Star Wars Episode 10: Return of Death - 2. Operation Ironslate

34 ABY, Hosnian Prime, Inner Rim

“I would be greatly honored, if the Senate was a bit more civil!!!” Chancellor Lanever Villecham said sternly, interrupting the banter of the Senators.

“I respect and admire your enthusiasm, Senator Oo’katah, but as responsible servants of the people, it is our oath-bound duty, to listen to the plea of any person under our jurisdiction…….. Apologies for the disturbance, Commander Sella. You may continue.”

“She isn’t even ours! Who are you referring to as “Commander”, Lanever?????!!!!” came an angry shout from a corner of the Senate.

Before Chancellor Villecham could respond, Commander Korr Sella spoke with a clear and loud voice, “I am not, quote on quote “one of yours”, because of the general incompetence of the so called “servants of the people” sitting in this Senate, and warming these soft cushions with their sorry arses!”

Hollering followed.

“I am not finished yet!!!! I am a testament to your failings, dear Senators. The existence of the Resistance itself is a testament to the failings of this Senate in protecting its own people!”

After the signing of the Galactic Concordance Treaty, the Civil War with the Galactic Empire had effectively ended, leading to the establishment of the New Republic as the central power of the galaxy. A faction called ‘The First Order’, led by Supreme Leader Snoke with his apprentice Kylo Ren (formerly known as Ben Solo) had risen in the lesser worlds of the Outer Rims, in the coming years.

Rapid demilitarization of the Republic had sown fears of a victory of the First Order, in case of an open war. Senator Leia Organa’s exit from office had sealed the bill of demilitarization. She and her accomplices founded the private navy with the name of the ‘Resistance’.

Korr continued, “But that does not matter!! RESPECTED SENATOR, I REQUEST YOU TO BE CIVIL, AND LET ME USE MY TIME ON THE FLOOR! EXCUSE MEEEE! Wha…...EXCUSE MEEEEE!!!! PLEASE!”

“Order in the Senate!” the Chancellor commanded in his shrill voice.

“The Resistance has intel of an inbound attack on the Republic! The Resistance recommends the Republic put its armed forces at CELERION ALPHA!”

“Are you crazy?”, “Did Leia’s daddy tell her that too?” were some of the scoffs thrown back to the Resistance Commander.

“We do not know the scale of the attack. What we know, is that an attack IS imminent! I would BEG the Senate to do its job! There could be lives at stake here!”

“Commander Sella, your time is up” the Chancellor interrupted Korr.

“Get off!”, “LEAVE” came more heckles hurling down.

“This is so useless…….” Korr muttered to herself.

“For those listening to me! For those who care about their own…”

“Your time is up Commander….” the Chancellor interrupted again, with a pleading tone in his tired voice.

Blatantly ignoring the Chancellor, Korr spoke for the last time:

“For those listening to me…. For those who care for their own families…...evacuate immediately. Evacuate to sparsely populated worlds. There is no time. An attack is imminent. I repeat…..evacuate without delay”

Saying the above, she stormed out of the Senate. She walked straight into the media tower located opposite to the Senate building.

Shaking his head, Chancellor Villecham proceeded, “To the second affair of the day…….Order!!!…….To the second affair of the day…...the emergency bill to authorize Operation Ironslate, proposed by the First Senator”

“Booooooo” came the coherent response from the Centrist side of the Senate.

“Order!!!! First Senator Koljaev, you have the floor”

“Thank you Chancellor. To the respected Senators and my fellow colleagues, I request you to base your opinion on this bill while keeping the future of the Republic in mind, and not upon the petty differences shared by us. The First Order is a threat without question! No matter what my Centrist colleagues would say, the fact remains that the First Order has been harassing our forces at the trade routes IN Republican Airspace. THEY ARE A HOSTILE INSTITUTION. While I disagree with engaging in open warfare, it is essential that we take them down, today or tomorrow.

