[~]
PTR-416 knew one life. Pain, misery, killing, death. That was the life he'd belonged to since before he could remember. He didn't remember when he came to The First Order, or how he was originally admitted into it. He just remembered the training.
His life before becoming a Stormtrooper couldn't have been much better than life as one, but he didn't know. He had nothing to compare it to. Maybe he did have a name, a family, a life, but now he didn't. The only name he could remember having was the name that The First Order gave him. PTR-416. He had no family, no purpose other than to bring justice to their order. Captain Phasma reminded him of that constantly. His life was devoted to the purpose of The First Order. Nothing more, nothing less.
The PTR unit was a newer one. Their training had only started around two years before. But PTR-416 was so advanced in the technicalities he was provided with, Phasma kept moving him up. At this point, he was with the newest finishers. The ones that had completed their training as Stormtroopers. The FN unit.
PTR-416 couldn't say he had any friends. He had allies, people who he knew he could talk to. There wasn't much to talk to people about, but when it came time for the FN unit, along with the singular PTR, to follow orders and be put on their first assignment, there was a lot to talk about.
There were two FN unit Troopers he particularly talked to a lot, and if he could, PTR-416 would call them his friends, but in The First Order, you don't have friends. You have allies, people you're supposed to work with. And as a Stormtrooper, you only have one job. Follow orders.
FN-2187 and FN-2003 were the two he talked to the most, and frankly, them three were the ones worried about their first assignment the most. It was mostly the killing part they feared most. Although throughout the years of training they had gone through, they'd shot countless amounts of bullets, they'd never once been put to the test of actually killing someone. Actually listening to the order of killing someone, whether they be innocent or guilty of something against the First Order.
But still, they knew what they had to do: Listen to Captain Phasma's orders.
So when their squadron was piled into their Imperial Troop Transport Ship, every Trooper standing shoulder to shoulder to the person next to them, the people behind or in front of them only inches away, and headed to Jakku to try and find what the dreaded Kylo Ren had been searching for, the Map to Luke Skywalker, they were worried.
Multiple other ships full of squadrons followed their main squadron ship, the one that PTR-416 was on. He couldn't see as they followed, nor could he see the sandy dunes he knew Jakku offered the people, but he knew they were there, just by how their head pilots were ordering each other around, speaking of the landing.
He felt his heart drop down to his stomach as Phasma looked to face them and firmly stated, "This is your time. Listen to orders, and don't fail."
He felt his tight grip on his gun slip slightly but he couldn't afford to fail. This was the time PTR-416 could show The First Order what he was made of, what he had to offer. But was it enough? Or was it for the right purpose? Was there any reason behind it other than this was all he'd ever known?
From the second the doors opened, though, letting them out into the sandy dunes of the small Jakkuian village they were in, PTR-416 knew something wasn't right. They shouldn't have been doing that to those people. Not when it wasn't right. Yes, some people were shooting back at them, but some people were running, away, hoping their lives could continue to have purpose, meaning.
That's when PTR-416 realized that his life had no meaning, no purpose other than do what he was told. He'd known that before, but somehow, as he was on his first assignment, he knew there was no purpose to just following orders. He'd just never known anything else.
Instead of shooting at people, he shot at random objects, and managed to avoid getting shot himself.
But when a Resistance X-Wing appeared, the orders to shoot at it set, that was what PTR-416 was doing. Anything was better than killing innocent people. Him, FN-2187, and FN-2003, along with multiple other FN units fired at the moving ship, dismobiling it, but clearly didn't disable the firing system.
A large blast came out at them, making nearly the whole entirety of those shooting at it to back off. The shooting was finished for a minute, but soon enough it had started again, after separate orders were made. This time, though, the firing was coming from a blaster. A gun. And a strong, accurate shot it was.
Multiple other troopers were shot, but they just kept moving forward, that was, though, until FN-2003 was the one who was shot. PTR-416 was speechless and could barely even move as one of the only people he'd gotten close to considering calling a friend slumped down against a heavy rock. He tried to sit him upright, but as he realized that the trooper was dying, FN-2003 lifted his hand, full of blood, and put it up to PTR-416's helmet, brushing it with a bloody hand print, before limply falling, and ending in the inevitable death.
That was when it was clear. Killing the people who least deserved it, people who you don't know, it was the wrongest thing he'd ever thought of. PTR-426 knew that this was the worst thing he could think of, but surely if he stayed with this job, it wouldn't be the worst thing he'd ever see.
