Sua x Female Reader
Star Wars au
Status - Finished (1 part) ✅
Warnings ~ angst, violence, death, mentions of war, fluff
"We are the spark that'll light the fire
that'll burn down the First Order."
A deep voice cut through the distant sound of wind outside our hideout that warned of an oncoming storm. "She knows what you are, doesn't she?" The young rebel it belonged to stepped through the doorway, her combat boots thudding as she approached. The chill air from the open doors seemed to cling to her and follow in her wake. Not long after, the doors slid closed, hissing as if reacting to the rapidly declining temperature the changing weather brought with it.
"I trust her." My reply echoed through the abandoned outpost. The building was once used by the Empire, long ago in the war against the Old Republic. It settled just on the outskirts of town, far enough away to remain inconspicuous, but close enough to keep a watch over the residents within.
"That doesn't matter." Her voice grew cold and firm like the metal walls surrounding us. Still, I remained unphased. It was the right decision, we needed allies and telling her was the exact boost of confidence she needed to join the Resistance. "You realize all you've done is put her in more danger." She drew my attention to her with the implication of her words. Her eyes appeared just as stern as her tone and I knew she thought I was being reckless (and likely was annoyed by how nonchalant I seemed about this whole situation).
"Doing the right thing comes with risks." I matched her tone, showing her that I had put plenty of thought into the decision rather than making it on a whim (the latter being what she likely assumed). "This is war, Dami." The silence following brought a sort of chill that even the autumn weather failed to rival. "Safety is an illusion." I finished, leaving the short girl frozen in her spot, unable to find a worthy reply. It was reality, after all. Being too cautious and playing our cards close to our chest was a luxury we couldn't afford much longer. No matter how optimistic Dami and I may have been, we knew two women couldn't defeat an entire army on their own.
Feeling the air finally get to me, I grabbed my black cloak before starting my journey to the city. The long sleeves brought a temporary warmth to the outside of my body, but an icy sting loomed within. Just as the dark clouds brewed, an ever-present darkness billowed, just waiting for someone to stoke the fire so that the big, black boot could finally stomp out the flames once and for all. I could feel it. This was merely the beginning. The calm before the storm.
Though it didn't last long, a crack of thunder booming above like the pounding of a war drum, eager to signify the start of impending chaos. Rain followed immediately after, willing me to draw my hood over my head as I neared the center courtyard. The liquid was fast to puddle in dips on the dirt ground, reflecting what little sunlight pierced through the layered clouds above. Surrounding metal buildings appeared more silver, rather than their normal dull, grey tint, from the sheen of water now coating their exterior, giving off the false indication of newness.
Like most other mining planets, the civilian cities here were left to rot and crumble with age along with its workers while the First Order regularly built modern, luxurious towns for the wealthy and powerful. Royal cities, gambling planets, military outposts and the like all held the presence and promise of war. While the less fortunate and, quote, 'more likely to rebel' did all the back-breaking work, those lazy, arrogant pigs got to sit high and mighty simply because of their loyalty to the First Order. This hierarchy took shape in more forms than one and yet another presented itself in front of my eyes when I reached the center of the town.
A crowd had formed around the fountain directly in the middle of the courtyard; everyday workers, shop-owners, mothers, and even children watching the public display that now played out in front of them. No one seemed to mind the rain as it trickled down their faces and mixed with the dirt caking their features after a day of hard work. They appeared too captivated by the scene to even pay attention to the storm lurking overhead. I found myself doing the same once I nudged my way to the front of the wall of bodies and finally got a glimpse at what was happening.
There, sitting in the dirt, leaned against the bottom lip of the fountain with her hands restrained in front of her by a pair of First Order grade mechanical handcuffs, was the girl I had intended to meet on my trip into the city. Though, by the presence of the three stormtroopers towering over her with blasters clutched at the ready in their gloved and armored hands, I realized they had gotten to her before I could. Panic manifested in the sudden rush of nerves and adrenaline through my body, but I expertly calmed it with the deep inhale of air through my lungs. If I remembered anything from my master's teachings as a child, it was to always stay calm in the presence of danger.
"We have gotten word of Resistance fighters seeking refuge here amongst your people." The commanding trooper started his speech. The only distinguishing mark between him and the other two troopers was the orange pauldron attached to the top of his right shoulder pad: a stark contrast to his white and black armor. "By the order of the Supreme Leader, we are to snuff out these rebels and execute them for conspiring against the First Order." His voice held power but lacked emotion, further monotonous due to the vocal modifier in his helmet.
The surrounding crowd collectively shivered at his statement. Even though many of them never directly participated in the Resistance, they all knew that didn't actually matter. Even if they had a single ounce of hate in their heart for the First Order—which most every working-class citizen did—they were in danger of the threat. On top of that, these people all secretly supported the Resistance and did everything they could to aid in our rebellion while keeping us safe in the meantime. Though no one was prepared to admit that, they certainly were less willing to pay with their lives to keep it a secret. This alone would've made such a public interrogation threatening to the revelation of our identities, but, knowing the woman they chose today, I was more concerned for her life, not mine. She wasn't one to go down without a fight.
