8

Ok, here's a Star Wars (original trilogy) and RWBY crossover. In case the summary doesn't work out well enough for my tastes, I'll leave it here.

With the destruction of the second Death Star, combined with the deaths of the Emperor and Darth Vader, the Empire is in shambles. Now with next to nothing holding them back, many Imperial troops deserted from the Empire and went home. One division of elite Imperials, however, know that should the Empire return and defeat the Rebel Alliance, they will be hunted down for their desertion. To avoid that possibility, these soldiers searched for a planet to call their own. After a few desperate weeks of searching for a suitable new homeworld, they finally found a promising world.

Through the black seas of space, a single Imperial Star Destroyer drifted alone. From the bridge of the imposing ship, the captain overlooked the surprising number of men and women it took to simply make it go. An officer approached the captain and saluted him.

"At ease, officer. There's no need for that. We're not officially part of a military anymore." the captain said.

"Sorry, Captain. Old habits die hard. There is a reason you're still the leader here, sir." the officer replied.

"Fair enough. What did you have to tell me, Tray?" the captain asked.

"Our deep-space scans have finally come back with results that…well, they weren't negative for once." the officer named Tray replied.

The captain turned around to fully face Tray. "Truly?"

"Yes, sir. This datapad has all of our scans." Tray answered, handing over a datapad. The captain took the datapad and looked it over, taking careful note of the details.

Hmm…This world might actually work. Ideal atmosphere, natural resources a-plenty, and little to no levels of known pollutants. Only thing is that some strong energy signatures show that we probably won't be the only people there. As long as we can avoid the natives, there shouldn't be any problems. the captain thought as he read the report.

"Sir?"

The captain looked up from the datapad and handed it back to Tray. "Let's hope that the people there are friendly, or at least not hostile on sight."

Tray nodded and turned off the datapad. "What are your orders, sir?"

"Prepare a survey team to retrieve more details about this world." the captain ordered.

"A survey team, sir? The scans speak for themselves in that this planet is perfect to start a new colony for ex-Empire like us. Why would we need to gather more intel?" Tray asked.

"Something about that world feels different, somehow. I don't want to devote all of our manpower to a planet that may prove to be hazardous. Besides, there are things that personal experience can say that scans never could."

"I see…I think." Tray muttered. "I'll have a survey team ready to go." he added, saluting and turning away to leave.

"Tray." the captain said.

Tray froze in his tracks and turned back around. "Sir?"

"I want you in charge of the survey team."

"Me, sir? I was newly assigned here before the Emperor was killed. I don't think there's much I could do to benefit them."

"Your record says otherwise. Before you were drafted, you were quite the budding diplomat; and you stood out as a leader at the Academy, as well as during your previous post on Mandalore" the captain retorted.

"I…Yes, sir. I'll gather a team for when we arrive at the planet." Tray said, turning back around and leaving the bridge.

The captain looked out into space and thought, I only hope that the Alliance doesn't come looking for us. It's almost ironic that after our galaxy-wide hunt for them, the hunters have so suddenly become the hunted.

Two hours passed and an officer approached the captain. "Sir, Lieutenant Tray and his survey team are ready to depart. Shall I give them clearance?"

"Do it."

"At once, sir." the officer said. He walked back to his station and said, "Ensign, you and your team for clear to commence your mission."

"Thank you." Tray's voice announced over the comm.

"Do it." Tray said to the pilots of the Lambda shuttle he and his team were on.

The pilots nodded and started to take off. The shuttle left the lone Star Destroyer and flew a good way from it. "Ensign, we're in range of hyperspace."

"Good. Enter it as soon as possible."

"At once."

Tray watched as the pilots went through the final preparations for hyperspace travel. A few seconds later, the familiar blue lines of entering hyperspace were seen, and the shuttle shot forward into space. "Jump successful. Setting autopilot on. You can all release your restraints back there." the pilot announced, leaning back turn turning his chair around.

"Good job, Shejas," Tray complimented. "I could never fly a ship."

"That's because you didn't try hard enough in the Academy." Shejas replied.

"That, and I still hate flying ships."

Shejas snorted and said, "I don't think you could last a year off a ship now."

"I'll manage."

Shejas shook his head with a smile and said, "Well, I won't keep ya. I know you gathered this team and all, but from what I saw, not everyone knows each other."

"That tends to happen when you pick up other ex-Imperials." Tray answered.

"Better to not be an Imperial anymore. It would make sense that we keep the Star Destroyer though. We could use it for more than just fighting."

"I thought you said you weren't going to keep me?" Tray quipped.

"Oh. Sorry." Shejas said, his head slightly bowing in embarrassment.

"It's fine." Tray said, standing up from his chair to leave the cockpit.

Shejas turned his chair back around to look into hyperspace. He looked over his shoulder and said, "I'll be here…flying the ship."

"I bet you will, autopilot." Tray jokingly called out as the cockpit door closed behind him. A ghost of a smile on his face, Tray realized that almost the whole survey team was staring at him. He straightened up and said, "Uh…Hello there."

