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“A long time ago in a galaxy far far awa--”
“You say a long time ago but your story still involves spaceships and lightsticks.”
“Give him a break. It’s because all his stories revolve around the Clone Wars.”
“And it’s lightsabers, not lightsticks, you moron.”
TT-95 stomped his clear white foot on the metal railings with his hands crossed like the five-year-old he was. Until this day no one knows how even managed to be a stormtrooper. “Last I heard I was telling the story here.”
“To be fair no one asked you to, kid.”
“But it was needed.” He argued. He looked down and saw the rest of his commanders and generals ligned up down below, waiting for their leader’s arrival. He pouted behind his helmet. He wanted to be down there. Kylo Ren’s helmet was way cooler up close. He huffed and leaned against his blaster- which was empty after the explosive incident last time that he swore was an accident. “How long do we have to stand here for? Kylo won’t even see us!”
Someone hit the back of his helmet which resulted him to almost fall over. “Stand up straight, soldier! I am not going to clean up toilets if our squad gets another disciplinary detention because of you.”
“Speaking of, I have to pee.”
“Hold it in.”
“Yeah man, our armors are white. Too risky.”
“Would you all just shut up.”
TT-95 was back to dozing off when suddenly right behind their leader, someone was being dragged out the ship. Judging by the patch on his brown jacket, it was a rebel. He’s never seen one before, seeing as he was always just assigned to domesticated work. What spiked his interest more was how young the guy looked. The Resistance was recruiting youths now, how desperate was that?
Then something caught his breath. TT-95 knew there were thousands of stormtroopers just like him with the exact same shiny white armor and blaster all stood up around the newly arrived ship. He knew the possibility of him or any of his fellow troopers to stand out was a 100 to 1.
Yet when the rebel lifted his head, and turned right towards their section, TT-95 felt like he was looking straight at him.
The rebel was pushed forward for being too slow and fell to the metal floor. TT-95’s hands and feet flinched, like he could somehow jump over all that height and help the guy. The rebel’s groan echoed and he was hit again with the butt of a blaster. A strange and slightly painful feeling formed in TT-95’s stomach. Was this what was expected of them when they get promoted? Is this what it’s like outside the base? Is this the type of person he was going to be? Hitting people when they’ve already reached the ground?
“Rebel scum.”
TT-95 flinched at his squad leader’s words.
Amidst the rows and rows of helmets, there was only one that turned followed the captured prisoner.
*****
TT-95 could finally breathe again when they were ordered back to their posts. They all had their helmets off, thankful to be breathing air that wasn’t inside a mask. He walked unusually quiet behind his fellow troopers and his mind was filled with images of shiny black eyes and brown jackets.
“What’s wrong with 95?”
“Yeah, ran out of jedi stories to tell?”
“Must be still starstruck over Kylo.”
“Geez, that guy gives me the creeps. Would hate to be appointed to him.”
“Yeah. But his helmet is wicked--”
“T Squad!” A commander yelled. “You’ve been assigned to ground dock.”
When all the bickering and white noise fell silent, that’s when TT-95 snapped out of his thoughts. He looked around and saw how everyone had grim looks on their faces. “What? What’s wrong with the ground dock?”
His squad leader avoided his eyes. One of his other senior troopers were also looking away, like they did something bad to him.
TT-95 crossed his arms. “Hey, I’m not a little kid anymore. Tell me.”
“Death penalty.” His leader said. “Ground dock is where we finish death penalties.”
With that, TT-95 marched along with cold sweat and fast-beating heart. They’ve never been assigned to deal with death penalties. Those were usually for the field troopers who act like there isn’t a Stun option in the blaster and would just kill anyone that wasn’t First Order. There must have been that many prisoners to deal with that they couldn’t even be assigned to do this.
His heart started to beat even faster when he saw who was among the kneeling captures. It was the young rebel from earlier. Up close, his eyes really were shiny, like the kind it does when you’re holding back tears. But this guy didn’t look sad at all. He only looked… mad. Furious. Somehow it pained TT-95 to know he was part of the reason.
“Kill all of them.” One of their commanders ordered. Then pointed at the rebel with the brown jacket. “This one, you take to his cell.”
“Excuse me, sir,” TT-95 piped up, knowing how big of a risk it was to speak to a commander, “but shouldn’t we just bring him to his cell while we… uh… take down the rest?”
