Purge
A Star Wars Story
By: Anthony Laxton
Prologue
He was only 13 years old when they attacked. He was in his best sleep-in years when his guardian, Amy Lavera – Call Sign Wraith - woke him to several loud whooshes like someone had entered the atmosphere. If there was ever a time he had hated, it was tonight. Amy told him to gear up with only the essentials, so he packed his blaster, some Bacta patches, and a few rations. He was barely done packing when he finally realized what was happening; the Empire was invading Mandalore! His guardian was dressed in her full Mandalorian armor, with the violet visor and paint shining in the moonlight from their hut. "We have to leave now," Amy said, "the Empire is moving in fast." As they left the hut, he glanced up at the midnight sky, amazed at the number of star destroyers that filled it.
Suddenly, a massive explosion occurred as someone yelled, "TAKE COVER!" The next thing anyone knew, several huts were on fire, and several Mandalorians drew their blasters. They were raining down fire with a barrage of plasma bullets and micro-rockets. Unfortunately, it was not enough; dozens of stormtroopers stormed the area, and several Mandolorians fell, primarily due to what seemed to be specialized grenades. Then he realized that all the stormtroopers were using them. Amy told everyone to fall back. She turned to him and said, "Stay close and have your blaster ready. This is what we are trained for." "Let's just hope all that training paid off," he replied.
Along with everyone else, they started running toward the fortress, hoping to regroup with other Mandolorians to stand a chance against the sheer number of Imperial troops. In a way, they were right. Other Mandalorians were there, but not in the way anyone expected; they traversed the gates using their jetpacks and built-in wrist grappling hooks. What they found there was utterly shocking to everyone. They found other Mandolorians, or at least their burnt and charred armor. He noticed it must have been the grenades they used, but they were not Imperial designs. They were Mandalorian. "It seems one of our own has betrayed us," Amy announced, "Once this all winds down, we must find the traitor and bring him to justice! But for now, head for the bunkers in the woods. It is the only safe place. Let us move out!" She was a fierce leader and an even fiercer warrior.
They were halfway to the bunkers when suddenly, the trees in the forest turned into an endless storm of flames. They could think of only one explanation: Flame troopers heading straight towards them! They all scrambled for their lives, trying to find the bunkers. When a flame trooper almost intercepted him, he tried to shoot, but the metal in his blaster was burning hot. As he dropped it, he noticed it had a slight shade of red. Luckily, Amy came at the right time, as the trooper was about to burn him to a crisp. But she could not hold them all off and knew what to do. "Head for the bunker, NOW!" she yelled at him. He bolted towards the part of the forest that was not on fire, and he was at the bunker door when he finally realized what she was about to do. Before he could think anymore, he was already in the bunker, and a massive explosion occurred.
She had done it.
She sacrificed herself to save him.
He finished traversing into the bunker when he heard a slight noise. He drew his blaster and crept through the halls cautiously. It was dark and quiet, the only light being the flashlight he packed and the only sound being his deep breath and little footsteps. He turned the corner and almost shot until the others identified themselves. They were two other mildly armed human younglings, one male and one female. Relieved that there were no more stormtroopers to worry about, they settled in for the night in the bunker, eating their rations and telling stories to lighten the mood.
"I thought I was the only youngling who survived this mess; I'm glad I was wrong." the male human said. "The name's Elias Vanitas, Call Sign- Falcon." "I'm Sarah, Sarah Maycomb. Call Sign - Night Owl." the female human said. "What's yours?" she asked him. "Me?" He asked. "Naw, the force ghost that's sitting next to you!" She snapped sassily. He rolled his eyes and answered her question. "Name is Alex, Call Sign - Phoenix." "So," Axel asked. "What's your guys' specialty?" Eli replied, "I'm good at blowing up and shooting things down!" They all chuckled at Eli's humor. "I'm more of a sniper but can manage with other things. I'm also good with technology. That's sort of what I got a knack for." Sarah said. "Interesting," Axel replied. "I'm more of a close-quarters combat specialist combined with a military tactical mind. I'm also one hell of a pilot." Sarah smiled, "Great, now that we all know each other. Say we crash for the night and hope for the best. We'll find out how to get off-planet tomorrow." Alex and Elias agreed with this strategy and headed to the two rooms designed to be dorms. "You can bunk with me," Elias said enthusiastically. Alex looked at the bunk, almost worried it would fall apart. With the paint chipping and the bars creaking and all. Alex sat on the top bunk and asked, "How can you be so positive in a crisis, Elias?" Elias replied, "Please, call me Eli. To answer your question, I don't know. Pretty cool under pressure, I guess. Know that's probably worth something to lighten the mood." "Well, it's working," said Alex, "But only a little bit" "That still counts," Eli replied with a small laugh. "Well, good night Alex." "Night, Eli," Alex replies. As Alex finally drifted off to sleep, he could not help but feel a wave of overwhelming anger. He vowed to himself that whatever he did, he would avenge Amy and the rest of his Mandalorian kind, In Imperial Blood.