FF:QLD The climb.

Yeah I know, probably lots of errors, this was just something I typed on the fly and posted.










The time between blaster shots was much longer now. I could still hear the echoes of the blasters from this high up. On the occasion that I turned back to look down at the village, I could see the flash of blue from their blasters in the dimming light. The plumes of smoke rising from the once picturesque houses and shops rose up the caldera and into the sky, before the winds pushed them away to the south.

I continued to climb, wondering if my escape from the village was going to succeed. Would I reach the hanger unnoticed? Would I be able to get my ship out and away from this planet without their ARC170s in pursuit? Had anyone else in the three hundred strong village survived? Were they all being killed?

What had they done wrong? What had the residents of Tas Espel done to deserve an attack from an elite corps of Clone Troopers? They were a quiet village on a quiet planet on a quiet part of the outer rim. The planet was mostly neutral, but allied to the Republic. Tas Espel was even a sactuary for Jedi fighting in the Clone Wars. There were many occasions where Jedi Knights took leave from their Clone Trooper armies to meditate, recuperate from physical or mental injury, and rediscover their bond with the force.

For some reason, the natural way of the Force had some focal point here in Tas Espel. A Jedi could feel and bond with the force with a greater ease here, even Master Windu had spent some days here in the previous year. To many of the residents of Tas Espel, and the general population of the planet, the village was merely a town built in the caldera of an extinct Volcano. I didn't really give it much thought, I was never really into the Jedi or the Force, although I was a liason consultant between the Jedi and the Village Council. There weren't really any other visitors, for I was meant to liase with those as well. Which I hadn't done in a full year.

As soon as the Village came under attack, the Council tried to resolve the situation with the Rebublic Soldiers and their Commanding Officers, but were the first to be killed. There was no defense, there had been no need to defend this place. The Federation was nowhere near here, and it was now obvious that the Clone Troopers weren't after Federation Forces. They were eliminating the entire Village. Even now, the Troopers were hunting down those in hiding and executing them, for what reason I had no idea.

I couldn't think clearly, for there were friends down in Tas Espel who were either dead or about to be found...and killed. The Troopers had no Jedi with them, and were operating in too callous a manner to be upholding the ideals of the Republic. Were they a rouge element? Were they after a Jedi who had dishonoured the Order? No, Jedi Knights or Masters would be sent to arrest any rogue Jedi. There would be no reason for the execution of the entire village...

The Cruisers in orbit could have levelled Tas Espel in a few minutes. They must have been looking for something, or someone. After the execution of the Village Council, most people began to look after themselves, to hide or run as best they could. I only escaped the Troopers by playing dead, twice, and then running up into the hills that made the Caldera of the Volcano. There was no reason for me to return to Tas Espel, with the dozens of Troopers down there killing everyone. My posessions would be discovered, but in the chaos would they know who they had killed? Who was beyond...recognition?

Tears welled in my eyes as I thought this over. I was being so subjective, I had came to Tas Espel to avoid the War, to avoid the carnage, the death. I wasn't anyone special before I came here, but my homeworld had been one of the first fought over in the Clone Wars. I had felt...safe, here. Back then I had left the loss of life affect me, and now, I was upset, but not overcome. I had to escape.

I was almost at the top of the Caldera, near the rim of the Volcano, when night fell. I c