Operation Ironslate takes them down from the inside. Such terrorist institutions stand proud against the backbone of underground cartels. This is evident from the rise of the Maul-Opress led criminal institution. This institution rose due to the backing of the criminal big Five- Crimson Dawn, Black Sun, Crymorah syndicate, the Pyke syndicate and the Hutt Clan.

Republican intel suggests that the First Order has regular trade dealings with the big Five. Operation Ironslate proposes to destroy all of these syndicates, thus breaking the backbone of the First Order.

Populist or Centrist, we agree on one thing- the survival of the Republic which we all have fought for and died for. Hence, I would request the Senate to pass this emergency bill with overwhelming majority.”

“Thank you Senator Koljaev. I would now call upon the opposition leader, Senator Talhakkaki to present their views.”

The translator of Senator Talhakkaki began, “I understand Operation Ironslate……...and I support the overall sentiment…...but how will the Republic crack down on the big Five?…….using our bill for federalized Republican Armed Forces?……..or the decentralized forces proposed by the Populists?…….instead, I urge the Senate to pass the Centrist bill for the federalized armed forces…...the fear of a grand army itself shall quell….. any terrorist activities in the underworld…...a divided army shows weakness”

“Thank you Senator. The floor goes back to… back to Senator Koljaev”

“Thank you Chancellor. Thank you for supporting the sentiments behind Ironslate. Now to Senator Talhakkaki’s point regarding his bill…...First Order or not, the Big Five have been consistently undermining the rule of law. Even under the Republic’s rule, slavery is still a common practice in the outer rim territories. Federalized or decentralized, these criminal institutions need to be uprooted. Hence, I would request the Senate to pass IronSlate first, and then debate about the nature of its execution.”

After a few hours long back and forth regarding the nature of the bill, a vote was conducted.

“It is with great honor I present to the Senate of the New Republic, the results of the voting conducted regarding the passing of the bill authorizing Operation Ironslate. Operation Ironslate has received 1393 votes in its favour and 677 opposed to its passing from the Senate of the New Republic. Therefore, the Senate of the New Republic has chosen to authorize Operation Ironslate, effective immediately!”

The Senate erupted in cheers. For the past decade, the Senate had been divided into Populists and Centrists, with the Populists wanting more autonomy for individual systems, while the Centrists wanting a more federalized Republic. After a long time had a bill received bilateral approval. This was a momentous occasion.

Unfortunately…...the celebrations were to be short lived.

Having successfully gotten the word out to the public under the pretext of a ‘Resistance Conspiracy’, Korr Sella walked back to the Senate building to talk to the Chancellor, who sympathized with the Resistance. On entering, she found celebration everywhere, faces decorated with broad smiles.

Shaking her head, she smiled, satisfied with the way things were progressing. Perhaps if the First Order got to know that their plan had been exposed, they would call off the attack, attempting to minimize casualties on their side………

Unfortunately for her, and for everyone, the attack had already been launched. A red dot appeared in the night sky of Hosnian Prime. That dot caught the attention of a few onlookers. It started to grow larger…….and larger…...and larger. Slowly and slowly, panic began to set in Korr. What was this? Was this…..the attack?

In order to verify that she wasn’t going crazy, she looked around her. The Chancellor and a few of the Senators had come out of the building. Unfortunately for Korr, she wasn’t going crazy. Every person had their eyes fixated on the dot.

The dot started to become brighter and brighter………

Soon, it engulfed the entire sky. Suddenly, the night sky of Prime had another star, shining brightly. This star continued to grow ever larger.

Then suddenly, her vision turned to black. She could hear searing noises around her, paired with the screams of people. To cover her eyes, she tried to pull her hands from the stone railing in front of her, on which she had rested them. However, she found herself unable to do that. Her skin had started to melt, which acted as an adhesive between the stone slab and her bones.

Bracing for death, the last memory of a previously strong headed, no-nonsense Commander, was the smell of her own burning flesh.

