I walked though the long halls of the First Order command ship as I've done so many times during my life in the First Order. I'm just that unimportant pawn that the First Order calls a stormtrooper. Our faces covered a metal masks. Our names replaced by code of numbers and letters, so they can feel less guilt we they send us out to die or kill for them. And our lives given freely for whatever cause. Yeah the life of a stormtrooper is a hard one with little pleasantries, but it is my life, my family of brothers and sisters in arms, so I don't complain I just obey. Like ever other trooper here.
I pull myself from my wandering thoughts as I reach the communication room and walk inside. It's one of the rooms I check daily. My blaster sitting close to my hip as it usually did, ready to shoot to kill if necessary. I began to check the first section of the large room when a voice broke me from my consintraision. It was a some what familiar British accent "The attack will be at 6 point 5 radios." My eyes though hid under my helmet narrowed. I couldn't remember who the voice belonged to but I knew they were a part of the First Order, which meant they were giving away First Order intel. There was a mole in the First Order.
Rage tore though me even though the First Order had stole me from my family, forced me to fight their war for them, gave me a fake name whipping away the rest of my true heritage with it, they were the only family I'd ever known and I be damned if I let some traitor stab them in the back like this.
Without hesitation came around the corner blaster raised ready to kill the traitor that dared to hurt my family. But to my great dismay I found that it was Armitage, or General Hux as most in the First Order knew him as. We had grown up together, me and him. I'd known him since before he was anything to the First Order. When we were both nothing but scared little kids. His sea foam green eyes stared into the black slits of my helmet. Horror painted clearly across his face.
"Why?" I asked, it was the only word I could manage to say.
He let out a breath realizing it was the kid he'd known for so long. "The First Order is not what it used to be," he answered.
I let my blaster fall back to my hip. He was right, it wasn't. It had never been the side I would have chosen if I had a choice but why was Armitage giving it up, he was a General, the best there was actually. All of the stormtroopers respected him, he was an important member of the First Order. Not like me, he wasn't a pawn. Was he?
Telling that I wasn't convinced he continued. "Ren, the Alliance General, Palpatine. They are all corrupting the First Order, making it something it should not be. I can't let that happen...B"
B? he remembered. He'd aways called me B when we were young instead of BR-1008 the name the First Order had given me. Armitage never had a code for a name because he was born into this life, his real name and his blood belonged to the First Order in a way. His father had never really acted like he loved him, he'd treat him like he was never good enough. I'd never had a father or at least I'd never met him, but knowing that your father didn't care about you that he didn't love you... that's way worse.
I stared at him for a while thinking what I'd do in his place. It didn't take me long to come to the conclusion that I would have done the same thing as he did. I nodded slowly. "No I guess you can't General," I said as I smiled under my helmet. Then turned to leave before stopping and turning to look back at him. "Oh and General...good luck,"
He stared for a moment then nodded. The slightest smile gazing his lips. It was genuine and not full of malice, like the fake smiles he had bourn in the last few years to hide the pain of his childhood.
Turning around I made my way out of the communication room, walking back down the empty hallway. It had been a long time since I'd last seen Armitage he wasn't the cruel man everyone made him out to be. No. He wasn't just General Hux the ruthless man who'd killed his own father. No. He was just that scared little kid I'd met so long ago when I was young and it was uplifting to know that, the kid fought back, Armitage was not gone not yet he'd turned out to be a better man then anyone in the First Order had dreamed.
For once things were looking up in my life. This war might not last forever after all. Maybe there was hope for this galaxy yet. If only those who led it would not let their past define them.
