Sweat dripped down Janek Sunber's head as the Stormtroopers followed him.
"That's it, Sunber. Keep your men moving. Don't fall behind now." Said Captain Gage, an Imperial Officer who was on top of an AT-TE with a few other Officers while Sunber was on the ground. Two Juggernauts were also with them.
"Yes, sir, Captain Gage." Sunber said. Sunber was only a lieutenant who had failed to become a pilot of the Empire. Instead, he became an officer and was now on a jungle planet.
The Imperials had heard odd creatures in the jungle. The Empire was here to find some Amani slaves. Some of the Amani had fled their home planet and gone here. While the planet was mostly cold and covered with snow, they had found a jungle under the ice.
Suddenly, the juggernaut stopped moving.
"What's the problem, Lieutenant?" Gage demanded to know.
"The juggernaut is high centered on a boulder, sir!" Sunber yelled to him.
Gage groaned and went to the ground. He saw Sunber pulling a rope on the juggernaut with some Stormtroopers."Lieutenant Sunber, come here." Gage ordered.
"Sir?" Sunber looked at him.
"What do you think you're doing, Sunber?" Gage questioned.
"Helping my men, sir." Sunber answered.
"Your job is to direct your men, not dirty your hands with their toil." Gage said."As an Officer, you should be better than this...regardless of your actual background. Now, get this vehicle moving!" Gage ordered.
Sunber's grandfather had been an escaped slave who went to Tatooine while Gage was from a wealthy family in the Core Worlds.
"Do all of your junior officers obey as well as Sunber?" Commander Frickett, who was new to Ziering's army, asked Gage.
"Commander?" Gage asked, confused. He then saw Sunber still helping the Stormtroopers.
"I've seen it before," Frickett said."A young officer will disregard protocol in order to ingratiate himself to his superiors. It's nothing but grand-standing-"
"Really? General Ziering said, walking over to the two. Ziering was an old man with white hair and blue eyes."I think lieutenant Sunber's efforts are commendable, Commander Frickett." Ziering said."He has his priorities straight...the mission comes first. Perhaps you two should join him. It would set a good example for the troops."
"Uh, certainly, General Ziering, sir." Frickett said.
Finally, the juggernaut moved."That's got it!" Sunber yelled."Everybody mount up!"
Suddenly, a spear went through one of the Stormtroopers near Sunber. He looked up to see the Amani in the trees.
Sunber quickly pulled out his blaster pistol from his holster."Stand your ground! Squad one, open fire on those treetops!" He said to squad one. Sunber looked at the other Stormtrooper squad."Squad two, direct your fire at the lower canopy and "walk" it up to squad one's targets!"
The Stormtrooper did as Sunber ordered and fired at the Amani in the trees with their blasters. Sunber aimed his blaster pistol and fired and hit one. The aliens quickly then retreated.
"Cease fire!" Sunber yelled once he saw they were gone."Get a medic for this man!" He said, looking at a wounded Stormtrooper.
"That was fast thinking, Sunber." Said General Ziering."Good work."
"Uh, yes, sir. Thank you, sir." Sunber said.
They then heard something in the bushes near them. The Stormtroopers and Sunber pointed their blasters at the bush. Sunber was prepared to shoot whatever came out.
The Imperial saw two furry mammoths, two furry possums, and one tiger."It's just some animals." Said a Stormtrooper.
"Uh...who are you?" Said the male mammoth.
The Imperial stared at them when it spoke.