39 ABY, Cantonica, Outer Rim

“Hmmmmm why does it smell like the Viskaria flower in here? Is it Viskaria? No! It’ a mix of something else! Mmmmmmmmm…...smells nice!”, Tem thought as he lay awake in his bed, fidgeting with his shirt’s button that fell off in the morning.

“Eyyyy I’m growing!!!! I can go unbutonned now like the older boys”, he smiled to himself,

The slave owners rarely gave the slaves any fresh clothes. The kids used to grow out of them, thus making it a momentous occasion to go either unbuttoned or completely bare chested.

He changed his position slightly, trying not to disturb Oni, who was spooning him like his personal cuddle cushion. Tem switched to be on his side, making him look to the alley between the bunk beds, instead of the ceiling above him.

Stroking Oni’s arm which was wrapped around him, he looked at Ara sprawled on her hay bed at the bottom bunk.

A gust of wind came in through the window, bringing in more of the sweet essence.

On realizing that he was staring at her, he quickly looked away. “Is it weird to look at someone while they’re sleeping?……..Hmmmmmm probably not…….I’m not looking at her THAT way!” Tem chuckled to himself.

Since like….forever, Tem has always remembered himself loving to look at the older boys. Their eyes…...oooof…...With their toned arms……

But he still stared at Ara…..just out of curiosity. He looked at the lock of hair sprawled on her face, just like she was sprawled on her bed. Blast! Even her hair was like her!

“Look at her! She’s a beast when she’s awake, bossing everyone around……..look at her now! Sleeping…...so peaceful and quiet for once”, Tem thought to himself as he shook he head, making shuffling noises on the hay.

Oooof it had gotten hot!!! “Oni…...are you a furnace or something?” He tried to peel Oni off him a little to make himself a little more comfortable. “Oni…….are you really eight? Your grip is like…...nnnnnngh…..of like…...a crinking…..twenty year old or something! Man…how must it feel to be so old??? I don’t wanna be old! Uggggh! You just get mean when you get old!” Tem rolled his eyes.

Then suddenly, it came back to him…...HE HAD TO GET SOME AIRRRR!!! “Oni…..Oni….”he tried to shake Oniho to wake him a little. “Mmmmmmmmm” Oni hugged Tem even harder. “Ugggggh…...this youngling…….” Tem laughed! “Fine, bubba! You’ve won!”

He stroked Oni’s hair. Gosh he loved this kid sooo muchhhh!!!! Tem had somehow taken up the role of an older brother to him. Well, they all were brothers in the barn, but well…...Oni was a closer brother.

Tem looked at Oni’s face. Why did he like to look at faces? Somehow, he could understand a person just by looking at his face. What they were thinking, their past, etc. He felt that he could hear thoughts as they were recited in the other person’s mind. Weird, but oh well! Tem could easily seek in their games of hide-n-seek, cuz he knew exactly where the other person was planning to hide.

Oni’s dark face gave a weird shine in the night light created by the moons of Cantonica. Quietly snoring, Oni’s nostrils got bigger a little and then small, in a pattern mesmerizing to Tem.

“I wonder where he got that scar from…..” Tem thought as he looked at a light scar above Oni’s left eye.

Tem could feel Oni’s happiness, the safety that he felt when being in his older brother’s arms. This made Tem also feel melty inside……..he quickly kissed Oni’s forehead, and hugged him tighter towards him.

Soon, he felt sleep take over him. As he started drifting into the bliss of a good night’s rest, he heard some loud whispers through the window. Surprised, he just stayed there, making sure if what he heard was real.

“Unana!!! Get in the stable!!!”

“No!!! The younglings!!!!”

“GET IN THERE OR U”LL BLOW IT!!!”

“They’ll kill them!!!!”

Suddenly, Tem heard the loud whirring of a security ship.

“OPEN FIRE!!!!”

