08-30-2015, 04:19 PM
It was almost familiar. A sick, twisted homecoming.
With all the time Abner had spent in the Nexus, this godforsaken swamp was just a bit too typical for him. Instead of an endless white expanse, however, it was muddy water that came halfway up his shins. The endless part was still accurate, though. He had been trudging through this water for so long he'd lost track of time.
He'd taken deep breaths and cleared his head as best he could every few steps. The stories of this swamp were not to be taken lightly. This was the place where hope died. He wasn't entirely sure he believed it, despite the fact that he was beginning to feel that creeping feeling. It could just as easily be stories and rumors, and what better way was there to dwell on your past than to try and not think of it?
Then again, he could feel that there was just something more to this place. A dark energy surrounded it. Abner wasn't very superstitious, in fact he was a pretty firm skeptic, but there was just no arguing about the strange aura that covered this swamp.
Yet he pressed on. His steps were slowing, though, and he felt like he had less and less energy. He'd lost track of which way was which. All of his landmarks were gone, replaced by this plain nothingness. Normally it would have been funny to him, that all of his survival and navigational skills meant nothing here in this place, but he couldn't bring himself to laugh.
Abner slowed to a stop, letting his hands drop to his sides as he closed his eyes. Damn it, he knew what was happening. The swamp was doing this to him, and yet it didn't matter. Thoughts of his past filled his head. He almost felt reflective, yet at the same time depressed.
He'd become a stormtrooper because he wandered to Coruscant, and "war" was the only real skill he had. He'd gone to Coruscant because he wasn't going anywhere without some modern conveniences. If he had to be trapped in this ridiculous excuse for an existence, he was at least going to be comfortable. However, months ago Christa had put one simple thought in his mind. What was the price?
He suddenly opened his eyes, looking at the seemingly endless swamp ahead of him. But for some reason, the thing that scared him the most was the thought of what was behind him. He sensed that he wasn't alone. Whether it was real or not was irrelevant.
"Abner..." a voice whispered, seeming to come from no where and simply hanging in the air.
Slowly Abner turned around. There before him were what appeared to be hundreds of people, all standing side by side, row by row. Each of them had a different grievous wound somewhere on their person. Most of them were gunshots in various numbers, but others had severe cuts and gashes, while some were outright missing limbs. None of the wounds bled even a little, though, despite the fact that none of these people should have been standing.
He understood why. He recognized each and every person there, even those with wounds too severe to make them identifiable. He was a witness to every one of their deaths. The reasons each of these people had died were vast and varying, with one single thing in common. They had, in some way, stood against the Empire.
A woman slowly stepped out of the front row, moving effortlessly through the swampy muck. Her dress was torn at her stomach and just above her heart, and the bullet holes in her skin could be seen. To Abner, she stood out from the others because her face was burned so sharply into his memory. She had been killed in front of his eyes on one of his first days as an Imperial. Her crime was so insignificant that he'd barely batted an eyelash at it. But it was Tier One, and she had shown the slightest bit of resistance. The moment had been a crossroads in his own life. He'd seen the people he now worked for, and had considered deserting in the middle of the night. At that fateful moment, he'd chosen to stay and become a part of a system.
The mere sight of her and all the others was overwhelming. Abner collapsed, dropping to a knee and catching himself by putting his right hand against the ground. He was nearly submerged in the swamp, but he barely noticed. He was more focused on her.
"How...?" Abner spat out between breaths. Not once did he imagine that he would be challenged in such a real way. "What is this place?"
"What did we die for?" the woman simply asked in response.
Abner closed his eyes again. That was the question of his life. All of these people, right before him, were the ones that had paid the price. Their bodies were the foundation of the life he knew. The only problem was that the "price" they'd paid didn't even need to be that. There were better ways, and yet he hadn't done anything to help them. He'd taken each paycheck as they came and showed back up to work the next day. He'd blocked out and repressed the horrible memories, but that didn't make them truly go away.
So this was it. Crushed by the weight of his own shortcomings, this swamp would be the end for Abner. None of his skills would help him out here. All of his connections were useless, because they weren't here. Those that were here would give him as much help as he'd given them. None.
Deep down, though, there was another feeling. Past the sadness, past the depression, something even more powerful burned. He hadn't felt it in so long that he almost didn't recognize it, but it was there, just barely. He knew he had to grab it if he wanted to ever stand back up again.
Drive.
