FORESIGHT and SCOPE: BOOK TWO

C H A P T E R F O R T Y-N I N E

"Yeah," Wrecker said as he plopped down on a boulder and slumped with his elbows resting on his parted knees. "everything happened so fast that we just did what we always do."

"That's the point I'm trying to convey, you guys..." Fern covered her mouth and closed her eyes for a moment. Meanwhile, Tech finally gazed up from his aversion and hearkened each syllable she articulated with every brain cell he could spare.

"We must face the new truth: technically speaking, we are not soldiers anymore—we haven't been since the war ended, and at best we have been mercenaries. I think it is about time we all come to terms with it." She paused to swallow the lump forming in her throat. Her hands rubbed down her bare biceps. "Now that the Defense Recruitment Bill has passed...there is no going back to how things used to be. We as a squad must consider our futures and decide a new, more permenant, way of life. We must ask ourselves the question where do we go from here?"

"Sounds easier said than done." Wrecker said.

"I'm not suggesting we rediscover new versions of ourselves and carve it into stone. But the impact the Empire has had on us is absolute. It has now effectively caused two of our squad members to abort—Echo and Crosshair both chose a 'purpose' over 'just getting by'..." Her voice trailed off when she appended the sharpshooter, but she knew just as much as the rest of Clone Force 99 that he was relevant to this discussion. Whether his messy departure measured to the same scale as Echo's, Crosshair devised emotional turmoil from the moment Order 66 was initiated...It was apparent the members of Clone Force 99 were all aware enough to see how small and fragile the squad had become and the trepidation of this could very well be the ultimate reason for the burning frustrations within.

"There are many variables to consider if we contemplate your proposal." Tech suddenly spoke in a low voice. Although he wanted to approach her to show he'd concur, his feet remained firm in place as if solidified in cement. What was holding him back?

"And Omega is one of them." Fern agreed.

In her peripheral vision, she noticed Hunter averting his eyes in deep thought. Specifically, he ruminated on how and when he made any decisions involving the squad's tomorrow. He recalled his and Fern's conversation with Rex when they were on Bracca—if Omega hadn't been in the equation, they would have joined the captain that night...and their lives would be very different. In fact, it was possible that, removing the young girl from the docket, Fern would have never joined Clone Force 99.

"I believe she lives in a much smaller galaxy than we do." the female clone continued, rubbing her bare arms again. "Yes, she may be aloof to the bigger picture of some things, but she is a raw nerve; she is a child growing up in a hostile galaxy that wants to extinguish her kindness, her brightness, and her hope. There is just so much she has yet to learn, experience, and understand. I know she feels everything deeply and keenly... She should have never been near Kamino when those cities were demolished. Catastropies like that, well, we are just immuned because we've been through a war. Additionally, I think Omega's intentions are to subconsciously keep the squad and the little things she holds dear. That may seem a little selfish, but I understand her wanting to hang on to what little she has, and I envy her innocence to reality... We...are all she has. But, with steady guidance and nurturing, she can and will learn to adapt and mature in a healthy manner."

"Nurture?" Tech repeated the foreign word.

"Yes, Tech," Fern exhaled, gesturing to the inside of the cave with an open arm. "and I think it's time for the first step. There is a valuable lesson Omega must learn right now that only you can teach her."

"But, did she not want to be alone?"

"It's okay," Fern's face softened and her first genuine smile in days spread across her lips sweetly. A wave of consolation washed over and miraculously erased Tech's anxiety, his shoulders relaxed and his posture aligned as...something he could not identify surged into his heart; her smile ignited it all on its own. A sensation he did recognize is that he no longer felt isolated...When she breathed, "Go to her," he wanted to do the opposite and stay by her side. Nevertheless, he summoned his courage and nodded to her, gathering his helmet and gear quietly. Before he headed deeper into the cave to seek out Omega, Fern tenderly touched his arm, her kind smile melted his conscience. Her voice reminded him of every revelation he conjured with her. "'All living things emote and feel. Even though we are defected clones, we acquire the same brain activity as any other living thing. Yours, is just altered.'"