The lights in the hallway were dim. Most areas on a Star Destroyer keep busy during the third watch but the command quarters were quiet. Time on Imperial Navy vessels was kept according to the time of day at the Imperial Palace in Coruscant. It was about 2 AM. The palace was likely quiet except for housekeeping and plotting. Tonight the Doomhammer was largely the same.

Gandala, Ghent, and Bastra stood down the hall from the admiral’s suite and were running through their plan.

“Are we sure it will be this easy?” Commander Ghent asked. “This guy just disappears and nobody asks any questions?”

“One of my agents scrubbed the ship’s log of his family coming aboard.” Bastra replied. “A colleague on Kashyyyk has scrubbed the port records of his departure. With the present disruption across the galaxy it’s a good occasion for people to disappear.”

Chatter and laughter started filling the hallway from around the corner. A batch of stormtroopers rounded into view. Their armour was painted and chipped. They looked far too cheerful despite the permanent scowl of a trooper helmet. Their weapons and gear was all over the map. It didn’t look like anyone was carrying a standard issue E-11. Captain Gandala saw the clone training all over them.

“Greysuits, boys. Bring it together.”

The troopers quieted down and formed into a line. One stepped forward and saluted the officers.

“Torch Squad, reporting in.”

Gandala was well shorter than the stormtrooper and looked up at him to return his salute. “Designation?”

“Corporal RN-7220. Leader, Torch Squad.”

“Bucket off, trooper.”

The corporal pulled off his helmet. She’d almost hoped to see the familiar face. He had brown hair in the standard stormtrooper buzz cut. Gandala noticed that he had fewer scars than the usual trooper veteran; just a single line running across his left cheek.

Commander Ghent looked down the line of troopers. In the dimmed light of the hallway, the pilot light coming from the incinerator trooper stood out brightly. “Why exactly did you bring a flamethrower for a operation inside a Star Destroyer?”

The corporal shrugged. “Colonel said to show up with kit and without questions. Part of the kit.”

Bastra looked over at Ghent. “Stormtroopers are not designed to be subtle.”

“Right.” Captain Gandala said. “Corporal, we don’t want a big mess. Light equipment only.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” The corporal replied. He turned back to the troopers. “You heard the Captain. Lose the heavy stuff. Pistols only.”

The troopers gave a chorus of “Yea, Boss.” And started putting their equipment down beside them in the hallway.

“Agent Bastra,” the Captain said, “Could you brief the corporal on the operation?”

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Bastra pulled out a small holopad and a layout of the quarters appeared. “Single entry. Two floors. Bedrooms mostly on the second floor. Seven targets inside. Four adults. Husband and wife. Two attendants. Two teenage daughters. One young son. Likely unarmed. Eliminate all targets. Do it cleanly. Slice the door, no breach.”

“Slice the door? You can’t just unlock it for us?”

“No questions, corporal.”

“Right, Ma’am. I would like the holo-pad to brief the men.”

“All yours.” She said, passing it over.

“Alright boys, huddle up. Quick and easy one here.”

The troopers gathered around the holopad and started working out the order of rooms to clear.

Ghent leaned over to the other two. “I’m guessing that the internal sensors and alarms aren’t going to notice all the blaster fire.”

“Unscheduled urgent maintenance.” Agent Bastra replied. “And I have an agent on the bridge to address any concerns there should they arise.”

“Exactly how many agents do you have aboard?” Ghent asked.

“Five that you know of.”

“That’s not particularly re-assuring.”

The corporal walked back over with his helmet back on. “Ready when you are, Ma’am.”

Captain Gandala nodded. “Proceed, Corporal.”

“Right. Starfell, slice the door. Everybody else line up as planned.”

“Yea Boss” She said and pulled out some tools from her belt.

All the troopers gathered around the door in a tight huddle. Starfell twisted the tools a bit. The door rapidly slipped open.

“Go, go, go!”

“Clear!”

“Clear!”

“Team two moving upstairs.”

The voices got a bit quieter as the squad moved further into the suite. Soon the sound of blasters began and a scream. Then the sound of smashing furniture. Broken glass. A few more screams.

“One got away!”

“Grab him!”

The young boy, Marek, rushed out of the door to the suite and started running down the hallway. A blaster bolt landed on his back and dropped him.

One of the troopers rushed out of the suite and looked down the hall at the boy. “Sorry, Captain. Glad you guys got him.” He then walked over, grabbed the body by the foot, and dragged it along the floor back into the suite.

Commander Ghent’s went pale and his arm, outstretched and holding his blaster, started shaking. His face showed his shock with himself.

“Quick reflexes, Commander.” Bastra said with a smile. Then she turned to see his look of horror. “First time shooting a child? It gets easier.”

Captain Gandala reached over to Ghent and slowly pulled his arm down. “Commander, why don’t you take the next shift off to rest a little. Have some drinks. Grab a crewman. Take your mind off things. Agent Bastra?”

“I have a pair of agents waiting to disintegrate the bodies and clean up any mess inside. It’s all covered.”

“Excellent.” Gandala replied. “I’ll have operations send a ration of booze to our squad. And a few bottles for you, Commander. You’ll feel better by morning. You’ll still hate yourself but you get used to hating yourself.”

Some time later, Commander Ghent sat in his quarters staring into nothing. Beside him was a full glass and an empty bottle. His uniform jacked was open with some small stains from spilled drinks. A chirp came from the door letting him know that a guest had arrived. He tapped a button on his desk and the door slid open. A officer with ensign’s bars walked in and saluted him.

“Ensign Asto, reporting, Sir.”

“At ease, Ensign. You’re in navigation?”

“Yes, sir. Astral analysis, second watch.”

“I ranked up in navigation. Stationed in Astral analysis too. What’s your favourite star chart?”

“Sir, I wrote my academy thesis on observation of Coruscant from the Hosnian System.”

“From Hosnian? That skirts up against the galactic core. How did you pull it off?”

“Many algorithms to filter out stellar noise and very tight bandwidth observations. Also, Sir, thank you for this opportunity. I will exceed your expectations.”

“Expectations?”

“Called to the XO’s quarters in the middle of the third watch?” She said. “My brother made sergeant this way.”

Commander Ghent paused to consider how many of his personal norms he would be violating in one day.

“What’s your first name, Ensign?”

“Lara. Lara Asto.”

“Lara, tell me all about your observations on the Hosnian system. And take off your service jacket while you do it.”