Chapter 3 - The massacre of Tuanul (2/2)

- ”Stay here”- ordered the liutenient and FN-2187 looked at the scene unfolding in front of him. An old man who seemed to be the leader if the village was brought to Lord Kylo Ren and he was interrogated.

- ”Look how old you've become”- said Lord Kylo Ren

- ”Something far worse has happened to you”- said the old man without showing the slightest fear and using a voice one would use to talk an old friend.

- ”You know what I've come for”- said Lord Kylo Ren who seemed annoyed by the attitude of the man.

- ”I know where you come from”- replied the old man whose voice could be heard by all the people present- ”before you called yourself Kylo Ren.”

- ”The map to Skywalker, we know you found it”- said Lord Kylo Ren ignoring the man's previous words but 2187 felt that Lord Kylo Ren was getting angrier- ”and now you're going to give it to the First Order.”

- ”The First Order rose from the dark side”- said the old man who sounded like he was trying to convey something to Lord Kylo Ren- ”you did not.”

- ”I'll show you the Dark side”- he said and FN-2187 saw the fear in the eyes of the old man.

- ”You will try”- the old man said regaining his composture- ”but you cannot deny the truth that is you family.”

- ”You're so right”- said Lord Kylo Ren and FN-2187 felt a great fear and he knew what would happen next even before it happened.

FN-2187 saw Lord Kylo Ren taking out a metallic device which generated a laser blade and he saw how he used this weapon to slay the old man who had no chance at all and fell to the floor dead. Almost instantly someone shot a blaster bolt from the shadows. FN-2187 had not seen this but Lord Kylo Ren just raised his hand in the direction of the balster bolt and incredibly the energy beam was stopped in midair. FN-2187 was shocked and terrified... what kind of monster could do that?

The man who had shot was captured and brought to Lord Kylo Ren. It was obvious he was terrified but FN-2187 was surprised to see how he controlled himself and tried to maintain a calm appearance. He was definitely a veteran and a brave man. He was forced to kneel. Lord Kylo Ren knelt to be at his level. The prisoner looked at him with no fear in his eyes.

- ”So, who talks first? You talk first or I talk first?”- he said and FN-2187 felt great respect for this man.

He still felt anger since he had been the one who had shot Slip but at the same time he understood that it was a combat and he just had done what he had been trained to. It was useless to blame him since Slip had already died and nothing was going to change that. Furthermore, 2187 knew he would die very soon if not in some seconds.

- ”The old man gave it to you”- said Lord Kylo Ren and FN-2187 had the crazy idea that he had read the prisoner's mind.

- ”It's very hard to understand you with all that...”- said the prisoner trying to evade his words.

- ”Search him”- ordered Lord Kylo Ren and the stormtroopers who had brought the prisoner started to check his pockets and clothes.

- ”Nothing, Sir”- informed one of the stormtroopers after some moments.

- ”Put him on board”- ordered Lord Kylo Ren and the stormtroopers obeyed immediantely pushing the prisoner into the personal ship of Lord Kylo Ren. FN-2187 knew that what waited for the prisoner was not going to be pleasant. Maybe it would have been much better for him to die in a fast and clean way.

- ”Sir, the villagers”- said Captain Phasma who had waited until Lord Kylo Ren dealt with the prisoner. FN-2187 had another bad premonition of what was going to happen.

-”Kill them all”- said the robotic voice without a trace of pity nor mercy.

Immediately all the stormtroopers aimed their blasters at the terrified villagers who did not understand why they were being attacked. FN-2187 saw the eyes of the pitiful civilians and he felt that he had to do something. Maybe there was a way to save them, maybe if said something...

-”At my command”- said Captain Phasma who also showed no compassion at the helpless civilians in front of them- ”Fire!”

The bolts flew mercilessly to the people who could do nothing more than cry and beg for mercy. The wails and shouts of anguish ripped apart the soul of FN-2187 who could not understand why they had to use such brutal ways. There were even children among them and he saw how the mothers and fathers used their own bodies to protect them even in their last moments. 2187 felt a huge outrage inside him. The villagers were defeated and they were not a threat anymore. This act was useless and cruel and definitely not what someone who affirmed to be a defender of peace and order should do, then FN-2187 noticed that he was the only one who was not shooting, his comrades didn't doubt even for a second. He wonder why and he wonder what would Slip do if he were here now... the answer was clear, he wold have also shot. This was what they had been trained for...

- ”No...”- he said sighing with sadness while watching to his comrades with pity- ”this is what we've been brainwashed to do...”

He knew that he would have problems. This was his last opportunity and he knew Phasma was monitoring him. He only needed to shoot some bolts and he didn't have to even hit the targets to pretend but he couldn't force himself to do it and for him... Phasma, Kylo Ren, the First Order, the Resistance and all this stupid war... all of this was meaningless and he didn't care anymore. More importantly... this was wrong.

-”This is wrong”- he said to himself and then he understood and it was as if a veil had fallen from his eyes and he could see clearly for the first time.

He understood why he had felt that strange feeling all this time. Until now he had obeyed all the orders he was given to the letter and without even think about it, He even felt guilty for failing to obey the orders he received from Captain Phasma when she ordered him to kill that man... but now he understood and it was clear why he couldn't force himself to do it.

-”I can't do it because it is wrong”- he said feeling like a free human being for the first time in his life- ”I don't want to shoot because it is wrong”

The orders were wrong, his superiors were wrong, Phasma was wrong, Kylo Ren was wrong, his fellow stormtroopers were wrong, all this situation was wrong... the First Order was wrong.

The reality of the situation made him undesrtand many things and one thing that he also understood was that he could not continue here. He had to escape but he couldnt in the moment. The execution ended quickly and FN-2187 stayed there motionlessly looking in horror what had happened. He knew the protocol and he knew he should return to his transporter but he couldn't stop watching the bodies of the villagers and especially the children who were now looking to the sky lifelessly with a regretful and wondering expression. Until the last second they couldn't understand why they had to suffer such cruel destiny.

- ”I'm sorry...”- he whispered to them feeling his lack of power to defend them- ”I'm sorry...”

In that moment, FN-2187 felt a chill in his back and when he raised his head he saw Kylo Ren staring at him with great attention. He couldn't see his expression behind the helmet, but he knew that he was analizing him. He felt a great pressure coming from this monster and he felt that Kylo Ren could see though him completely as if he could read all his thoughts and even his intentions. so he stayed very quiet and didn't even think at all. He felt like a rabbit who was in front of a lion waiting to be devoured. The moment was very terrifying and it seemed to last forever.

”...”

After what seemed to be an eternity, Kylo Ren seemed to lose interest in him and just boarded his ship. Only then FN-2187 allowed himself to breathe but then the energy beam that had been stopped in midair followed his original course and provoked an explosion that surprised him and this reminded him that Kylo Ren wasn't human and that for him FN-2187's life and probably any other life in the galaxy was meaningless.

This event was later known as the ”Massacre of Tuanul” and it was a testament of the brutality that the First Order was capable of. The news spread fast and many whispered in rage about this. One of those was a young scavenger who heard the news while exchanging some parts she had managed to found for food. She felt sorry for the innocent villagers and she wished she had been able to help them but then she sighed knowing that even if she had been there, she could have done nothing more than increase the number of victims. She took her rations and returned home to prepare for another day of work the next day.