HUNTER'S POV
"Oh, the sixth is Omega." Tech confirmed.
"Why are you just now telling us this?" Echo groaned.
"Well, I thought it was obvious." Tech shrugged. Wrecker threw up his arms in disbelief. "How is it obvious?!"
"We have to go back for Omega." I said, and afterwards I paused, for there was someone else we couldn't leave behind. "We have to get Fern, as well." Contemplating on how we were going to convince her to join us, (she wasn't our biggest fans...well, no one was for that matter), my eyes peered down at the vibro-knife I had retrieved from the battle droid during the simulation. It belonged to her, meaning she was watching us when control center switched to live ammo.
"Well, that's not going to be easy." Tech stated. "You know, considering the fact she despises all of us."
I sighed in agreement. "Yeah, I know. But she may not know the extent of what's going on, and since she's one of us, we can't leave her. We'll get both Fern and Omega off Kamino."
"Really, Hunter, when did you go so soft?" Crosshair sneered. "Last time I checked, Fern wants nothing to do with you, and now you are going to waste our time convincing her to come with you? Not to mention, a kid as well?
"We have to try." I glared right back at the sharpshooter, who had been acting strange ever since Order 66 was initiated. "Omega had tried to warn me, and now she and Fern are in danger, just like we are. We're getting them out. Even if I have to stun and drag Fern's body to do so."
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FERN'S POV
"Oh, jeez, what is that stench?" I plugged my nose the moment the panel door slid open. "And what a mess! This place cannot be habitable." The entire barrack was crowded with junked trophies from missions over the years, from torn-off droid heads to gadgets that I assumed Tech enjoyed the most. Boxes were scattered in a sloppy manner and there were bunches of wires sprawled out completely exposed. Weapons were collected on the metal table in the center of the room, along with dozens of tiny trinkets. Who knows where the odor was coming from...
"It's not that bad." Omega exclaimed and began exploring throughout the junk. I also looked around, gently kicking away debris in my way, which was with every step. Catching something at the corner of my right eye, I moved a box and discovered a wall panel completely scratched up with tally marks. There must've been at least 150 of them. A small grin broke across my lips. Mission count, huh? There were so many of them. My fingers unconsciously brushed a few of them, and I found myself pondering over what each mission must've been like.
I heard Omega giggle behind me and saw that she had found a red and black Tooka doll. Definitely belonged to Wrecker. The closest bed near me had a skull spray-painted above it. It must've been Hunter's. Right at the foot of the bed was a trunk. Curious, I opened it and on top was a techno-frame. I picked it up and switched it on. A photo of Clone Force 99 appeared, with them all lined up except for Tech who knelt in the front.
I swallowed the sudden lump that had formed in my throat. Then, I sighed. My fingers gripped the edges of the frame. The years had treated them good, after all.
Suddenly, my ears picked up some movement from outside the barrack. Omega heard it, too, and looked at me. "Time to go." I placed the frame down and hoisted myself to my feet. Omega followed me, but when the door panel opened, I was halted in my tracks and the young girl bumped into my back. A Coruscant guard squad marched in; the leader towered over me.
"You're not authorized to be here." he snarled, weapon in hand. He looked at the rest of his men. "Pack up their gear and take it to the hangar. You two," He reached out to me and Omega. "are coming with me."
"Heh, yeah, I don't think so." I pushed him back. The clone pointed his blaster at me. "I suggest you get moving." He was dead serious.
"Sure thing." I sarcastically smirked. "Let's go, Omega, seems like we are not needed here." That didn't work, as well. A few guards grabbed hold of both of us and pushed us along.
"Oh, come on, is this really necessary?" I taunted, but no one was taking the joke. Or any jokes for that matter. We were taken to the brig in double-time, and once the bright-red ray shield was activated, Omega and I collapsed against the wall on the bench in surrender.
"You can't blame me for this." Omega stated calmly.
I only stared at her. "You are so weird."
"Um, thanks?"