The team still stared at him.

"I…suppose some proper introductions are in order" he suggested, looking over the team.

After more staring and silence, Tray took a quick breath. Tough crowd. "I guess I'll start. I'm Lieutenant Tray, and I was put in charge of this team."

"Pfft."

Tray ignored the scoff and continued with his introduction. "I was born on Dantooine, but I grew up on Coruscant."

"Aww."

Tray closed his eyes for a second but quickly opened them again. Looks like we have a smart-ass in the team. Why would there not be a smart-ass?

"I was originally going to become a diplomat for the Imperial Senate before it was disbanded by the Emperor and I was forced into the Academy."

"That's cute."

"Okay…who's doing that?" Tray asked.

In almost an instant, one hand went up. Tray looked at the offender to see a man that didn't seem much older than him with a smug grin on his face.

"And you are…?" Tray asked.

"Trio. Don't ask." the man answered.

"I wasn't going to."

"Good. Most people who ask me regret it."

"If you have some sort of problem with me, you could at least tell me why."

"That's the problem. All you officers do is talk, talk and talk. No spine. No action behind your words. Back in the Empire, you had your precious benefit of rank. Not anymore. You have no more authority over me, just as I have no authority over you."

"Well, Trio, I was put in charge of the mission."

"I know. That's the only reason I haven't knocked you flat on the ground by now." Trio snapped. His smiled grew more cruel and said, "I have to say though; the fact that you approached me for this mission in the first place interested me. I'd have to say you're one of the few people on that ship who talked to me normally"

"Trio, I don't mind your 'tough guy' routine, but it will not be an issue to turn this shuttle around and drop you off back at the Equinox." Tray replied.

"It's like I said, you're in charge, and I'll give the minimum respect for being the leader. I'll follow your orders, but I will be more than happy to tell you if I don't like them."

Tray nodded and said, "Always good to have a moral compass."

Trio turned his head away and snorted.

A stormtrooper put a stern hand on Trio's shoulder and looked at Tray. "You'll have to forgive my cousin. He's been obsessed with the Mandalorians since he was fifteen years old. The fact that he was saved by one a few months ago certainly hasn't helped."

Tray couldn't see it, but he almost felt a glare through Trio's helmet directed at the stormtrooper. "I see," he said. He cleared his throat and continued. "Since Trio was so willing to start talking, how about he be the next one to introduce himself?"

Trio's glare moved from his cousin to Tray. "You know enough about me. If you want to know what I do. I'm a heavy trooper. I'll be the one distracting everything with this electrostaff, letting you have a distracted target to kill."

At this point, a few of the other soldiers backed up when Trio pulled the staff from off of his back.

"What? It won't hurt anyone. It's not on."

Tray and the rest of the team stared at Trio. "…Right. I guess introductions were probably not a good idea. Let's just go with names and our roles."

Trio's cousin spoke up and said, "I'm Taddrei, and I just have this E-11 and some thermal detonators."

The team then went to make their introductions. The team consisted of five stormtroopers—Taddrei, Manrica, Soltrev, Brenver, and Renbra—Trio, a heavy trooper, a medic named Katlin, and a few scientists and engineers.

With introductions out of the way, Tray cleared his throat and said, "I'm sure that you all know what we're here for, so I don't think a briefing is necessary. You're dismissed." With their dismissal, the team relaxed and tried to get some space in the shuttle.

Tray went back to the cockpit and sat down in the co-pilot's chair. "So how'd it go?" Shejas asked.

"Everyone is mostly normal."

"Mostly?"

"Yeah. A heavy trooper named Trio doesn't like officers. If I wasn't told otherwise by his cousin Taddrei, I'd think he was once a Mandalorian."

"Ouch…You know, I can easily turn this shuttle around and drop him off back at the Equinox if you want me to."

"I already told him about that. He said he'll follow orders, but he'll be happy to tell me if he doesn't like it." Tray replied, staring out at hyperspace.

Shejas nodded and kicked his feet up on the dashboard. "Hyperspace is surprisingly soothing to stare out into, ya know?"

"It is."

Shejas pulled his feet off the dashboard, turned his chair to face Tray and said, "It's amazing to think about. As we've spoken, we've sped past who knows how many planets, asteroids, and moons…And we take this technology for granted."

"Yes, we do take it for granted. We have the ability to do so, so why not use it?" Tray commented.

Tray and Shejas stared out of the cockpit for the next few hours, with idle conversation between the two friends. If one were to look at the two, it would be odd to see an Imperial officer being so friendly toward a Zabrak. A quiet alert went off, making Shejas look over it and say, "We're already coming up on the planet? That can't be right."

Tray tapped on a few buttons where he was, pulling up the nav-computer. "Hmm…It says we're almost there."

"But the computer said we wouldn't be there until a few more hours." Shejas protested.

"Computers have done stuff like this before."

"If you say so."

