly." Fern hummed in response, then glanced over at Tech, eyeing his datapad. The intellectual clone noticed in his peripheral vision and sighed, "You want to resume your records for your memoir?"
"Yes, please." Fern scrunched her nose with a smirk. "It'll keep me distracted while you-know-who is here."
"Indeed." Tech nodded, passing along his electronic to her. Hunter hovered over her left shoulder with interest. "So when will I get to read it?" he asked, placing a comforting hand on her back.
"I'm only just getting to what happened on Pantora." Fern rolled her eyes with airy sigh. "Be patient. I don't even let Tick here see everything. I appointed a password on my file so he can't sneak a peek or revise anything without my consent." She side-eyed the spectacled clone, who blushed and averted his eyes down to his own drink.
"I'm still impressed." Hunter smiled. Since he'd been back, she'd spent hours staring at the datapad and typing away diligently. He could sit next to her while she worked forever — witnessing Tech empty-handed for the same amount of time was also very amusing.
"I am merely confirming your facts so that your memoir is genuine." Tech adjusted his goggles.
"To which, I am grateful," Fern hummed, then pushed on his arm playfully with a snort. "when I ask for it." She then turned her nose down to the datapad resting on the counter, propped up her elbows, and went to work, scrolling up the screen to remind herself where she'd left off. Hunter's hand on her back stroked side to side slowly, careful not to break her concentration. Echo grinned to himself as he sipped down the last drops of his drink. Tech sighed and resumed his eavesdropping on Phee's ancedotes.
Fern lost herself in reality whenever she dove into her personal enterprise. She drowned out white noise around her and her surroundings seemed to dissipate, as if she was in her own fantasy. She didn't even notice Wrecker and Omega returning from the junkyard. It was quiet. It was productive. It was peace. It was her escape into a daydream rather than the nightmares she had been experiencing since Safa Toma...She had yet informed everyone of Athena; and it was conscious choice — there was no need to nurture a flame already too large. Furthermore, Clone Force 99 had a lot on their minds in retaining their low profile. Safa Toma was highly risky. Fern considered keeping Athena a shut-tight secret until absolutely necessary to bring her up due to this. As a result, her mind was suffering — but it was tolerable as long as her friends were safely oblivious.
The hours that flew by when she was writing only felt like minutes to Fern...There was very little that could break her out of the blissful trance.
"There's treasure there?!" Omega's awed voice reached Fern's ears.
And...that was enough, to dissolve Fern back to sensibility.
YOU ARE READING
FORESIGHT and SCOPE: BOOK TWO
Fanfiction*SEQUEL* to my first TBB fanfiction titled "Stealth and Track" The adventures of Fern, Omega, and the boys of the Bad Batch continue after the destruction of Kamino a few months prior. While the idea is to lay low now that they are all presumed dea...