A couple of loud blaster shots were heard. Tem quickly jerked himself off Oni, and went to the window. He saw two silhouettes running, where he could make out the tattered shirt of one of them fluttering as they ran down the streets.

“Stop you scumbags!!!” came from a group of speeders while firing a couple of shots.

The searchlight from the security ship illuminated the two silhouettes.

Tem gasped as he realized that both of them were the older slaves that he used to deliver food for the fathiers every morning.

A stun blast from one of the speeders hit one of the runners, making them fall to the hard stone-blocked pavement with a huge whap. The second runner went a little further, and on realizing that his partner was not there with him, looked back. On seeing that he was immobilized, he quickly drew out his blaster and shot his friend in the head once, put the blaster in his mouth and fired one lethal shot, and fell to the ground, lifeless.

Tem gasped loudly, and quickly withdrew away from the window, trying to unsee what he had just witnessed. His heart had stopped from the shock. At least that’s what he thought.

“Tem!!! Hey Tem!!! Look at me!!!!” Ara snapped her fingers in front of Tem….. “What’s happening????”

“Uhhhh…….They killed Unana and Theriyo……”

“What??????!!!!!!! Why????”

“I DON’T KNOW ARA!!!! I JUST SAW IT!!!!!”

“What’s happening Temmy?” Oni peeked over from the upper bunk.

“Bubba…...it’s nothing, ok? You are safe, alright?” Tem replied in panicked voice.

The other kids too had started to wake up, some peering over the other windows located at the alleys.

Before Tem could even gulp, the lights came on, with a couple of soldiers bursting in the barn-dormitory, shouting commands at the top of their lungs.

“WHICH ONE OF YOU MOTHERFUCKERS SENT THAT TRANSMISSION???!!!!!”

The kids all stood silently, dumbfounded.

“I HATE TO REPEAT MYSELF…...WHICH ONE OF YA’LL SENT OUR DEFENSE PLANS TO THE REPUBLIC’S IRONSLATE TASKFORCE???”

The angry mustached soldier was still met with silence.

“ALRIGHT…...THIS IS HOW IT GOES, EH?! Here! You!” he pointed to a blonde, freckled boy nearest to him. The boy Virag, probably ten years of age, stepped forward obediently, his head low.

The soldier pulled his blaster, and shot him straight in the head.

There were audible gasps, followed with crying, mostly on the younger side of the single-roomed dorm.

“I’M GOING TO ASK YOU ALL, ONCE AGAIN!…….WHO...SENT….THE TRANSMISSION???!!!”

This time, there was only the sound of crying.

“Right…...You still don’t want to give up, huh…….Alright younglings, tell me…….who was friends with the delivery boys? The ones who came in the morning?”

One of the younger kids pointed at the beds closer the stables, which usually housed the older slaves, mostly the teenagers, who were usually involved in hard physical labor. Being teenagers, they were more likely to be involved in acts of rebellions, due to their idealistic nature.

The soldier walked towards the general direction in which the boy pointed, with a smirk.

Tem horrified and tears streaming down his face, looked at the man. He felt the man’s joy. The mustached soldier was enjoying this. This made Tem feel even sadder…..he felt angry…..helpless…..He was shocked….how can people be so…….evil? He then looked at Virag, laying motionless on the floor, blood splattered on the yellow hay. This kid, who was once the best hider in hide-n-seek, was just laying there…….dead…….HE WAS DEAD!!!! HE WASN’T COMING BACK!!!! NOOOO!!! Tem began crying even more.

“Hmmmm? I’m asking veeeeeery nicely…….We just want to ask you questions…...just step forward…..if you were a part of the group who sent our enemy the plans to attack our home! Come on traitors!!! SPEAK UP!!! ”

He was met with silence again.

“I reaaaaaaaly hate doing this……” the soldier said, with a smirk.

Tem knew that he was lying. He felt the soldier’s itch to do some more killing.

