Luke aims over the stranger’s shoulder and fires. As the streak sizzles past the speaker’s head, the fiery-eyed human involuntarily ducks, leaving Luke exposed to his enemies. The beam crumps into the cafeteria ceiling, showering frightened patrons with smoking plasfoam debris. The stormtroopers react immediately to Luke’s sudden vulnerability and pour energy shots at him.
As Luke adjusts his own aim, a blaster bolt strikes his right shoulder. The impact spins him around and his arm falls limp. His blaster pistol skitters away across the floor. Darkness begins to descend on his vision.
“Can’t go under -” he mutters, his shoulder flaming with pain. “Help me.” The darkness continues descending and now his ears ring. Two ghostly shapes approach cautiously, blaster rifles held ready to fire. Luke sees their white armor only as a lighter shade of gray.
“Ben, help me!” he mumbles.
Someone places something cold and metallic against his throat, then says something in that dry electronic voice peculiar to stormtroopers. Luke cannot understand the trooper’s words, and he can no longer see. Is this the end?
“No -” he gasps. “I will survive!” An almost imperceptible feeling tickles the inside of his head, and the gauze in Luke’s head begins to clear.
A moment later, he sees the general standing overhead. “Perhaps you are correct trooper. He may live. Bring him along for interrogation.”
Luke will survive, but for now he is badly hurt and an Imperial prisoner. This adventure has ended for him.
Click Here to return to the beginning and try again.