Fun and Games

By: Prometheus19

Prologue - Let the Games Begin

The harsh wind blew across the blank, white plain. Along with it, it carried swirls and flurries of icy-white flakes, soft as fleece. The cold, unforgiving landscape stretched away and any landmarks were lost, hidden by the fog.

Two years previously…

The Oshahaki trees sighed and the cerulean leaves whispered as the warm spring breeze flitted to and fro. A summer day might bring a cool shower with it to moisturize the soft, green landscape…

Present Day

Across the frozen tundra sauntered two furry white tauntauns, each of which bore a rider dressed in polished white armor. Swiftly, they moved across the wasteland towards shelter. The base signal-reader droid intercepted their ID codes and opened the doors. Once inside, the large doors slid shut permanently for the night.

The clone troopers dismounted in silence. They turned their mounts over to a brother and removed their frosted helmets. Together they walked (in perfect step) into the base to report to the General.

Such was the day-to-day life on Hoth.

These clones, if ever reassigned off of the dead, frozen rock, would never speak to their fellows about their experiences here. Not even if a superior officer ordered them to divulge the information. This life-long term of secrecy resided in the safety of the state, resided in the reason they were on the planet in the first place:

The Galactic Weapons Development Program.

They experimented with all sorts of things, bio-weapons, particle weapons. These troopers had seen many strange side-effects occur, one of which included the accidental mass terra-formation of the entire planet from an arboreal solitude to an ice-covered wasteland.

Hopefully, it would be worth all the damned trouble. Hopefully, it would be enough to win the war against the Force-damned Separatists.

Once in the relative privacy of the hallway, Commander Fasoh turned to his most-trusted wingman and captain, Sola "The Smasher."

"Remember, the Chancellor wants this kind of discovery to be kept strictly in his office. That means NO ONE ELSE, not even the Jedi."

Sola nodded. "I still don't understand what it is he has against them. They're good people. And hell, they're damned good generals."

Fasoh sighed. "I know. But orders are meant to be followed."

"Fooling General Unduli won't be easy. Jammer said she can read minds, and I'm inclined to believe him. She always seems to know what I'm about to say. AND there's that silent apprentice of hers, Offee."

"Offee is away on a run to Coruscant. As for Unduli, leave her to me. Don't even think about what we've found. Instead, think about how cold it is outside, and how relieved you are that we can go grab some chow in the mess hall. Ok?" Fasoh advised.

Sola nodded.

They proceeded down the hallway, silent once more.

Fasoh raised his fist to knock on the door to Unduli's quarters, but it opened before he could. Luminara Unduli stood there, waiting for him, dark tattoos in contrast to her pale green skin and the long brown robe she wore. Her lightsaber was clipped to her belt and today, she wore only a cowl over her head, rather than the large headdress she preferred.

"Your daily report, Fasoh?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well then. Proceed."

"The Wampas we tagged have moved to the Eastern border of the valley and all signs of life pre-terraformation have vanished. And…"

She raised an eyebrow.

"And?"

He cleared his throat. "And it seemed a little chillier today, sir. That's all."

"Are you sure?" she asked, blue eyes searching his face. Fasoh half-wished he'd kept his helmet on.

"Yes, sir. That's all."

She stared at him that way for several more seconds when she finally said,

"Very well. You're dismissed."

And the door hissed smoothly shut between them.