Leading the Charge



"So you want to join us on our hunts?" asked Echo, his tone laced with curiosity.

Sere nodded, her expression cool and collected. "Yeah," she said simply, crossing her arms over the thin linen shirt. "I can be ten times the help you've got."

She flashed a confident smile, one that held a promise of competence and strength. "Trust me, this time it's worth it."

Hunter, always the pragmatist, placed a hand thoughtfully on his cheek. "We can't exactly say no. I mean, Cid seems to like you."

Sere's smile curled into something a little sharper. "Cid doesn't exactly have the best judgment."

Tech adjusted his glasses with a quiet click, the faintest smirk appearing on his face. "True, but Cid has her uses." He paused, then added with a dry tone, "But her sense of humor is questionable at best."

Omega clung to Sere, her small hands tugging gently at the sleeve of Sere's shirt. She looked up at Hunter with wide, pleading eyes, the same innocent expression she often used to get her way. "Please, Hunter," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper but filled with sincerity.

Hunter, caught in the gaze of Omega's big eyes, let out a long, almost defeated sigh. His eyes flickered to Sere for a moment, considering the situation. He rubbed the back of his neck and mumbled, "Oh, fine."

Just as they started to turn, Omega, still holding on to Sere, tugged at her sleeve again, pulling her toward the mansion's exit. Hunter stopped them, his gaze hardening slightly. "But one wrong move, and you'll have our blasters pointed at your head," he warned, his voice carrying the weight of someone who had seen enough betrayal to know better.

Sere smiled, a touch of playfulness in her eyes as she turned her head toward him. "Understood, Hunter. I wouldn't expect anything less."

SCENEBREAK

Their first hunt was to retrieve a Separatist tactical droid, a mission that had brought them aboard the Marauder, now heading toward a decommissioning facility on Corellia. The ship hummed steadily through the vast expanse of space, and the atmosphere inside was calm, but focused. Sere sat in one of the seats, her posture relaxed yet alert, her eyes scanning the data on her console. Omega, curious as always, approached Sere's seat, her small fingers brushing over the controls.

"What's that?" Omega asked, her voice soft but full of intrigue. She pointed at a small, intricate object hanging from a cord around Sere's neck.

Sere looked down and smiled, handing the object over to Omega. "It's made out of a dragon's spine, then a tooth. It's from Marigold and my dragon," she explained, her voice tinged with nostalgia as she spoke of the past. "Before I had to flee the planet of Oruse."

Omega turned the chord over in her hands, inspecting it carefully, her amber eyes wide with fascination. "Why did you leave the planet?" she asked, her gaze never leaving the object.

Sere's smile faded slightly, her expression growing distant as she turned her gaze toward the wall of the ship. The weight of the memories lingered in her eyes. "That's a tale for another time, dear," she said softly, her tone shifting with a subtle sadness.

Omega, sensing the change in Sere's demeanor, nodded slowly. She wasn't sure what had happened on Oruse, but she understood that some stories needed time before they could be told. For now, the silence between them was comfortable, the hum of the ship filling the space as they continued their journey.

Hunter came over, his hands resting on his hips as he looked at Sere. "Alright, enough small talk. We're here," he said, his voice firm but not unkind.

Sere nodded, tucking the cord back around her neck before standing up from her seat. She walked past Hunter, her eyes meeting his for a brief moment. Hunter held her gaze for a beat longer than usual, a flicker of something in his expression, before he quickly ducked his head, focusing on the mission ahead.

Sere couldn't help but smile to herself as she moved past him. These clones weren't so bad after all. Sure, they had their hardened edges and were built for war, but there was something beneath that armor—something she could relate to. Maybe this would be an interesting hunt after all.

SCENEBREAK

They arrived at the decommissioning facility and immediately spotted patrol droids outside, their movements slow but purposeful. Sere's lips curled into a confident smirk, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. She reached for her weapon and tightened her grip, preparing for the onslaught.

"I'll easily take them out," she said, her voice calm but with an edge of excitement.

She turned her head slightly toward Hunter, her onyx eyes locking with his. Hunter met her gaze, his brow furrowed with a mix of concern and curiosity. "Are you sure you can handle that?" he asked, his voice steady but tinged with doubt. "They're fast."

Sere's smirk grew into something more mischievous, a dangerous gleam flickering in her eyes. "You have no idea who I am, Echo," she teased, her voice a low purr.

In the blink of an eye, Sere was gone, disappearing into the shadows with a fluid grace that left the clones blinking in surprise. Omega's eyes widened as she pointed in the direction Sere had vanished to. "There!" she exclaimed, eyes glued to the spot where Sere had once stood.

The clones followed her gaze and were met with the sight of Sere leaping onto one of the droids, her movements fast and precise. The droid, obedient as ever, didn't even have time to react before its head was cleanly severed from its body. Another droid, marked with white paint, attempted to retaliate, but Sere was already on it, swiftly disarming and disabling it before it could even think to fire a shot.

The other droids began to approach, but Sere moved with incredible speed, taking them out one by one in a flurry of motion. She led the remaining droids in a chaotic dance, and soon, the area was clear of threats, the droids sparking and twitching as they lay in heaps.

Sere stood tall, her breath steady despite the quick work she had just done. She brushed her hands off as if it had been nothing more than a slight inconvenience. Her voice crackled through the comms, her tone clear and direct. "Now go," she said. "I'll lead them away."

The line went dead. Hunter looked at his brothers, nodding in approval. "Alright, move out," he said, waving them forward. With that, they entered the facility, their mission clear but the path ahead uncertain. Sere had proven her worth, and now it was time for them to follow through with the plan.

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