Impulse - Book 2 - Sergeant Hunter

[Chapter 8 - Cut and Run]

_____

Echo inspected the now sleeping forms of Wrecker and Omega. 

"Huh, I guess inspecting every corner of the ship finally tired her out." 

"Really? I thought it was the sheer amount of questions she was springing on me." Stellia said dryly from her seat at the computer, smiling nonetheless.

"Yeah, she's curious, I'll giver her that." Hunter looked fondly at the sleeping pair.

Echo sighed tiredly- "Hunter, she's a child. What are we gonna do with her?"

Hunter paused in thought, but was interrupted by Tech calling from the cockpit.

"We are coming up on Salucemi." 

---

The ship landed, and the group stepped out. Omega was last to exit the ship. Taking a deep breath in, Omega looked around at the scene before her with wide eyes. She stepped off of the ramp and fell softly to her knees, running her hands through the dirt beneath her. She picked up a handful of it, allowing it to fall through her fingers. 

"Whoa... What is this?" her eyes lit up.

"That, would be dirt." Tech informed dryly.

"It's amazing!" 

Omega danced around, kicking up the dirt around her before rejoining the group. Hunter looked down at her proudly, before being distracted by the sounds of a storm in the far distance.

"Come on. Let's get moving." he ordered.

The group trekked on, eventually coming across a field of crops. They wound their way through, with Omega prancing around gleefully. 

"So this friend of yours. What's he doing all the way out here?" Echo inquired.

"Hiding. That's what deserters do." Tech informed.

"Staying off the radar's not our specialty, but he's been doing it for years." Hunter added.

"And you trust a deserter?" 

"Why not? We're all deserters now." Tech reasoned.

They then came across a barbed wire fence. Hunter put his hand up, signalling for them to stop. Omega didn't quite catch on, and Hunter had to grab her shoulder to prevent her from stepping right on a tripwire. 

"What are we looking at?" she asked.

"A booby trap." Hunter informed.

Wrecker laughed- "Single tripwire. That's cute." 

What Wrecker hadn't realized is that he'd stepped right into a lazer tripwire. The trap sprung, and five battle droids sprung up out of nowhere. He panicked and began firing at them.

"Easy Wrecker!" Hunter yelled.

"W-was that me?" Wrecker looked back at him concerned. 

The group then heard a voice appear beside them. Cut and Suu.

"What do we have here? More clones who have lost their way." Suu spoke in her thick Ryloth accent. 

Cut appeared beside his wife- "It's been a while, fellas."

---

The group had settled in the Lawquane's homestead. Hunter, Tech, and Stellia were all situated at the table, with Wrecker and Echo electing to stand up, and Omega inspecting the house.