How did I get myself here?

Staring into the deep, dark forest, Kyle Arca felt alone. He steadied his eyes on his instruments, anticipating a red blip. The lives of his fellow officers and the commander could be at stake, and it was left in the hands of seven stormtroopers, including him, to keep the shield generator safe. Rumor had it that there were already rebels on the planet.

Endor is a beautiful place during the day, with trees ten times taller than those Ithor. On top of that, the amount of life is nearly overwhelming. While this moon is only a speck on the outer rim, it alone protects the galaxy's most powerful super weapon, the second Death Star.

How did Kyle's failing grade in the academy get him to Endor? How was he handpicked from over three million recruits, chosen just for this job? Working for Commander Igar has been the most amazing thing that had ever happened to him. He has been on Endor for three months now, and the entire battalion feels the pressure that Commander Igar is under. Now, under direct order from Lord Vader himself, the seven stormtrooper recruits were sent out with orders to take one prisoner. So what was Kyle to do if twenty rebels attacked? Kill all but one? It was only at this point that he wished that he had actually studied in the academy.

Kyle jumped to his feet, realizing he had lost his train of thought. Taking time on the job to reminisce on the past was not exactly looked highly upon in the empire. He looked all around him into the forest, then at the landing pad. He could not see anyone, but suddenly had the feeling that he was being watched. In addition, unfortunately for him, he had always been right while he was in the academy about that sort of thing. Seeing nothing on his scanners, he decided to take his helmet off for a moment and have a look. His adrenaline began to pump as the feeling became stronger and stronger.

Kyle sensed a light unlike any he could ever remember seeing before. The light overwhelmed the darkness of the forest. It was a beacon that guided Kyle’s eyes right to its source: a man, alone, walking straight towards him. He looked for his stormtrooper allies to his left and his right. As he looked at them, he saw dim lights radiating from them as well. Kyle rubbed his eyes in disbelief, in an attempt to get the light out of them. However, he knew that his eyes did not cause the light. It was a feeling, a new sense that he had never used before.

Kyle continued to walk foreword towards the bright light. It took five minutes for him to reach the strange character walking through the forest during the dangerous night. He found the man sitting on a log, resting, with a worried look on his face. Kyle reached for his helmet, preparing to put it on, but suddenly had a calm feeling about him. Something told him that using the helmet was not necessary.

"Who are you?" Kyle asked.

Not even turning to face him, the man said, "I'm a rebel, here to turn myself in."

One thing that Kyle had learned in the academy is that rebels could not be trusted... and yet this one was clearly not in any mood to fight. Kyle could feel the sadness within him. "Hand over your weapon."

Kyle realized that the rebel had anticipated him. What tricks could he have up his sleeve? Why would he simply turn himself in? He looked on the other side of the log. There, a metal cylinder sat. Kyle slowly walked towards it, and picked it up more cautiously than if it had been a random thermal detonator on the ground. Suddenly, as though he had someone else's memories suddenly forced into his mind, he recognized the cylinder.

"Are you ready?" asked a commander. Kyle couldn't remember his name, but he seemed so familiar. He was surrounded by a group of cadets out of their armor. A chill was sent up his spine as the cadets stood with him in line. A surge of dark power approached the door. It opened, and a figure that was nearly a shadow entered. Darth Vader's sinister cape fluttered behind him, and the closer he neared Kyle, the darker the room began to feel.

Kyle felt sudden rage for Lord Vader and the Empire. He broke out of his formation and attacked Vader in a fury. He grabbed for his blaster--and pulled out the cylinder object. Before he could find out what it was, however, he was grabbed by the throaght and lifted off the floor. Seconds later, he fell unconscious.

Why had he been so angry with the Empire, and worse yet, Darth Vader, whom up until now he thought he had never met in his life? Why didn't he remember any of this happening before just now? Kyle picked up the cylinder and inspected it, in an attempt to find out what it was. A button protruded out of the side. Kyle pressed it, and a brilliant green light extended from the end of the cylinder. Kyle looked at the rebel, who was now looking back at him. "Who are you," he asked.

"My name is Commander Luke Skywalker."

"You realize that Lord Vader has sent us specific instructions to capture you?"

"Yes, and I am quite ready if you are."

Kyle stared at the rebel in amazement. So that was that worried look on his face was about... Why would he just turn himself in? Should he take him back to the base? Kyle made the decision to report to base the situation and await further instructions. He put his helmet back on and was instantly sorry he had.

"TK-187, where are you? Please report in. TK-187, You aren't at your post. Please report."

"TK-187, reporting in."

"Where have you been, Kyle? You could be reported for this reckless endangerment of the base."

"I found the rebel, and he is in my custody. Request further instructions."

"You found him and didn't report back to base before you left your post. This sort of behavior is not looked highly upon in the imperial navy. I have doubts that you will ever exceed the basic stormtrooper rank."

Kyle paused, considering his future in the Empire... or seemingly lack thereof. Commander Arca always had a nice ring to it. It seemed now that his dreams of this path of glory had ended. He would never be put in charge of any Star Destroyers like Admiral Palleon, or any All Terrain Armored Transports, like Commander Igar. He would be stuck in one of these plain white uniforms all his life, called to do the Emperor's dirty work. He took his helmet off once again and threw it on the ground.

"It's a shame that someone so strong in the force could be so angry," said Skywalker.

"The force is a fairy tale," replied Kyle.

"Then tell me, how did you find me? Did you just go wondering into the woods and suddenly see me there? Or did you feel something calling you here?"

"I was told to scout the area," Kyle lied. He remembered the light that he felt in the forest that led him to Luke. Had Luke created the light himself, using the "force"?

Luke gave Kyle an incredulous stare. He said, "You should probably put your helmet back on. The others are almost here. You wouldn't want another error on that report."

Kyle picked his helmet up off the ground in a fury and put it on his head. The sound of the shattered infrared device trickled down next to his ears. He swore. There was nothing to keep him on Endor anymore. As a matter of fact, he had done so many things wrong that he thought they might go so far as to send him back to the Imperial Academy.

And what of this force? Should he learn to use it, he could become the most powerful man in the universe... that is, if all the stories he had heard of Darth Vader were true. Choking a man from across a table, now that would be amazing! Imagine the amount of people who would listen to you if you could levitate objects through the air. He had already learned, he realized, how to sense when a person was present. How hard could the rest of it be?

Luke stood and walked in front of Kyle. Kyle lifted his blaster and pointed it at Luke's back, and three other troopers approached, lead by Commander Igar.

RUN AWAY TEXT!!!