“95, stand down.” He heard his leader hiss but he had to know. It was only logical so why…
“We let their Resistance leader watch them die as a warning.”
TT-95 saw the young rebel’s eyes change emotion in what he was familiar with as fear. His eyes trailed over every tied-up rebel. Unlike their supposed leader, they all looked middle-aged. Possibly had families. Families they’d never see again if he pulled the trigger…
“No. P-please. D-don’t kill them. Take m-m-me instead! Please.” The rebel cried, his entire body shaking.
“Arms ready.”
“No! Don’t do this! Please! They’re innocent! I’m the one you want! Don’t do this!”
TT-95’s finger trembled against the trigger. His eye burning and he didn’t know why. He didn’t know why it felt like someone was stabbing him with every plea and beg the rebel let out.
“Fire.”
“No!”
Blasters went off all around him but TT-95’s fell and clattered to the ground. When the docking area fell silent, left with smoke and the eerie sense of darkness, TT-95 could only hear the young rebel’s sobs. Big doe eyes were once against pointed straight at him.
“TT-95.”
He jumped at the call of his code. He stood up straight with a salute. “Yes, sir!”
His commander picked up his blaster and roughly shoved it against his chest. “Performance failure for disobeying orders. Straight to sewage work.”
His lips curled in distaste behind his helmet and he cursed himself under his breath. Before he could march away, a body was thrown at him and almost fell over. All breath got knocked out of him when the face of the young rebel was only inches away from his.
“And bring the rebel scum to his cell. Hurry up or you’ll be joining him to rot.”
The rebel looked out of it. Wide eyes staring at somewhere far away.
TT-95 tightened his grip on the boy and hated how skinny the arm he was holding on to was. “Yes, sir.”
*****
“What’s your name?”
TT-95 tripped over his own two feet when the rebel suddenly spoke after being quiet ever since he was begging for his friends’ lives. He cleared his throat in embarrassment and continued to escort his prisoner in silence. He’s already in trouble for disobeying his authority, conversing with the enemy would not help him at all.
“Come on,” the boy urged, tipping his head towards him, “it’s a simple question.”
TT-95 pursed his lips but gave in to the shiny brown eyes. “Don’t have one.”
“That’s impossible. Everyone has a name.”
“Well, we don’t. It’s just TT-95.”
“I have a name. It’s Jeongkook. Jeon Jeongkook.”
TT-95 didn’t understand but he almost skipped another step at the mention of the boy’s name. “Please remain silent as I escort you to your cell.”
“Funny. Didn’t know a stormtrooper knew the meaning of ‘please’.”
TT-95’s stomach dropped at that. Remembering the boy’s desperate cracked voice.
Don’t do this! Please! They’re innocent!
“But my guess is you’re not just any stormtrooper, are you?” The rebel, Jeongkook he now knew, said. “If you were, you would have shot them without hesitation.”
TT-95 didn’t answer. Pretending he couldn’t hear him.
“I know you don’t like what you’re doing.” Jeongkook suddenly lowered his voice. “I can help you. But you have to let me go. Help me then help you.”
That sounded very tempting. But rebels were known to be untrustworthy dirtbags who would do anything to bring down the First Order. He couldn’t let down his squad. He just wanted to escort this guy silently and peacefully, clean up the bathrooms, then go back to telling tales about space wizards and war.
“Help me, TT-95. You’re my only hope.”
Fuck it.
TT-95 made them turn a quick serve, completely a different direction to the prison floor. “Go where I lead you and shut up.” He whispered to Jeongkook.
The young rebel’s mouth curled up to a smirk and holy crap is that a dimple? This boy is going to be the death of him.
A few commanders were walking towards them and TT-95 thought quickly and hit Jeongkook upside the head. “Walk faster, scum!”
When they were gone, TT-95 sighed a relief.
“Sorry about that.”
“S’fine,” Jeongkook chuckled and it was like freaking wind chimes to TT-95.
He sneaked them to the landing dock and released Jeongkook from his confines. The rebel rubbed the already red skin of his wrists and looked over the ship they were crouching under. TT-95 dragged him back down. “Are you crazy?! Someone will see you!”
“I’m trying to find us a way out!”
TT-95 pointed at the ship. “This is your way out. Can you fly a TIE fighter?”
Jeongkook scoffed. “I’m a pilot.”
“That doesn’t really answer the question.”
