1 Chapter One

The sand grates across his armor as it's blown across the dessert. A couple bantha rest in the sun as he walks past. The astromech rolls behind him. They reach a cave set inside a ridge. This being where they live, the man and droid walk inside. The man undoes his headscarf, revealing his face, the face of a clone trooper. His name? Phantom. Former Sgt in the Grand Army of the Republic, member of the 327th Star Corps, and commander of Gold Squadron. With his companion, R-6, he has made a life for them on Tattooine.

If his plan goes accordingly, it will be a temporary life here, for he seeks to find his brothers and runite them, or kill them if he has to. Him and his brothers shouldn't have been used the way they were, but they need to be destroyed, that is, unless they come to their senses. If they do, they can band together to form a resistance against the newly formed Galactic Empire, and justice will be served. He cannot move toward his goal with his brothers standing against him. With knowing how skillful they are, Phantom knows he can't let them be on the opposing side of the war. Because, although they stand on opposite sides, they were once family. He refuses to turn his back on them but will do what he has to, if only to do what is right for them all.

Phantom wishes this was just a horrible nightmare, that he would wake up and go back to the hangar and work on his starfighters like he always had. But the only nightmares he has, is from that day. The execution of Order 66. His beloved General was slaughtered. Killed in cold blood to serve the Sith's motives.

Chancellor Palpatine, or as he is known now, Darth Sidious, was someone whom they all placed their trust in. He exploited that to create the Empire, so you can say that Phantom is not his biggest fan.

The battle hardened clone doesn't dare dream of defeating Sidious, but hopefully he can reunite his brothers. Last he heard, a few of them became purge troopers, Bly being in command of them. The others became death troopers and stormtroopers. He hasn't seen them since Felucia and can only assume that they have changed, a lot. They might not be the same people that they used to be. His brothers could be passed the point of no return. And that's what scares him.

He makes some food, cooking steak and drinking his favorite alcoholic drink. Every time he drinks it, it reminds him of when they used to smuggle it on to the cruiser.

"Good times," he says, reminiscing in the memory. He eats and drinks his cup, then goes to bed. R-6 powers down across the cave. The fire out, the droid powered down, and Phantom in his makeshift hide bed, all is quiet.

Outside the den, a squad of death troopers are quietly sneaking up. One scopes in to see into the cave, but the cave is too deep. The leader motions to move up. The four of them creep closer to the entrance where Phantom sleeps.