FORESIGHT and SCOPE: BOOK TWO

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

FERN'S POV

The three of us trekked through the mine, until the metallic flooring beneath their feet diminished back to bedrock. Using my torch, I studied the structure of the main tunnel. Despite its obvious abandonment, the quarry seemed too healthy to had been; it was as if the workers had vanished, their laborous exploits left unfinished. And very recently as well by my amateur observation...Perhaps six months time, at best, which would have been right around when the Empire took over...

In my peripheral vision, I caught sight of a perfectly drilled tunnel to my left. I halted in my tracks. Casting a straight-shot beam to examine it closer, it appeared to be the youngest addition to the mine, its smooth edges informed me it was professionally perforated, but it was utilized very little or not at all. My mouth twisted with suspension. "Riddle me this, Hunter," I called to the sergeant over my shoulder. "Does this seem like a passageway both Omega and Tech would veer off the main shaft for?"

He joined my side and observed my discovery through his helmet's visor. "Unfortunately, yes." he huffed, and allowed me to take the lead as we continued our search into the narrow hole. Hunter and Wrecker, in particular, had to crouched significantly to fit. Upon entering, the air grew colder, springing chill bumps across my bare arms, and I partially regretted not wearing my insulated jacket. After only a minute or so, Hunter stopped, knelt down, and swept his hand over the loose gravel. Shining my light down and across, I too spotted two pairs of boot imprints of different sizes. My intuition paid off once again. I attempted contact through my comm link. "Omega? Tech? Do you copy?"

"Affirmative." The spectacled clone replied, followed by a deep sigh and a cough.

"Oh, thank the Force," Relief made my knees grow weak. I pressed my hand, still gripping my torch, against the slightly-arched wall to steady myself. "Where are you two? We found this tunnel and are tracking your steps."

"Well," His incantation was not comforting. "we took an unforeseen detour, but we are alive. Your query on our location, consequently, I will require a moment to access. Stand by."

'Stand by'??? My lips pursed as I pushed myself onto my own two feet and looked to Hunter and Wrecker. I bobbed my head. "Come on, let's keep moving."

Once again, we did not have to travel far until we stumbled across both Tech and Omega's headgears and supply packs in a pile. Lifting Omega's leather helmet with my fingers, my eyes studied the jagged hole to my left. Peering inside, I gasped at the expensive sight on the other side; it was a conduit of unmined ipsium, its glowing blue-yellow properties were embedded in the dark-stoned pipe like bioluminescent ocean waves under a night sky.

"By the Force and all things balanced..." I've never considered myself to have a lust for fortune or treasure, but as my pupils dilated, my mouth gaped, and my mind calculated on the financial haul before me, I experienced a sense of déjà vu from when we were on Serenno and I looted shiny credits and gems from a sith lord's trove.

"Fern, we have found an alternate way out," Tech checked in. "but you will need to retrieve our gear."

"Retrieved." My breath shuddered into the comm device. I cleared my throat and blinked out of my prosperous fantasy. That's when I shined my torch passed the small ledge, the beam hovered over the chasm. From where I stood, I could not see over the jut, and yet my stomach clenched squeamishly. "What now, Tech?" I dared to ask.

"Good. Next, you'll need to carefully scale down the narrow crevasse and descend into the aqueduct below." The wiseacre of a clone instructed. "You will come upon us once the rapids eject you over the waterfall. But you must not compromise the mineral vials or you will perish. We are waiting in a cavern at the lake's shore."