Prologue
Darth Vader paced from one end of the hall to the next.
“That slip of a girl thinks she could hoodwink me?!” His voice came like a slap on the face as he spoke through gritted teeth. “What does she really think of herself? She is a mere toddler. I could squash her like a mere bug. The Resistance must be in a pitiful state that they had to resort to such a crappy spy.”
His voice was full of condescension and hate.
“I didn’t believe it, either.” Kylo laughed his cold harsh laugh. “She really thinks she can change the world. That stupid over-righteous git.”
The Dark Lord’s voice was quiet but deadly as he spoke next.
“I will have some surprises ready for her. Round up all the four leaders. Alpha, Beta, Gamma. She will not know what hit her.”
Dear Stranger,
I may not be the best or the strongest or even the average warrior but what Darth Vader doesn’t know is that I am not a quitter. I have promised to do my best to protect the Resistance or die trying.
But I am not scared to admit that I am scared. In a desperate attempt to prove my identity and save the Resistance from utter defeat, I had promised Xenos that I would lead the fight against the Dark Lord’s troops as they stormed Zone V to convert people to Inhumans in order to weaponize them. And now was the time to put words to action as I appeal to my erstwhile team at the Death Star to join me in the Resistance.
As I strapped on my weapons, one in the garter over my left thigh, another within the folds of my coat, I decided that this was the ultimate test of my leadership. I had placed all my trust in their loyalty to me. How do I convert the existing storm troopers and bring them into the resistance?
My only weapon was the fact that I knew the game Kylo was playing. He had used his legacy of Han Solo and Princess Leia to infiltrate the Resistance. But then I had managed to infiltrate the Death Star too. Ironically, Kylo and I were in the same spot. Today’s battle would decide who would win the game. I just had to fight my best.
To be honest, I didn’t expect too much. I know I am probably going to end up badly injured, if not dead. Of course, I couldn’t go back to the Headquarters since the traitorous Kylo would have informed on me to the Dark Lord. By now, every corner of the HQ would be aware of my treachery. There must be an exorbitant reward on my head. But do I care?
Not a whit.
“Are you ready?” Xenos asked me apprehensively.
‘As ready as I could be,’ I wanted to say. Instead, I exclaimed with made-up enthusiasm, “I was born-ready.”
“Yeah, right.” His sarcasm was apparent as he put a tracking device inside my left sleeve. I could feel his hand linger on my shoulder a second longer than it should have. Despite myself, I blushed. That dratted Martian.
“Where is your spy?” I asked him, referring to Kylo.
“He has gone to set up the last few things at the headquarters. He said he will be back in an hour.” I caught him staring at me as I finished lacing my boots.
“What?” I asked, a little roughly.
“You know, I still don’t trust you.” His expression was inscrutable.
I waited barely a second before I spoke my mind.
“You know, I really don’t care.”
I swear I could feel him smile at my back as I slammed the door on him.
*
I had a lot to do. It was a literal situation of do-or-die today. The East Gate would be flanked by Resistance troops disguised as plainclothespeople. They were supposed to take out the stormtroopers as they see them entering the gate. Kylo had informed them of the identification marks as well as the weapons they would be carrying on their person. Xenos didn’t seem to be the kind of person who would easily get duped, so Kylo must surely be divulging some information about the project and the troops. But as I said before, he had decided to give up Zone V, my zone as collateral. While the Resistance troops take out the stormtroopers and think they are winning, suddenly the tides would turn as more and more would uncover themselves and Kylo would send in more troops to finish off the Mars and Venus contingents and finally take Xenos as prisoner, thus quashing the rebellion.
Or so I thought.
I had planned to convert my team right away before the battle even begins. I had contacted Troop YNS the night before, trusting him enough to bring in all those from my team who were loyal only to me. I was sort of relieved when YNS didn’t hesitate. It was like he had known all along. And now, I could see him, well-kitted, ready for an assignment as always.
“My Lady!” he looked delighted and concerned at the same time. “You look…a bit offcolor.”
“Do I, now?”
“I hope you are okay and no one hurt you?” ET, one of my other troops asked.
ET. WU. DI. FT. MN. TI.
All of them had responded to my call and brought in others as well. I didn’t know there was so much disaffection in the Death Star. I suddenly felt a rush of adrenaline; like my efforts had been successful. All that I had done up till now had paid off. Even if my boss (a la the Dark Lord) did not have any respect for my work, my team did.
“I am safe, guys. All we need to do is make sure the planet is safe, too. I will be asking something vital of you all. This is a neutral space. I don’t expect you all to join me but I hope that you will.”
I took a deep breath.
“The world is going to be a dark place soon. With the Dark Lord taking over, starting with the Inhuman Project today in Zone V, I have taken a stand.” I paused to see the effect before I mentioned the critical word.
“For the Resistance.”
Their faces were unreadable as I waited to see the aftereffects of my words. “I have joined the Resistance and today, I am going to fight the Stormtroopers sent by the Dark Lord. I wanted to ask you all to join me in the attempt. Those who believe in the cause can stay while others can go back to their lives as they were. All I ask of you is to remain neutral for these 30 minutes. Post that, we can be either allies or foes.”