“Alright! You!” he pointed to Arashell.

“Come forward, love!”

Tem looked at Ara sharply.

Ara gave Tem a look, telling him to stand down.

Tem, his face red by crying, and tears burning his eyes like lava, felt his knees shiver. He felt despair taking hold of him. He felt helpless…...He felt like a coward. He couldn’t do anything. He looked back to find Oni, shaken as well, looking at Tem with a scared and bewildered look.

“Ohhhhh look at you…….You will convince the older shits, won’t you?” the soldier said.

Running his hand across her face, he said “Mmmmmmm……..How do you get those lips, huh?”

He then ran his finger along her lips.

Ara looked at the monster standing in front of her with eyes emitting pure, unfiltered anger.

“Ooooooh she’s angry, huh? Boop!” he booped her nose.

“Hahahahahahaha”

“I wonder how you sound like when you get the weee wee up your woo woooo heheheheh” he said, cackling.

He then held her by the shoulder and pushed her towards the bunks of the older slaves.

“Alright you shits! Let me tell you a little about myself! I…...am a veeeeery generous man! Very very generous! The one who tells me the name of the person, or well…...people! There can be plurals right? Hehehehehe……….Okay…….The one who tells me WHO participated in the little shenanigans of yours, gets to take this bitch! Mhmmmm…...you heard that right! Don’t you want your ding dongs in her tight hole? Hmmm? Don’t ya wanna hear her screaming???”

Licking his lips, he looked at Ara and grabbed her butt forcefully. Suddenly, he heard a very sharp sound of wind at his right side, followed a swish. He then felt a strong surge of pain, taking over the upper side of his neck.

He sharply turned right, to find a brown haired boy, perhaps 15 or 16, standing there, with a scared face, clearly regretting his actions. As he tried to punch him square in the face, he felt another surge of pain in his thighs, just short of his balls.

Ara had tried to kick him there with all the strength she had, and barely missed immobilizing the man.

On looking up, she saw his bloodshot eyes, blood flowing out of his neck, looking at her with anger she never had seen before. Panicking, she tried to get up to run, but saw the man raising his blaster at her.

In her peripheral vision, she saw Tem fall to his knees, crying, while she heard the faint cries of Oni.

She then saw the soldier squeeze the trigger, and everything turned to black.

Her head hit the ground with a huge thud with a single piece of hay, getting displaced by the impact.

Tem found his muscles get weaker and weaker, as he started to feel disoriented. His peripherals began to blacken out.

“Temmy!!!!!” he felt Oni hugging him from behind. He quickly hugged him back.

“Don’t worry bubba…..don’t worry...okay? Look at me…. look at me! I will not let him hurt you, okay? He won’t dare to touch you, okay?”

He just felt Oni hug him tighter, while he felt his sleeve get wet from his tears.

“Aaaaaaaargh!!!! You dumb dumb shit! So you like to be the hero, huh? Like the Republic, huh! Do you idiots really think that you’re gonna get to them alive? Do you think that the Master would give up his slaves just like that? Now tell me, Boy…...who all are involved in this? Tell me before I blow someone else’s brains out!”

The boy tried to reach for the sharp piece of the metal cupboard that he had struck the soldier with. Immediately, the soldier fired a blast, right in the boy’s shoulder.

He screamed in pain, still trying to crawl to the piece with his other arm.

The man firmly kicked him in the face, and then kicked the piece further away.

“Hmmmm…….You won’t talk, eh? Well let’s make you talk, shall we?”

He turned behind, and took a few steps.

“Atteeeeeeeention!” he barked at the younglings. Some could get in attention, sobbing, while some just looked at him scared, while huddled up in any corner they could find.

“Hehehehe…...Ooooooo look what we have here! You’re so young! Why has the Master even kept you here? You must be so useless as a slave! Oh yes, you! The black dumbass!”

