Chapter 1- Freedom
When Eric woke up with a splitting headache, he knew that today would be the worst day of his life. Sitting up in his bed Eric reached into his nightstand, finding nothing that would help his booming headache. Slowly standing Eric watched as the room spun around him, with unsteady steps he clung to the wall for stability. As he made his way through the house he wracked his brain in an attempt to figure out what had happened the night before to spur this headache.
Finally inside the kitchen he opened the cupboard and pulled out a small orange container. After opening the bottle he gently hit it against his palm, resulting in a couple tiny pill to land in his palm. Grabbing a nearby cup he filled it with tap water and swallowed the pills almost immediately after. All in hopes that his headache would leave him. Shortly after he had brushed his teeth he put on a red hoodie and worn pair of jeans as well as a worn pair of sneakers.
Making his way out of the house sighed at the shadow covering the city. Soon gazing up at the object casting the shadow. He scowled. A large triangular object covered the sky, blanketing the city from the suns welcoming rays. It was a star destroyer, and it had done its job, erasing all resistance the Earth could offer against the empire. Jets were no match against the TIE fighters of the Empire. Bullets while still incredibly powerful, just couldn't match the brutality of Imperial blaster bolts. Nuclear bombs couldn't even scratch the surface of a star destroyer when it's shields were up.
The Empire's impact had been felt all over the planet, food shortages, power restrictions, and curfews all of which kept the Terrans of Earth occupied, competing against each other for resources, instead of fighting against their common enemy. Shaking his head Eric continued down the road, toward the Imperial Weapons Factory, and as he did so he gazed at what was left of the city. The street next to him was covered in the corpses of cars that had been used as cover during the siege. The rotten smell of burnt rubber was floated around all of main street. Stepping over a puddle of oil he could hear the screeching of the Imperials TIE fighters. Sighing once again, Eric pulled out his I.D. card and slid it through the slot. After a few seconds the large door of the Factory opened, allowing the man inside.
Once inside grabbed the took off his red hoodie, neatly folding it, and set it down on the top shelf of his locker. For a couple of seconds Eric stared at the bottom of his locker, glazed look in his eye, fists held firm at his sides.
"Still thinking about it huh?" a nearby voice pressed.
Jumping Eric looked toward the source of the voice, meeting Rose' friendly gaze, "Yea, it's hard not to." he sighed.
Rose' was a short girl who had blonde hair that had been tied into a ponytail, she had a warm gaze and kind smile. she had a petite frame to her but Eric wouldn't let that decieve him. She had much more to her beneath the small, friendly persona she always had, he's seen her stare at guards, talking to herself. Maybe she was just trying to escape and find her family, after all she had lost her family the same way Eric had lost his.
Shaking his head Eric grabbed the hazard suit and began making his way toward the changing room when a hand grabbed his shoulder, turning, he saw Rose. Kind smile gone, warm gaze gone cold, all that was left was a cold, calculating gaze.
Frowning Eric watched as Rose looked over her shoulder to the wave of people entering the locker rooms, "Stay away from the plasma Centre." She whispered.
"Why? I might be able to fix it." Eric asked.
"Just don't, please." Rose spoke, voice quivering as she did so. Quickly turning away, she made her way out from the locker and into the main factory.
Frowning even more, Eric continued his way toward the dressing room, got into the hazard suit, and made his way into the factory, just in time for roll call.
WIth a deep frown Governor Crassis looked at his workers "Attention!" He Growled, scowling at the crowd before him he continued, "Due to the recent loss of the Death Star the Emperor has increased the work hours that factory workers all across the Empire." He took a breath and gauged the crowd's reaction before continuing, "Of course this is to protect our empire against the terrorist that call themselves The Rebel Alliance. Now, all of you dismissed!"
As the crows of workers made their way toward their designated area, Eric caught sight of his Commanding Officer. Quickly catching up with him Eric struck up a conversation, "Hey, Commander Stark?"
Interrupted from his own thoughts Stark gave Eric a quizzical look even even as his long black hair covered his vision, "Yes Eric, aren't you supposed to be at the Tie- Fighter section?"
"Well about that, I was wondering if I could work in the Plasma centre?" Eric asked.
With a wave of his hand Stark spoke, "Go crazy man, they've been wanting someone for awhile now, you'll be at station three," patting Eric on the back Stark smiled, "Have fun!"
With a nod Eric made his way towards his new work station. Within a few minutes Eric had made his way through the seemingly endless hallways of the factory and arrived in the plasma centre. With wide eyes Eric stared at the endless gadgets of the factory. On the right side of the chamber there were gas chambers, containing many different kinds of gases. Pipes extended from the right side of the chamber and moved toward the opposite side, which had heating vents, compression chambers and many others.
"Hey you!" a voice screeched, interrupting him from his thoughts and causing him to look at the observation deck only to see a stormtrooper staring straight at him. "Get to your station!"
With a quick nod Eric found station three and began working, mind clouded by Rose' warning. Looking down at the workbench Eric immediately noticed a half built DC-17 sitting on the table, quickly scanning the rest of the workbench he found that the materials needed to complete the blaster were present, Including a plasma coil. Grabbing the nearby toolset Eric got to work.
Quickly placing the plasma coil inside the blaster, he made sure all of the wiring was properly connected before he switched the safety on and continued working. A few minutes passed as he got the coolant vent set up and secured, soon followed by the barrel, and then the outer casing of the barrel. Pleased with his work Eric set it aside before flagging down a Stormtrooper.
"What is it?" The Stormtroopers voice sounded.
"I completed the DC-17, and was wondering if anything else needed my expertise?" Eric asked blaster in hand, hoping for a chance to find whatever Rose had been warning him about.
The trooper shook his head, "There's nothing that I know of." the trooper glanced at the guard tower before bringing his communicator to his helmet, "Commander, station three is-," His question was drowned out as the doorway of the factory exploded, smoke filling the factory.
Eric had dived to the ground in a fetal position, covering his head with his arms. Shouting filled the chamber as blaster fire erupted, the chamber began to explode into the color red, as blaster fire was exchanged. Slowly glancing up, he looked toward the guard tower, only for his eyes to go wide.
Rose was up there.
Rose was up there and she was fighting.
Grabbing a stormtrooper by the shoulder she punched him in the stomach before throwing him over the railing, ending with a resounding thud. Making a break for the now smoking doorway, Rose blindly ran past Eric and the stormtrooper, both of who had witnessed her actions.
The began to raise his blaster and before Eric could stop himself he disabled the safety raised fired, just as the trooper took his shot. The plasma just barely missing Rose, causing he to glance behind her. Only to find Eric, blaster raised and a dead trooper nearby.
Stopping herself she waved at Eric, "HEY! OVER HERE?!" voice just barely audible over the now constant blaster fire. It was enough for Eric however, who stood up and sprinted to her, following her out of the chamber and to their freedom.