Inspired by "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (2008) and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II (2010)
Tommy Oliver:
I raise my head when I hear the sound of footsteps echoing in the narrow, metal hallway. Seeing the Jedi, Starkiller, still wearing his grey and black armor, with his two lightsabers on his holsters, the other guard and I saulte him. Starkiller stops walking and nods at us.
"Let me through," Starkiller says.
"I'm afraid not," I answer.
Starkiller looks at me. The other guard steps back when he does.
"Apologies, Jedi, but General Rahm Kota's order. He does not want you to see the prisoner."
Starkiller looks at me, and I look back at him. As we both stare at each other, I begin to sense something, something stirring inside of Starkiller. It feels like a storm is brewing within his head. I sense bitter emotion, so bitter that my tongue is going numb, but also a strange sweetness, like smelling a salty ocean breeze.
"Let me through," Starkiller repeats.
"Ahh."
Stepping back and shaking my head, I look to the other guard, but he is looking away. Rolling my eyes, I look back at the Jedi.
"Fine," I say, "But if General Rahm Kota asked, tell him I put up more of a fight."
Using my card, I tap the screen and enter my passcode. The steel metal door slides open, and a large steam cloud shoots out. Starkiller enters the room. I turn to the other guard.
"If Kota asked, I'm going to tell him you didn't even put up a fight. Just stand guard for now."
"Are you really going in there?" My fellow guard asks.
"Yeah. See you."
Checking my blaster rifle and my belt of grenades, I follow Starkiller into the room with the prisoner.
Walking into the small, circular room where the only light comes from the ceiling, I walk through a smoke screen and see the two of them directly in the center. Starkiller is facing our prisoner, still trapped to a table, with unbreakable steel bars holding him down.
"Vader," Starkiller whispers.
Darth Vader slowly raises his eyes and looks at Starkiller.
"Apprentice," Darth Vader answers between large breaths.
"Do not call me that," Starkiller says. "I am not your apprentice anymore."
Darth Vader doesn't say anything back. He only gasps, the sound of his pitch-black suit breathing for him echoing in the cramped room.
"I only came to give you this last bit of mercy. Tell the Republic everything you know about the Empire, and be granted a quick execution. Instead of just being trapped in here."
Again, Dark Vader doesn't say anything. He only stares at Starkiller. I wait for either of them to make a move, but Starkill and Vader act like statues, only standing and staring at each other. Hearing a beeping, I look down and see the radio on my wrist beeping.
"This is Prisoner Guard 2005," I answer after pushing the button.
"All guards report to the meeting room immediately," the commander orders. "We have incoming ships. Possible hostile."
"Understood."
I run up to Starkiller and grab his shoulder.
"Jedi. We're needed in the meeting room. Let's go."
Starkiller turns around from Darth Vader. He starts running toward the exit, and I follow him.
"Wait," Vader says, his voice stopping Starkiller and me in our tracks. We both turn around and look at the Sith lord. As Starkiller walks past me, I lean in and whisper.
"Did Darth Vader just say 'wait'?"
Walking back up, Starkiller looks back at Darth Vader.
"What is it?" He asks.
"Not you, my former apprentice. The guard."
Vader turns his head and looks at me. Starkiller turns around and looks at me.
What?" I ask. "What do you want with me?"
"You seemed... familiar," Vader answers. "Why is that?"
"What," I repeat, shrugging my shoulders. I look down at my uniform and see nothing special but the standard rebel black and blue. Adjusting my helmet, I look back at the Sith. "I think you got the wrong person, Vader."
"No," Vader shouts. Hearing Vader raise his voice, Starkiller and I look at each other before turning back to the prisoner.
"Your presence feels...familiar," Vader goes on. "It is a presence I have not seen in a long time. What is your name?"
"My name is Tommy Oliver," I answer bluntly. "Rebel Guard 2008, and we're late."
I grab Starkiller's shoulder and nudge my head.
