Saga FINDING THE FORCE - A Clone Trooper Vignette

"Finding the Force"

One week after the Battle of Yavin, attendance at Believer?s Unity Church of the Force was probably up by 200 percent from a week prior. Fear and panic had driven those who did not previously believe in any higher power to seek out the peace and resolution that church had to offer.

Jonas Thetaman, the church?s head minister, had his sermon completely written out three nights prior to that morning, but when he walked and saw the bewildered look on every face in that huge crowd, he knew immediately that his prewritten sermon was out the window.

He needed to deliver a message that would touch the heart of every believer and nonbeliever alike.

?Friends, family, welcomed guests, good morning. Let us first take a moment of silence in remembrance of all those loved ones we lost just a few days ago on Alderaan and over the skies of Yavin.?

The church fell dead silent, and that silence drove many attendees to tears as they thought about the many soldiers and civilians who died tragically in the past week.

Jonas took a deep breath, and began his brand new sermon.

?Some would say these are dark times. But they are wrong. Some would say, there is no hope for the future. But they are wrong. Some would say, war and death is eternal. But they too are wrong.?

The inspirational speaker could see many people holding hands with the stranger sitting next to them, a comradery that he had not seen in ages.

?I am here to tell you today ladies and gentlemen, that the times we live in are extraordinary, and the recent destruction of the Empire?s enormous killing machine should serve as a beacon of hope to all those would think there is no hope. And I am here to tell you, that through a firm belief in the Force, there can be everlasting peace and tranquility.?

Jonas paused for a moment, closed his eyes, and looked down to the ground before continuing.

?These are not the darkest of times. Darkness fell over the galaxy over twenty years ago, and only recently has light begun to shine through the shroud of darkness.?

He paused again, thinking about where to start.

?Let me tell you a story which has never been told. Let me tell you a story which many would not even care to hear, for it is about a lowly foot soldier who served the Republic at the onset of the Clone Wars. As some of you may have guessed, this soldier was but a clone - a shell of a man with no identity of his own; a pawn in the universal game of war. He had no name, only a serial number: T-333.?

The crowd looked confused, but eager to hear what Jonas had to say.

?This is the story of a man that through war, found peace, and through turmoil, found hope. This is the story of how a man found the Force??

This story takes place at the Battle of Geonosis. At that time, the Confederacy had no idea the clone army even existed. In fact, many in the Republic had no idea either. It was only through the work of Generals Kenobi and Yoda that the clones became available to the Grand Army of the Republic.

En route to the planet, General Yoda briefed the clone commanders of the situation on the ground.

?A vast army of droids, the Trade Federation and Techno Union have created. Much more lethal, they are now. Inside the arena, trapped, Mace Windu and many other Jedi Knights have become. Save them, we must. Formed a perimeter around the arena, the rest of the droid army has. Destroy as many Federation and Techno Union ships as possible, we must.?

Without hesitation, the commanders replied in unison, ?Yes, sir!?

You see, some may say, the clones were born for war, and indeed they were. Bred from the genetic material of the galaxy?s most feared bounty hunter, they were genetically engineered to be killing machines. However, up until this point, they had no ?real? combat experience, only simulations and war games they had played amongst themselves. They had never before touched down on hostile ground.

T-333?s platoon was aboard a Republic gunship that had to land in the middle of th

 

Thank you very much heels!

 

This post is in Spanish when you're not looking.

 

*waves fingers* This is the vignette you are looking for.

 

That was quite a twist! I didn't expect it. I liked the way the former clone trooper referred to himself as more machine than man. It had echoes of Vader, but this man's life experiences turned him to a very different path. Very nicely done!

 

That was just great! I loved it. Echoes of Vader, but so very different in the end.

 

Thank you both very much. I'm happy to see you picked up on what I was going for there with the difference between him and Vader...didn't know if anyone would catch that. Thanks!

 

That was wonderful! You certainly are a talented writer and I know I'm always in for a treat when I click on something you wrote. I also loved the comparison and contrast between the trooper and Vader!

 

Very nice! I really appreciate stories from a unique perspective and this fit the bill quite nicely! Great work.

 

Thanks for the comments!

And VaderLVR, hopefully you'll like that Sifo-Dyas story I've been trying to work on if and when I ever actually finish it!