The Lambda shuttle continued its trip through hyperspace until it reached the system of the potential new home for the Equinox's crew. The shuttle came out of hyperspace and Shejas pushed a button for the ship's comm. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are now in the system of that world we were sent to. If you need to make any last minute preparations, I'd do it now."

The shuttle flew to the planet, and the first thing that Tray noticed was the moon. He and Shejas exchanged looks before looking back at the moon. "Wonder what happened." the Zabrak muttered.

"Too many possibilities to narrow it down. I bet the scientists will have a field day trying to figure it out though." Tray replied.

"Alright, well, we're almost there. You should probably go lead your team." Shejas said, tilting his head to the door behind them."

"Yeah. Talk to you later, Shejas." Tray said, standing up and leaving the cockpit. Tray gathered the soldiers in his team and looked at Trio.

The Mandalorian-wannabe smirked before putting on his helmet. "I'm ready to kick ass. Don't get in my way."

Shejas' voice rang over the ship's comm. "Lieutenant, there's a forest not too far from what looks like a city. Do you want me to try making contact with the city, or to land in the forest?"

"Land in the forest, Shejas. We don't know how the people here would react to seeing an Imperial shuttle."

"Alright. I'll see if I can find a clearing as close to the city as I can."

Taddrei looked out of a small window from behind the shuttle and said, "Sir! You'll want to see this!"

Tray quickly walked to the back of the shuttle and looked out of the window that Taddrei pointed out. "…What is that thing?"

"I don't know. It looks like a bird…A really, really big bird."

"It looks big enough to cause even the shuttle some problems," Tray mused. "Keep an eye on that bird and let me know if it makes any aggressive moves toward us."

"Yes sir."

Shejas' voice rang back over the comm. "Sir, I found a good clearing. Setting down…now."

The team quickly grabbed onto something before the familiar feeling of a ship landing on the ground slightly shook the floor. "Thank you for flying with Shejas Hyperspace Lanes. We hope you enjoyed your trip, and that you will come back to us in one piece." Shejas jokingly announced over the comm.

The loading ramp of the shuttle lowered, with the usual steam. Once the steam became safer to walk through, Tray stepped foot on the ramp. Trio noticed this and thought, Hmm…Boots first kind of person. I guess he won't be as bad as I thought.

Tray walked down the ramp, followed by the stormtroopers and Trio, with Katlin in the back. Tray pulled out a DH-17 from its holster and quickly checked to make sure that it had the right setting. "Remember, everyone: blasters set to kill unless we meet the locals."

The small group of soldiers spread out through the clearing, looking for possible signs that an animal lives in the clearing. Soltrev motioned to Tray that his part of the clearing was empty, with Taddrei, and Manrica making the same motion a few seconds later. The rest of the soldiers regrouped Tray held up a comm unit. Shejas, the area's clear. The rest of the team can come out now."

"Yes, sir."

The non-combatants of the team exited the shuttle, with the various scientists looking around in awe. "This place…It's amazing. Look at these leaves—how green they are." one of them said, picking a leaf off of a tree and examining it.

Trio rolled his eyes and said, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Green leaves! Pure air!…What's next? A huge piece of fruit?"

"On a world that's never been discovered? Who knows?" Taddrei replied.

Trio just shook his head and continued to walk around the clearing. Even if his words made him sound unimpressed, Taddrei could tell that he was a little excited about the idea of being one of the first to discover a new planet. If only he would quit acting like a typical Mandalorian and just be himself for once. he thought.

Tray watched as the scientists gathered samples of various plants and different parts of the soil. When they went back to the shuttle, Tray held up his comm. Shejas, raise the ramp. The rest of us will be heading out toward the city."

"Got it, sir. Just let me know if you need any help. This may be just a shuttle, but it has some lasers I can use to help you out."

"I'll keep that in mind," Tray said, turning off his comm. He motioned to his squad to follow him. "Trio, since you're a heavy trooper, I want you on point."

"Of course. Make the big guy lead the way." Trio quipped.

"Manrica, I want you to make sure that Katlin stays safe. Stay with her, and try to not get separated."

"Yes, sir."

"Taddrei and Soltrev, I want you two watching our right. Renbra and Brenver, you two guard our left."

With their positions worked out, the squad walked away from the clearing. As they walked through the forest, Tray couldn't help but feel that he was being watched. It's probably just animals. he thought.

In the distance, a forlorn howl reached their ears. "Heads up, people. Heads on a swivel." The group walked through the forest, not looking at anyone spot for longer than two seconds. Just before the squad began to relax, they heard a strange sound, and a voice.

"Turn back! The Empire will not be welcomed on Remnant!"

I know that this is shorter than what I usually do in my other story, but I'm planning on doing shorter, more frequent chapters for this story; and longer stuff for my other one. I still plan on continuing Shadow of Sauron, but I'm in a bit of a rut right now with where I'll be taking it. Until I work it out, you'll probably not see a whole lot of it.