"Come on. We might have trouble incoming."
Starkiller and I turn to leave the room, but as the door slides open, Darth Vader yells again.
"Tommy Oliver. That is not your only name, is it?"
My blood turns to ice, and I freeze.
"No way," I think. "He figured it out. He remembers."
I turn to Starkiller.
"Please go ahead of me, Jedi."
Starkiller looks at me before looking at Vader.
"Okay," he says after a few seconds. Leaving and waiting until the door fully closes, I turn to Vader.
"The Battle of Christophsis," I start. "Teth Fortress Assault. The Battle of Bothawui. Do any of these sound familiar?"
Despite his helmet, I can see Vader's eyes widen in shock. He raises his head and looks at me.
"The Battle of Maridun. The First and Second Battle of Geonosis. Our duel against Count Dooku on Scipio!"
Beginning to sense a feeling of uneasiness stirring inside Vader, the feeling biting Vader and weighing him down, I step forward and look him in his helmet.
"Obi-Wan Kenobi," I go on. "Ahoska Tano. Plo Koon. Captain Rex. Commander Cody. Am I missing anyone?"
Vader finally starts moving. He struggles against the restraints as if he is trying to break out.
"Yeah. I know you who were, and you are now. Bye, Skywalker."
Turning around, I open the door and leave Darth Vader screaming alone in the room. Running through the metal hallway, I enter the command center's meeting room. Crowded with other rebels, I squeeze my way through to the front. As expected, I see Starkiller standing beside Commander Eclipse, dressed in a grey jacket and pants, and Proxy, Starkiller's droid with a shining silver body and a bright yellow core. Hearing the sound of a door hissing open, we all turn to see Jedi General Kota, dressed in his brown armor and cape, walking into the room.
"We have trouble," Kota says. He walks right up to the table in the center of the room and types on the console. A few seconds later, a holographic display of the command center appears. Kota pulls back on the display, the commander center shrinking to half its original size. Moving into the display, we all see a fleet of TIE fighters.
"No," Starkiller says, stepping forward. Many rebels gasp as more and more fighters appear, flying onto the display and toward our command center.
"Everyone," General Kota yells, "Prepare for battle! Station!"
Not wasting a second, we all split up. Many rebels run to man our guns or pilot our X and Y wings. However, as we are exiting the meeting room, we hear a massive explosion! Many of us are thrown against the walls or onto the floor. Dropping down to help a fellow rebel up, I hear a strange sound. Turning, I see the center's shield flickering on and off before shutting down completely.
Realizing that the shields are off and not coming back alone, I run up to General Kota.
"Sir," I say, "I am part of the engineering team here at the command center. Sir, the shields! They're shut down. That explosion. It must have destroyed the center's station generators! We're exposed."
General Kota pushes himself up and looks at the rebels.
"Station," he yells again.
Nodding, we run to our stations, but before I take a third step, I feel a hand on my shoulder.
"You," General Kota says. "You said you're a part of the engineering team, right?"
"Affirmative," I answer.
General Kota turns to Starkiller.
"Boy, follow this man to the center's engine room. If the shield generators are down, other parts of the center may be down too. You'll need to protect this man while he fixes the damage."
"Got it, General."
Starkiller turns to me. He follows me, and the two of us run down the hallway to the engine room. However, about halfway through, the center starts shaking again.
"Stormtroopers have entered the command center," the radio screams. "I repeat, stormtroopers have entered the command center- Ahh!"
Hearing the sound of blaster fire, I then hear repeated footsteps. The rhythm, the sound of plastic armor against the metal floor, it all sounded too familiar. Rounding the corner, a whole squadron of stormtroopers in white armor and armed with blasters enter the hallway.
Seeing Starkiller and me, the stormtroopers raise their blasters. Starkiller grabs and pulls out his dual lightsabers, bright beams of burning-blue light shoot up. Reaching into my belt, I pull out my plasma sword and laser pistol.