Star Wars: Starkiller

Once we had gone through the base, we reached the door of the residence where two stormtroopers were guarding.

So far, we hadn't had any trouble avoiding them, and even if someone saw me, the uniform helped me blend in. To their eyes, I was just another soldier in their facilities, part of the great machine that was the Empire.

When we arrived at the door, the two guards stopped us.

"Stop! What are you doing here? This area is restricted."

Before I could respond, the controlled trooper took the initiative, as I had previously instructed him. "We were assigned here. It's the guard shift."

The two soldiers exchanged looks, and one of them tilted his head slightly to the side, pointing at his helmet. "Curious... they usually announce it over the comms."

'Damn,' I thought, feeling the façade starting to crumble. My mind worked fast, but time was running out.

The other soldier stepped forward, his tone more demanding. "Who are you? What's your identification number?"

There was no time for subtlety. I stepped forward, raised my hand in a deliberate gesture, and letting the Force flow, I spoke firmly: "You don't need to see my identification."

The soldier in front of me seemed to freeze for a moment before mechanically repeating, "We don't need to see your identification."

His partner, after a brief silence, nodded.

"That's right, we don't need it."

I smiled beneath the helmet, satisfied that the trick had worked. Without giving them time to question further, I added: "It's time for the guard shift. In fact, why don't you take a break? You've earned it."

The two soldiers exchanged looks, and as if something inside them had clicked, they responded in unison.

"We'll take a break." Said the first one.

"We earned it." Confirmed the second.

Without further questions, they both turned on their heels and walked away, leaving the door clear. I watched them disappear down the hallway before turning my attention back to the controlled trooper.

"You'll stay here and watch the door." I ordered.

"I'll stay here and watch the door," the trooper replied obediently.

As I approached the access, I noticed that the entrance was secured with an advanced locking system.

Without wasting time, I placed my lightsaber on the mechanism and activated it. Almost instantly, the metal began to melt, the plates warping with a low screech. With a push, I opened the door, revealing what lay behind.

The room was surprisingly luxurious, an absolute contrast to the cold, functional Imperial design of the rest of the facility. Woods in different shades covered the walls, floor, and ceiling, forming a subtle yet elaborate mosaic. A huge window dominated the opposite wall, offering a panoramic view of the forest that stretched out to the horizon. In the distance, the silhouette of a crane stood out against the blue sky.

However, my attention was not on the décor or the view. In the center of the room, with its back to me, stood a slender figure, draped in a flowing white cloak that moved gracefully. Beside it, a small bluish-white astromech droid emitted a soft beep, but it didn't seem alarmed by my sudden entrance.

The figure didn't move, though I knew it was aware of my presence. An unsettling calm emanated from it, as if everything were under its control.

My mind reeled as I tried to process what I was seeing. There was something familiar in the way the woman was standing, in the elegance of her movements. It's strange... but she looks like...

The image of the brown-haired girl who had appeared in my visions flooded my mind with clarity, filling the gaps with a visceral impact.

A knot formed in my chest as I tried to reconcile the possibility that this figure could be the same one I had seen in those flashes of the future.

Suddenly, the woman spoke, her tone more irritated than worried, as if my presence were more of an inconvenience than a threat.

"I should have known that Sturn would send someone to kill me if I didn't comply. But I didn't think he'd send just a single stormtrooper."

Her disdain disarmed me for a moment, but I quickly responded with firmness, "I don't serve the Empire."

My words seemed to confuse her, but only for a moment. The figure turned on her heels, pulling back her hood in a fluid motion. What I saw left me speechless. She wasn't a woman, as I had assumed, but a girl about my age. Her brown hair was tied into two rolled pigtails that fell gracefully over her shoulders. Her expression, however, was no less severe; her eyes examined me with a mix of skepticism and disdain.

Yes, it's definitely her, I thought, looking at her.

"Who are you?"

The girl crossed her arms and continued speaking with measured coldness.

"Who am I? Isn't it obvious? You should already know. I told Captain Sturn I wouldn't do what he wants and—"

"Should I?"

