Star Wars: Duel of the Fates

Chapter 4

The captain was stood at the far corner of the evacuation point as rows of soaked children swiftly walked out of the base.

They entered into a large quad outside the perimeter: the high wall surrounding the base stood behind them and a tall energy field on the other three sides. Through its pale blue light, you could see the thick jungle beyond: enormous lush trees and shrubs, their deep green leaves perforated with holes.

"In your designated areas!" the captain shouted, causing the children to scatter into their colour coded grids, "In lines!"

The beaten dirt was divided into sections where the children sorted themselves, their uniforms identifying ages: simple dark grey jumpsuits for those under six years old; red for six to eight; orange for nine to twelve; and those between thirteen and sixteen wore stormtrooper uniforms with blue arm guards. Each group was in neat rows, a squad leader parading up and down and ensuring total silence.

A sergeant approached the captain.

"What triggered the alarm?" he snapped.

"Unclear, sir," the sergeant replied, "The communication grid appears to be down. We've managed to get a reading from the control room and there appears to have been a fire detected."

"The control room has shielding thicker than these outer walls. Why haven't they just contained it there?" he said, holding his hand out, "Someone get me a comlink."

It was quickly passed to him.

The ground shook beneath them, everyone looking around in confusion until the sound of a distant explosion made all eyes focus on the captain.

"Control room," he said into it, "Control room, can you hear me?"

A pause.

"Sir!" someone called, "Troop transports!"

He spun on his heels to find ten transports landing in the clear space to their right.

The captain slammed the comlink back into the hand of the trooper who gave it to him. He marched over to the nearest transport, stiffening when he saw a bearded colonel who looked remarkably like Snap Wexley angrily descending the ramp.

"Sir," the captain said, "may I ask why you're here?"

"Your major sent for us," the colonel said haughtily.

"Our major?"

"We were passing through the system when we received a communication that there was a series of detonations on your base and that an immediate evacuation was needed. Is that not the case?"

"We," the captain paused to clear his throat, "appear to be having problems communicating with our control room."

"So this maybe a fool's errand?"

"It's unclear, sir."

The colonel paced back and forth, barely containing his cold rage, "Load them onto the transports."

"Sir?"

"Rest assured, major, if we have been sent here needlessly there will be...severe consequences, but the possibility of damages to our assets outweighs that right now. Better we remove them to the facility on the other side of this continent, and return them when we can be sure that there isn't extensive damage."

"Sir," he said before turning, "Get them onto the transports."

The colonel shifted his jaw and shook his head.

"You will struggle to fit them on only ten transports," the captain muttered.

"They're smaller than the troopers they were designed for," he said, "I think we can manage a few hundred children."

"And my own troops?"

"We'll unload the assets and send the transports back for you," he said before frowning and approaching the entrance back into the base.

Two stormtroopers wearing blue arm guards were just passing through, a levitating black box behind them.

"What took you so long to conform with alarm procedures?" the colonel challenged.

"We found this box unattended in a corridor, sir," one of them said.

He jabbed him in the shoulder, "Follow orders and emergency protocols above all else. Am I understood?"

"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir."

"Now, get onto a transport."

"And the box, sir?"

"Bring it too!" he said storming back as the last of the children were hustled in and the doors were closed.

"Once you have assessed the situation, contact me immediately," the colonel said to the captain as he rapidly climbed the ramp.

"Sir."

The ramp lifted upwards and sealed the transports.