STAR WARS: Gray Jedi

Chapter 8

10 years ago...

NAG UBDUR. BINJAI-TIN CITY

When he finally made back to the city, Destin watched the road in front of his house from behind a clutter of debris as First Order Stormtroopers enclosed a circle of hostage Resistance fighters. Among them were a handful of the townspeople. Destin spotted his parents, both of them beaten and bloodied and his sister nowhere to be found. The rest of the townspeople watched from afar- from the sides of the streets, through the cantina door, from inside their homes.

Another gathering of Stormtroopers stood in front of a second circle of hostages in two lines, each in a row of four, facing each other, separated by a space of a couple meters, standing at attention. It was then Destin noticed a small girl, about his age, dressed in full First Order uniform, standing in line with them. She stood straight and tall. She had red, fiery hair that flowed down past her shoulders in curl sand her hazel eyes streaming ahead, unflinching. Although she was much smaller in comparison to the Stormtroopers beside her,  she stood with authority over them. Coming from the north end of the road, a man, dressed in a First Order Officer's uniform began to walk forward. Two other Troopers followed slightly behind, but unlike the other Stormtroopers, these soldiers were outfitted in black, agile armor and masks, with what looked to be two small staffs strapped on each of their backs. The Officer leading them was tall, with athletic slender, and a clean cut of dark hair and a piercing gaze. He walked with authority and power. Destin watched as he paused in front of the young red-haired girl. She snapped to attention.

"Well done, my dear," he said. 

"Thank you, Admiral Maas," the girl replied, bowing her head.

Maas patted the girl on the shoulder, and strutted between the line of Stormtroopers towards the townspeople, addressing them all.

"This mining world has had the honorable privilege of providing the many precious resources that has been beneficial to the strengthening of the late Galactic Empire. To do this is to help realize it's vision to establish a lasting peace in the galaxy. A vision of which The First Order now strives to achieve. A peace in which all beings, of all worlds, may live in a state of harmony. To succumb to anarchy is to threaten that endeavor and to endanger all we achieved thus far in its name. This city's citizens have been found to be harboring enemies of The First Order, soldiers who fight for the foolish cause of the self-proclaimed Resistance. By harboring these terrorists, you have threatened the endeavor for peace, sought to uproot the pillars that uphold justice, and attempted to destroy the mantle that maintains order in the galaxy. Such insolence cannot be allowed to pass. Let this be a reminder to all who dare defy The First Order."

Maas nodded to the captain of his Stormtroopers who in turn commanded his subbordinates to raise their blasters. The Troopers followed their orders and raised their weapons, aiming towards the helpless townsfolk - and Destin's parents. Destin's gut clenched.

Maas continued. "To acquiesce to disloyalty is to acquiesce to disorder; to acquiesce to disorder is acquiesce to chaos; and to acquiesce to chaos is to acquiesce to destruction."

Destin knew what was about to happen – the chain of events was inevitable. He knew what he had to do - but for some inexplicable, absolutely infuriating reason, he couldn't move. He was frozen, trembling again, just like he was back in the forest when they dragged his sister away. Destin screamed inside himself, 'No, no! Not now! Not now!!!' He didn't want to admit it, but he was utterly, terrifyingly afraid. He knew what would happen to him if he ran out there. He would die. Just hearing the word inside his head shook him. But that was what would happen, without a doubt. This was no game, no fantasy he played out with his friends - it was reality. Whether he got to his parents or not, he would die alongside them - and how desperately he wished to be beside them, if only for an instant, but the fear had grappled him and would not let go. He fought as hard as he could to muster any ounce of courage he had and summon his body to obey him, but he just knelt there, his knees planted to the muddy ground, shaking. C'mon, c'mon! Move! he cried inside himself. He spotted a huge rock beside him. He could pick it up, run out there, and beat a Stormtrooper's head in with it. That was all he had to do – just pick it up and charge. He closed his eyes, desperately willing his body to move, to stand, to scream, something! Do something! Then he heard it...