THIRD PERSON POV
Everyone rendezvoused at the top of the compound which overlooked the streets outside the barrier. They realized how quickly the Imperial clone troopers were falling in line, with infantry and artillery combined. There were walkers on all sides, which was ironically perfect for their escape plan.
"There," Hunter pointed over the ledge on the east side, where a lone walker was approaching directly under their position. "we'll seize that tank and blow our way out of here."
"Sounds exhilarating." Fern beamed. "Best plan you've had since I joined the squad."
"How do you intend to gain control of the armored vehicle from up here?" GS-8 pondered.
"Watch and learn." Fern winked at the droid as Wrecker marched forward with a grappling blaster. Firing it, he snagged the cascable of the cannon, and Tech and Fern descended down with stun weapons ready. Within ten seconds, they seized the walker. Hunter, Wrecker, GS-8, and Senator Avi Singh zipped down into the belly of the tank, with the exuberant droid exclaiming how impressed she was.
"Get this thing moving, Tech." The sergeant jumped the controls where the intellectual clone had already began the process of rebooting the systems. The walker began to hunker down the street, but the disguise didn't last long as cannon fire exploded behind it.
"Hunter, we got company." Fern stated the obvious. And on that cue, the rear left hindquarter of the walker was struck, immobilizing the tank. Fern was flung back by its buckling. Luckily, Hunter caught her.
"No kidding." he retorted sarcastically before setting her down. "Tech, status report."
"The rear axle stabilizer is offline." the spectacled clone calculated. "We will need to recalibrate it manually."
"Get this bucket up and running. Wrecker, Fern, and I will hold them off." Hunter pulled Fern along and the three of them unloaded from the cargo exit. They were immediately greeted with a massive tank and the Imperial infantry reinforcing it. The female clone deduced there was most likely another walker on its way, so they needed to decommission the one in front of them before it arrived. She and the sergeant glided in action (literally), stunning the guards while Wrecker dashed straight for the tank's main controls. Once he was topside, he rammed the cannon's barrel off course with pure strength. Hunter hoisted Fern up on the tank, who sabotaged it and brought it to a complete halt.
"Oh yeah!" the muscular clone celebrated, stomping down on flat ground from the front. Hunter nodded next to him and then gazed up at the female clone, who was admiring their good work with her hands on her hips.
BOOM!
The whistling of a cannon shell torpedoed past Fern's head. She whipped around so quickly, she slipped to her hands and knees on the walker's metal surface. As her ears rang, she picked up her chin and her dark eyes bulged when she spotted another one volleying right towards her...
"Fern! GET OUT OF---" Hunter hollered, but the cannister made contact with the dead walker's backside, denotating and crippling it. The aftershock hurled Fern straight into the bushes lining the sidewalk twenty yards across the wide courtyard. Her body then rolled and skidded through the shaded grass. The sergeant sprinted to her aid with Wrecker covering him. There wasn't time to examine her condition. However, upon first sight, Hunter lost his breath after what he saw... Fern was sprawled out in the trimmed sod on her back, her head angled awkwardly and her seared chest exposed...smoke wisped off the charred skin that reached from the top of her right shoulder and slanted down to the top left side of her ribcage. Puncturing the outside of the same shoulder and dangerously close to her collar bone, was a piece of metal shrapnel. Blood slowly oozed from the wound. Viscerally scooping her limp body into his arms, he raced back to their hijacked walker with Wrecker at his heels. Once they reached the wide open hatch, Tech consequently announced systems were back online.
Stay with me, was all that repeated in Hunter's mind. His heart pounded in his tightened chest. Don't you die on me, Fern. Stay with me...
Wrecker tried helping him up into the cargo hold. Tech didn't required orders to know they needed to leave pronto . Echo, from inside the walker, insisted Hunter pass over Fern so he and Wrecker could hop on and they can swiftly resume their escape from the city. The sergeant reluctantly complied. Once onboard, he knelt down next to where Echo laid her flat on her back. Underneath him, he felt the war machine hunker its way down the street.
"Oh dear..." GS-8 gasped softly.
Fern's face contorted in pain. Stiff panting and gasping followed her weak whimpering. Her eyes squeezed shut as she endured her wounds. After throwing off his helmet, Hunter lifted her upper body in the crook of his arm and held her head.
