Lying awake in his quarters, the Officer that had been in charge of the
search for the stolen plans here on Tatooine lay awake in his rack trying
to get to sleep. The problem with sleeping was whenever he closed his eyes
he saw the yellow, glowing eyes. "Oh no, not again, those eyes" He thought
to himself. "It's going to be one of those nights."
Being an Imperial Stormtrooper did not allow him to let personal problems to get in the way of the mission. Nor did having morals. Things like regret or compassion did not get one promoted. If he told anyone what he had been seeing he'd have been locked up, at best demoted.
He had to block them out. Another day of poor performance would not be over looked. "I have to get some sleep." He said to himself as he held his blaster closer. As if, anything could get to him here in the Garrison. With this, he finally nodded off.
An hour later, the glowing eyes came back this time; there were four and much closer than before. He hit the light switch: nothing. He went for his blaster but it was gone. For an instant, he thought to call out, but his training was too strong, he sprang half stumbling to his feet ready to take on anything. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he saw that he was alone. Looking around the small room, he spotted his blaster on the floor. "This is crazy," he told himself. "I can't stay up again." He checked the lock on the door to insure it was secure. He would have maintenance check the light in the morning. "If I can just get to sleep now, I can at least get 4 hours. That should be enough to get me through the day." With a sigh he laid back down, blaster slung across his chest. It's cold firmness always comforting, relaxing.
His eyes came open with a start. He tried to sit up, but could not move. This time his training did no good, he screamed with all he had only to hear his voice muffled by the gag in his mouth. He still had his blaster, but his arms wouldn't move. He pulled the trigger repeatedly, but nothing happened. All that came to his mind was "No power." He was moving; he looked around to find he was not in he quarters. The smell of acid, coolant, oil, mold, and a mingled cacophony of other odor's he couldn't place was all around him. There was a metallic hum that normally would have been comforting, but this was no starship. All at once, whatever it was that he was in came to a rumbling halt. That's when he saw them, the eyes. Then he heard them: "Kee-kee, ouuwh-ouuwh" "No!" He told himself. "This can't be happening! I'm an Imperial officer, a Stormtrooper!" "Kneg-muphf!" At this, he was lifted by a dozen or more glowing sets of eyes. He was carried from the relative coolness of the dark out into the dry desert air. He could now see what he knew to be the case. He was strapped to a cot, being carried by a number of Jawa's.
Once they were clear of the Sandcrawler, he was un-ceremonially dumped to the ground. They continued to chatter amongst themselves. Going about there task as if this sort of thing happened every day. He was cut free of the cot but his arms remained strapped to his sides, still holding his unusable blaster. He had been striped to his waist, and had been fitted with a pair of what looked to be Bantha hide sandals.
Most of the group moved well back, keeping a large number of various weapons trained on him. One of the Jawa's set his helmet on his head, then patting his head as if he were a child, turned to the Sandcralwer, and started waving it's arms and shouting orders to it's fellows.
As the last of the Jawa's climbed aboard, the Sandcrawler began its lumbering journey across the desert. The trooper stared after it in disbelief. "That's it?" he thought. He began to laugh. "That's the best they can do?" "I'm going to burn down every Jawa I see from now on!" As he stood, he notice that the suns were beginning to rise. It was already starting to get very hot. He tried his helmet-comm. but got nothing. "I guess they took the homing transponder out as well." With a look around all he could see was sand, with a shiver of mirage water on the horizon. That and the rapidly shrinking Sandcrawler.
All at once, it hit him, "I have no idea where I am!" Even if he followed the Sandcrawler tracks, there was no guarantee they were heading for a settlement. "Those little dirt bags, I'm going to kill them all!" "It sure is getting hot."
Being an Imperial Stormtrooper did not allow him to let personal problems to get in the way of the mission. Nor did having morals. Things like regret or compassion did not get one promoted. If he told anyone what he had been seeing he'd have been locked up, at best demoted.
He had to block them out. Another day of poor performance would not be over looked. "I have to get some sleep." He said to himself as he held his blaster closer. As if, anything could get to him here in the Garrison. With this, he finally nodded off.
An hour later, the glowing eyes came back this time; there were four and much closer than before. He hit the light switch: nothing. He went for his blaster but it was gone. For an instant, he thought to call out, but his training was too strong, he sprang half stumbling to his feet ready to take on anything. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he saw that he was alone. Looking around the small room, he spotted his blaster on the floor. "This is crazy," he told himself. "I can't stay up again." He checked the lock on the door to insure it was secure. He would have maintenance check the light in the morning. "If I can just get to sleep now, I can at least get 4 hours. That should be enough to get me through the day." With a sigh he laid back down, blaster slung across his chest. It's cold firmness always comforting, relaxing.
His eyes came open with a start. He tried to sit up, but could not move. This time his training did no good, he screamed with all he had only to hear his voice muffled by the gag in his mouth. He still had his blaster, but his arms wouldn't move. He pulled the trigger repeatedly, but nothing happened. All that came to his mind was "No power." He was moving; he looked around to find he was not in he quarters. The smell of acid, coolant, oil, mold, and a mingled cacophony of other odor's he couldn't place was all around him. There was a metallic hum that normally would have been comforting, but this was no starship. All at once, whatever it was that he was in came to a rumbling halt. That's when he saw them, the eyes. Then he heard them: "Kee-kee, ouuwh-ouuwh" "No!" He told himself. "This can't be happening! I'm an Imperial officer, a Stormtrooper!" "Kneg-muphf!" At this, he was lifted by a dozen or more glowing sets of eyes. He was carried from the relative coolness of the dark out into the dry desert air. He could now see what he knew to be the case. He was strapped to a cot, being carried by a number of Jawa's.
Once they were clear of the Sandcrawler, he was un-ceremonially dumped to the ground. They continued to chatter amongst themselves. Going about there task as if this sort of thing happened every day. He was cut free of the cot but his arms remained strapped to his sides, still holding his unusable blaster. He had been striped to his waist, and had been fitted with a pair of what looked to be Bantha hide sandals.
Most of the group moved well back, keeping a large number of various weapons trained on him. One of the Jawa's set his helmet on his head, then patting his head as if he were a child, turned to the Sandcralwer, and started waving it's arms and shouting orders to it's fellows.
As the last of the Jawa's climbed aboard, the Sandcrawler began its lumbering journey across the desert. The trooper stared after it in disbelief. "That's it?" he thought. He began to laugh. "That's the best they can do?" "I'm going to burn down every Jawa I see from now on!" As he stood, he notice that the suns were beginning to rise. It was already starting to get very hot. He tried his helmet-comm. but got nothing. "I guess they took the homing transponder out as well." With a look around all he could see was sand, with a shiver of mirage water on the horizon. That and the rapidly shrinking Sandcrawler.
All at once, it hit him, "I have no idea where I am!" Even if he followed the Sandcrawler tracks, there was no guarantee they were heading for a settlement. "Those little dirt bags, I'm going to kill them all!" "It sure is getting hot."