"I am Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan. Maybe you're not an assassin, but if you're not, then who are you and what do you want?

In response, I removed my helmet, revealing my face. My voice hardened, laden with sincerity.

"I'm here to rescue you."

She blinked, disbelief evident in her eyes. Her mistrust remained, but something in my tone made her hesitate.

"Rescue me? But who are you? I've never heard of you."

I sighed, knowing that the explanation I was about to give would sound absurd.

"It doesn't matter. Look, it's complicated to explain, but I had a... a feeling. A feeling that you'd be in trouble and that I'd need to rescue you. I know it sounds crazy, but right now, I'm your only option to get out of here. Seriously, are you going to waste it?"

The girl remained silent, her eyes locked on mine with an intensity that seemed to pierce through me. I could see the whirlwind of emotions dancing in her gaze: distrust, doubt, and even a spark of curiosity. It was clear she was fighting an internal battle, torn between the possibility of trusting a stranger and the need to protect herself from deception.

The astromech droid beside her emitted a soft beep, as if trying to interrupt the tension filling the room. However, she didn't pay it any mind. Her focus remained unshakable, and when she finally spoke, her voice had an edge, charged with defiance.

"Give me a reason why I should follow you."

For a moment, I hesitated. The right words were crucial at that moment, and any misstep could make the distance between us an insurmountable chasm. I opted for the truth, straightforward and unadorned.

"Your world is in danger." My voice was firm, though laced with a sense of urgency. "I don't know how or why, but I've seen things... things that make me think Alderaan will disappear. And if you choose to stay, I feel like you'll regret it for the rest of your life."

There was a moment of absolute silence after my words, as if time itself had stopped. Her eyes searched my face for any sign of deceit or desperation. But she found neither; only the sincere conviction of someone who truly believed in what they were saying.

Slowly, something in her expression shifted. The spark of determination I had glimpsed earlier resurfaced, this time with greater intensity. Her lips pressed into a thin line, and with a slight nod, she gave her response without needing words. She had decided to trust me, at least enough to take the next step.

I nodded as well, a weight lifting slightly from my shoulders. However, I knew this was only the beginning. Convincing her was a small victory compared to the challenges that still awaited us beyond those doors.

Without saying more, I turned and put my helmet back on. The familiar snap as I adjusted it resonated in my ears, a reminder of the role I had to continue playing to maintain our façade. Together, we walked toward the door, the droid rolling behind us, as if it were a small witness to the strange alliance we had just formed.

"So, where are we going?" she asked as we crossed the threshold, her tone filled with uncertainty but also a growing curiosity.

Instead of answering immediately, I let my mind work. I started mentally retracing the path I had taken to get there, every corner and detail I had memorized from the path the stormtrooper had shown me. Quickly, I formed a plan: an unorthodox escape route, but functional. It would work.

"Climb onto my shoulders," I said firmly, without stopping.

"What?" she replied, her voice filled with disbelief.

"Climb onto my shoulders." I repeated calmly, though without losing my seriousness.

The astromech droid beside her emitted a buzz followed by a series of binary sounds I didn't understand. However, from the almost imperceptible movement of the girl's head, it seemed the message was for her.

"What did it say?" I asked, raising an eyebrow beneath my helmet.

She looked at me with a mix of amusement and distrust. "That I should get on your shoulders."

"Seriously?"

A mischievous flash crossed her face. "No. It actually said you're weird and that it doesn't trust you."

I let out a faint sigh, knowing I couldn't waste more time with verbal games. I looked at her directly, letting the seriousness of my expression break through any barrier. "And you? Do you trust me?"

For a moment, she seemed to struggle internally, her face a battlefield between logic and intuition. Finally, she let out a long sigh, and with some resignation, she agreed. She climbed onto my shoulders, quickly adjusting and making sure to grip my chest firmly to avoid losing her balance.

"Don't think anything weird," she said, her tone defensive, though with a subtle nuance suggesting she might be trying to convince herself as much as me. "I'm only doing this to get out of here."

I felt the tension in her grip, a mixture of discomfort and determination. With her on my shoulders, I adjusted my posture to better distribute her weight. The droid emitted a soft beep, as if commenting on the absurdity of the scene, but I ignored it.