"Fern, can you hear me?!" he stammered, unable to control the panic in his voice. He breathed heavily through his nose. "Just hang on. We'll get you out of here."
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FERN'S POV
It all happened so fast... Even if I wanted to jump off the tank to avoid the cannister, I still would've been caught in the aftershock. Next thing I knew I was launched into some bushes and crashed into the soft grass, its organic fibers pricked my arms and neck. My chest flared so immensely with searing pain, I couldn't breathe... I gasped and panted, attempting to obtain some oxygen, but it was as if the air had been sucked out of my reach.
"Fern!" I heard a muffled voice over the piercing ring in my ears. "No, no, no...I got you." It must've been Hunter... My eyes felt so heavy, I couldn't open them when I wanted to. His arms slipped underneath my shoulders and legs, lifting me and holding me for dear life against his chest plate. My whole body screamed in agony and shuddered all over. It grew more and more difficult to breathe.
Someone else hooked their arms under mine and hoisted me into what I assumed was the walker. Every single movement were like a million fiery needles stabbing my chest, neck, and arms in rapid motion... I was lowered flat on my back, but even then my eyes refused to open. I couldn't make out any words, but Hunter's and Echo's voices were near me. I think Wrecker was there, too. Suddenly, my upper body was lifted and my nape of my neck sank into the crook of someone's armored arm. Then...a gloved hand cupped my temple area, holding my head close to him... Again, there was his voice... But what was he saying...
Underneath me, I felt the walker hobble, until it didn't. There was another muffled explosion and my body was scooped up once again. This time, I managed to audibly cry out in pain...
This is good, I convinced myself. As long as you feel something, whether it's agonizing pain or not, you know...they know you are alive...
The ringing in my eyes began to subside eventually, and my senses finally grasped onto that voice that had continuously coaxed me. It was indubitably Hunter, whispering, "We're almost there. Just hang on a little longer. We're almost at the ship."
Open your eyes, I ordered myself. Open your mouth! Do something! Let him know you can hear him! My body was not having it. It wouldn't even allow me to twitch my fingers. My chest raged on in agony.
Time was incomprehensible. I could not determine if ten minutes had passed or an hour. Suddenly, I was placed down on a cot, notifying me we had made it back to the Marauder.
"Hunter, I'll take her from here." That was Tech's voice...
Wired-Brain...I've never been so relieved to hear your voice.
I was not sure what was happening, but one moment I felt a prick in my neck, similar to the bazillion I'd been feeling since the moment I got blown away, the next my consciousness wavered... The pain throbbing throughout my whole body became numb, and I drifted into a deep sleep.
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HUNTER'S POV
I could never fully explain what was swimming through my mind as I watched Tech perform first aid on Fern. I didn't dare leave her side as he injected her with an antiseptic and delicately removed the small piece of shrapnel from her shoulder. Fortunately, according to the self-taught medic, it had not punctured deep into the tissue. He was able to cease the bleeding fairly quickly. Afterwards, he sanitized the charred areas of the burn wound with a damp rag until a deep, reddish-pink abrasion remained. There were certain areas where her bones protruded that were more damaged; the shriveled skin flaked off by the slightest movement. Her entire chest was so tender, that every touch caused her to wince, twitch, whimper, or yelp, even when shot with painkillers.
It was one of the hardest moments of my life watching Tech operate on her. For once, he did not spill into a long verbal diagnosis of her condition. It was plainly obvious, so instead he instrumented every fiber of his being to save Fern. When he did speak, it was to calmly request my assistance, such as wiping away the pouring sweat off her face or handing him supplies. He had to slowly, and gently as possible, peel away the scorched fabrics of her tunic and under shirt. Forcing myself to stare at her wounds, specifically her right collar bone where the skin was very thin and the small, yet worrisome gash blazed red... I knew there would be permanent scarring...
All while Tech worked diligently, I rested my hand on her burning forehead, stroking my thumb along her sweaty hairline and mentally pleading her to pull through. You cannot die, Fern. There's no way I'm letting you leave again. Never again. I just got you back, and I intend to make you stay, no matter what...
By the time we returned to Ord Mantell, Tech had finished the bandaging process. The female clone had drifted into a comfortable sleep, lightly snoring through her nose. Without words, we exchanged a mutual relieved sigh. I gripped his shoulder in gratitude.
Fern was going to live to quip another day.