My world was engulfed in flames, in a whirlwind of smoke and gunfire, in ruthless explosions that rocked the very foundations of my life.


The siege on my planet, Carnelion IV, did not last long. The previous civil war between the Open and Closed factions had weakened our society, and we were still in the process of rebuilding it when the First Order attacked.

I hid when they first arrived, to protect myself from certain danger. I took use of an abandoned storage tank, peering through a small opening to observe the unfolding events. I watched as huge crafts, menacing behemoths, landed in the center of our city, and stormtroopers poured out of them in hordes. Uniformed men shouted instructions, pointing in various directions and deploying their troops to different sections of the city. They were looking for something- or rather, someone. The city authorities approached the intruders, but were turned back after heated argument. It was best not to interfere with First Order affairs.

A few minutes later, the troops returned to the landing point, empty handed. A brown-haired man who appeared to be in charge consulted his colleagues, then turned to face the crowd of curious citizens that had gathered.

"Anyone here who has information regarding the whereabouts of the individual 'Merra Ki' is highly encouraged to step forward, now." The man spoke with a clipped tone, his voice as cold as his surroundings.

Nobody spoke up, and the man's face twisted with displeasure. "This is your last chance. One of you must know something. You will regret withholding information. "

There was still no response from the crowd, just confused looks and nervous glances.

"Very well, then. Troops?" The man gestured for the stormtroopers around him to lift their weapons to the ready.

My heart jumped into my throat. Don't say it, I begged him silently. Don't say it!

"...Fire."

And then the slaughter began.

I remember being so scared and so devastated that I felt detached from my body; nothing felt real, and I was almost completely convinced that I was stuck in a vivid
nightmare… However, the screams of terror and agony that rung out in the cold night, the screams of my friends, neighbors, fellow citizens- those were more than real. I wanted to help them, more than anything, but my fear kept me frozen in place. I despised my cowardice, but my limbs refused to function properly.

I could only watch in horror as my people were slaughtered mercilessly by white-armored monsters, our buildings razed to the ground by treacherous technology, everything we had worked so hard for reduced to ash and dust.

Others tried to hide, like me, but they were too late. Those who ran were chased down, killed in cold blood.

When no more people ran through the streets, when there were no more screams to be heard, the stormtroopers regrouped in what used to be our city square. There were bodies everywhere, some dead, some dying; but I still had hope that some had survived by hiding cleverly, like me.

A trooper carried a lifeless body over his shoulder, and dumped it on the ground in front of his superior.

"Sir, I believe this is the body of Merra Ki. It was found trapped beneath some rubble in a nearby government building."

The brown-haired man turned over the face of the body with the toe of his boot, and after a moment, a horrible grin that sent chills down my back spread across his face.

"This is, indeed, Merra Ki. One less Resistance scum plagues our galaxy; this has undoubtedly been a successful operation." The brown-haired man motioned for the troops to re-enter the crafts- but as the retreat began, a command shuttle descended from the night sky and landed smoothly amongst the wreckage, and the man abruptly stopped in his tracks.

I looked on with blurry vision as a tall, male, black-robed figure escorted by troopers descended from the smaller craft.

"Lord Ren." The brown-haired man inclined his head with respect. "I did not expect to see you here. To what do I owe this honor?"

"Commander Tyrin. You have done well." The second figure spoke- his voice was gravelly; technologically modified. When he turned slightly, I saw a fearsome metal mask glint in the light of the still-flickering fires. "I have sensed something through the Force. Something in this settlement calls to me… Something extremely close to our current location."

"... And what would that be, Lord Ren?" Commander Tyrin sounded slightly confused, but simultaneously curious at what Ren was speaking about.

Ren did not respond immediately, but turned in slow, calculated circles, as if trying to pick up a scent.

"There." Ren turned suddenly and pointed in my direction; and then I realized he wasn't pointing in my direction, but rather at me. "In that storage tank. Something is there."

The commander motioned for two troopers to inspect my hiding place, and I slid down the side of the tank defeatedly. Let them come, I thought dispassionately. They had taken everything from me; I couldn't care less if they took my life as well. At least then, I could be with my comrades.

A few seconds later, the panel to the tank slid aside, and a wave of heat hit my face.

"There's a human girl here, Sir," one of the troopers called back to the commander.

The other trooper grabbed my arm roughly and forced my weak form out of the tank.

I was marched me to where Ren and Commander Tyrin were standing, and I promptly gave both an icy glare.

Though Ren wore a mask, I could practically feel the weight of his gaze upon me. I felt a stirring in my mind, as if someone was sifting through my thoughts, and I twitched uncomfortably.

"She is force-sensitive," Ren said after a moment of silence.

"Should we kill her?" The commander questioned casually, as if he was asking for the time.

"No. Snoke may find her to be useful. Bring her back to the base." Without another word, Ren turned and left the scene, leaving me feeling even more devastated and helpless than before. I wished they would just take my life and be done with it.

I had no idea what Ren was talking about, being 'force-sensitive,' but I knew enough about politics to know that being a prisoner of the First Order could only end in misery.

At that point, I was so dismayed, so emotionally spent, so tired, that I gladly gave into the black wave that enveloped my mind and swept me away.