"I wasn't planning on it." I said simply, then leaped over the residence. My movements were quick and precise, jumping from one roof to another while using the Force to propel me. The astromech followed closely, floating effortlessly in the air. Meanwhile, I moved at great speed, pushing myself with the Force, avoiding being seen by utilizing every hiding spot and wall I had discovered when I came earlier, and grabbing as many blind spots as I could.

Once we did that, we managed to exit the base without alerting anyone. I made a great leap and propelled myself to the top of the nearest tree. From there, it was just jumping from branch to branch. We managed to leave the base without triggering any alarms.

Finally, I made a greater jump that took me to the top of the nearest tree. From there, the journey consisted of agile jumps from branch to branch, while she clung to my shoulders tightly. The forest seemed more alive in the dim light, its shadows shielding us from prying eyes.

After a few minutes, we reached the clearing where I had initially gotten off. Gently, she descended from my shoulders, but her movements were clumsy, as if she were dizzy from the journey. Without paying much attention, I activated my communicator to send the pickup signal. That was the signal for Sabine to find me. Soon after, the droid that had fallen behind finally caught up with us. The princess received it with almost affectionate gestures, but her attention quickly turned back to me.

While we waited, I noticed something was troubling her. Her expression betrayed her indecision, as if she wanted to say something but wasn't sure how to express it.

"Speak your mind, Princess." I said calmly while removing my helmet and holding it under my arm.

"How did you know where to go inside the base? I noticed you didn't activate any alarms," she asked, her tone more curious than distrustful.

"When I made the trip in, I memorized every blind spot in the base and used it to create an escape route in my head," I replied without boasting. Her face showed a mix of surprise and admiration.

"That's incredible," she said, genuinely impressed.

I gave a slight nod before seizing the opportunity to return the question. "Now it's my turn. What did that imperial captain want with you?"

Her expression immediately changed, becoming uncomfortable. She took a moment before answering.

"I had gone to Kashyyyk as part of a diplomatic mission to address the issue of Wookiee slavery on the planet. I was supposed to meet with the sector governor, but when I arrived at the residence, Captain Sturn informed me that I wouldn't leave unless I gave up the meeting. I didn't, so he locked me up." When she said that, I felt she wasn't telling me the whole truth, but for now, I played along.

"Life isn't easy in the galaxy, not even for royalty, huh?" I commented, with a hint of irony.

"No, I guess not." She replied simply, her gaze thoughtful.

Silence enveloped us for a moment until she spoke again, her tone more inquisitive.

"I don't understand your reason for rescuing me. You said you had a feeling something would happen to my planet and that I was involved, but... I don't get it."

I took a deep breath before answering. "A vision. I had a vision that showed me a series of images. Most of them were confusing, but some made sense. Among them, I saw you, and I also saw your planet... exploding."

She stared at me, carefully evaluating me.

"Vision? Does that mean you're a Jedi?"

"Not exactly," I answered firmly.

She fell silent again for a moment before asking another question, this time more direct.

"And why do you care?"

"What?"

"Why do you care?" She repeated, this time slower. "I'm not accusing you of anything, but I'm curious about your motivation for helping me. You could have ignored what that vision told you."

I remained silent for a moment, reflecting on how to put into words what I was feeling.

"Maybe I could have ignored it, but it's not that simple. The Force works in mysterious ways. Someone I once met told me that.

When it calls to you, you can't refuse its call. It's strange, but it's almost like an invisible entity subtly manipulates your will. So, I'm not even sure if it was me who decided to help you, or if it was the Force that forced me to do it."

Her face showed a slight concern, probably due to the sincerity of my words. "That sounds terrifying." She murmured.

"Yeah, it is." I replied, offering a small, sad smile.

However, our conversation was interrupted by a blinding light and the loud sound of ship engines. Once the light faded, I was able to see it clearly—it was the Rogue Shadow. We quickly moved out of the way as the ship landed, its ramp descending as a signal for us to board. I headed toward it, followed closely by the princess and the astromech.

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