Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Regency AU)

II

FN-2187, Soldier

As soon as the landing boats had delivered us to the Starkiller, I took off my helmet and mask, panting heavily.

All that death, destruction, at the hands of me and my comrades. And for what? They weren't the Resistance. All my life I'd been trained to fight, but what for? To kill innocent townspeople on remote outposts?

I needed to get out. But how?

"FN-2187, why did you remove your mask?" Phasma asked. I turned

"I'm sorry, captain, I'll put it back on."

"Why weren't you shooting?" she asked as I tied the ribbons behind my head and affixed my hat to my head.

"My gun jammed," I replied, thinking fast.

"Submit it for repairs," she said, turning and walking away.

I watched as she left, wishing more than anything to prove what I'd just said as wrong by emptying the musket into her back.

But I wanted to leave, not die.

So I quelled my anger and stalked off towards the blacksmith.

He checked it over, and proclaimed that it had been a temporary jam, common with the guns.

I took it back with a clipped "thank you."

Kylo Ren was going to be interrogating that Resistance pirate soon, perhaps if he stood guard nearby, he could take the prisoner and they could escape.

He needed help with those landing boats.

The Starkiller was a massive ship, an island of wood and metal and canvas. It had a cannon that could fire a cannonball large enough to destroy multiple islands. To walk from the poop deck to the bow, it would take a half day, if the deck was clear. The decks usually held troops and transports.

I made my way as quickly as I could to the cells, belowdecks.

I was there just in time.  I stood beside the door, musket at the ready position as Kylo Ren swept down the corridor, followed by Phasma and Hux.

The soldier on the other side of the door and I nodded in an informal salute and the other unlocked the door.

The heavy oak door slammed behind him.

The unmasked General Hux and the masked Captain Phasma discussed something I couldn't hear in hushed tones.

It was chilly below decks, but the general in his dark greatcoat clearly didn't mind. I snapped my attention back to the wall in front of me when he glanced over.

Someone, probably Poe Dameron, cried out in pain, and muttered something I couldn't hear.

I didn't have to wonder long. Kylo Ren emerged a minute later. "It's with his cat on Jakku."

I waited until all of the others left, pretending to be adjusting my musket until even the other trooper was gone.

Then I unlocked the door and slipped inside.