After the supposed fall of the Empire, the remaining go into hiding, and plot their next move. Years later, they have returned with a new Sith Lord at the helm, and more experienced than last time. After a mystery attack on a Rebellion base overnight, unprepared, the Empire has delivered a devastating blow to the war, continuing the age-long feud. But the Rebellion recovers and plots their attack, as a conflicted rebel is unsure of which side to take, and will decide which direction this war will turn in.
After the Empire's fall, things haven't been the same. It was only ten years ago the horrors were committed, and I was only thirteen then. I didn't see much of what happened, but I hear about it everyday; survivors or witnesses, explaining it. They say they're afraid of when the Empire will return, and that they don't know if they're ready. For now, they stay away from most of civilization in a settlement separate from the rest of Tatooine. They have everything they need there, and a spy to go into Mos Eisley to get some supplies when they run out.
Whereas for me, I stay around around civilization where I can associate myself with my family. A band of rebels. I spend most of my time in Mos Eisley, hearing tales of the rebellion and of a man named Han Solo. Obviously, he's popular here. I enjoy a few drinks and tell them about my own stories. They're not much now because I haven't gotten off world or done something worth telling about. Sometimes, deep down, I feel like it's just because I'm afraid of what's out there, and if the Empire really is still around. Another reason is I wouldn't know where to go. The galaxy is so big, I feel so overwhelmed. So small. One day, maybe, I'll leave this place and have stories of my own.
Sometimes here, I enjoy a drink and watch people get into playful bar fights. It gets brutal but we all laugh it off later, and I get into some myself, too.
It's getting late out so I decide to head back home, and bring the people some supplies. Toting around some food and drink in a bag, I latch it onto my land speeder and as soon as I crank it up, some dust pops out out of the engine. This junk is old, but it works. I go back inside to get some fuel after a couple of tries won't get it running, and that's when it happens. I hear something in the air, the ground rumbling, and I go out wondering what the hell is going on. I look to the stars and see a gigantic ship approaching the surface.
Oh God. Is it them?
As they reach closer to the surface, people are alerted and gather around. I turn to see people in awe like I am. I ask some of them what's going on, and one answers in a garbled alien language. I can make out some of it, but not all of it.
He's drunk. Too drunk.
Who knows what he sees. I get out my blaster and get ready to fire, backing up a little in case I get shot first..
The ship lands and everyone takes a few steps back. I don't know if it's "them" or that we're just afraid it might be. It doesn't match the look of anything I've heard. I don't know any other reason why we'd be threatened by this ship. Could it be a new ship?
I tighten my grip on my blaster when it falters, and I take some breaths to steady myself. Finally the ship slides open and it's just a couple of visitors as usual. But in a different ship? Something's wrong here. Maybe the other one broke down? The visitors aren't happy to see us though. They look terrified. I can't quite put together what's going on here, but something tells it's wrong. If it really is them, then we've got nothing to defend ourselves with. The passengers get out and they do so slowly. I tighten the grip on my blaster and I think about putting it back into my pocket, but I don't want to. Not yet. Some of the people around me ready their blasters too, and others get ready to hightail it out of here.
I see someone rush to a passenger, about to hug them. The passenger pushes them away before they can get a hug in, and that's where my grip gets tighter. I back up a little bit more and the passengers looking at us are defensive. Afraid. One catches my eye and puts his hand out, nodding no. Then that's when it happens. Someone from the ship shouts to the passengers to run, and then the carrier blows up. Knocking everyone onto their backs and blowing them up too.
Explosive vests?!
Then beside what was once the ship materializes from camouflage, smaller carriers spewing out Stormtroopers. Shaken up and off guard, my instinct is to run rather than fire, and I hide inside a little house. Trying to collect myself. I peek through a peephole, and see people mowed down.
Oh God.. It is them.
I can only hope the rebels I was supposed to bring the supplies to are aware of what's happening now. The explosion was so loud it busted my eardrums, and I can hear ringing. But my heart stops when a trooper comes into the home.
"Comply!"
He points his gun at me, finger on trigger and ready to fire.
"Comply!" He says again. "Come with us and you won't get hurt!"
"What was it you did to those people?"
The trooper smacks me in the head and knocks me down.
"One last time!" He shouts.
Something shocks him from behind, and while he's distracted, I shoot him with my blaster. The object that saved me is a little ball droid: G-CX3.
He's terrified. I can hear it in the way he beeps. He wants me to get up and get moving. I grab my footing and bolt out of the house, and see troopers are starting to flame everything.
No no no..
I start blasting every trooper I see, and get lucky with dodging a blast from one, but seeing the blast kill someone else. I look around and see people blasted and burned, the Stormtroopers outnumbering the rest, and everyone around me is dying fast.
How the hell did this happen?
When I'm surrounded by troopers, I would've fought for my people and fired, but that'd do no good. I put my hands up in the air when they approach me, and they discard my blaster. It's felt like all this chaos has been going on for an hour, and bodies lying everywhere. Ashes.
"Why are you not killing me?" I ask them.
"Because there's someone that wants to talk to you." They cuff me and a trooper asks about the droid.
"Leave it. We don't need it." One answers.
I try to fight back because something inside me spawns a reaction. Anger. Loss. A few seconds later, I'm hit in the head with a gun again, and then the gut, and a trooper backhands my jaw.
That's a hard punch.
I cough a little bit and that's enough to make me comply. "All bark and no bite." A trooper remarks.
You'll get yours. I tell myself.
"I'll come back for you G-C! I promise!"
The droid screams and rolls after the troopers, and the troopers are about to kick it away. But I try to fight back, with every part of me that can, as I'm then welcomed to blackness.
