FORESIGHT and SCOPE: BOOK TWO

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

FERN'S POV

Omega and I scoured through what seemed to be either an abandoned suburban area or a very inactive one. Blocks of square-shaped huts and sheds formed a makeshift grid system that we had the navigate in order to reach Gonky's pinged location. I couldn't decide whether or not to be cautious of our surroundings—from an outsider's perspective, there was no immediate nor alluring threat, yet someone compromised our ship and stowed it here in this quiet town.

Unless...our defective power droid was dumped here after being determined useless by the thief and then they took off into the unknown...

Jeez, Fern, I scolded myself. Why did you have to go and conjure up that possibility?

The eery quietude was disrupted, however, the closer we got. The distressing honks of our droid were undeniable. Omega and I picked up our pace. She armed herself with her plasma bow while I unsheathed my vibro-knife. We arrived just in time to see Wrecker literally clothesline a child...the thief's hoverboard skidded into a wall with a Crash!

In the dim overhead lighting, I watched the young man scramble to his feet to make a run from the muscular clone, only to find himself nose to plasma bolt from Omega's weapon. He couldn't have much older than her; he had light skin, messy dark hair, and soft blue eyes. Tattooed across his throat were two thick, horizonal, black lines. I could tell under his baggy, worn clothes he was malnourished—his protruding cheekbones were also a tell-tale sign. His skinny fingers poked out of black gloves as he raised his hands in surrender.

"Let's try that again." Hunter and Tech marched up with intimidation in their steps. "Where's our ship?"

"Easy," I sheathed my knife. I then stepped in between, using one hand to push down Omega's bow and the other to hold back Hunter by his chestplate. Both reluctantly followed my silent orders. I turned to the boy with a brow raised. "Now, don't tell me you were the one who stole our ship? You had help, at least, right?"

"Hey," His voice squeaked as he attempted to sound cocky with his handy work. He crawled to his feet and brushed himself off. "I didn't need help when it was there for the taking."

Wrecker growled at him while he towered over him, not at all happy by the audastic confidence this kid was exhibiting. I blew air through my puffed cheeks. "Alright, no need to rub it in. What's your name?"

"Benni Baro."

"Well, Benni Baro," I placed my fists on my shifted hips. "While Hunter's approach here was direct, you better answer the question before I ask it."

"Mokko has your ship." He didn't test my bluff. Smart kid. "He gave me the droid as a gift." His tone indicated he wasn't overly thrilled to have been gifted our defective power droid.

"And who is this Mokko?" Tech inquired.

"Who's Mokko?" Benni turned to the spectacled clone with his brows reaching to his hairline in disbelief. "He runs this whole town. He's the boss. Your ship's his now."

"Heh, we'll see about that." Wrecker challenged.

"Take us to it." Hunter ordered in a stern voice. The sergeant was not messing around.

"No way," Benni crossed his hands. "I can't help you go against Mokko. You don't know what he's done for me." I gandered at the young boy's hunger-pang frame and bit the inside of my lip in doubt. Whoever this Mokko person was and whatever Benni considered subsistence care were not matching up. I cleared my throat to grab his attention. "As long as we sneak in and out and you don't rat us out, you won't have worry about that. We'll be gone, and I'm sure you can play the 'oblivious' card and walk away unscathed from your boss."