FORESIGHT and SCOPE: BOOK TWO

C H A P T E R S E V E N T Y-E I G H T

THIRD PERSON POV

In hindsight, we should've collected every favor we ever owed from people we've helped since the moment the war ended to pull this off...

Rex. The Martez Sisters. Cham Syndulla and his family and followers. Cid probably has a few contacts she can hand over. Roland Durand can hold up his end of our bargain. Gregor. Phee. Even the young boys from Ipsidon can put that firey spirit to good use. I will go as far as hiring Fennec Shand...

I wish I was on board with everyone. To think, if we actually succeed and rescue Crosshair...We'll finally be complete. And maybe I can bring myself to forgive him and—

Who am I kidding? I know where I stand is just. And I'm too stubborn to see otherwise unless someone can come up with a legitimate, logical reason...

"Fern."

The female clone's inner debate was interrupted when Hunter seized her arm before she could strolled senselessly into the open air hangar. Her eyes fluttered with slight confusion while Echo led the others along the perimeter with massive cargo shipments as cover. She and Hunter remained still.

The sergeant tightened his grip. His modulated voice deepened sternly. "I need you focused. Omega and I cannot keep covering for you."

"I know." Fern nodded, and cleared her throat. "I'm sorry. I'm just paranoid—something is bound to go wrong, I know it." She muttered the last statement under her breath while averting her eyes.

"Are you even wearing your ear comm?"

She flinched as she fumbled for her comm device. Removing the bottom portion, she popped out a tiny gadget the size of her fingernail into her palm. She stared at her reflection in Hunter's visor as she implanted it in her left ear canal. Then, lightly pressing her fingerpad on the trigger, she shifted her jaw and monotonously droned, "Havoc-2, this is Havoc-6 testing her ear comm. Do you copy? Over."

"Concisely." Tech replied, his voice as clear as if he was standing next to her. "Do you and Hunter plan on rendezvous-ing with the rest of us in the near future?"

"On our way." she slurred with a quick smile. She then removed her finger with a flick and a tilt of her head the opposite direction as she addressed her husband. "See? I have no choice but to stay focused with Wired-Brain in my ear."

Hunter parted his lips to retort, wanting to chide her for her pessimistic attitude—he understood indubitably she was not happy about the mission, but at this point, her stubbornness was going to lead to self-sabotage. Nonetheless, he seceded from issuing yet another possible argument and instead pulled her along, grumbling, "Come on."

The two found the others crouching behind a tower of stacked crates with a decent view of the massive, dim-lit hangar. About a dozen identical shuttles were docked in a line down the center. There were guards patrolling along the open expressways on both halves of the compound, while other officers hauled cargo crates on hover carts from each corner of the base.

"Which ship is Hemlock's?" Omega questioned in a loud whisper.

"We need to access the hangar manifest from the control room." Echo looked up and located it embedded in the south wall.

"Tech, Echo, with me." Hunter instructed. "Fern, you plant the homing beacon." He firmly pressed the device in her palm—another clear reminder to remain focus.

"Wait," Fern objected in a sharp, yet quiet tone. "we are not splitting up. That was part of my agreement for partaking in this mission."

"In this case," Tech noted bluntly. "the mission is nullifying that condition. How else are we to determine which shuttle is Hemlock's and plant the homing beacon as swiftly as possible?"