Tem quickly turned back to see the soldier looking at Oni. “No!!!” he tried to stand up, but quickly found himself on the ground, with excruciating pain in his left thigh.

His vision was immediately blurred by more tears, while his hearing feeling distant due to the sheer amount of pain. It was clear that he was shot in the thigh by the soldier.

“Temmy!!!! Temmy nooooo!!!!” he heard Oni’s distant voice, while he saw what he could interpret as Oni being dragged by the arm by the soldier.

Tem came back to his senses, but found it impossible to move.

“Looks like the Master made a little mistake. Look at you…….Too small to work….too ugly to fuck…..WHAT ARE YOU HERE FOR???” the soldier dragged Oni to the older boy, who was lying there still grunting in pain.

“But we can fix the Master’s mistake, can’t we?” the soldier said while lightly tapping Oni’s cheek.

“Alright boy…...you like to be a hero, don’t ya? Here…..”he said, while he pointed his blaster at the back of Oni’s head.

“Be a hero now! WHO SENT THE TRANSMISSION?”

The boy appeared to say something, but stopped himself, clearly biting his tongue.

“Go on! I won’t kill him! I mean I could! It’s either dead slaves, or slaves lost to the Republic! Go on! You can save this ugly fucker!” he said as he touched the wound at his neck to see if he was still bleeding.

The soldier was still met with silence.

He quickly lowered the blaster and shot Oni’s knee, making him cry loudly in pain.

“Hahahahahaha…….hear that! Listen to the meh-loh-dy” the soldier said, grinning from ear to ear, while looking at the older slaves.

Suddenly, he felt a little “something” in his neck. Before he could turn to see if it was another fool trying to attack him, he felt his throat tighten. He felt that it had become a lot more difficult to breathe. Then he started to choke lightly.

Disoriented, he felt panic rush over him. His muscles started to spasm uncontrollably, reaching his neck to free him from a noose. But there was no noose. Helpless, his eyes darted everywhere, trying to look for help. He saw a black-haired boy lying on the ground, the same boy who he had seen hugging the black youngling, the same boy who had shot in the thigh. He saw the boy looking at him with bloodshot eyes.

“Bossman? Bossman, you ok?” his soldiers came running to him.

The mustached soldier felt blood accumulate in his head, the voices becoming more and more distant. Then he felt his blaster rifle being removed from him, the band roughly being pulled over his neck.

He then heard several shots being fired, before being shot in the back of the head himself.

Tem then heard Oni still crying, laying on the floor, holding his knee.

“Bubba! Hey! Oni!!!” Tem said, as he crawled towards Oni. He usually felt a little tired when he used his “powers”, but his time, it was too tiring. This time though, his powers had become too powerful. He felt a wave flow through him, a force ringing from his toes towards his head. He had never been so angry before. But his time…..he just felt like he wasn’t himself.

He finally reached Oni, and extended his arm, trying to reach Oni’s head.

Feeling Tem’s hand touch his hair, Oni also tried to crawl towards Tem.

“It hurts……….”Oni said, sniffling.

“I know Bubba…...everything is going to be alright…….everything’s going to be alight….” Tem said hugging Oni tightly, while wincing due to his own blaster wound.

“Okay all dead! Yevan, take that rifle! Don’t leave anything behind! Hey younglings! Get up! We have to go!”

Tem looked up to see Kyra, maybe 16-17, her blonde hair tied in a firm knot, with a determined look on her face. Kyra was one of the “pleasure girls” who were leased out to the tourists. But now, here she was, so strong that one could die even by looking at her wrong.

“Come on come on……” she said as she picked up Oni in her arms.

“Aaaargh…..” Oni screamed, his knee paining a lot more than before.

“Shhhhhh…...It’s okay little one…….Gara! Come take the other one! Come on come on! Move it! ”

Gara and Kyra made their way inside one of the coups, with Oni and Tem. Hiding in the stable were five more younglings, along with three more teens.

