FERN'S POV
The three of us trekked through the mine, until the metallic flooring beneath their feet diminished back to bedrock. Using my torch, I studied the structure of the main tunnel. Despite its obvious abandonment, the quarry seemed too healthy to had been; it was as if the workers had vanished, their laborous exploits left unfinished. And very recently as well by my amateur observation...Perhaps six months time, at best, which would have been right around when the Empire took over...
In my peripheral vision, I caught sight of a perfectly drilled tunnel to my left. I halted in my tracks. Casting a straight-shot beam to examine it closer, it appeared to be the youngest addition to the mine, its smooth edges informed me it was professionally perforated, but it was utilized very little or not at all. My mouth twisted with suspension. "Riddle me this, Hunter," I called to the sergeant over my shoulder. "Does this seem like a passageway both Omega and Tech would veer off the main shaft for?"
He joined my side and observed my discovery through his helmet's visor. "Unfortunately, yes." he huffed, and allowed me to take the lead as we continued our search into the narrow hole. Hunter and Wrecker, in particular, had to crouched significantly to fit. Upon entering, the air grew colder, springing chill bumps across my bare arms, and I partially regretted not wearing my insulated jacket. After only a minute or so, Hunter stopped, knelt down, and swept his hand over the loose gravel. Shining my light down and across, I too spotted two pairs of boot imprints of different sizes. My intuition paid off once again. I attempted contact through my comm link. "Omega? Tech? Do you copy?"
"Affirmative." The spectacled clone replied, followed by a deep sigh and a cough.
"Oh, thank the Force," Relief made my knees grow weak. I pressed my hand, still gripping my torch, against the slightly-arched wall to steady myself. "Where are you two? We found this tunnel and are tracking your steps."
"Well," His incantation was not comforting. "we took an unforeseen detour, but we are alive. Your query on our location, consequently, I will require a moment to access. Stand by."
'Stand by'??? My lips pursed as I pushed myself onto my own two feet and looked to Hunter and Wrecker. I bobbed my head. "Come on, let's keep moving."
Once again, we did not have to travel far until we stumbled across both Tech and Omega's headgears and supply packs in a pile. Lifting Omega's leather helmet with my fingers, my eyes studied the jagged hole to my left. Peering inside, I gasped at the expensive sight on the other side; it was a conduit of unmined ipsium, its glowing blue-yellow properties were embedded in the dark-stoned pipe like bioluminescent ocean waves under a night sky.
"By the Force and all things balanced..." I've never considered myself to have a lust for fortune or treasure, but as my pupils dilated, my mouth gaped, and my mind calculated on the financial haul before me, I experienced a sense of déjà vu from when we were on Serenno and I looted shiny credits and gems from a sith lord's trove.
"Fern, we have found an alternate way out," Tech checked in. "but you will need to retrieve our gear."
"Retrieved." My breath shuddered into the comm device. I cleared my throat and blinked out of my prosperous fantasy. That's when I shined my torch passed the small ledge, the beam hovered over the chasm. From where I stood, I could not see over the jut, and yet my stomach clenched squeamishly. "What now, Tech?" I dared to ask.
"Good. Next, you'll need to carefully scale down the narrow crevasse and descend into the aqueduct below." The wiseacre of a clone instructed. "You will come upon us once the rapids eject you over the waterfall. But you must not compromise the mineral vials or you will perish. We are waiting in a cavern at the lake's shore."
"Crevasse. Waterfall. Cavern. Lake." I listed aloud, then gulped, then scoffed with slight hysteria. "Déjà vu is the understatement of the year..." My throat chortled nervously. "Not sure I can handle more than I've already experienced today, but...Hang tight. We are on our way. Fern out." I switched off my comm, pocketed it, and slipped my body through the hole with ease. As I inched my toes at the edge of the natural shelf, carefully leaning over to gaze down our avenue, Hunter and Wrecker collected the rest of Tech's and Omega's belongings. My fingers still gripped the young girl's helmet.
"Ugh, you got to be kidding me!" The big guy groaned once he fully realized our tricky scenario. "I hate this planet!"
"My sentiments exactly." I muttered. Rotating around, I held out my hand to Hunter. "I'll carry the ipsium vials in my pack." The sergeant complied and handed me Omega's knapsack that contained the minerals. Before I worked on arranging the entire emsemble in my bag, I peered inside and counted almost a dozen glowing cylinders; excitable shivers wriggled up my spine. Okay, I may have an obsession with fortune and treasure... Once I was confident it was all safely secured, I shouldered my bag and breathed deeply, facing our downward adversary. "Okay, Fern," I scolded myself. "stop stalling. One of you boys have rope?"
