THIRD PERSON POV
"It's...It's the size of a star destroyer..." Fern gawked, completely overwhelmed by the catastrophic debris behind her as everyone trekked back to the Marauder. Black smoke fumed into the yellow-orange morning sky and the crackling of fire faded the farther they walked. "I mean, are any of you actually seeing what I'm seeing?"
"We see it, Fern. The important thing is no one can activate it again." Hunter pulled on her hand to keep her from lingering too long. She was practically walking backwards and the sergeant mindfully guided her around the scorched terrain.
"So, what you're saying is," Phee slurred her words with a smirk. "it's a good thing we came after all?" She crossed her arms with pride. Her boastful words distracted Fern from the wreckage. "Jeez, you'd say anything to get blame off your back, huh?"
Phee nonchalantly shrugged and shortened her stride so that she could pace with the female clone. Hunter released Fern's hand and carried on with the rest of the squad. "Thanks for that save, by the way." Phee said with grateful nod.
"I don't like you." Fern countered bluntly.
"Really?" she reared her head back with a single Ha! "Never got that impression from you, Princess."
The two women's momentum slowed, creating distance between them and the squad. They watched Omega get excited over describing the glowing stones in the tunnel to Tech and Echo — when she demonstrated how she had rotated the compass in the wall, the two clones praised her for her acuity.
"She's a smart kid." Phee pointed out. "I can tell she learned a lot from you and the boys."
"She has also learned a few more things from you."
"I'm assuming that doesn't sit well with you?"
Fern hesitated. "I, don't know now." She paused to clear her throat. "Omega takes a liking to most people very easily; she thinks too much with her kind heart rather than her intuitive brain."
"And, befriending a pirate like me —"
"It's not like that. It's obvious you are not like other pirates." Fern firmly stated. She then crossed her arms anxiously and lowered her voice. "Lately, Omega has had tendencies to disobey orders, run off without warning, and speak out of turn — just, causing trouble where none is necessary."
"She's a kid." Phee intersected her own arms and shrugged like it was no big deal. "Kids always find ways to cause trouble. Whatever lessons she learns from me—"
"You—" Fern hissed suddenly and halted in her tracks, seizing Phee's arm to stop her, too. Hunter looked over his shoulder to say something, but when he caught Fern's eyes, he sighed. He continued on with the others when both women waved him on so the two of them could discussed privately.
"From the moment we met, you've been on my bad side with your blantant disrespect and insults." Not to mention the awkward flirting with Tech. "If you had insulted Echo's appearance like you did with the others, my opinion of you would be much more harsh. Cid certainly didn't help your case when she introduced you as a 'trustworthy pirate.'" The longer Fern clamored, the more her blood boiled. Meanwhile, Phee poised herself with a tranquil disposition, which angered her even more.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Why don't you get offended when I mock you? Why don't you snap back when I purposely provoke you? Is that your corsair way of humiliating me, ridiculing me?" Fern only paused to draw in a breath. Her fingernails dug into her palms. "I can see through your tricks. Omega doesn't know any better, but it's not her fault. She sees the kindness in everyone unless they are pointing a weapon at her. I don't want to teach her otherwise, but I also can't have people like you come and confuse her..." Her voice broke and she swallowed the lump forming in her throat.
"Are you sure," Phee spoke softly. "it's not you who is confused?" Fern's lips parted, shocked and speechless. The pirate smiled and held up her hand before she could jump to conclusions. "I get it. Your instincts kick in and want to protect your kid from outsiders. It's hard to trust people these days. It's only natural you would want to do everything you can to protect her. And, of course, those boys of yours as well. That's why I am not offended. I can handle a few insults and fomentions anyway — after all, I am a pirate."
"But I don't do everything I can..." Fern hugged her arms and shifted her weight onto her right hip. "I mean, I—I could, but..."
"But you also want Omega to be free — free to be herself. To be a child and experience a little fun, without the danger. You don't want to hold her back with all your rules and orders."
"Yeah..." Fern breathed, stared at Phee with dark eyes rimmed with tears, then sighed in defeat. "While we almost did die five times and possibly anniliate an entire planet because of your 'liberating' mission, your influence on her..." She hesitated when she realized how Phee was listening to her with a soft grin, relaxed shoulders, and fixated bold-brown eyes, giving the female clone her undivided attention. This Phee Genoa seemed very different than whom she'd been antagonizing all this time. Fern sensed her judgement on the treasure hunter wavering...She composed and repeated herself, "Your influence on her...may not be all that bad...While your stories are ridiculous and completely farfetched, I can tell they inspire Omega and give her a more, wonderful perspective of the galaxy...I cannot deny that she needs something like that in her, restricted life. Something to hope for."
"Wow, an actual compliment."
The clone glared at her, sucking in her lips to resist the urge to curse. Phee chuckled as she raised a brow teasingly. "What is it, Fern? Use too much energy summoning all those kind words?"
Fern blinked, then blew a puff of air. "Pfft, no. I was just contemplating on how an absolute enigmatical paradox you are."
"Well, thanks." Phee let out a hearty laugh and playfully pushed on Fern's shoulder. "Come on, Princess, admit it — you were intrigued by Skara Nal's runes. I recognize that expression of curious captivation anywhere."
Fern could not deny it. At the mention of Skara Nal, she glanced to the left at the burning planet destroyer.
"Well, if you are finished listing all the reasons why you don't like me, I say we catch up with the boys and the kid. How about it? I got to get back to my own ship to head for Vadnay."
"Why do you do it?" Fern asked one final question before she could walk away. The treasure hunter raised a brow for clarification as the soldier turned to her head, locking eye contact. "Why do you do all these expeditions? The real reason. What does being a 'Liberator of Ancient Wonders' actually entail?"
Without hesitation, Phee scoffed through her nose. "Fortune and glory, kid. Fortune and glory." She playfully saluted her with two fingers, turned on her heel, and jogged back to the ship.
Unbelieveable...Fern wanted to sneer in disdain, but instead a grin spread across her lips. She then gazed one last time upon the ruins of the ancient war machine. Phee was right — she had been fascinated with it all, mostly because of the unanswered riddles and its inconceivable existence. She exhaled through her nose, knowing it didn't really matter and Hunter was right: what was important was that it could no longer be used to inflict more destruction.
The sergeant was there to greet her when she boarded the ship. To her right, Phee was sharing all the juicy details of her next treasure hunt on Vadnay with Omega, whose round, brown eyes beamed with admiration. Fern had no sarcastic quip to retort for once — it seemed her discussion with the pirate opened up her impression of her...To Fern's left, Hunter had that rugged smile on his handsome face. He leaned forward and planted his lips on her forehead right below her grey bandana.
"What are you thinking?" he asked her. He seemed to be referring to the private conversation.
"I'm thinking," She squeezed his hand. "I'm ready for a break from futile treasure hunts."
Hunter chuckled and kissed her head again. "You and me both, Fern. You and me both."
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FORESIGHT and SCOPE: BOOK TWO
قصص الهواة*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...