The Empire, that he had served for so long, had sent him to this desolate wasteland on an ill-fated assignment. He'd told every new stormtrooper to take care of themselves out here in this hell of a reality they'd found themselves in, because the Empire wouldn't. Somehow he'd failed to follow his own advice. He'd wandered into the depths against all logic and reasoning, and it was because they'd said so. It wasn't a failure in his mind, though. He'd met some incredible people who he genuinely trusted, and he wouldn't trade the experience. But he would not die here. No one on Coruscant would pat themselves on the back over this.
At it's core the Empire was a rotten, dark, and evil machine. That didn't include everyone in it though, citizens and soldiers alike. Abner knew that, having worked and served alongside so many. It didn't need to be brought down. What it needed was change.
And there it was. That drive and dedication that had once made him such an incredible soldier was back. It took no energy to stand up, now. Just like that he was back on his feet, and he slowly brought his right hand up to his head, tightly gripping the brim of his simple ball cap. He'd worn it the whole time, with the giant Imperial symbol right there on it. Now he took it off his head, his eyes locked with the woman as he turned it upside down and dropped it into the water below. Her expression didn't change, but neither did his. He hadn't answered her question, yet. What had all of these people died for?
"You'll see," Abner told her, neither of them looking down to his discarded Imperial marking. No more needed to be said to understand his new conviction. He'd told himself he'd raise hell when he got back, and dammit that's exactly what was going to happen.
Abner turned around, not waiting for any sort of response from the woman or anyone else. There was nothing further he could do to help them, but there were others he could still help. That would have to be enough for him, as well as them.
Abner pulled a cigarette from his vest and stuck it in his mouth. He fumbled around, looking for a lighter, before digging out the mysterious one he'd come across during that patrol weeks ago. With a shrug he clicked it a few times to light it.
Instead of a simple flame, multiple fireballs appeared before him, forming a trail ahead of him and continuing farther than he could see. He simply shook his head, no longer surprised by the odd occurrences in this swamp. He looked over his shoulder one last time at the people from his past, only to see that they were gone. So instead he looked ahead, before noticing something odd in the fireballs. Within each one he could just barely make out the facial features of each of those people. It was obvious that this was closest he could ever get to having true peace with himself over their deaths, but he'd take it.
He lit his cigarette on the first fireball and trudged onward. He had people to catch up with, a deity to confront, and then work to do.
With all the time Abner had spent in the Nexus, this godforsaken swamp was just a bit too typical for him. Instead of an endless white expanse, however, it was muddy water that came halfway up his shins. The endless part was still accurate, though. He had been trudging through this water for so long he'd lost track of time.
He'd taken deep breaths and cleared his head as best he could every few steps. The stories of this swamp were not to be taken lightly. This was the place where hope died. He wasn't entirely sure he believed it, despite the fact that he was beginning to feel that creeping feeling. It could just as easily be stories and rumors, and what better way was there to dwell on your past than to try and not think of it?
Then again, he could feel that there was just something more to this place. A dark energy surrounded it. Abner wasn't very superstitious, in fact he was a pretty firm skeptic, but there was just no arguing about the strange aura that covered this swamp.
Yet he pressed on. His steps were slowing, though, and he felt like he had less and less energy. He'd lost track of which way was which. All of his landmarks were gone, replaced by this plain nothingness. Normally it would have been funny to him, that all of his survival and navigational skills meant nothing here in this place, but he couldn't bring himself to laugh.
Abner slowed to a stop, letting his hands drop to his sides as he closed his eyes. Damn it, he knew what was happening. The swamp was doing this to him, and yet it didn't matter. Thoughts of his past filled his head. He almost felt reflective, yet at the same time depressed.
He'd become a stormtrooper because he wandered to Coruscant, and "war" was the only real skill he had. He'd gone to Coruscant because he wasn't going anywhere without some modern conveniences. If he had to be trapped in this ridiculous excuse for an existence, he was at least going to be comfortable. However, months ago Christa had put one simple thought in his mind. What was the price?
He suddenly opened his eyes, looking at the seemingly endless swamp ahead of him. But for some reason, the thing that scared him the most was the thought of what was behind him. He sensed that he wasn't alone. Whether it was real or not was irrelevant.
"Abner..." a voice whispered, seeming to come from no where and simply hanging in the air.
Slowly Abner turned around. There before him were what appeared to be hundreds of people, all standing side by side, row by row. Each of them had a different grievous wound somewhere on their person. Most of them were gunshots in various numbers, but others had severe cuts and gashes, while some were outright missing limbs. None of the wounds bled even a little, though, despite the fact that none of these people should have been standing.
