The Prettiest Star - Star Wars - Kylo Ren

XIV

Aya halted just behind the line of trees that opened into the large clearing. She raised her hand, gesturing for the others to stay put, before gently stepping forwards. Crouching, she approached the edge of the forest. The clearing was much brighter without the trees allowing her to see the outpost very clearly. Just as she had predicted, the line of defence on this side was relatively weak, and she had directed them towards the perfect point.

The building was incredibly tall, lit only by moonlight. Towards the roof, the brightly lit entrance to the main hangar overlooked the tops of the trees. Aya glanced at her wrist. Surrounding the clearing, every squadron was in place. She watched the clock; they were on time.

When the minute changed she instantly waved her squadron forwards. As soon as they began to shuffle towards her, she delicately slipped into the clearing. Hidden by a large shadow that had been cast by the building, she pressed herself against the cold brick wall before silently moving along it towards the hangar. Behind her, the squadron quietly followed.

Aya stopped as soon as they were beneath the hangar before withdrawing the grappling gun from her belt. She glanced up towards the bright opening above her just as the second squadron reached beside her. All of them had made it, all of them were on time. No doubt the rebels had noticed something by now, but it was still too late for them.

From the other side of the outpost, a single shot rang out. On cue, all of the stormtroopers pulled the trigger on their grappling guns, aiming them at the hangar. The speed of the grappling gun shocked the breath out of Aya as she was suddenly pulled up towards the opening by a small metal thread. Everything blurred as she whizzed up the wall alongside the stormtroopers.

Suddenly, the hangar opened up in front of her, blinding her with its light. Instantly, she released the grappling gun and withdrew her blaster, softly landing on the floor of the hangar as she did so. The room erupted in noise as the stormtroopers around her quickly shot down the few people that were in the hangar. Within seconds, their bodies lay motionless on the ground. Aya felt no remorse.

Racing across the hangar alongside her squadron, Aya began to shout out orders through the noise. "Seven, Quick, Thirty, and One: guard the entrance, nobody is allowed in. Twos, Eight-One, Bolt, and Forty-Two: disable every mode of transport here, I don't care what you do to them as long as they can't move. The rest, follow me."

With that she ran through the doors leading deeper into the outpost, her heart racing. By now, the other squadrons were busy as well. Attacking at the front, Captain Phasma and her troops had just marched through the entrance. Surrounding the outpost, numerous stormtroopers shot at anything that moved. The plan was working extremely well.

In six minutes, Aya met Captain Phasma in the centre of the outpost. In half an hour, the outpost was theirs. Only once did she pull the trigger of her blaster.

"Any casualties?" Aya asked the stormtrooper standing before her, to her side stood Captain Phasma.

"Only three, Ma'am." He said quickly. His voice echoed through the now empty corridor. It was dark save for the moonlight that poured in through the large windows, the electricity had been severed.

"Is there a count on the number of rebels yet?" Captain Phasma asked in place of Aya, her voice conveying the same emotionless expression as the blank helmet she wore.

"Not yet but we estimate about a hundred." The stormtrooper replied. Silence set in as they both took in his words. "Is there anything else, Ma'am?"

"Make sure you do a thorough search through their computers, especially concerning communications. I want to know if they had a chance to contact another base whilst being attacked." Captain Phasma ordered sharply.

"Yes, Ma'am." He said hurriedly before bowing to both of them. His footsteps echoed as he briskly left the room. Silence set in once more.

"Congratulations Cerrulo." Captain Phasma spoke with her metallic voice. "Your strategy was more effective than I thought. I have not seen an outcome like this for years."

"Thank you Captain." She smiled, turning to the silver-clad woman.

"You have already proven to be very useful. This will almost certainly have gained the trust of the commanders." The Captain spoke, honesty lined her words.

Aya smiled further. "I'm glad to hear it. This seems to have taken less time than expected as well. We could get back in time for dinner."

She could sense Phasma almost smile from beneath her helmet. Aya had won her over. "Indeed we could."