Troopers - Book 2

Shipping Out

It had been three months of training within the installation. They had been trained by the best the Stormtroopers had to offer, but the unit were not impressed. Accuracy was replaced by sheer fire power at most times, it was only the specialists that bothered to take aim. They had been taught all forms of war craft within this new galaxy but there were subjects deliberately missed. They did not receive any pilot training, astronavigation or details on their faster than light travel. They managed to keep hold of most of their original gear, Luk's had been given over for examination but he was staying behind for researching the Gateway Project as it had been termed.

What had brought them there was another of Tarkin's pet projects, a method of space travel fast than hyperdrive, using linked gates they would create artificial wormholes between locations and then personnel or on a larger scale ships could move across space in an instant, faster than any ship at present and threats to the Empire could be dealt with quickly and efficiently. Black One had somehow burst through from another galaxy and Luk was planning on finding out how. The rest of the unit was transported to an awaiting Star Destroyer; giant wedge shaped space ships with a command tower on top. Aasith wondered as they flew through the void why all spaceship designers believe that the command deck needs to be completely exposed and an easy target. She dismissed this thought realising that it was just the thoughts of a sniper, anything exposed was a target.

Olwen was silent, watching the Major. He'd changed subtly over the course of the training, becoming more reclusive than even his usual military intelligence persona created. The remainder of the unit were asleep, there were no new joys for them to see in the maw, the power of the joint black holes and the lack of stars was entrancing and maddening. An alert pinged above them, they were about to land. Aasith went to tap Sarg but he was already moving, kicking boots and knuckling shoulders.

"Stand ready" Thorne said making his way to the boarding ramp "I don't think the welcome will be as we expect."

There was a muffled thud as the landing gear made contact, before the engines had powered down the boarding ramp began to descend. Thorne and his unit stood and formed up ready to exit. As they moved down they were met by the grey uniform of an Imperial navy officer and a unit of stormtroopers. Thorne looked at the man in his late thirties, hair precisely cut and without a speck of dirt on his his uniform, the red and blue rank markings denoted him as a captain. But what he found most interesting was that he could tell that under all the armour and weaponry the stormtroopers were nervous of him and his unit even when unarmed.

"Welcome aboard, I am Captain Renniks, your liaison whenever Grand Moff Tarkin is indisposed. We are to escort you to your area of the ship. The crew have been informed the area is contaminated with toxic waste and have been evacuated. Your arrival is that of a penal group to clean the area." His voice was clean and crisp, and the speech had been well rehearsed. Thorne took a step towards him, and he seemed to want to take a step back.

"Black zero-one, look like penal workers. We're going to be shown to our rooms" Thorne studied the captain as the stormtroopers got into place. A glimmer of relief flashed through him. For some reason he was expecting trouble, Thorne was curious what Tarkin had actually said about them to get these soldiers this concerned about them. Thorne glanced over his shoulder and saw that the unit had turned from being in neat lines to being a bit more of a dishevelled mass, glowering at anyone or thing that showed the slightest amount superiority.

"After you" Thorne gestured casually as if being a gentleman to the Captain. They began their walk out of the hanger bay and into the main corridors of the Star Destroyer with the bland grey walls and the immaculate reflective black floors. As they moved through the corridors Imperial navy moved to one side when necessary, the Stormtroopers were a different matter, they watched with a keen interest and Thorne could tell they were wanting to speak, say some sort of remark to them.