Mistaken Identity || Star Wars Fanfic

The Truth

Alto Stratus and his men marched relentlessly toward the capital. The droids, being machines, kept pace effortlessly, but the Nimbus Commandos struggled, their human bodies worn down by the grueling pace. Alto, driven by rage, had pushed them too hard, forgetting that they were flesh and blood, not machines. Many of them had collapsed along the way, their bodies unable to keep up with the punishing march. Alto's mind was clouded with anger, blinding him to the reality of his men's suffering.

When they finally reached the city, there were no outward defenses, no signs of life. Cautiously, they entered the city. Alto, his judgment clouded by rage, failed to send scouts ahead to assess the situation. His usual methodical approach was forgotten as he stormed into the city with his troops. As they moved through the streets, Alto's frustration grew. The city was eerily quiet, devoid of any signs of the Republic forces or the civilians he had expected to find. The streets were empty, the buildings silent. It was as if the city had been abandoned.

"WHERE ARE YOU!?" Alto screamed, smashing his fist into a wall in frustration. The stone cracked under the force of his blow, but the act did little to calm his fury. He took a moment to compose himself, breathing deeply "Fan out! Search the city! FIND THEM!" He instructed.

As his troops fanned out, Alto noticed something strange—a faint beeping sound, barely audible over the silence. The others didn't seem to hear it, but Alto's augmentations heightened his senses, allowing him to pick up the sound. Frowning, he followed the noise, weaving through the deserted streets and jumping over obstacles. The beeping grew louder as he neared the ruins of what appeared to be the communication tower. Inside, the bottom floor was still intact, and a portable comms unit had been set up, on it was a flashing light indicating a message was waiting. But that wasn't the source of the beeping. Alto's eyes scanned the room, his focus shifting to the floor where the beeping was coming from. Ignoring it for the moment, he pressed the flashing button on the comms unit, activating the holoprojector.

Jaden's image flickered to life in front of him. For a moment, the room was silent, the tension palpable as Alto stared at the image of the man who had been a thorn in his side.

Finally, the message began to play. "I hope you're watching this, Alto... I recorded this for you. Not even any of my men know I made this." Jaden's voice was calm, but there was an undercurrent of anger in his words.

"I hate you..." Jaden continued, his voice growing more intense. "I hate you more than I've ever hated anyone. After what you did in Choal, I promised myself I would kill you. I wanted to choke the life out of you with my bare hands, to see the light die from your eyes. But in the end, I had to choose between getting that satisfaction or winning."

Alto's grip on the comms unit tightened, his rage simmering just below the surface as he listened.

"You're probably trying to look for me and my men, but you won't find us. We aren't here. No one is. The city is empty. If all has gone to plan, then I've crushed the forces you sent to attack Cobalt Station. You must be wondering why I sent you here, apart from the obvious reason of splitting your forces."

Jaden's voice took on a mocking tone. "If you'd been paying attention, you'd have noticed that for weeks I've been raiding supply lines, bases—taking everything. But I needed something in particular. You can probably hear the beeping now."

The beeping snapped Alto out of his growing rage, bringing his attention back to the sound that had been nagging at him. It was coming from the floor. He ripped the panel off, revealing a bomb hidden beneath.

"One of my greatest regrets in life is that I won't be able to see you die... but this will have to make do."

"Goodbye Alto Stratus." Jaden's image flickered out, leaving the room in silence once more.