Nomad: Ocean of Sand

Chapter 4

Moon and Ram squated across from each other, a paper map laid out between them on the dirt ground. They had reached the oasis they had spotted and while Dome and Doubles took a moment to relax, the ARC Trooper was pulling security. "Do you think Acklay and Red Team know where we are?" Moon wondered aloud as he examined the map in front of him.

" 'Ard ta say." Ram responded, also examining the map. The Objective and RP markers were clearly marked on the map and their position was represented by a rock Ram had placed. "Acklay's outta range for the shorts." Ram tapped the side of his ARF helmet, indicting to the built in short range radios.

"Best case scenario, we move to the RP Lucky and get a pick up." Moon threw out the idea as he studied the map. He looked up from the map every som often to check on Dome and Doubles, who were playing hot potato with a smoke grenade. The two clones passed it back and forth for a handful of seconds before the thing popped, sparrying white smoke around the two. "Who ever shot us down will be mobilizing to search the wreck." Moon looked back down to the map and picked out the town closest to where they crashed. It was a fair ways south of the wreck, but he had to account for speeders. "Wind isn't blowing fast enough to cover our tracks, so we're going to need to get craft with how we move."

"Or we can hunker down and hold our ground until reinforcements can get planetside." Ram offered up the alternative, looking over his shoulder at the two laughing clones playing in the smoke. "Like damn children." He chuckled as a small smile crossed his face beneath his helmet.

"That is always an option." Moon admitted as he searched the map for any easily defended hills near the oasis. "But we have no idea what we could end up facing, let alone how long it could take for reinforcements to find us."

"I bet this wouldn't be a problem if we had a Jedi."

Moon shook his head at his brothers suggested fix to their problem. "Yeah, I am ninety percent sure that is not how the force works." With that the two of them started laughing. It was really more of quite snickering though. However, they stopped as the ARC Trooper started to approach them.

"Sir, our immediate surroundings are secure." He stated in his formal and by the book tone. "No Sign of the enemy or any civilians, Sir."

"Good to hear." Moon replied, disinterested and not looking up from the map. "Feel free to take a break. We probably won't move too soon."

"Somebody needs to be on security and your Troopers are clearly too busy." The ARC Trooper explained with a sarcastic fluctuation, turning his head to stare at Dome and Doubles. The two were still messing around with the smoke cloud their grenade had created. "This team is a mess. Sir."

"We are well enough away from the wreck." Ram interjected with his deep gravelly voice. He stood up from his squat, letting his DC-15 hang in front of his chest by its sling. He stood eye to eye the ARC Trooper, staring him down through their helmet visors.

Moon hadn't told anybody about his confrontation with the commando, but Ram was no fool and had picked up on Moon's mood shift. "Ram, stand down." Moon ordered as he too stood up from his squat. "The ARC can do what he pleases while you and I figure out our next move."Ram looked to the Corporal and took a small step away from the ARC Trooper. The commando, on the other hand, didn't seem to acknowledge Moon and simply spun on his heels and marched away from the clones. "Frakker." Ram mumbled under his breath as he stared knives into the back of the commando.