No one moved. For a second, I thought it was all in vain. There were fifteen troops in total. What if none of them says a word or joins me? What if they attack me?
The moment that fear started seeping in, I saw the troops come forward one by one and something cooled down within me. I could do it. We were not going to be cowed down. Long live the Resistance.
“I hope you know that this means we defy the Dark Lord and once you pull in your lot with me, you go against Darth Vader and thence, invite his wrath.”
“When have we invited his good humor?” One of my erstwhile team members piped up.
“Atta boy.” I grinned. He had hit the nail on its head.
“We have never been wilfully in the service of the Dark Lord, My Lady.” Troop DI chimed in. “However, we chose you as our leader.”
“And we will stand by the choice that our leader has made because unlike the choices thrust upon us, this one is ours.” WU declared. “We trust you.”
I think I might start getting teary if I listen to any more of my stormtroopers. These people are my backbone. And this sudden glut of love and trust is just so terrifying. I suddenly feel highly responsible for my team. This time, I will not let them down. This time, I will bring down the Dark Lord. Or die in the attempt.
*
The gates were well-flanked by the Resistance fighters just as Xenos had planned. I directed some of my troops to double up as their guards and took the most trusted ones with me.
“DI, WU, YNS, you will follow me through the main gate. We will storm the primary bastion where the project is about to start. I am expecting some of Kylo’s troops.”
“Aye aye captain.”
The enemy troops were ready and advancing on us and no prizes for guessing who was leading the stormtroopers.
LTA, who was the first to defect from my team to Kylo’s, was barking orders left, right and centre as if he fit naturally in the role. The role of a rising despot.
“I will crush him, My Lady.” YNS whispered at my side, his teeth clenched.
“Well, what are we waiting for?” I bellowed. “ATTACK!!!”
My men pounced in from all quarters on the stormtroopers even as I finished speaking. Apparently, the Dark Lord’s troops were well-aware of the surprise attack we were planning. Had I not mobilized my own supporters as an additional army, the Resistance would have been routed by now.
My mask was up and the rest of my team had followed suit. The immobilizing gas had been released and two of the Resistance peeps who were trying to take down the stormtroopers from the entrance 2 choked even as I warned everyone. I had my light saber in front of me, my feet were shaking just a little as I wondered if my reflexes would be fast enough to keep the stormtroopers away. I tried not to see one of my men being cut down mercilessly as I parried attack after attack, my mind set on the martial moves- punch, sweep, strike, switch stance and repeat. I told myself to keep moving forward. I had to get to the weapons crate anyhow. This was how they planned to kickstart the Inhuman project. I was aghast to see that the ones guarding the crate carried blasters. Kylo had really planned this well.
The battle continued for hours even as I tried to find a way out.
“Had it not been for you, Gina, the Resistance would have been annihilated by now.” I heard, before I saw, Alpha’s deep booming voice addressing me as if we were in one of those meeting rooms of ours, discussing the day-end tallies.
“Wow, you too?” I tried to avoid getting into a duel with him as I hit one of his troops so hard he keeled over backwards setting one of the crates on fire.
“Beta and Gamma are out there at the west gate.”
“I see,” I panted. The Dark Lord had spared no efforts. He had gone all out.
I could see some troops at the nearby entrance gates falling and not getting up. The storm troopers were getting an upper hand. I tried to keep myself focused as Alpha passed me with a light, almost friendly jab, at my back, which I barely managed to avoid.
My stamina was not at its best. We had been sparring for hours now. “It’s do or die, isn’t it?” I panted.
“You chose your fate, Gina.” Alpha smoothly deflected a hit from a Resistance fighter. He was a pro. I didn’t want to face him at my worst. “The question is why.” I swiftly chanced a look at his face and found it expressionless. Impassive.
“You know why, Alpha.” I wanted to clarify myself before I ran out of breath. “You and I, and even Kylo, though I doubt he knows or cares, for that matter, are all cogs in the bigger wheel of the war. Darth Vader has never cared. He has an unnatural ambition to occupy this planet and turn it into a death star of sorts.”
“So, you really were a Resistance spy, huh?” He looked faintly amused, though, I, for the life of me, couldn’t fathom why.
“I am.” I shrugged, plunging my lightsaber into a stormtrooper who was trying to charge at me from behind.
*
The fate of the battle would be decided soon. If we couldn’t get all the weapons in one place by the next hour, there was a slim chance for the Resistance to get out of here unscathed. Even with my booster army, we didn’t have much of an advantage since Kylo had ensured that Alpha, Beta and Gamma joined in with their own forces and of course, Kylo himself had deployed his troops. We had to react fast. We were outnumbered. We had begun with the element of surprise but that had run out sooner than I had expected.
“Team!” I cried into the looming darkness. “We need to regroup. This is not working. There are still three points of entry which we haven’t covered. The weapons crates at these three points are our next targets.”
“Beta, Gamma and Kylo Ren are here.” YNS said quietly.
Aww man. I am so dead. Darth Vader had sent in everybody. Xenos, why don’t we have more people??
But I had no way to contact him. Now there was only one way left.