“We have everyone! Come on guys! Ready the fathiers! We have to reach the pad in two hours! AND REMEMBER! WE HAVE TO GO THERE QUIETLY! We have to spend the rest of the night there! Ship’s arriving at dawn! Understood?”

The other teens nodded at Kyra in unison.

“Alright! Mount the fathiers! Rider at the front, younglings at the back! Younglings! Hold on to the person in front of you! We won’t stop if you fall! Okay???”

“Okay????” she said a little louder this time.

“Okay Kyra………” came a response from the younglings.

“Alright…..may the force be with us!”

“Turn the lights off!” yelled Yevan.

It became pitch black, with just the buzzing of the opening doors filling the night, accompanied by the sirens which were going off since the past five minutes.

Tem had closed his eyes, while hugging Yevan in front of him tightly, with Oni doing the same to him. He then felt the fathier move, accompanied by the strong wind blowing at his arms.

The fathier began to race at full speed in the night. However, every time it would land on its feet, Tem’s thigh would send jolts of pain up his body. Oni’s arms wrapped around him served to be the only thing that comforted him a little.

“Right! Right! In the valley!” Kyra screamed.

The fathiers turned right sharply, and descended in the valley.

“Follow the trail for 150 clicks!” Kyra screamed multiple times.

“Understood! Understood!” Yevan replied.

Two hours earlier…….

“Hello??? Anyone there? We are a Cantonican ship with a failed hyperdrive. We were headed for the moons of Lothal, but are stranded in the Cantonican exclusion zone. Please help us!”

“Did it get through?” Theriyo asked.

“Of course it got through!”

There was silence for a few seconds.

“Finally babe…...freedoooooooooom!!!”

Theriyo chuckled.

“Plus we can be as loud as we can be, huh?” Unana said, excitedly.

“Mhm……”

Damn…..Theriyo loved this boy so much!!! You would never find Unana still- always jumping around, giggling like a maniac.

“And we’ll always be together! No hiding from the Masters! No hiding from anyone! True freedom hehe!”

“Mhm…..Especially freedom to do this” Theriyo leaned in and kissed Unana, making his stomach do the usual flips.

After a few seconds,, they both came up for air.

“We’re idiots aren’t we?” Unana laughed.

“Mmmmmhm”

“But I like it when we’re idiots” he whispered and attacked Theriyo’s lips with another deep, wet kiss.

Unana’s hand entered Theriyo’s pants trying to fish for his dick.

Suddenly, there was a buzz on the comms, and the voice of a lady got through.

“Unknown transmitter, this is the JHC Millenium Falcon, please respond!”

Theriyo quickly reached out to the comms-device.

“Unknown transmitter, please respond! This is the JHC Millenium Fal-”

“We were headed for the moons of Lothal, and have been stranded. Please send help!” Unana said timidly.

Both of them had never even gone aboard a ship since the time they were sold off in Cantonica. ‘The moons of Lothal’ was the Republic’s code to identify its operatives working in covert data extraction operations.

“We are a Republican fleet on a routine exercise in Republican airspace, and do not mean any harm to the Republican world of Cantonica” (Translation: State mission status)

“We have successfully powered up the ion engines” (Translation: Mission is a success. Coordinates of Canto Bight’s local garrison retrieved)

“I REPEAT…..we are a Republican fleet on a routine exercise in Republican airspace, and do not mean any harm to the Republican world of Cantonica” (Translation: Encryption still holding. Data safe to be transmitted)

“Unana….transmit the data”

Unana looked at Theriyo nervously, and pressed the screen with a beep, starting transmission. Both held their breaths for a few seconds, while perspiring lightly.

There was no response from the Falcon.

Unana started taking short and rapid breaths. His felt his throat go dry. He looked at Theriyo. Theriyo quickly gave Unana one of his classic, warm hugs.

“I’m scared…..”Unana began to sob.

“Why didn’t they respond?”

