Clones on Earth

Nerf Wars

(6 thousand reads?!?! Thank you so much!) Also, I found a Mando'a to English translator. This will be in Mando'a. Translations at the bottom.)

The clones had found an old box of Nerf guns in an old cupboard, Fern informing them that they are harmless. It was only later that boredom took over and two commanding officers decided to blow off some tension with a friendly battle.

For training, of course.

While the boys were preparing, Fern came across them on her way to get lunch ready for everyone.

"May I join?" She asks tentatively, anxiety flooding her posture and tone. The request was quiet, so quiet in fact, that only one of the men heard her at first.

"Eh, I don't know kid." Boil said with slight hesitation.

"Oh, s-sorry, then. Um, I-I'll, I'll go then." Fern stuttered out, self-shame and disappointment filled her expression. At this, Waxer looked up from the plastic blaster he and the rest of his brothers were trying to figure out.

"What was that, Kid?" He asked, the others now noticing the girl in the room. Boil answered for Fern, "The kid wants to join in." At this, the clones have varied responses, some began to encourage her to join, while others protested slightly.

"Are you sure Fern? We're going to go pretty hard on each other." Kix explained gently, "And you don't want those wounds to open up again, do you?"

"I've done more with worse." She responded casually, receiving odd looks from the men around her. Cody spoke up, "Fern, how do you possess these in the first place?"

Fern looks over to see Cody and Rex waiting for a response, "Oh, some old friends of mine like to play with them, and I used to play along too."

"Used too?" Jessie asked curiously. Fern looks aside, slightly embarrassed, "They, um, they said that I took the game too seriously and they didn't like that. The rules were that you had three chances, meaning if you got hit you'd lose one, so the person who has the most remaining lives or is the last one standing wins. But they didn't like the way I played for some reason and just stopped playing with me altogether unless they own me a favour or something."

The clones looked at each other and have a silent agreement.

"Well, how about we see what you can do, then." Cody offered with a small smirk. The men watched as the girl's eyes lit up and as the first smile they'd seen from her, crawled its way onto her face. "Let me go get ready! Be outside in five minutes, I'll be there! We'll play in the garden!" She rushes out and dashes up the stair to her room.

The girl reaches under her bed and pulls out a metal case. Flicking it open, a modified plastic sniper rifle coloured with forest and fern green camo print sat snugly inside. Fern quickly sheds her blue jeans and dons both a pair of green camo print cargo pants and a dark green bandana covering the bottom half of her face. She grabs a pair of black ankle-high boots from a box beside the rifle case.

Securing the strap of the rifle around her she lifts open the window to her room and quietly climbs down the crawly ivy. Fern shuffles to the tall line of pine trees along the fence and soon finds a snug little branch to sit on secured herself in between the sharp pine needles. Soon after the men come out the back door with their armour and helmets on, "Were's Fern? I don't see her." Fives said after scanning the area.

"She said she'll be out here, let go!" Hardcase exclaimed, hardly being able to contain his excitement. Rex rolled his eyes and turned to Cody, "We going easy on her?"

"Yes, she's a youngling and a civilian. Besides, I'm curious to see what she can do." The commander responded.

"Hiibir ibac, vod!" Called Fives as he fired the toy gun at his brother, Echo. This caused the other men to snap into action and begin firing at their brothers. Fern waited and watched, silent and unmoving the whole time. She watched the clones commence in their battle as the sky began to darken.

Finally, after hours of exertion, Rex and Echo were the only two remaining. Rex had yet to be hit and Echo being hit only once, the pair had partnered up halfway through the game. The others were off to the side waiting for the two to finish, some looking bored and others exited.

Rex looked around and noticed something, "Has anyone seen Fern?" The clones look around, recalling that they had not seen her in hours.

Suddenly, a foam dart hit the back of the captain's helmet. Whipping around, the two were met with the pointy foliage of the pine trees behind them. Without warning, Fern lept out of her little nest and over the two men. While mid-fall, she turns and fires a dart directly onto Echo's visor. While stunned, the girl lands with a roll and shoots a dart into the captain's shoulder.

Recovering from the shock, Echo raises his plastic blaster and fires a dart at Fern. She ducks down and fires another dart at the Captain. It misses by an inch and Rex moves to fire at Fern. The girl runs to the wooded fence and quickly scales and perches on it to fire at Echo.

It lands and he is out. Fern turns all of her attention back to Rex as he shoots rapid-fire at her. Fern swiftly moves along the fence and up the stump of a rather large oak tree. Hidden among the leaves and branches, Fern still completely. Her breath held as Rex's eyes scoured the foliage for any sign of the girl, the others watch in anticipation and awe.

Fern shifts slightly to maintain balance, a dart strikes her throat. Startled, she slips and crashes to the ground. The clones began to worry as their Captian moves closer to her. "Are you alright kid?"

Fern groanes, "Yep." Then fires a final dart that hits Rexs abdomen, leaving him out. "I win. uhh." Rex is stunned, the girl coughs as she sits up and rubs her throat. "Good shot. Might use that next time."

The other clones come over to the pair, "She got you good, Rex!" The commander laughed as the Medic asked to look at the girl's neck. Fern stands and corrals the hungry herd into the house to clean up and have dinner.

When everyone was finished eating, the phone began to ring. "Is that an alarm?!" Hardcase yelled, startling everyone. Fern replied, "No, it's the phone." The girl leaves the clones and picks up the phone. "Hello, this is Fern Alsarkhs. Who may you be?"

Fern moves down the hallway and out of the hearing range of the men in her living room. They began to talk amongst themselves, recalling fun times with each other. Not long after, Fern races down the hall and throws on her coat and boots. Fives speaks first, "Are okay?"

Fern frantically replies, "They've found Raven!"

(Hey-o! So hopefully this will be out on time. I'm starting college this week. Wildlife and Countryside management. Can't wait! See you soon, Fiddleheads!)

("Hiibir ibac, vod!" means "Take that, brother!")