“YNS, you take WU and FT and handle Beta at entry point 7.”
“Yes, M’Lady.” YNS nodded and left hastily.
“DI, MN and TI- you three have to strike at Gamma. He is an old one. Be wary.”
“Sure, m’lady.”
“And ET, you accompany me.”
“Where are we headed, my lady?”
“To kill Kylo Ren.”
*
My jaw was set; I could feel my muscles tensing in anticipation and a visceral anger that had been gnawing at me since a very long time, rising uninhibited. Finally, it was here. The day of reckoning. I had promised to give it back to him. And here he was. Right in front of me.
“Aah, here you are, Regent Gina One,” scoffed Kylo effing Ren.
“Have you come to die, Kylo?” I couldn’t help sneering. I wanted to kill him with my bare hands if I could.
“You are a riot, Gina, a fucking riot,” he guffawed and without warning struck at me.
But I was ready this time. Born ready to slay that son of a b**ch.
Our light sabers struck each other and it was as if lightning had made its presence felt between us. I couldn’t see a single thing save for his gloating face. I wanted to smash it to smithereens. I tried to find a gap in his defence but grudgingly realized he was quite good. Of course, he was. He had spent all his life fighting and killing, the Inhuman that he was.
“Aaaah!!!! M’Ladyyyy!!” The scream made me stop short as I recognized ET’s timbre. A glance to the left told me that I wouldn’t be able to do anything for him. I slashed across Kylo’s chest and he took a wary step back. In that moment, I looked to my far right and found YNS retreating, blood all over his uniform. I could hear DI’s moans somewhere nearby. Shouts and screeches rent the air and I must say I panicked. I knew we were outnumbered but there had been a slight hope in me that we might just win. A hope which was extinguishing faster than our saber strokes.
The strength in my arms was failing, I could feel my lightsaber doing its utmost to keep me from being killed. Kylo looked tireless, mostly bolstered by the fact that the Dark side was winning. I couldn’t let him win. Not like this. I had to take a rational decision. I had to ensure that the Resistance lived to fight another day. Much as I hated to admit it, I realized we must retreat. There was no other way out.
“Time to admit defeat, little girl?” Kylo snickered, but he was panting by now. I could hear his body loosening, the chinks in his defense showing. How I wish I could stand stronger for a few more minutes. I must take him down with me.
“Never.” I muttered defiantly and jabbed at his heart with all my remaining strength, missing him narrowly as he ducked, nonplussed.
I must give the order, I decided. As Kylo turned to retaliate, I cried with all my nerve and sinew, “Retreat, team!! Go back!!”
He had knocked the saber out of my hands and now, I was defenceless. Well, so it is. This is how it ends, then.
I could almost feel his fetid breath on my neck as he made to strike through my heart.
“LEAVE HER ALONE.”
I would recognize that accented voice anywhere. In the whole wide universe.
“LEAVE HER, YOU TRAITOROUS DOUBLE-CROSSING BASTARD.”
His voice was sugar and honey, and his blood-red eyes were the most beautiful eyes I had ever locked mine on.
Xenos.
Dying star! Xenos was here.
It was like a fresh burst of energy had found its way to my bloodstream.
I closed my eyes briefly before attacking one of the stormtroopers who had snuck in from behind, trying to strike Xenos as he dueled with Kylo.
“Aaahhh!!!” I screamed as I felt a saber slash through my calf. I turned and found Alpha putting a saber through the trooper who had missed my head, thanks to Alpha’s quick reflex.
“Come on, breathe.” Alpha picked me up as easily as if I was a ragdoll.
“You—how—Xenos?”
“No, I didn’t meet your Xenos. But I had an inkling of what the sly fox Kylo Ren was up to. I can’t offer my services to that dratted Vader who doesn’t value loyalty. I have been looking for an outlet for quite long. When I heard about you, I felt ashamed for not doing enough. Anyway, stay alive. We will win this one.”
*
“Is she okay?” Xenos’ face swam before my eyes as I floated in and out of consciousness.
“Where is Kylo?” I stuttered with much difficulty.
“Dead.” Xenos stanched my bleeding leg with a curiously red cloth he whipped out of his backpack. “I should have killed him ages ago.”
“I wanted to!!” I protested feebly.
“You have done enough. Come on.”
His hand brushed lightly across my cheek and I almost swooned once more.
His voice was softer than I had ever heard it, “Thanks to you, the Resistance has grown. My apologies for betting on the wrong person.”
I think I wanted to say ‘it’s okay’ or maybe smile, but I don’t think I had the energy.
Xenos and Alpha were the last faces I saw before I blacked out.
Glad to be alive,
The Rogue Stormtrooper
*
Epilogue
“Where is Kylo Ren?!” Darth Vader couldn’t conceal his anger despite his elaborate mask.
LTA was bleeding as he ran to give him the bad news.
“Kylo is dead, My Lord. The Martian killed him.”
The Dark Lord shook his head. “It was not the Martian. It was that chit I underestimated.”
His voice was venom as he pronounced the name.
“Regent Gina One. The Rogue Stormtrooper.
I will come for you. Soon.”
***