"Since you don't seem to understand the severity of your actions," The officer turned to the small yet feisty girl on the ground, prompting her to writhe against the restraints with a challenging glint in her eyes. Her grey combat pants turned brown in the mud while her black vest grew heavy from the rain. "We have kindly opted to set an example for you." My heart clenched in my chest and I had to resist the immediate urge to run out in front of the rebel when the other two stormtroopers pulled her to her feet. "The young woman you see here before you," he outstretched his hand towards her as he paced back and forth, now facing the crowd, "was caught stealing equipment from a First Order base." My jaw clenched in guilt, remembering my earlier conversation with her.
After letting her in on our plan, I mentioned we needed something that only the First Order was permitted to have to cloak our ship (in order to help us fly undetected once we finally left the planet), but I made it clear to her that she shouldn't attempt to obtain it alone. It was far too dangerous, no matter how confident I was in her abilities. I should've known she would be stubborn and try to get it herself anyways. Now, with the new knowledge she had in combination with her obvious loyalty to the Resistance, she was a ticking time-bomb, waiting to reveal all our deepest secrets to the Dark Side.
"In line with the Supreme Leader's order, her crimes against the First Order are punishable by death." His words seemed to hang heavy over everyone's heads like the storm clouds above. But no one dared to speak a word, afraid they would meet the same fate, and let him continue. "However, we will exercise mercy, as we are not barbarians... on one simple condition." He stopped pacing and faced the brunette. She still glared back at him defiantly and there was no doubt in my mind that she would've pounced on him had she not been held back by the other troopers.
"Tell me where the Jedi is hiding." A gasp tore from the crowd and the words hit me like a bullet in the heart.
The information was quick to take effect, sending a hushed whisper rippling through the crowd. Mutterings of how Jedi's are dead or myth or would surely be stupid to show themselves now if they were—by some miracle—back. Exclamations about how there's no way there could be one among them on their small, insignificant planet and, if there was, there's no way a rebel—so loyal to their cause—would give them away. There was plenty of denial, so much so that it nearly drowned all other emotions out, but there also existed a tiny spark in the potential of those words. A promise of protection, of power, of resistance. A new hope. Even if it was just a rumor, it gave them a reason to fight and that meant more than I ever thought it could.
Now, in that moment, I finally knew what I had to do. When the Resistance fighter didn't budge at the officer's question, not acting surprised or playing dumb nor giving him the hint that she knew what he was talking about, he asked again. "Where. is. the Jedi. hiding?" This time he let his emotions show as he articulated every word, his voice dripping with hot, uncontrollable rage. There was nothing he hated more than the Jedi and that fact became apparent in his impatience with the rebel. He believed she knew something and he wanted so badly to get it out of her, but I was sure his anger was capable of urging him to pull the trigger even before obtaining the information.
"I'm not telling you anything!" She yelled through gritted teeth, just as much hatred seeping through her lips. She suddenly surged forward, her feet splashing in the mud, coating the troopers pristine, white armor in an attempt to rip her arms from their hold. The effort was in vain though, her strength no match for theirs. Even if she got free, it was likely she wouldn't get far anyways. They held all the power and she was at their mercy.
That bitter truth became even more evident when the commanding stormtrooper stood back and raised his blaster so that her head was in its crosshairs. A hush fell over the crowd from the tension that filled the air. The storm made itself known with low rumblings of thunder, emphasizing the graveness of this very moment. He held the life of a twenty-eight year old woman in his hands. With the simple tense of his finger, her fate would be decided. All these people might fall witness to what cruel and final punishment awaited them if they chose the path of rebellion, consequently discouraging them from ever standing up against what they know is wrong.
When the trooper finally pulled the trigger in his fit of anger, I decided I wouldn't grant him that much power. In the split second after the red beam of energy left his blaster, time seemed to stop completely as it hung there, suspended in midair, halfway between the officer and the rebel. Like a smear of pure molten lava, the string of red light vibrated and sizzled as the raindrops landed on it, evaporating instantly upon contact. That was all that could be heard in that moment while every single person in that courtyard stood frozen, staring in disbelief. Even the rebel's eyes were blown wide, likely wondering if the whole thing was some twisted construction of her imagination to prolong her final moment of life.
But all it took was one person to start a chain reaction: a child, a little girl standing to my right, her head reaching at about waist level. Her eyes slowly studied the length of my outstretched arm, down to my open palm, all the way out to the blaster bullet frozen before the rebel. I could practically see the idea form in her mind and, whether she knew it for truth or not, she gasped, her finger raising up to point at me as an explanation for what she thought was the cause. Slowly, one by one, the citizens in the crowd turned their attention to me, backing away and gawking at what they believed to be witnessing. In that moment, rumor had slowly shifted to reality.
Now, they knew.
