A/N: In case you guys didn't know, this takes place in the same fan fic universe as "Star Wars: Omen of the Force" By MrGoldStar.
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It had been one night since Blake and Saw's agreement. The night was far from calm as the noises of his fellow brothers and sisters were obliterated throughout the night, guttural screams not far from the sanctum he was in.
Claire was still in slumber. Thoughts of hunger and thirst filled his mind, so before leaving in the morning, he created a makeshift tube that force fed her. He knew if she was awake that the taste would be far from pleasant, but that was it; she wasn't, and that scared Blake.
Despite that, he left with Saw as soon as the sun rose. The lush grass below him brushed up against his knees, warranting him to scratch, which he didn't oblige with.
Certain bugs scared him too, suddenly jumping out at him; it didn't help that trees towered up above, creating a shadow as far as the eye could see. He didn't know why, but the two of them were jogging through the forest.
He occasionally looked back, wondering just how far they were going from Claire.
"Don't worry about her." Saw said, his voice ringing through Blake's ear, "she'll be fine. And you will too. Just don't mess up, it's that simple." He reassured, tracking just ahead of Blake who didn't reply.
He merely licked his lips.
And soon, Saw came to a sudden stop, hidden behind a tree. "We're here, get down." He commanded, crouched, eyeing something out from the trees.
As Blake caught up, he wiped the sweat off his forehead. His face scrunched up as he saw what was before him. Saw smirked, slapping him on the shoulder, "what'd I say? Don't worry, and you'll be fine."
Blake gulped.
"Take this," Saw suddenly tossed something into Blake's hands; a DH-17 Blaster Pistol. Blake's nerves only rose, his breathing vamping up. Saw put some binoculars to his head, surveying the area, "it won't bite," he said, noticing stormtroopers, "but oh... they will."
On the edge of his vision, he noticed Blake's uncontrollable shaking. "Kid?" He asked.
In the back of his mind, Blake wanted to run. What're the odds? Running into this man. He thought, chuckling, who am I kidding...? I'm not like him.
Blake glanced up, tightening the grip around the blaster. I already killed someone. I can't just back out now.
"Just... give me your order. Your command... is my will." Blake concluded; eyes lit on fire.
"Attaboy." Saw said, proudly. He pointed outwards, "that right there is an Imperial Outpost." He reached into his bag, bringing forth a belt of grenades. "Now, normally I'd have more people for this mission, but I planned on doing it on my own no matter what, so your mission is simple. Sneak in through the vents to the reactor."
"And you?"
"I'll make sure that all attention is on me."
They stood up, walking along the edges of the trees. Saw heard Blake muttering to himself. "You're a what, a cowboy?"
Blake stepped on a branch. "Yeah," his tone was low, "a damned space cowboy."
**********
The Terrabe Sector Service Academy was a monolith of Imperial power, its sharp angles and towering structures a testament to the order and control the Empire sought to impose on the galaxy. For Bodhi Rook, a young man from the dusty streets of Jedha, it was both awe-inspiring and intimidating.
Bodhi's journey to the academy had been a long one, filled with dreams of starships and the vast expanse of space. He had always known he was meant for more than the life of a street vendor, dodging stormtroopers and scraping by on meager earnings. The Empire, for all its tyranny, offered a chance at something greater, and Bodhi had seized it with both hands.
As he stood at the entrance of the academy, his heart raced with a mix of excitement and fear. He was about to embark on the most significant journey of his life, one that could lead him to the stars or crush him beneath its weight.
The first day was a whirlwind of activity. Bodhi was issued his uniform, a crisp, gray ensemble that marked him as a cadet. He was assigned a bunk in the barracks, a sparse room he would share with three other hopefuls. The reality of his new life was setting in, and as he lay in his bunk that night, staring up at the cold, metal ceiling, Bodhi couldn't help but wonder if he had made the right choice.
The following morning brought the first real test of his resolve. The cadets were roused before dawn, the barracks filled with the sounds of groggy teenagers fumbling in the dark. They were herded to the mess hall for a breakfast of nutrient paste and synthetic juice, a far cry from the warm meals Bodhi's mother used to make.
And as he sat upon one of the many tables, silently eating his food, a noise rang out from behind him.
A girl: her sharp features, framed by a cascade of midnight black hair, seemed chiseled from marble. Dark eyes, keen and calculating, swept the surroundings with a piercing gaze. Tall and lean, she bore the immaculate uniform of the Imperial Army like a second skin, every crease and seam meticulously tailored to her form. With each step, the polished armor she wore reflected the glint of overhead lights, casting a halo around her figure. Gida's presence commanded attention, a striking amalgamation of strength and poise amidst the rigid uniformity of the academy.
Well, if you didn't know her, that is.
He turned, "Gida?" He said, surprised, "is that really you?"
The woman smiled. "Bodhi Rook, as I live and breathe! What are the odds we'd end up at the same table in this place?" She joked.
Bodhi grinned. "I could ask you the same thing. I thought I was the only one crazy enough to join the Empire from our neighborhood."
Gida took a seat next to him. She took a bite, "well, you know me. Always following in your footsteps, even if they lead me to the belly of the beast."
Bodhi nervously chuckled. He scratched the side of his head, "yeah, about that... I'm still trying to find out if this was the right move."
"Hey, look at us. We're going to be pilots, soaring through the skies. That's what you always talked about, right?" She asked, trying to reassure her friend.
But a sigh stung Bodhi's voice. "It is. But it's one thing to dream about it, another to be here, surrounded by all this," he gestured around them, "discipline and order."
