FORESIGHT and SCOPE: BOOK TWO

C H A P T E R S E V E N T Y-F O U R

FERN'S POV

Supper ended abruptly when Tech injected over the comms.

"Hunter, I decrypted the data. Everyone needs to get back to the ship." His tone was worrisome, to say the least—whatever he'd discovered, it was urgent. We instantly wrapped up our meal and made our way to the courtyard. Night had settled; the streets were illuminated with intervally-spaced lanterns. Despite the peaceful atmosphere, however, an invisible cloud of apprehension hovered over our heads, all pondering what Tech had uncovered. When we all filed into the Marauder's control room, the intellectual clone was situated at the computer station, staring intensely at the blue-hue screen.

"What did you find, Tech?" I leaned my hip into the console with my arms knotted. He took his datapad in hand and scrolled up. "The Imperial transport Echo hijacked was assigned to the Advanced Science Division."

"Okay," I said, relaxing my shoulders, but my uneased expression remained. I awaited the 'urgent' part. "Never heard of it. I am presuming it is some sort of secret organization?"

"Clandestinely." Tech nodded. "There are no records on its location or its purpose. All I could determine from the data was the chief scientist of the operation—a Dr. Royce Hemlock. He's an officer expelled from the Republic science corps due to his unauthorized and unorthodox experiments..."

Oh...That doesn't sound promising...

"Why were they sending clone prisoners to him?" Omega asked, her voice slightly shakened.

"I think the more critical question is what sort of 'unorthodox experiments' are being implemented in this operation..." I muttered.

"I do not know to either queries, but it gets worse." Tech's tone deepened. "Previous transfer records were recovered from the ship's logs that listed other clone prisoners detained by the ASD..." He paused, swallowing whatever enormity was simmering in his throat. "and Crosshair is one of them."

"What?" My eyes bulged. Suddenly, my knees had indomitably wilted underneath me; my fingers clutched the console on both sides of my hips. While I managed to physically recover with a few reserved, deep breathes, my mind was flooded with a frantic, red sea of signal flags.

"Y-you mean," Wrecker stammered. "Crosshair turned on the Empire?"

"How sure are you about this?" Hunter questioned forcefully.

"Very. After discovering his clone number on the transfer register, I was enticed to check our old comm channels, and I consequently found a distress message recently sent from Crosshair's old code..."

"What did it say?" Omega asked a little too quickly.

"Plan 88: The Seeker." Tech replied, swivelling in his seat to face the young girl. The rest of the men exchanged discerning responses. "We are being targeted. I believe he is warning us."

"Or it's a trap," Hunter grimaced with skeptism in front of me. "like he's set for us before."

"Finally, an honest speculation." I huffed, straightening myself.

"How do you mean, Fern?" Tech inquired, raising his chin to me on his left.

"Well, it is hard to believe, isn't it? You know, because he rejected us even when his inhibitor chip had been removed—I can't be the only one to find out Crosshair betraying the Empire is at least a little ironic and farfetched...right?" I inflected my response into a query as I scanned my squad's reactions. Wrecker, in particular, seemed elated to hear such news on Crosshair's supposed treason. My mouth gaped and my words stuttered. "S-seriously? Besides Hunter, none of you find this suspicious?"