No, but Wrecker still had his grappling line. Lucky break...
Once we firmly and certainly fastened the steel cable, cascading its opposite end down the pitch-black abyss, Hunter volunteered to descend first. I was to tag behind him. Depending on the situation below the layer of darkness, Wrecker was to wait for our signal, for obvious reasons, and we would instruct him the next course of action once we surveyed the situation up close. While Hunter carefully scaled down, I stuffed Omega's helmet into the top of my bag and managed to secure the flap. Hunter offered to handle the young girl's plasma bow, and while Wrecker was to haul Tech's pack, I volunteered to carry the latter's headgear...
"I've always wanted to try this thing on." I contained my untimely excitement. After quickly rearranging my discombobulated braid into a tangled excuse for a low bun, I slipped it on. "Woah." It was heavier than I expected and I probably appeared sillier than I felt. At least, it fit nicely. Nevertheless, my fingers twitched to flip down the computer visor, but I had a feeling I would relieve that impulse sooner rather than later.
I waited my turn to disembark into the seemingly nothingness until Hunter was a couple yards down. Once I confirmed a strong grip on the line, I lowered my weight off the ledge and settled my body comfortably enough before actually descending. Heaving a deep breath throught my lips underneath Tech's helmet, I skillfully zipped down after the sergeant, the skin on my palms and fingers rubbed irritably against the leaden cord.
No jacket? No gloves? Yep, I'd made intelligent decisions today.
My surroundings became indistinct, to say the least, the farther I scaled down. This method, nonetheless, was highly preferrable compared to the last time I fell down a chasm. After about twenty feet deep into the conduit, the definite rush of water echoed off the cave walls and grew more intense the closer we arrived. I felt my warm breath ricochet off the inside of the headgear and consume the tight vicinity. Eventually, we sank through the egress and entered what I assumed was a vast horizonal underpass. The diluted rapids roared below us, but my eyes had yet to adjust to the darkness, making it futile and dangerous to proceed any further.
"Oh, scrag...Oh, wait." I mentally slapped myself upside my temple. I poked out two fingers from the cable and activated the computer visor. The yellow-orange screen nearly blinded me, causing my eyes to blink furiously before I could access anything around me. However, once they adapted to the cutting-edge features, I grew eager to test all of them. "Dank ferrik, Tech, I knew you has the best helmet, but this is just unfair."
"What do you see?" Hunter asked from below. The cable swayed from both of us adjusting our weight and grips while we hovered. I scanned the area, pinpointing the underground river and the layout of the wide, conical room. Right before my eyes, the CPU grid calculated a built-in clinometer, the flowmeter of the rapids, the temperature and humidity of the cave, its physical dimensions, oxygen levels, the composition and structure of the rocks and minerals infused within the walls and ceiling, and additional intricate features I didn't know where to begin to describe. I was absolutely gobsmacked. My mouth gaped, auditing small squeaks before I could configure an actual thought.
"I see everything." My voice cracked with exhileration. My head bobbed down and over. "Including, a thin ledge along the wall that stretches all the way down the river. On our right." I paused as the electronic brain provided new data. "It's at a sharp angle of ten point three meters. Trajectory of our flight pattern from our current position to the ledge will need to be seventy-three percent accurate in order to survive the ordeal. Recommendations ill-advised?" I didn't know whether to snort or protest at the comical suggestion. "As in falling straight into the current is a better option?" Moving my chin down dead center, the computer outlined Hunter's body. Omega's bow hung on his left arm.
"Focus, Fern." he implored, looking up at me then side to side, then back to me. "Alright, start swinging." At first, I thought he was joking, but I was serious on there being only one other alternative. I shrugged to myself and slowly begin to move my hips back and forth—it quickly occurred to the both of us that Hunter should've been above me since he was heavier than I was, which would assist in building momentum... Nevertheless, we synced our rhythm and, like a pendulum, gradually increased our oscillation. The cool rush of air bit at my arms with every fluctuating motion.
"Fern, you go first." Hunter called.
"Oo—kay." I sucked air through my teeth as I prepared myself. Sure, it wouldn't be the end of the world if I missed the ledge and toppled into the river—assuming since Tech and Omega survived the ordeal after cascading over a evidential waterfall—but I would rather stick by Hunter and Wrecker. Also, I was the one handling almost a dozen highly-volatile vials of ipsium...
