Han followed my gaze to the unconscious stormtroopers and let out a long sigh. "You've gotta be kidding me."
Luke was already moving, crouching beside one of the fallen troopers and unclipping the helmet from his armour. "It's perfect," he said. "We walk right in, no one will question us."
Han muttered something under his breath but started pulling on one of the stormtroopers' gloves. "I hate this plan already."
Chewbacca growled lowly, and Han shot him a look. "Yeah, yeah, I know, buddy. Just play along."
I knelt down and grabbed a set of armour for myself. The plastoid plating was heavier than I expected, and the helmet smelled like sweat and metal. As I snapped it on, my voice came out muffled. "This is ridiculous."
Luke grinned, adjusting his own chest plate. "But it'll work."
Han straightened, now fully dressed in the white Imperial armour. "Alright, so what's the plan, genius?"
Luke turned to R2. "Can you pinpoint her exact location?"
R2 beeped affirmatively and displayed a small holographic map. C-3PO translated, "She is being held in Detention Block AA-23. It appears to be heavily guarded."
Han shook his head. "Great. Just great. So, we march in there, pretend we're stormtroopers, and hope no one asks questions?"
I tightened my grip on my stolen blaster. "We'll need a cover story."
Han smirked and gestured to Chewie. "Well, we do have a Wookiee prisoner."
Chewbacca let out a deep growl, shaking his head in clear disapproval.
"Relax, pal. It's just for show." Han nudged Luke. "See? I do come up with good ideas."
Luke ignored him and looked at me. "Kai, you okay?"
I realized my hands had clenched into fists. That feeling in the Force—the dark presence I had sensed earlier—was still there, pressing at the edges of my mind. I didn't know if it was coming from the detention block or somewhere else, but something was waiting for us.
"I'm fine," I said quickly. "Let's get moving before someone finds these guys."
Han clapped his gloved hands together. "Right. Time to make an impression."
Chewbacca let out another low growl as we moved into formation—Luke and I as disguised stormtroopers, Han leading the "prisoner," and R2 and 3PO hanging back to avoid suspicion.
We stepped out into the corridor, our stolen armor clanking with every step. The dull hum of the Death Star's machinery filled the space around us. As we moved closer to the detention block, my unease deepened. The dark presence was growing stronger.
And somehow, I knew it was waiting for me.
The cramped access lift jolted to life with a sudden lurch, the metallic clang echoing through the small chamber. Luke, clad in the bright white of stormtrooper armour, tightened his grip on the rail as we descended towards the detention level. Han stood beside me, fingers flexed nervously around his blaster, while Chewbacca muttered something that sounded distinctly discontented.
"Is this even going to work?" Han broke the silence, glancing at me skepticaly through the visor of his helmet. "I mean, we're just a bunch of regulars trying to pull off a stormtrooper heist on a heavily guarded Imperial station. Doesn't sound like a solid plan to me."
Luke shrugged, his eyes fixed on the display panel lighting up in front of us. "What's the alternative? Storming in and starting a blaster fight? I thought we wanted to stay unobserved."
I nodded, still feeling that chill of dark energy swirling around us. "He has a point, Luke. There's more at stake here than just getting inside. We need stealth."
"Stealth?" Han laughed, breaking into a guffaw that echoed absurdly in the lift. "We're dressed as stormtroopers, and we look about as incognito as a couple of neon signs in a blackout. If anyone bothers to look our way, they're bound to figure us out."
"Maybe they won't," Luke offered, a note of optimism creeping into his voice. "Stormtroopers are known for not noticing anything. Isn't that part of their training?"
"There's a difference between not noticing and outright shooting the wrong people," Han shot back, his eyes squinting skepticaly beneath the helmet. "If we run into another squad of stormtroopers—"
"They'll think we're on a routine patrol," Luke insisted, raising his voice over Han's grumbles. "All we need is a good cover story."
"Yeah? Like what? 'Excuse me, sir, we were just taking a Wookiee to the detention block for a routine interrogation; please carry on with your regular, totally normal day'? Seriously?"
Chewbacca growled louder, clearly irked by the notion of being a prisoner, and Han threw his hands up in exasperation before lowering his voice again. "Look, I love a good scheme as much as the next guy, but this could end with us blasting our way out of here, and I don't fancy being on the receiving end of a fleet of laser blasts."
"Don't be such a negative nerf-herder," I interjected, trying to keep the mood light, though my unease hadn't faded. "We'll just have to make sure to act the part. Trust me, as long as we stick to the plan, we'll be fine."
"With that kind of confidence, we'll definitely end up as space dust," Han replied, rolling his eyes theatrically. "But fine, since we're apparently all in, let's just channel our inner Imperial foot soldiers and pretend this entire mess is foolproof, shall we?"
The lift slowed, its whirring decibel dropping as we approached the designated floor. My heart raced, matching the rhythm of the vibro-beats of the machinery surrounding us. Each second felt more charged as the dark presence beckoned at my intuition.
"Remember," I said, trying to ground myself amidst the tension. "Keep it casual. We're just stormtroopers on a routine patrol."
"Right," Han muttered, flexing his fingers on the blaster grip. "Nothing erratic. Just a bunch of guys heading to work. No need to act suspicious..."
The doors slid open with a hiss, revealing a long corridor dimly lit, with blaster turrets mounted above, scanning the hall with relentless precision. The weight of my stolen gear felt heavier with the pulse of the Force, layered beneath the surface.
"Now, walk like you own the place," Luke commanded, stepping forward resolutely, and we followed his lead.
As we moved into the corridor, I could feel that dark presence shift, coiling tighter, threatening to suffocate me with its intensity. A surge of energy surged within, and I knew whatever was waiting for us ahead was closer than I had anticipated.
"Act natural," I whispered to Han, who shot me a sidelong glance that screamed his skepticism.
Suddenly, as we walked, the echoing steps of a patrol approached, and we froze, teetering on the brink of panic. The moment hung, a breathless pause before the stormtroopers would pass… and then, I realized something.
Whatever was waiting for us in that detention block, it was far more than just a rescue mission. This was a test—a tipping point where destinies entwined and darkness rose to meet us, confronting our very spirits.
No turning back now.