Order 66

Part III-- Confrontation

It was just before dawn when I felt it. Approaching danger. The sense of the Empire. And a powerful darkness, one that shrouded an almost familiar core. Sleep was gone in an instant as I knew without a doubt that they were here for me.

I ran out of my house, lightsaber instinctively in hand, just in time to see Imperial troop shuttles land at the village.

I sprinted for the town. When I got there, I found the teams of stormtroopers, as the clones were now called, splitting up and moving through the village. They went into the houses with little warning or explanation, pulling the families out and searching the premises.

An open confrontation was out of the question. I would be killed and it would do the villagers no good. I needed more subtlety. I stuck to the shadows, heading for a lone soldier on the north edge of town as he ordered a family out of their home with a raised blaster.

The stormtrooper died instantly, with only the sound of my lightsaber. I caught his body and held a finger over my lips as the villagers watched, wide-eyed as they realized the truth. I lowered the trooper to the ground, not wanting noise to clue in anyone nearby, then spoke in a hushed voice to the villagers.

"Head to the forest, into the ravine. You'll find a landslide, and there's a cave entrance behind a red boulder. It'll take you straight to the river."

The river was several miles away. If they could get to the caves then they could slip away from the Empire unnoticed.

I took a light from the soldier's utility belt and handed it to one of the adults. "Go. Good luck."

I started away, but one of them caught my arm.

"May the Force be with you," she whispered.

I nodded. "May the Force be with you."

I moved off, headed towards the sounds of protest.

The next group, the trooper was knocked out with a wave of my hand. I gave his intended prisoners the same instructions as the first, but when one of them snagged the trooper's blaster I reached out to him.

"Run if you have a choice," I whispered. "If you fire the shot could give you away."

He nodded, looking more nervous now that his weapon was worth less.

I put my hand on his shoulder reassuringly. "You know the area. They don't. Use that against them instead. The Force will be with you."

With the third trooper down, I knew I'd been noticed. The darkness I'd felt was stronger, more focused, more intent; searching for me.

It was the fifth group of villagers that told me what I already knew: "Darth Vader."

I didn't know how he or the Empire had found me. But now that he was nearby he would be able to sense my presence in the Force, just as I could sense his.

I had downed eight stormtroopers by the time a new command apparently came through and they began herding their prisoners towards the center of town. I managed to take out a ninth before the Imperials were too close together for a real victory or one without collateral damage.

I kept out of sight, following them to the center square. When I was within a few streets I paused, drawing my awareness inward, temporarily giving up my Force senses for the sake of stealth. I knew I would need every advantage I could get, and that included surprise.

The two dozen stormtroopers were down to fifteen, and I could tell just from the way they stood that they were nervous at being so outnumbered. If it came to a fight between them and the people they would ultimately lose. But the one they answered to was worse than any number of foot soldiers. Darth Vader waited in the center of town, his mere presence silencing any remaining protest from the villagers. The one who had once been Anakin Skywalker had already gained a high level of respect and infamy through fear in the galaxy.