Even with the Imperial's help my planet was still ravaged by war for another five years! But that does not matter any longer. As I walk through the crowd of rejoicing soldiers all happy for the end to the needless bloodshed, and most importantly: happy to have survived the war.
My squad is yet again dead, and I've carved an extra two tally marks on my armored breastplate under the word "Cursed Survivor".
\I should be happy as well, and I know my squads(some of them anyways) would want that of me, but I can not even crack a smile, and any attempt only makes me… I don't know.
I do have to admit it's a very different scene now. The barracks are alive in music, and movements, the HQ is as well, and the space portis a buzz with ships of all nature coming to, and fro the planet's surface and it happens to be my destination.
As I walk I look at what I'm holding: an Imperial StormTrooper helmet… Tk 0705's to be more precise. I still remember the day he came to my planet, just as i've lost yet another squad, and I was ready to simply end it all in a blaze of glory. That was until he, and his men came in, and put a stop to that, and helped me through the next 5 years. TK was my longest squadmate.
I tuck the helmet back under my arm, and continue walking towards the spaceport.
Not many people bother me. They're either too busy partying, of they're to busy keeping people from partying too much, and I slip through the crowd unnoticed.
I finally arrive to the spaceport, and I lock onto the first ship I see. I don't know it's class, but judging by the marking on it's hull, it's a relief ship, and it seems to be getting ready to leave. Good.
I walk over to the ship, it's shaped like a large letter "C", and a cargo ramp is lowered in the middle with a stack of crates around the door, and a young bald man sorting threw them wearing a relief uniform, and holding a datapad. He notices me as I walk up to him.
"May I help you?" He seems worried, and he should be as some soldiers became… rather rowdy after the end, and have been drunkenly attacking cargo ships, and others of the sort.
I stop about a meter away from him. I keep my hands visible as his hand not holding the datapad as going into his cloak, probably where he keeps his blaster. I nod, and say. "Yes… Is this ship leaving?"
The man looks confused, and says. "Yes.. Uh yeah this ship will be leaving shortly I just have to go through these-"
"Are you it's captain?"
"...Yes?"
"Is there any other crewmembers?"
He's now taken his blaster out, but did it in a manner as to hide doing so, and he's not yet pointing at me…
He then clearly lies, and the hand that's holding the blaster is shaking, but he's still trying to hid the blaster from me. "Yeah. I travel with a Wookie, and several other really big guys. They'll be here soon, so-"
I decide to cut to the chase. "Look you can cut me the bull shit all I want is a ride off this rock o? I can pay you in my service, but all I want is to leave."
He get's cut off gaurd, and doesn't seem to know what to say, but then he says. "Umm… is that… is that alright with your Commanding Officer? I mean are you assigned to me, of something?"
I shift TK'S helmet which is still under my arm, and say. "He doesn't need to worry about this." I then toss him a fairly good sized bag of credits, and he almost drops the blaster catching it.
His face lightens up when he sees the amount in it. "Oh my… this.. This is a lot of money…" he then looks back to me, and starts heading for the ship. "Come on know. We best be going underway. Welcome aboard the MoonRay!"
As I follow him up the ramp I say. "What about the crates don't you need them?"
"Hmm? No. They were unloaded, and I was just making sure I got everything I needed unloaded, unloaded. If you'll follow me to the cockpit we'll get underway."
When we get into the cockpit I sit next to him in the co-pilot's seat, and I begin the launch prep without even bothering to ask him first, and he doesn't seem to bothered that I am.
In minutes the ship is airborne, and once we were passed the Imperial Star Destroyer, and away from the planet's gravity well we made the jump to hyperspace.
While in hyperspace he counted the credits I gave him, and I just sat there looking at TK'S helmet. That's when he asks me.
"What's with the bucket?"
"It belonged to a friend. I couldn't leave it behind… felt like I would be leaving him behind."
"Fair enough, just don't go showing around the Galaxy, not everyone are fans of the Empire. Especially the Rebel Alliance… You do know who they are right? I mean I've been to planets were they didn't even know what the Empire was."
"No I know who they are. TK, and his buddies would talk about them from time to time." I then stand not wanting to go into my life's history. "Which way to the crew chambers?"
"To the left, first door on the right. They're a shower in it you can wash up, and I'm sure I have some clothing in there, I mean it's been awhile since I had a female crew member, so you'll have to stick with men's clothing unless you brought some of your own."
I didn't even think about getting anything. As soon as I had TK's helmet I left. "No it'll be alright. Captain."
He chuckled. "Don't call me that, it sounds weird. Call me Yug. You?"
"Nickie. Comma-... Just Nickie." He nods I head for the crew chambers. 'Just Nickie'... I'll have to get used to that. I look down at TK's helmet, and I don't know why, but I start feeling… happy, and I start skipping down the hallway. I know exactly why, and it sounds weird, but just looking at TK'S helmet it reminds me that he would want me to be happy, and to live my life. Not be saddened by his death. He even told me so. So from now on I will be happy. Not for myself, but for the memory of TK.