—STAR WARS—

PROLOGUE

FN-2187 was nervous, he could feel his hands shaking, though any of that was masked by the white helmet and armour that enveloped his body. It was a sentiment he knew was shared amongst his peers, fellow Stormtrooper infantry units, trained since birth to become the ultimate soldier…or at least most of them were.

This was FN-2187's first assignment and throughout the few hours leading up to boarding, was filled with excitement and telling stories of great battles they've heard of. FN-926 had once spoke of a battle that his bunkmate FN-411 once participated in on Aquilae, or maybe it was Sullust, 411 couldn't recall.

It started off as exciting. Four Infantry Carrier Vehicles held around twenty stormtroopers each but only his one held mostly first-time combatants of Batch Eight. Unfortunately for him, 926 had already been reassigned to the Supremacy flagship. 2187 would definitely miss his friend's more overtly upbeat temperament.

Shrouded in the quiet darkness, the stormtroopers within the AAL-1971 ICV were left waiting anxiously. Holding onto the overhead rigging, each one was more or less in their own state of readiness, but 2187 could faintly hear their heavy breathing, almost laboured and difficult. Their free hands clutching white shelled blasters, standard issue for regular infantry soldiers.

Behind them was a female stormtrooper in shining silver armour and helmet, adorned with black cloth streams hanging over her shoulders and tucked at the waist behind her belt. She was draped by a dark cape that hid most of her frame. When FN-2187 risked a glance behind him, he caught her gaze. A slight lowering of her head was enough to deter him of any further non-conformity and turned back, allowing himself to resume his previous mode of thinking.

Their mission was clear, and seemed simple enough. Hidden but recently discovered secret on the desert planet of Jakku had to be retrieved and submitted to General Hux Armitage. There was an underlying, unspoken understanding of what was expected of them; competence. Captain Phasma informed them that their target was in the possession of a single inhabitant from a small refugee settlement laying atop a raised plateau in Kelvin Ravine. Apparently, this settlement was founded by a rising cult known as the Priory of the Whills.

They were instructed to practice caution…and strike down anyone in their way, for their query was of the utmost importance. Everything else, everyone else was expendable. FN-2187 took a long, deep breath, his heart racing even faster as the shuttle jumped and rocked in its entry through Jakku's atmosphere. Lights within the shuttle began to flicker weakly before finally illuminating the hull, revealing the twenty stormtroopers in his company but not a single one looked up besides him. They were all looking down past their feet, perhaps, finally realising something he had yet to experience? Or they were each resigning themselves to the tunnel-view of their mission, to their duties as soldiers of the First Order. Heroes to the oppressed remnants of Emperor Palpatine?

Heroes were forged in battles; legends were raised up in the flames of wars… But was he ready for the hammer and the anvil?

-=O=-