But, so did the stormtroopers. With one flash of lightning punctuated by a crack of thunder, time sped up back to normal. I only had a second to act before they decided to come charging at me and managed to use it wisely, sending the bullet back to where it originated from with the simple swipe of my fingers. In the blink of an eye, it pierced through the officers white armor, causing him to fall lifeless into the muddy courtyard ground with a thud. Smoke rose from the black hole in his chest like his soul leaving his body and the sight sent the other two troopers into action.
They seemed to completely disregard their prisoner and started firing blindly into the crowd with me as their intended target. This sent most of the civilians screaming and fleeing in terror, seeking the safety of nearby shelter. Some, however, stayed close with anticipation for the battle. I felt curious, hopeful eyes on me as my fingers reached down to clutch the hilt dangling from my waistband. When I drew it up in front of me, before even channeling force energy into the weapon, the troopers halted their advance towards me.
Now I had the power.
Finally, harnessing energy from the earth beneath me and the sky above, I ignited the weapon. It's saber extended with a whir of pure, light energy, beaming brightly and illuminating the surrounding area with a hue of electric blue. The surprise of the onlookers became audible through gasps, exclamations of disbelief, and even some victorious cheers. Still, I focused my attention on the soldiers in front of me, waiting for their next attack. One of them took a brave step closer and shot at me. I swung my lightsaber diagonally, blocking the shot and deflecting it back towards the trooper. The beam merely skimmed his shoulder, landing all the way across the courtyard near where some civilians had been watching.
I inhaled deeply in anger, knowing I needed to put a stop to this before any innocents were harmed in the crossfire. Luckily, the stormtrooper was naive enough to step closer. His movements were hesitant, so I took the opportunity to catch him by surprise, sprinting forward to meet him halfway. When I closed the distance, he was clearly surprised and frantically tried to raise his blaster to my face. The attempt was feeble and ended before it could really begin as I swung my saber in front me, crossing it over with the flick of my wrist. The blue blade sliced across his torso twice, searing a black "X" into his white chest plate. His body went limp, dropping his blaster and leaning backwards slowly before crashing to the ground like a rag-doll.
The final trooper began rapidly shooting and backing away in fear. I spun my lightsaber with inhuman speed, successfully blocking the beams of energy, but sending them back into the crowd. Even running after him, I knew I couldn't reach him before someone was bound to be hit by one of the ricocheting bullets. My eyes searched the ground around me, hoping I was close to another blaster. Right when I found one, however, it was already being picked up by two small hands bound by white, mechanical handcuffs. Before I knew it, the sound of a second blaster went off, finally silencing the other. My hand relaxed, bringing the saber to my side as I watched the third white body slump to the mud beneath his boots, putting an end to the violence.
The courtyard was still, the rain slowing as the dark storm clouds retreated and the sun gradually returned. The silence brought my mind back to the catalyst of this conflict and I turned to find awe-filled brown eyes looking into my own. The worry previously clinging to my heart dissipated when her body appeared unharmed.
"You really are a Jedi." Her voice spoke in an almost childlike wonderment. Now that the threat was gone, I unfocused my energy, deactivating my saber and clipping the hilt back onto my waistband.
"And I guess this means you really are a rebel." I smiled down at her, just relieved that she was no longer in danger. I would've blamed myself for the rest of my life had I done nothing to try and save her. It wasn't the Jedi way.
"Acting by myself was stupid and reckless. I should've waited." She shook her head in relation to her crime while I leaned down to free her from her restraints. "I just wanted to prove my loyalty to you and to the cause after what you told me." Once I forced the cuffs open, they landed on the ground with a metallic thud and she went to rub the soreness from her wrists.
"It definitely was a bit reckless," I chuckled lightly when she looked up at me with a sheepish grin, "but it was brave, and we could use more of that." She smiled then, but quickly sobered when she processed the events that had previously unfolded.
"I owe you my life." The words came out like she was just realizing them herself.
My eyes surveyed our surroundings before setting on her warm, brown ones. "You owe me nothing, Sua." She opened her mouth to try and protest, but I continued, "You were willing to die before giving me away. You've done more than I would've ever asked to prove your loyalty to me." My tone was serious, showing her that I meant every word I said. Her display of selflessness just moments ago spoke volumes and certainly wouldn't go overlooked by me. I knew I made the right choice in trusting her.
"Plus, look around you," I motioned with my hands when the courtyard started to come back to life, "you did more for me and for these people than you will ever understand." The citizens cowering in fear just moments ago came out of their hiding spots and rejoiced at the small—but significant—victory. They smiled and cheered, feeling a sort of courage and hope they had never known before.
This moment, no matter what my reasoning may have been for saving the rebel, stood for something more and meant something deeper to them.
It was a spark of hope.
A spark that would soon ignite the fire.
The fire that would grow too far and too powerful to be stomped out by one pathetic little black boot.
It was the beginning of the final Resistance.
- I wrote this imagine in spirit of the comeback... even though I have very little clue what it's about (bc I avoid teasers, don't spoil pls ☺️). But yeahhh, rebellious Deukae letzgooo 😤
I'm also just a massive Star Wars nerd so if you guys like this I could always write another with the same au.