STEALTH and TRACK: BOOK ONE

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

"'Wow' is right." Fern's dark eyes widened. "That means she's a pure genetic replication of Jango Fett."

"How many other clones are there like that?" Hunter asked.

"To my knowledge, there is only one." Tech complied. "A male clone, codename Alpha, later referred to as—"

"Boba Fett." Fern gasped.

"You know him?" Echo questioned.

"Yeah, I met him. Once." she nodded. "He ran on and off the grid throughout the Clone Wars. He constantly allied himself with bounty hunters and other scum to make it through the galaxy. I remember his primary objective was to kill General Windu for decapitating Jango, his father, at the first Battle of Geonosis. I remember feeling sorry for him... Poor kid, blinded by his sought for vengeance. Who knows where he is now."

"Exactly, which makes Omega the sole-living source of Fett's raw genetic material." Tech concluded.

"If she's vital to the Kaminoans' cloning operation, then they must be the ones who sent the bounty hunters after her." Echo deduced.

"So how do we find this bounty hunter?" Wrecker asked the age-old question.

"That's a good question..." Fern sighed. "Bane isn't easy to track. He and his employers always had an obscure rendezvous point, but that could literally be anywhere in the galaxy. However, we can condense it to systems between Bracca and Kamino. Still countless locations...but it's a start where we can monitor the comm chatter and picking up any rogue signals."

"That's brilliant." Tech nodded.

"I'll monitor the comms." Hunter began to rise from his seat when he was repressed by Fern's hand.

"Oh, no," she objected. "you are in no condition to monitor anything but your rest. You think you are going to see any action with that injury? Think again, Sergeant."

"Fern, this is no time for—"

"I'm revoking your authority to give orders at this moment." She gripped the back of the seat next to Hunter's head and loomed over him, her other hand propped on her hip and a smirk spread across her face. "As the self-proclaimed team medic, when it comes to the health of the squad, including you..." She leaned her face in close, causing Hunter to pull his arched neck back. Nonetheless, her nose almost grazed his. She whispered through that wicked grin, "I outrank everyone."

The rest of the clones witnessed this spectacle with such awkwardness that they averted their stares. Just minutes before, she exhibited an affectionate demeanor as she nursed him, but now she had reverted to her old impudent self, spitting quips like it was playtime all the time. After a pause for effect, Fern released Hunter from her trance and ordered him kindly to lie down in the back of the ship while the rest of them looked for Omega.

Deep down, the female clone was intensely worried about the young girl... She knew first-hand how brutal Cad Bane could be, and she didn't want to ponder too hard on what the bounty hunter had done to her or will do to her... She was also sickly concern for Hunter. This was the second time he had almost died while in her presence, and it triggered a distressing memory of a mission the two of them had gone on together years ago. "Please." she quietly added, almost inaudible. Hunter blinked, then exhaled through his nose.

"Fine, but the moment Omega is—"

"You'll be the first to know." Fern finished his line. "Now go." The sergeant obeyed, and she turned to the others. "Okay, boys, let's find Half-Pint and bring her home."

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"Cad Bane, at your service." The Duros removed his hat with his introduction. Omega's round eyes narrowed as the bounty hunter towered over her from the other side of the crimson-red ray shield.

"Where are you taking me?" the young girl demanded. She received no reply. Instead, Bane donned his hat and strolled away back towards the bridge. She shouted after him, "You'll be sorry when my friends come for me."

"Oh, yes," Bane stopped in his tracks, releasing a chided chuckle. "You travelled with the damsel clone. She and I go way back."

"Fern?"

"Is that what she calls herself?" Bane scoffed. "As for the rest of your friends," he sneered the last word. "they are long gone, I made sure of that. After all, you witnessed what I can do. No one, not even Fern, is coming for you."

Omega's mouth trembled at the sadistic bounty hunter's plight. No, it's not true. He's lying. She watched him disappeared up the ladder from which he descended from the bridge, leaving her with his droid TODO. Then, she defeatedly slumped against the wall, hugging her legs close to her chest, and buried her face in her knees. 

Hunter...