Jeongkook paused. “Okay, I’ve never flew one. But it won’t be much of a difference right? Just tell me what you know and lead me.”
“Wait what?” TT-95 leaned back. “Woah woah. I’m not going with you.”
“What do you mean you’re not? Of course you are!”
“No, I’m not. I can’t… I-I can’t go out there. I don’t even remember what out there looks or even feels like! I’m technically not even human anymore! I can’t live out there. I won’t survive.”
Jeongkook scrunched his brows together as if in deep thought. He raised his hands towards TT-95’s helmet which made the trooper flinch away.
“What are you doing?”
Jeongkook leaned his face forward, giving the trooper a closer look at his youthful pale face. “May I?”
He nodded dumbly, not being able to think properly at the close proximity.
Jeongkook carefully pulled his helmet off, making his hair flop messily over his eyes. The boy brushed it away and let his hands fall to his shoulders, squeezing. He gave him a small smile. “You look pretty human to me.”
TT-95 let his eyes drop to the brown jacket, Jeongkook’s gaze too intense for him.
“I’m not going to leave you here. Not when the longer you stay, the more they’ll make you think you were put in this galaxy just to be some sort of weapon. You’re more than that. You’re more than the First Order. And if you stick close to me, you can survive any sort of shit. I’ll never leave you. I promise.”
He looked back up at the boy. He really did look young. But the way he held himself, the way his words had clear honesty to them, TT-95 now knew why this kid was made leader.
Jeongkook raised his hand and placed on TT-95’s nape, brushing the hair there. “Help me, help you.”
TT-95 held on to his wrist. He shut his eyes tight and let out a deep breath through his nose. “Okay.”
Jeongkook’s smile easily turned to a smirk. “Then let’s do this.”
Getting inside the ship was a lot easier then taking it out the docking station. They crashed against a wall before finally smoothly flying towards the exit. The station went wild with lasers flying everywhere to stop them. But Jeongkook was ruthless and smashed against the borders to let them finally reach space. Two TIE fighters were tailing them and TT-95 quickly manned the guns and tried to remember every targetting training they had.
Point then shoot. As simple as that.
When he managed to hit one they both yelped in celebratory.
“I got one!” TT-95 yelled excitedly.
“Nice!” Jeongkook said. “Now hold on tight. We’re going for light speed.”
“Hit it!”
Their ship felt to have stretched, like a rubber band before it snaps and flies away. TT-95’s vision became fuzzy, the fast travel a new sensation for him and his body. His grip on the motherboard slipped away and suddenly the whole ship was turning.
The last thing he remembered was Jeongkook calling out his code then there was nothing at all.
*****
“You can trust him.”
“He’s from the First Order.”
“He saved my life, Namjoon.”
“He’s a stormtrooper!”
“He’s my friend!”
“...”
“...”
“You have no idea what could happen when he wakes up. You don’t know how he’ll react and it sure as hell it won’t be something you’re expecting. He was trained to kill, Jeongkook.”
“So was I and I don’t see you kicking me out.”
“Fine. Whatever. But if he destroys our base, destroys the entire freaking universe, it’s going to be your fault.”
“I can’t wait.”
*****
“You should have a name.”
TT-95 looked up at Jeongkook, the sun setting behind him. He was still getting used to being in land. Around nature. Everything smelled like trees and soil, it was great. Better than steel and sewage. “Like what?”
Jeongkook bit his lip in thought. Then he snapped his fingers. “Hansung.”
TT-95 shook his head. “Nah. Too hard to remember.”
Jeongkook placed his hand on the rock right next to his. “What about Harry?”
TT-95 carefully put his pinky on top of his. “We already have a Harry.”
Jeongkook took his hand fully, intertwining their fingers. He looked up at his recent fellow rebel. To his funny yet adorable big nose and rabbit teeth. To his small ears and soft black hair. To his dark brown eyes that caught him the moment they looked up at him at the railings.
“Taehyung.”
His titlted his head to the side like a confused pup. “Huh?”
“Your name.” Jeongkook said, a big smile on his face like he achieved something so big. “Taehyung.”
The former stormtrooper looked down at their hands still in contact. He smiled back. Who would have thought, in all the suns, all the moons, all the galaxies, he managed to find Jeongkook. An adventure story he could tell that was his own.
“Taehyung,” he tried then a pink flush spread on his cheeks, “I like it.”