"Wasn't a compliment, Half-Pint." I crossed my legs comfortably on top of the bench. "And unfortunately, I am stuck in here with you until further notice." I wonder if Tarkin had ordered this? Wouldn't shock me one bit. At least it didn't seem like he wanted me dead. Yet.
"Can't get much worse than this, I suppose." I tried to relax, thinking there wasn't much else to do.
"Yeah," Omega picked up her own legs, crossed them, and reclined her head back as I did, as if to mimic me.
Oh, but it can, and it did... An hour or so later, we had company.
THIRD PERSON POV
"No..." Fern growled as Clone Force 99 was escorted into the same cell as she and Omega. All five of them were stripped of their armor and weapons, leaving them in their black, skin-tight body suits. Fern veered her eyes away immediately...
"Well, at least the plan wasn't a complete fail." Tech exclaimed, eyeing me through those giant round spectacles. Fern huffed with her arms crossed, grumbling, "Wonderful."
"I told you not to come back." Omega stated calmly.
"We had to," Hunter stepped forward and knelt down to her level, his eyes briefly glanced over to Fern, who was avoiding all eye contact with him. "We came back for you...for both of you."
"Thanks for the sentiment, but I don't need your help." Fern responded, unmoving. Hunter exhaled through his nose. Omega, on the other hand, was surprised. "Us? You came back for me, too?" Hunter looked at the young girl and nodded with a grin. "That's right. So what do you say? You want to come with us, or would you rather—"
"No, it's like I said before," Omega jumped to her feet. "I want to go with you."
"How touching." Crosshair beat Fern to the sneer comment. The latter watched the sharpshooter push his way past Wrecker and Tech, confronting Hunter. Something was very different about Crosshair, and it wasn't good...to the point that her gut was warning her she could not trust anything he was saying.
"You let the Jedi escape and disobeyed Tarkin's direct orders."
Fern's ears perked at the mention of a Jedi. So the boys were involved with Order 66 when it was executed, too... From the demeanor of the rest of the Batch, it must have been a shock to them just like it was to her. Except for Crosshair...he sounded just like the rest of the regs who had instantly accepted the Empire as their new command. "Good soldiers follow orders!" the sharpshooter's voice snapped, as if it was a demand the rest of his squad understood that, and then he turned away to sit in the corner of the cell alone, holding the side of his head.
Fern watched Omega walk right up to him and sit down next to him, but she couldn't hear what they were talking about. At the same time, Hunter lowered himself down next to her. Fern made a face and looked away.
"Look, I get it," he sighed. "but things aren't the same anymore and we are all in danger here. We need to work together to get out of here." Fern didn't respond, so he continued. "Fern, Tarkin had sent us to destroy innocent civilians and Republic fighters, calling them insurgents. There were children and elderly there. That's why we are locked up here. For treason against the Empire."
"Let me guess," Fern said with snootiness. "Tarkin's favorite little toy caught you in the act of 'disobeying orders'?"
"If you mean the probe droid, then yes."
"Figures." she scoffed, shaking her head in amusement and then reluctantly met Hunter's dark eyes for just a second. There was a moment of silence before she questioned in a quiet voice, "So...you allowed a Jedi to get away?"
Before Hunter could answer, the guards walked up and ordered for Crosshair to follow them, and the sergeant sprung to his feet and intercepted them, objecting immediately. The guard didn't waste anytime subjecting him by butting the end of his rifle into his gut, and the enhanced clone collapsed to his knees. All while, Crosshair rose quietly and followed the guards without another word to his squad...
After Hunter was assisted by Wrecker and Echo, he sat back down next to Fern, who couldn't hide the small amused smile. Hunter rolled his eyes as he rubbed his ribs. "Don't act like you enjoyed watching that."
"Who said I was acting?" Fern's nose scrunched with her taunting grin. She then relaxed and lightly punched his arm. "Listen, I've been getting a gut-feeling all day that something was off. After seeing Crosshair...like that, I'm sure. So yeah, I want off Kamino, and if you are willing to be my free ticket, then so be it."
Hunter scoffed as Fern turned to his comrade. "Hey, Tech, better start using that 'exceptional mind' of yours. We are going to escape."