"Trooper," a comic book story, initially graced the pages of Star Wars Tales 10 and later found its place in the collection Star Wars Tales Volume 3. Garth Ennis penned the story, John McCrea provided the artwork, Brad Anderson handled the colors, and Steve Dutro was responsible for the lettering.
The narrative unfolds through the eyes of an unnamed stormtrooper belonging to the 501st Legion, who participates in the boarding of the Tantive IV during the opening sequence of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope.
Within the confines of an Imperial Star Destroyer's loading bay, a stormtrooper silently hopes to avoid leading the imminent boarding party. The prevailing theory suggests that the explosion upon breaching the door should startle the defenders, granting the attackers a crucial element of surprise. However, the trooper's experience paints a different picture: in every similar mission he's undertaken, the first trooper through the doorway inevitably becomes the first casualty.
His thoughts drift back to his early years on Greater Marianas, a remote, underdeveloped planet plagued by relentless dust storms. His father, a hunter eking out a meager existence by selling animal hides, instilled in him the importance of freedom. The young man grew weary of the dust, the nomadic lifestyle, and his father's constant lectures on the supreme value of freedom and the abhorrence of its deprivation.
One fateful day, an Imperial landing party arrived, declaring the planet under Imperial "protection." The young man's father voiced his opposition, resulting in his summary execution by a stormtrooper. "Pa had the freedom he was born with; the other guy had a blaster." Perceiving an escape from his former life, the young man pleaded with the Imperials to take him along. The commanding officer stipulated that he must first prove his loyalty to the Empire by executing a random member of the gathered crowd. The young man complied. "To me, it wasn't evil. It was nothing more than common sense. A way off Greater Marianas."
The trooper then reflects upon the harsh and dehumanizing training he endured to become a stormtrooper: a regimen that demanded he kill fellow recruits, or face death in training, all designed to strip him of his individuality and instill unwavering obedience to orders, prioritizing victory above all else, even his own survival.
Returning to the present, the entire unit stands motionless as Darth Vader materializes, warning the Sergeant that his men must be prepared for the task ahead. The Sergeant, visibly shaken, assures Lord Vader of their readiness. The trooper overhears the soldier behind him losing control of his bowels, "and I curse the day I ever joined the Empire."
He again reflects on his life as a trooper, how he grew numb to the deaths of his comrades and the atrocities he was ordered to commit, but his thoughts are interrupted as the Sergeant selects him to lead the charge.
As the boarding party braces for action, the trooper silently prays, vowing that should he survive the next few moments, he will desert at the earliest opportunity and abandon the Empire; perhaps he will even align himself with the Rebellion, but his primary goal is to reclaim his freedom.
When the door explodes inward, the trooper is taken aback when the theory proves correct: the defenders hesitate, granting him the split-second advantage he needs to enter, and the first shot strikes the helmet of the Sergeant following closely behind. As he advances down the corridor, engaging the rebels with his blaster, he exults in his survival, resolving to fulfill his pledge as soon as the mission concludes.
Following the ship's capture, Vader learns that the Death Star plans are not stored within the ship's main computer. The trooper silently observes as Vader interrogates and then murders the ship's captain. "Seen that a thousand times before. Never seen it fail."
While searching the ship for passengers, "the most beautiful girl I've ever seen shoots me in the face." He collapses and begins to feel cold, a troubling sign given the consistently warm temperature maintained within starships.
As his fellow troopers subdue her with stun blasts, his vision fades into darkness. His final sensation is hearing his squadmate remark, "she'll be all right." His concluding thought is, "But I won't."