Hours passed, and the ship became hot. Sweat dripped from Luke’s brow and those of the others. Every now and then, a Trooper would start to whisper, only to be shushed back to silence. There would be no waste of oxygen, not when all of their lives were at stake.
The most important life, that of Timothy, still hung in the balance. His chest heaving back and forth with each breath, bringing at least some solace to the others. They all knew that certain death awaited, even upon rescue, for abandonment of their positions if he did not make it.
Luke thought back to all the decisions that had brought him to this point. It had never been his intention to become a Trooper, and cannon fodder for the Empire. His father had become bedridden an orbit previously, and someone had to bring in the money to look after his three siblings.
At least the family will be compensated if I die.
Then his thoughts turned to Timothy. This was a man he could follow. Not one of the many incompetent commanders, he had heard about. Somebody worth dying for.
John has been cracking him up since they first met. And then there is Lisa.
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