[b] "30 minutes to drop. Prepare to board drop pods on the red light mark..."[/b]

Private Kal Vonden of the Republic Army felt the words go in one ear, then out the other. He stood by the side of the armory, clad in his suit of armor minus a sturdy helmet which was rested on a nearby table. The soldier's eyes were upon his sniper rifle as he gently cleaned it, handling the weapon like a prized artifact. It was his closest companion, a silent friend. Kal swirled an old rag around the midsection, then towards the front of the scoped blaster rifle. To anyone else, the weapon looked almost brand new, but this procedure was routine for the sharpshooter. He'd done it many times before.

Internally, his mind shifted through different thoughts. The Jedi around him, an unfamiliar concept to the enlisted military man. His mother had told him of the Jedi in his childhood, brave yet peaceful warriors that used 'the Force' to aid them in their missions of good across the galaxy. Kal had never asked her why she seemed to speak so highly of Jedi, perhaps she was just entertaining his young mind with old fables, or she had personally seen them. Now it was just one of the many things he'd never be able to say to her. Mom and dad were gone, he never even got to bury them.

Kal thought back to a recent dream, he rarely slept a normal schedule since his enlistment, more so since the death of his parents. His hand stopped moving along his trusted weapon as his mind swirled. 
[hr]
He was back on Corsin, the beautiful jewel of its star system. He was standing on the beach, the same one Kal had ran across dozens of times in his younger days. He was barefoot, each step forward he felt the pebbles of sand shift underneath his footsteps. The sounds of his homeworld hit him like the thumping club music of Coruscant, birds chirping peacefully in the blue skies above him, waves gently crashing into the shores and the laughter behind him, his parents' as they stood outside his childhood home. Tall trees of green spread around it like walls of vegetation.

Kal stared into the crystal clear waters which surrounded the large island he lived on. The seas of blue rocked peacefully as gusts of wind blew the ocean's scents towards land. Nature seemed to sing deafly around him, tall grass swayed in the breeze. It was a picturesque summer's day, not a single cloud in the sky as the sun beat gently down upon him. He practically shivered as his head went through the dream. He turned towards his parents, smiles upon their faces as they waved towards him. The image struck him as something to be found in a tourist's pamphlet, encouraging people to visit the world. 

Then it all changed.

The skies filled with grey clouds, the gentle gusts turned to howls. The heat of the sand under him rose, almost burning his skin. The oceans ran red as all the land's vegetation was as grey as the sky. Waves slammed into the shores, exploding like bombs. The birds above had been replaced with hulking Mandalorian ships, as they flew with terrifying screams. His home had been burnt the ground, the trees around it filled with flames in place of leaves. Kal's parents were gone, in their place only ash which was swept with the powerful winds. 

He remembered waking in a cold sweat as reality returned.
[hr]
Kal nearly dropped his rifle, one of his hands clenched into a shaking fist. He remembered his hatred for the Mandalorians, how so many others must have felt the same way. Then he breathed deeply, as the calm, cool Kal was once more in control. Dreams were not to be taken seriously. His grief filled mind was playing tricks on him. 

Once more he resumed the ritualistic cleaning of his sniper rifle.