STEALTH and TRACK: BOOK ONE

C H A P T E R E I G H T E E N

THIRD PERSON POV

Pow! Pow! Pow!

"See, Half-Pint?" Fern sighed with satisfaction as the wall in front of me sizzled three new holes I just fired inside the painted-on target. "Eyes up. Shoulders down. And focus. You're not even trying." She then tossed the Zygerrian crossbow back to the young girl, who pouted at the flawless demonstration.

"I am trying!" She stuck her tongue out and then pulled back the string, her tiny arms trembling under the stressed position. Echo knelt behind her and guided her through each step for the third time. Omega released the taut string and hit the middle ring of the target. She cheered. "I got it!"

"Good. Now again." Echo ordered.

"But already hit the target three times."

"Out of twelve." Echo raised a brow. "That's not skill, Omega. That's luck. Soldiers need to be consistent. Now, again."

Omega tried again and this time, the lavender laser bolt exploded the pipes above. The two goons under Cid who were spectating, placing bets, and cackling at her. Fern shook her head and leaned back on the holo-table between Hunter and Wrecker. "Should we really be referring Omega as a 'soldier'?" she questioned. "It's just not right when she hasn't got a lick of natural skill of one."

"She's a fast learner," Hunter shrugged. "and she's persistent. She'll be fine." Fern rolled her eyes at that logic.

Omega fired once more and missed again. Wrecker huffed. "Gotta agree with Fern on this one. She ain't a natural. OWW!" Wrecker suddenly whined as Cid, popping out of nowhere, whacked him upside the head to get him off the holo-table.

"Okay, playtime's over. We need to talk." she chided. "I assume you lot know what a tactical droid is?" Everyone nodded, and she continued. "They were the oper—"

"The operational brains—" Fern and Tech chimed in in unison. Tech stopped as Fern teasingly scrunched her nose and stuck her tongue out at him. "Beat ya, Wired-Brain."

"Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba." Cid cut them off. "This is my briefing, Goggles. You should know better, Princess."

"Hey," Fern pointed her finger at the Trandoshan. "Only I give the nicknames around here, got it?"

"We'll see." Cid scoffed, and then uploaded a profile of a tactical droid on the holo-table. "Tactical droid intel has tremendous value, which is why you're gonna break into the decommissioning facility on Corellia and retrieve one before they're all destroyed."

Fern and Hunter glanced over at each other, and then back at the reptilian woman. "We haven't decided if we're gonna work for you or not."

"Allow me to decide for you." Cid sneered. "You're in!" Fern grinded her teeth, as she continued. "I'm talking a mutually beneficial arrangement. You make money, I make money, and I watch your back. It's the best option you got."

Hunter paused before sighing in defeat. "I guess we're in."

"She knows we're in, Hunter." Fern rolled her eyes for a third time. "She just told us we were 'in'."

"See? Princess gets it." Cid scoffed, and then turned to Omega. "And you, you're releasing too soon because of those weak noodle arms. Build up your strength." She grasped the crossbow and Pow! Pow! Pow! into the target's center. "Lesson over."

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FERN'S POV

Long story short, we had managed to latch the Marauder underneath a transport shuttle heading for the planet Corellia's surface. While we waited for the right moment after sneaking past security, I hung back up in my and Omega's room. I could hear Echo explaining to Omega what a tactical droid was and its purpose in the main cabin area. Then, I felt the ship jerk as the Marauder proceeded to land.

"Fern, get ready." Hunter called out to me. "We're landing soon." I huffed and stuck my head out from behind the curtain. "Got it." When I stepped down the ladder, I suddenly grew dizzy and missed the last rung and collapsed on my bottom. "Oww." I groaned, rubbing my lower back.

"Um, Fern?" I arched my head back to see the sergeant towering over me with a concerned and confused look. "Everything alright?"

I swung my hand making an okay sign up. "Yep. Everything great down here. How about you?"

"Come on." He offered his gloved hand to me and I reluctantly accepted it. Once I was back to my feet, he continued to gaze at me as he breathed softly, "Is it your head injury from the rescue mission?"

"Really, Hunter." I insisted. "I'm fine. I just miscalculated the step. My bad." I laughed it off, but Hunter was partly right. I've had a sustaining headache ever since that mission saving Muchi the Rancor. Should I be more concern? I was starting to feel like Wrecker and all his chronic headaches.

Tech landed the ship in an abandoned port and we all unloaded in full gear. This eery decommissioning facility was still in operation. Billows of smoke funneled out dozens of massive, vertical exhaust stacks. The air around us was heavy with pollution. As we all snuck around, with Tech leading the way, we noticed the grounds were crawling with police droids, yet another detail Cid left out. The intellectual clone used his high-tech goggles to clock them on a rotating quadrant scan, find an entry point in their blind spot, and pave a way for us to it.

"Hey, Wired-Brain." I chimed up next to him as we pursued our point of entry. "What would I have to do to get a pair of those goggles of yours?"

"You can start by ceasing those insensible monikers you insist on vocalizing." Tech immediately proposed a compromise.

"Hmm, I'll have to think about it." I smirked at the astute offer.

We gathered at what ended being a very steep and towering ladder that reached an entrance into the facility. I led the way up, being the most agile, and arrived at the top platform much quicker than the others. Stretching out my hand to Tech, who was second in line, I scrunched my nose with sass. "What took you so long?"

"The lack of the formative limbering you call an enhanced skill." he chided, taking my hand anyway.

"Didn't need an actual answer, Tick."

The boys, Omega, and I entered the interior of the facility, and I found it difficult to breathe the heavy, exhausted, broiling air. There were conveyor belts transporting scraps of metal that used to be droids. Above our heads, were pulley lines with clasps clinging onto fully-attached machines. All were leading to multiple massive furnaces that melted down everything they claimed. Scattered across the facility were suspended metal walkways in which we used to maneuver through the labyrinth factory. At one point, we crouched down so Hunter could order up the plan.

"Echo, Tech. We'll locate and retrieve the droid. Wrecker, cover us up top."

"But, being the lookout was Crosshair's job." Wrecker almost whimpered. Was he that scared of heights? 

"Don't worry, you big oaf. I'll hold your hand." I nudged him with a sarcastic grin.

"Granted." Hunter sighed. "Fern, once both of you are up top, scout out any escape routes in case situation goes south."

"Aye-aye, Sergeant." I casually saluted him. I suppose it's a good thing I couldn't see his reaction.

"What about me?" Omega raised her hand.

"Stay here and keep your eyes peeled for the target." Hunter assigned, and he seemed to look straight at me when he called out, "Let's move." and we all scattered.