Rasczak could hear the first two shots as their sniper took down the gunners. There was a yelp of surprise and alarm as the squad left their cover. Another shot and the heavy weapon sparked uselessly. Rasczak painted the four remaining targets as they raised their weapons . "Fire at will."
There was a flurry of blaster fire flash his squad mowed down the enemy. Two took bolts straight to the chest before they managed to let off a shot. One managed to let off a shot that whizzed past Rasczaks head before taking a bolt to the face from Crolin. The last scrambled, running away and Belch shot him twice in the back.
"Not very strong willed are they?," Hotshot said as they advanced onto the corpses.
Ty nudged one with his foot. "Might have something to do with his age. Kid barely look past 15 moons."
Rasczak looked at the face of the body, dropping to one knee. It was true. The boys face was...young. The was still a roundness to his face and small pimples from the early stages of puberty. He looked around at the other bodies. All were so...young.
"Sir." Crolin approached the Sergeant. "What that one thing we learned at the Academy? About child soldiers?"
"That it's either evident of tribal warfare or a act of desperation. No society puts its future on the line unless that future is in danger." Except they were only invading. They were the empire; invasions were par for the course. But that had never resulted in him fighting children.
Rasczak looked around. He was a Stormtrooper, the Empires blade, but that didnt mean he was stupid. He was loyal but he had never subcribed to the policy of blind obedience.
He could see something was wrong here.
This place had been all but abandoned. It had looked like a bold shocked wasteland when they attacked, not after. They were fighting barely trained soldiers who were half their ages. All signs pointed to one answer: this place had been invaded before.
"Sir! Contact!"
Rasczak snapped out of his thoughts and immediately raised his weapon. In front of them were at least two dozen figures, brandishing weapons. The alley was choking with them and they advanced in step.
But they were...off looking.
They wore mismatched armor,armor that was bent and rusty looking with sharp edges. They wore paint on their faces, black and white that gave them a look of half dead corpses left to rot. Their weapons ranged from rifles to long blades and axes.
"Raise weapons. Take positions. Hotshot, ready grenades. Jor, heavy on the hostiles. Zev, dont betray your position by firing unless by my order."
The crowd was packed to the edges of the alley as they broke into a run , letting out a howl that rang in his ears.
"BLOOOD FOR THEEEEE BLOOOOD GOODDD!!!"
And then they charged.