He understood why. He recognized each and every person there, even those with wounds too severe to make them identifiable. He was a witness to every one of their deaths. The reasons each of these people had died were vast and varying, with one single thing in common. They had, in some way, stood against the Empire.
A woman slowly stepped out of the front row, moving effortlessly through the swampy muck. Her dress was torn at her stomach and just above her heart, and the bullet holes in her skin could be seen. To Abner, she stood out from the others because her face was burned so sharply into his memory. She had been killed in front of his eyes on one of his first days as an Imperial. Her crime was so insignificant that he'd barely batted an eyelash at it. But it was Tier One, and she had shown the slightest bit of resistance. The moment had been a crossroads in his own life. He'd seen the people he now worked for, and had considered deserting in the middle of the night. At that fateful moment, he'd chosen to stay and become a part of a system.
The mere sight of her and all the others was overwhelming. Abner collapsed, dropping to a knee and catching himself by putting his right hand against the ground. He was nearly submerged in the swamp, but he barely noticed. He was more focused on her.
"How...?" Abner spat out between breaths. Not once did he imagine that he would be challenged in such a real way. "What is this place?"
"What did we die for?" the woman simply asked in response.
Abner closed his eyes again. That was the question of his life. All of these people, right before him, were the ones that had paid the price. Their bodies were the foundation of the life he knew. The only problem was that the "price" they'd paid didn't even need to be that. There were better ways, and yet he hadn't done anything to help them. He'd taken each paycheck as they came and showed back up to work the next day. He'd blocked out and repressed the horrible memories, but that didn't make them truly go away.
So this was it. Crushed by the weight of his own shortcomings, this swamp would be the end for Abner. None of his skills would help him out here. All of his connections were useless, because they weren't here. Those that were here would give him as much help as he'd given them. None.
Deep down, though, there was another feeling. Past the sadness, past the depression, something even more powerful burned. He hadn't felt it in so long that he almost didn't recognize it, but it was there, just barely. He knew he had to grab it if he wanted to ever stand back up again.
Drive.
The Empire, that he had served for so long, had sent him to this desolate wasteland on an ill-fated assignment. He'd told every new stormtrooper to take care of themselves out here in this hell of a reality they'd found themselves in, because the Empire wouldn't. Somehow he'd failed to follow his own advice. He'd wandered into the depths against all logic and reasoning, and it was because they'd said so. It wasn't a failure in his mind, though. He'd met some incredible people who he genuinely trusted, and he wouldn't trade the experience. But he would not die here. No one on Coruscant would pat themselves on the back over this.
At it's core the Empire was a rotten, dark, and evil machine. That didn't include everyone in it though, citizens and soldiers alike. Abner knew that, having worked and served alongside so many. It didn't need to be brought down. What it needed was change.
And there it was. That drive and dedication that had once made him such an incredible soldier was back. It took no energy to stand up, now. Just like that he was back on his feet, and he slowly brought his right hand up to his head, tightly gripping the brim of his simple ball cap. He'd worn it the whole time, with the giant Imperial symbol right there on it. Now he took it off his head, his eyes locked with the woman as he turned it upside down and dropped it into the water below. Her expression didn't change, but neither did his. He hadn't answered her question, yet. What had all of these people died for?
"You'll see," Abner told her, neither of them looking down to his discarded Imperial marking. No more needed to be said to understand his new conviction. He'd told himself he'd raise hell when he got back, and dammit that's exactly what was going to happen.
Abner turned around, not waiting for any sort of response from the woman or anyone else. There was nothing further he could do to help them, but there were others he could still help. That would have to be enough for him, as well as them.
Abner pulled a cigarette from his vest and stuck it in his mouth. He fumbled around, looking for a lighter, before digging out the mysterious one he'd come across during that patrol weeks ago. With a shrug he clicked it a few times to light it.
Instead of a simple flame, multiple fireballs appeared before him, forming a trail ahead of him and continuing farther than he could see. He simply shook his head, no longer surprised by the odd occurrences in this swamp. He looked over his shoulder one last time at the people from his past, only to see that they were gone. So instead he looked ahead, before noticing something odd in the fireballs. Within each one he could just barely make out the facial features of each of those people. It was obvious that this was closest he could ever get to having true peace with himself over their deaths, but he'd take it.
He lit his cigarette on the first fireball and trudged onward. He had people to catch up with, a deity to confront, and then work to do.
Quote:Item Used: Mysterious Lighter