STEALTH and TRACK: BOOK ONE

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

FERN'S POV

"You know," I released my grip on Crosshair's chest plate and leaned forward, resting my arm on my propped knee. My mouth formed a deep frown as my eyes briefly averted to my right. "I'd almost prefer you still had your inhibitor chip in your head. This would've been easier..." I then eyed the right side of his head and gestured with my chin. "How did you get that scar?"

"Why do you care so much?" The sharpshooter rolled his eyes, yet his hand reached up and touched it.

"It was on Bracca, wasn't it?" I scoffed through my nose with a slight tilt in my head. "The ion cannon—"

"Shut up." He shoved my leg away. "Go away." 

My eyes narrowed. Parting my feet firmly on the floor, I towered over him with my arms crossed. Our knees pressed together. "You gave that order to incinerate us. Serves you right."

"Where did that sensitive Fern go?" he jeered. "This Fern seems more like the old one."

"I'd thought you would prefer this one." I smirked, but when Crosshair scoffed, the grin sank. "I'm not messing around, you hear me? You've caused us just as much as pain and stress as you claim we did to you. Do you have any idea what these past months have been like for us? Having no one to rely on? To supply us? To trust?"

"You want—"

"Not finished." I silenced him. "Ever since I joined the squad, I have endured adolescent rancors and Zygerrian slavers, moon dragons, incineration pits, disgusting flying bugs, held hostage by the Pykes, bounty hunters, I almost got blown up, and I witnessed Wrecker under the influence of his chip activating, almost killing Tech right in front of me...just before my own chip activated and I almost killed Hunter..." My voice gradually trailed off as I replayed each ordeal in my head, and blew a stream of air between my lips. Then, my eyes fluttered, bringing me back into reality. "All while running and hiding from you and the Empire." I paused. "So...it's now your turn to educate me on how much you've been struggled. How much you suffered?"

"I don't have to tell you anything." Crosshair retorted. 

Unfortunately for him, I wasn't taking 'no' as an answer. "Alright, since you have free will, why the Empire, huh? Hunter and I have already told you: we've seen what the Empire is doing to the galaxy. It's not all peaceful like you've been misled to believe. Even Raxus' senator would've been tortured, or worse, if we hadn't rescued him."

"That was you?" he growled.

"Oh, you heard about that?" I smirked, then sighed, rolling out my neck in debilitation. My adrenaline had finally depleted itself. "So what is it? You've already defended the Empire's annihilating actions upon Kamino, but I still need answers. Think of me with an open mind to join you, but I need a little convincing." I finally settled myself next to Crosshair, drastically softening my antagonism. After all, I wanted to make some progress on this dispute. My soaked braid dripped onto my lap as I tilted my head to carefully study his subtle facial expressions in the dimmed lighting of the shimmering, midnight-green ocean.

The enhanced clone paused for a long time, and I began to worry I was going to have to be forceful again. Until, he sighed in defeat, his eyes stared straight ahead. "I am a soldier, and as a soldier, I have seen many civilizations across the galaxy during the war. Most of them still reigned in chaos, destroying thousands of innocent lives, despite the Republic's efforts, just as much as an authoritarian regime would. I know you've seen it, too."

"I understand your point, but if you're claiming an authoritarian regime like the Empire acts on the same spectrum—"

"I didn't say that." Crosshair shook his head. "The Empire did what the Republic could not. It ended the war. It's over. But, there are still insurgents throughout the galaxy who are agitators, rebels, who will start another war if the Empire does not stop them. They are not innocents like Hunter thinks."