An average boy lives with his happy family under the Empire's control, until one fateful day where a Rebel Terrorist changes his entire outlook on life. He's then motivated to get back at the Rebels, and joins the ranks of the Imperial Army.
Peak Ra...
Zur: "After dinner tonight, we're gonna go since it's in the middle of town where we'll already be. Get excited, I've had to use all of my favors at the factory to get you this."
He has this sparkle in his eye that only appears when he gets excited. Usually it's about food, but right now the sparkle was there just to show his excitement to get this for me.
Zur: "It'll be awesome." He managed to say with a grin.
Dinner flew by as anticipation ate at me. THE IMPERIAL FACTORY! I learned that the entire family knew before me about this tour as dinner went on and nobody else was surprised, though still supportive. After Father's birthday activities, which included Mom finally caving and saying we could get a Loth-Cat, we all began to walk towards the factory. It was closing time for most of the workers as they cross paths with us as we were walking over the bridge, towards the facility.
Tall, spherical, and intimidating are the only words to describe the fortress that the Empire uses as a base here in Tothal. Standing out from our typical white architecture, the dark grey building holds so much potential. The lure increases with each step I take to get closer.
Sprinting through the oncoming traffic of workers, I reached the building and turned back towards my family.
A sight engraved into my head.
My family, smiling, laughing, loving each other as Imperial Factory Workers passed them. Their laughs at how excited I was for something so simple. Father cracking up at a joke said by Zur. The light fading away over the rooftops in the distance, while still making the ground warm. The clouds not to be found. The bridge connecting Tothal and the factory lifting them up from the golden reflection of the river that ran a long way below. No photographer could have possibly taken a better picture of my family.
It took less than a second for that special moment to end.
BOOM!
A sound louder than no other overwhelmed me. My stocky build thrown backwards, crashing into the building. I rapidly open my eyes, and quickly have to close them and reopen them in a squint. A flame engulfed the bridge where my family once stood. Chunks of it were missing. I shoot up, my head ringing.
Raz: "DAD! ZUR! MOM!"
Frantically, I looked through the smoke to see if they were there. What I saw were bodies, laying on the ground.
Unmoving and still, hundreds, maybe even thousands of bodies layed across the remnants of the bridge.
Raz: "DAD! ZUR! MOM! ARE YOU THERE? CAN YOU HEAR ME?" The tears began as I continued. "IS ANYONE THERE?" The smoke began to thicken.
A sound broke through the smoke.
???: "LONG LIVE THE REBELLION! RESIST THE EMPIRE! FIGHT FOR FREEDOM! LONG LIVE THE REBELLION!"
The voice had come from afar, breaking through with a megaphone.
In that moment, clarity of the moment struck me, not even a minute after the explosion.
The Rebels had attacked and bombed our bridge. The same bridge my family was on. The same bridge that so many good people were on. The same bridge that so many people from Lothal were on. The same bridge that even I was just on.
My family.
They're all gone.
Dead.
Tothal began to respond on the far side of the kilometer long bridge. The town raced to put out the fire and find survivors.
There was one fire that they couldn't put out. Inside of me a hatred burned. A hatred was ignited. Rebels had killed my entire family, leaving me with nothing. The Rebels had orphaned me. The Rebels had taken my two role models in Father and Zur.
I waited, sitting on the dirt, traumatized by what had just occurred, just waiting for Tothal to come pick me up from the far side.
All the while emotions ran through me.
Anger at the Rebels for killing thousands of innocent lives, including my family.
Guilt at myself for having left my family to die without me.
Confusion as to how this could have possibly happened with the Empire keeping us safe.
I was there the entire night.
- - -
As the shuttles came in the morning to pick up those of us stranded at the facility, a bright glimpse of red caught my eye. Not twenty meters to my left was a poster. For the first time in hours, I lifted myself up. Walking over to the red poster, which is torn in some places and had a light coat of dust from the debris, I could make it out.
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An advertisement for the Empire. At a time like this? How could the Empire possibly help me at a time like this? They promised peace and now my family is dead.
But the anger inside of me began to speak to my brain.
Wouldn't I like to get back at the dirty Rebels? Wouldn't I like to fulfill my father's wish and leave Lothal for something greater? Wouldn't I like to prevent further tragedies like this from happening?
Why can't I help others like Zur? Why can't I become a part of the Imperial Army? Why can't I defend MY EMPIRE? They have protected me all my life.
I have nothing here anymore. No parents to make me farm after school. No lover I'm obliged to take care of. No family to spend time with. No friends that will take me in. Nothing.
The bridge in front of me still burned. Even hours later, the smoke still rose. The bridge on Tothal had parts missing. My bridge to my past life has been completely burnt. There is no more old me.
The shuttles arrived, but I am no longer eager to get back to Tothal, I am ready to enlist.
The Rebel's words echoed through my head. "LONG LIVE THE REBELLION! RESIST THE EMPIRE! FIGHT FOR FREEDOM! LONG LIVE THE REBELLION!"
Oh how wrong he was.
Long live the Empire. Resist the Rebellion. Fight for freedom. Long live the Empire.