"I get it." Gida nodded. "It's a lot. But we've handled worse. Remember the time we "borrowed" that speeder and almost crashed into the market?"
Bodhi laughed whilst cooling down his food. He took a bite, a playful smile across his face. "How could I forget, man? You were convinced we could outrun the stormtroopers."
"And we did, didn't we?" Gida leaned back, playfully, "just like we'll outrun any challenge this place throws at us."
Suddenly, Bodhi was no longer smiling. His tone turned serious. "It's not just the challenges, Gida. It's... everything. The Empire, what it stands for. I see it now, up close. I haven't forgotten what they did to..."
Gida leaned in, interrupting him. "Bodhi, we're here to fly. To live the life we've always wanted." She nearly finished her food, dumping the rest from the packet into her mouth. She swallowed, "don't let the politics get in the way of that."
Bodhi played with his food, a look of unsure in his face. "Maybe you're right. Maybe once I'm up there, none of this will matter."
"It won't. And who knows? Maybe we can make a difference from the inside."
Bodhi smiled, weakly. "Maybe." He spoke.
**********
Amidst the deafening kaboom that echoed through the desolate landscape, the Imperial outpost erupted into a fiery inferno. Flames licked hungrily at the once formidable structure, reducing it to a smoldering heap of rubble and twisted metal. Smoke billowed into the sky, shrouding the scene in a haze of destruction. In the aftermath of chaos, a silence descended, broken only by the crackling of flames and the distant cries of alarm.
Blake and Saw succeeded.
"Woohoo!!!" Saw roared, his body tattered with blood and ink marks. Next to him, Blake ran, blaster in hand as he shot at the stormtroopers chasing him.
"I did it!" He said, running a few meters behind Saw who replied, "hell yeah you did, kid."
Blake wanted to feel better, but the adrenaline had taken over his body. He felt as if his body took every step without actually thinking it, like he was operating on autopilot. The grass felt thicker, and a tangy, metal smell invaded his senses. It was thick, increasing the difficulty to breathe. He wheezed, "just how much farther, I can't remember!"
"I thought you said you were a space cowboy?! Those fuckers don't cry!"
Blake was about to respond, but suddenly, a flash of red light zoomed past his ear. It crashed into a tree, going straight through it. "Damn it!" He twisted his body, held down the trigger, and let his fury reign on the impending stormtroopers.
"URGH!" One groaned, Blake having hit him on the chest.
Vision swimming, the stormtrooper could see the telltale scorch marks of the blaster bolt etched into their armor, the fabric smoldering where the energy had made contact. With trembling hands, they reached towards the wound, fingers coming away slick with crimson.
As they struggled to maintain consciousness, the world seemed to fade in and out of focus, sounds muffled and distant as if heard through a thick fog. Each breath felt like a Herculean effort, the pain radiating outwards in pulsating waves that threatened to consume them whole.
And then, they fell.
Blake had killed another.
Yet, that's not what was on his mind. Instead, he couldn't hear what, but they started to yell orders at one another as they left their brother in arms to die in the forest.
"Don't worry about it. It's not worth it. The man will simply provide the nutrients for this place." Saw dictated, taking an abrupt turn.
"The hell is this?" Blake whispered, taking in a sort of water slide, except it was the bark of a tree. It was sloped downwards, going at least fifty feet.
Saw stood next to it, hand on the side of it. The two of them could easily fit their body through it, and Saw being able to be a testament of that. "Ah, it ain't that big of a drop." Saw grinned, sliding in through the log.
"!" Blake rushed to the log, watching as Saw slid down it. He glanced back, the bolts still whizzing past. He took a few steps back, shot at the stormtroopers, then jumped into to the log. He rolled around inside, the coarse wood beating his skin until he tumbled out from the bottom.
"Ough..." He groaned, holding his abdomen in pain.
"I thought you'd take longer." Saw stood above him.
And with his voice just above a whisper, tinged with pain, "funny." He bit down.
Saw chuckled, helping Blake off the ground. "Shouldn't we be... ugh... in a hurry?" Blake asked.
"Nah, those stormtroopers are a bunch of woosies."
The two silently walked back to their newfound base. Meanwhile, four stormtroopers stood at outside the top of the log. They looked at one another in bewilderment. The one in charge, a sergeant with a slightly crooked helmet, spoke first. "Did they just... slide down there?" He scratched his head.
Trooper TK-762 peered into the log. "Looks like it, Sarge. Should we follow them?"
"Down a tree slide?" The Seargent wondered, dubiously, "that's not standard Imperial pursuit protocol."
Another one joined the conversation. Trooper TK-199 eagerly said, "but Sarge, when do we ever get to have fun? I heard the rebels have all the fun."
Trooper TK-133 nodded his head. "Yeah, and it's not like our blasters are doing much anyway." He held up his blaster, a sad fizzling trailing from it.
"Fine." The Seargent gave in. "But if we end up as bantha fodder, it's on you lot."
One by one, the stormtroopers awkwardly positioned themselves at the entrance of the log slide. With a mixture of hesitation and misplaced enthusiasm, they slid down the makeshift chute.
Trooper TK-762 yelled, "for the Empire!"
The sounds of clanking armor and stormtrooper yelps echoed through the forest as they descended. At the bottom, they tumbled out in a heap, their white armor now streaked with bark and dirt.
Trooper TK-199 stood up in a daze. "That was... actually kind of thrilling."
The Seargent groaned. "Thrilling? Look at us! We're a mess. And where did those rebels go?"
Trooper TK-333 pointed. "Look, Sarge! Tracks! They went that way!"
The Seargent, determined, said, "alright, troops. Let's move out. And no more slides!"