Confronting Fear

Rumors

I said Heaven ain't close in a place like this
Bring it back down, bring it back down tonight (hoo hoo)
Never thought I'd let a rumor ruin my moonlight

Somebody Told Me - The Killers

Lt. Shiro had been on his third drink when a strange shockwave rippled through the ship, nearly knocking him out of his seat. He looked at the drink in confusion. Apparently they had gotten significantly stronger.

"What the Hell was that?" his buddy asked loudly making him realize it wasn't the drink after all. No alarms sounded and no one else seemed too concerned about it so he shrugged it off.

"Probably some test of some kind. Anyways, back to the Princess..."

"Ah, c'mon Shiro, we all know she didn't smile at you, stop trying to pull a fast one on us." interrupted his other companion.

"It's true!" indignation in his drunken slur. He'd been replaying the incident to his two best friends, a stormtrooper nicknamed Diggs and another lieutenant called Reus.

"Sure it is." Diggs mocked. "We believe you right, Reus?"

Reus didn't answer, apparently distracted by the curvy ensign getting a glowing purple drink at the bar. Diggs laughed. "Komi? Please Reus, you'd have better luck with the Princess according to Shiro."

"Yeah, right. Komi, come sit with us." Reus motioned to the blonde. Much to his surprise, she actually took a seat at the table.

"What's going on boys?" she asked as she sipped her drink.

"Get this, Shiro here is trying to tell us he spoke to the Princess, and that she smiled at him. Isn't that hysterical?" Reus slapped his knee as Diggs joined in the laughter.

But Komi, far from laughing, turned white as a sheet taking a big gulp from her drink. Reus leaned over Komi. "Shiro also says she's really pretty, which I do believe, after all I don't think the Supreme Leader would be shacking up with someone who is ugly. What do you think Komi? Do you know anything about the Princess or the Supreme Leader?"

Even in his pleasant stupor, Komi's response surprised him.

"I can't say." she stuttered.

"Aw, c'mon, we won't tell. Give us the story." Diggs encouraged.

Shiro didn't have time to ponder further as five stormtroopers from the CV unit, the unit that served as guards to the higher ups walked in, looking particularly ragged. They always had some good stories to tell.

The five elite troopers took over the table next to the group, tall drinks in their hands. Shiro could just overhear their hushed whispers.

"Man, I don't know what to think." spoke a tall, muscular man with dark skin as he downed his drink in one go.

"That was crazy. I didn't know she could do that." replied a thinner bald man.

The third, a broad shouldered woman shook her head. "They said she was a Jedi, I didn't really believe it until now."

"Hey, what's going on? Something happen?" Diggs asked the group. They all stared at him.

A second woman answered for the group. "We were on duty serving as guards for General Hux when that shockwave happened. He ran straight to the Supreme Leader's private floor going on about the Force and treason." she rolled her eyes as she took a long draw from her drink.

"When we got there, the Princess answered the door to the Supreme Leader's private quarters." the thin man picked up the story. "Hux started yelling at her. And she... she picked him up, but with her mind y'know, and tossed him against the wall."