“I dunno babe…...must be-”

The comms, which were so silent for long, began buzzing with a loud static noise.

Unana looked at Theriyo, understanding what was happening. The Cantonican Security Forces were jamming their comms.

“Babe….” before Unana could complete his sentence, the comms went back to normal, and the voice of the lady returned, although a lot more panicked than before.

“ABORT ABORT ABORT!!! Your location has been compromised! I repeat, your location has been compromised! Encryption is still holding and the data has been received successfully. Get Fulcrum and your friends to the extraction point immediately! Ship will arrive by dawn. Head in the streets of Sector 33 to evade the forces. Um…...Uhhhh…..Forces 2-3 clicks east from your cassey! Run boys!!! Run!!!”

“I love you Unana” Theriyo said quickly.

“Love you too!” Unana now blinded by his tears, quickly gave his boyfriend a quick peck, and started running for his life.

Both of them quickly made their way in a storeroom, jumping over boxes, ignoring the shards of glass of the window that they had just broken through.

The voices of the speeders and the ships started to become more and more distinct.

“Head west to the river! Forces 1 click away from your cassey!” the voice said.

Never had the boys run so fast in their lives.

The comms started emitting the buzzing sound again. Unana threw the device away quickly and continued following Theriyo.

The boys entered the open street, trying to run quickly through the shadows.

Both could see the bridge lying one click ahead of them.

Suddenly, a Security forces ship arrived at the bridge, and started to hover over it, with its bright lights, blocking the path of the escapees.

“Unana!!! Get in the stable!!!” Theriyo whispered loudly to Unana, who was a few strides behind him.

“No!!! The younglings!!!!”

“GET IN THERE OR U”LL BLOW IT!!!”

“They’ll kill them!!!!”

Suddenly, there was a loud whir of a Security Forces Ship.

“OPEN FIRE!!!!”

The Ship fired a few blaster shots. The shots landing all around Unana and Theriyo, both started running ahead helplessly.

Theriyo could feel death laughing at him.

Oh wait!!! There was a small window at a corner may 10 strides away! Maybe he and Unana could juuuuuuust make it through it to evade fire.

“Stop you scumbags!!!” Theriyo heard from the speeders behind him.

He saw a bright white light illuminating the building in front of him, casting a long shadow of his. The window produced a strong glare, almost blinding Theriyo.

A few deafening shots were heard. Miraculously, he wasn’t shot! The window was maybe 4 strides away! He just had to push a little more!!! He was almost there!!!

However, there was something odd. Unana’s footsteps, which he had always heard around him, for the last five years of his life…...were not there.

“Oh no…..no no no”Theriyo, now deep in panic looked back, turning his head sharply.

There he saw it…..the love of his life, lying on the stone pavement, his face not visible enough by the shadow cast by it.

“Babe……”

The light moved on him, blinding him, unable to see his lover anymore.

Theriyo knew that his life was at its very end. Everything that he knew and loved was going to end. This was it. He quickly reached for the blaster that he had hidden in the back of his tattered shirt. Theriyo suddenly noticed how cold the night was. He felt himself tear up, but stopped it by clenching his jaw as hard as he could.

He squinted his eyes, making Unana’s silhouette come back in his view. He still couldn’t see his lover’s face- the same face that he had seen smile for his entire life. The world seemed to slow down. All the other sounds and noises had drained out.

Theriyo raised his barrel, Unana’s head coming in the ironsight.

“We’ll be free now, my love……….together…..”

He pulled the springy trigger of the blaster. With a loud blast, he saw Unana stop moving, his body going still.

Theriyo now felt cold. What he saw in front of him was a place where he didn’t belong. He had no reason to live anymore. He wanted freedom. And the path to freedom was in his right hand.

He raised the blaster and put it in his mouth, tasting the rusted barrel. He now felt relieved. He was going to be free….with his love…..his days of hiding were over….this was it…… Taking one final breath, he pulled the trigger.