One...I counted to myself. "Two." I said aloud so the sergeant was aware. "Three!" My fingers released the moment we reached the extreme position of the pendulum and my body was launched at a steep decline. My stomach lurched upward into my ribcage. My arms spread out and my toes pointed in decent landing formation. The bright grid visualize the outcome the instant I disconnected, and confidence surged within me when it anticipated a successful one. The balls of my feet planted firmly on the rigid jut and I thrusted forward on impact, slamming my torso and nose into the moist wall.
Clink, clink. Clink. My heart nearly stopped when I caught the muffled sound of the vials tapping into one another in my bag. I squeezed my eyes shut. My breath shuddered as I waited for an impending BOOM of combusting ipsium. A second later, nothing happened. I peeked one eye open before blinking twice with consolation I was not blown to kingdom come.
"Ha!" I exhaled sharply, an elated grin crept across my face. My fingertips crunched into the slippery rock until they managed to hook into tiny divots. As I slowly lowered myself, my heels just barely hanging off the edge, I pursed my lips. "Ha, okay. Okay. I made it!" I shouted the last part, then I remembered I didn't need to because Tech's helmet had built-in comms.
"Good. On my way." Hunter said from up above. As he built back up his amplitude, I easily pivoted so that my back and heels pressed against the wall, the condensation dripped down my collared neck and soaked into my skin-tight top. "Wait for my signal, Hunter." I ordered. "I'll tell you when."
"Got it."
As if to grant my wishes, the CPU locked onto him and processed his stunt to the finest details right before my eyes. Once again, my jaw dropped in amazement while simultaneously watching for the perfect launch sequence. In my mind, the countdown began. "On the next swing...Now!" Hunter hunkered down on the last stroke and skillfully projected himself just as I did and the moment he touched down next to me, I slammed my arm into his lower back to brace him. The plasma bow hanging on his arm just barely whacked the side of Tech's helmet.
"Phew..." I whistled.
"You can say that again." Hunter turned his head to me.
"In any other situation, I would kiss you right now." I smirked.
"The feeling's mutual." he chuckled.
"So," I exhaled, glancing up where the cable swayed. "who's going to tell him?"
All things considered, Wrecker took the game plan mighty well. With his slight disadvantage of carrying Tech's gear, he sluggishly stooped down the line with one hand, his nervous fussing filled my ears through the comm device. At least he wasn't chattering under his breath about his fear of heights—although the roar of the rapids resonated through my shivered skin, the river itself wasn't visible in the dark. "Throw me the pack." Hunter said. The muscular clone did so with pristine accuracy—I had to credit where credit was due, Wrecker had phenomenal aim. "Alright, you big oaf. There is nothing to worry about. I have the eyes of a satillite." I saluted the dangling clone, even though he couldn't see it. "I will guide you through this."
Calamity avoided. Wrecker followed my instructions to a T, dropping anchor right between me and Hunter. As I had done with the latter, we both crossed our arms and locked in the muscular clone's landing against the wall.
"Well done." I congratulated our survival. "Onward."
The three of us scooted our way down the thin ledge, which was delineate by bright yellow lines in the high-tech visor. My toes continued to tease danger; I didn't dare gaze down at Wrecker's feet in fear it would send his anxiety and mine to the surface.
"Hey, Fern." The big guy next to me said.
"Yeah?" My voice lightly strained from my craning neck while I shuffled.
"Thanks for standing up for me back there. About the ship, I mean."
A small smile crept across my lips as I scoffed through my nose. "Of course, you big oaf. It wasn't your fault, after all. Just a bit of bad luck. No matter what, we will work things out from here."
"Yeah, you're right." Wrecker chuckled heartily. "Like you always are!"
"Hold up." I halted in my tracks. "We've reached the end of the line." I scanned over the river, freezing-cold waves lapping dangerously up the jut's edge and dousing and biting our ankles. "I see an underwater tunnel in which the channel funnels through. That is where we'll spill over the waterfall on the other side. Or, at least, I think. Either way, we have to jump from here."
"Oh, great..." I equalized with Wrecker's enthusiasm.
"Fern, be sure to keep a good grip on that ipsium." Hunter reminded me, to which I hummed in response. I mindfully restuffed Omega's headgear and satchel and inhaled through my nose.
"See you two on the other side." I quipped, and jumped.