FN-2187 was by him when this happened, and seemed to have his own smear of mud and blood on his helmet. Both were astonished by what was happening, and not in a good way. Moving around, walking the site, and panicking, both questioned their entire morals, and laws they'd lived by for so long. Both knew nothing but this, but realized now that this wasn't right. None of it was.
But in the middle of their panicking, they saw what all Stormtrooper had grown to fear most. Kylo Ren's Command Shuttle landed just before them. The two troopers scurried to get out of the way.
They watched as the man dressed in all black walked past them, and to the Jakkuian elder who was said to have held the map to Luke Skywalker.
A Commander led FN-2187 and PTR-416 over to the line with the other Troopers in their squadron and others. There they stood in a line, in front of the innocent villagers, who PTR-416 knew did not deserve the fate that was surely coming to them. The only question he had to ask himself, was was he going to do anything about it?
They watched as Kylo Ren spoke to the elder, only before killing him because he didn't get what he wanted. Just then, though, most likely the same who'd been shooting at them earlier, and large and sparky blue blast came out, aimed right, perfectly at Kylo, just after he'd slain the elder to the death with his lightsaber. When Kylo held out his hand, though, the two boys over there, looking young enough, and both wearing what was easily recognized to be Resistance jackets, were frozen.
This was the dark act of the force being brought upon them. Not many knew of the force, but PTR-416 could remember being told stories of it. Legends passed down about Jedi and Sith.
Four Troopers went over to the Resistance fighters, sending them to their knees, before bringing them over to Kylo. PTR-416 knew that their fate would be worse than the death that would surely be brought to the villagers before him.
They searched both boys, after coming to the conclusion that they must have the map, or knew the whereabouts of it, then brought them into the ship, after concluding that they didn't have anything. One of them, the one that had been a bit too cocky towards Kylo Ren, muttered something out of PTR-416's hearing range, but he guessed it wasn't going to be the best thing for him.
Then, Phasma came back, decked in silver as always, and asked Ren a question that PTR-416 knew he did not want to comply to. "Sir, the villagers?"
Kylo Ren looked out into the distance, taking his own moment of drama before answering, his real voice covered up by the voice changer he had on his mask, "Kill them all."
Around them, all the Troopers from each and every squadron that was there, held their gun up, ignited, at the innocent villagers. None of them deserved the fate they were to be handed. PTR-416 and FN-2187 didn't comply and follow those orders. They raised their gun, but PTR-416 knew he wouldn't have to guts to actually fulfill his mission and listen to Phasma's orders.
"On my command," Phasma said. Everything was on her command. After a moment of breath, she said, "Fire."
Around them each one of the Stormtroopers fired, but FN-2187 and PTR-416. The only PTR unit in the squadron looked to the only other person he'd be left to consider calling friend. Behind his helmet, he could feel a tear drip down his cheek. He lowered the gun, and turned to face where Kylo Ren was.
Ren must have felt something, because he turned to face PTR-416 as well, and took a moment of both of them staring at each other. It wasn't a good feeling, being noticed by the dreaded Kylo Ren. In fact, it brought nothing but fear to his soul.
When Ren finally passed, PTR-416 took a moment, and turned to FN-2187. He could tell one thing at that moment.
Both of them knew what they were doing was wrong.
Author's Note:
Okay, I like certain parts of this chapter, and I dislike certain parts of it. I hope you like it, though!!!! Personally, for me, I think PTR-416 is my least favorite OC I have to write for, but then again, there still is one OC I haven't written for yet, and also its hard writing for a Stormtrooper who doesn't even have a real name yet. I also just really like Brady. He's so fun to write for. I am really excited to write and for you guys to read about Brady and PTR's relationship throughout the book. The relationship developments throughout this book is what I think will be the most prominent for sure. It's just something that's super important to what this trilogy will end up being like. Please give me your opinion on PTR-416!!!! I know you didn't get much of what he's actually like in this, but I kinda like this for this chapter because Its like he's under the helmet and closeted about what he's actually like, but he's realizing things he didn't before. I don't know. I kinda like the development, but also I don't. I'm going to end this here I guess, but I do have to say one more thing. I stared Shadow and Bone, which if you don't know, is the first book in the Shadow and Bone trilogy, and also the first book in the Grishaverse, which is something I am not far enough into to understand. I don't know. I just wanted to say that. Thanks for listening to my daily rants!!!
Vote and Follow!!!!
ToODleS!!!!
~Voidlinnea