The Starship Graveyard

The story begins inside an Imperial-class Star Destroyer, specifically its mess hall, where several Imperial officers are having a meal. The main character, an Imperial gunner, is impressed by the structured and orderly nature of the Empire. While he and a fellow gunner are discussing his shooting abilities, their meal is disrupted by a Starhawk-class battleship from the New Republic ramming into their Star Destroyer. The Star Destroyer becomes involved in a space battle above the planet Jakku against "rebel" forces.

The officer finds the disciplined ranks of stormtroopers admirable. He puts on his Imperial gunner's helmet and takes his place at a laser cannon, determined to defend the Emperor Palpatine's New Order. The Imperial gunners struggle to target the New Republic starfighters because they are attacking from the Star Destroyer's vulnerable spots. As the combat intensifies, the Imperial gunners are psychologically attacked by hologram projections of Luke Skywalker, whom the protagonist views as a highly dangerous Jedi criminal. This tactic undermines the morale of the Imperial crew.

As the Star Destroyer's deflector shields fail and the hull is breached, the Imperial gunner and his comrades escape in escape pods. The Imperials have come to believe that Skywalker possesses the ability to destroy Star Destroyers. The Imperial gunner's escape pod crashes on Jakku, a desert planet. When he wakes up, he notices that his legs are in splints. He then witnesses his Star Destroyer falling from the sky and crashing into the desert sands.

Soon after, the gunner is approached by a cloaked person who advises him to stay still because his legs are broken. This stranger was the one who put the splints on his legs. When the gunner inquires about the stranger's identity, the cloaked figure responds that he was the only survivor in the escape pod. As the cloaked figure pulls him along on a makeshift sled, the gunner expresses his gratitude and asks to be taken to an Imperial Navy base. The cloaked stranger reveals that he has no affection for the Empire, which makes the gunner suspect that he is a rebel. The gunner is bothered by the stranger's asymmetrical smile, which he considers unattractive.

When the gunner questions the stranger's intentions, the stranger explains that they need company in the desert. The gunner travels with the man for what seems like several days, and he begins to think they are just going around in circles. The gunner is disturbed by nightmares of being subjected to torture by rebels, but the cloaked stranger assures him that he is just feverish and encourages him to eat the last of their rations.

While searching through the wreckage for salvageable items, the cloaked stranger quickly pulls the man behind a piece of debris. The gunner assumes that the stranger intends to harm him, but it turns out that the stranger was protecting him from an approaching sandstorm. The stranger mentions that he grew up in a desert but that the sandstorms there were not as severe as the ones on Jakku.

The cloaked stranger guides the Imperial gunner to a fortified location inhabited by scavengers and scattered Imperial personnel. Despite his craving for nutrient cubes, the hungry gunner eats a drumstick. Suddenly, a powerful explosion is heard by everyone. The cloaked stranger carries the injured gunner on his back. Outside, they see that the Star Destroyer has been destroyed by a reactor explosion, resulting in a river of molten glass flowing across the desert toward the Imperial stronghold. The gunner suggests that they should remain where they are because the walls are very deep.

The other scavengers and Imperials disagree, arguing that the walls will not hold for long. While the Imperial officer struggles with his fear, the stranger fashions some makeshift footwear. By using the Force, the man is able to walk on the surface of the molten glass lake. As a consequence, the gunner deduces that the man is a Skywalker. The other scavengers and Imperials are hesitant to follow the cloaked man across the molten glass lake, suspecting that he is trying to kill them and steal their belongings.

The cloaked man understands their fears but insists that there is no other option. Despite their doubts, the cloaked man urges them to trust him. The gunner realizes that the man is the Jedi Luke Skywalker and persuades the others to place their faith in him. Skywalker employs the Force to shield the scavengers and Imperials as they follow him across the liquid glass lake. They also create makeshift shoes. Skywalker's abilities protect the travelers from danger.

After Skywalker guides the travelers to safety, the gunner expresses his gratitude for Skywalker's quick thinking in saving them. Skywalker also provides the gunner with an Imperial homing beacon so that he can reconnect with his Imperial comrades. The gunner inquires whether Skywalker is affiliated with the Rebellion. Before departing, he asks Skywalker if he truly is Skywalker, but the Jedi simply walks away into the desert. The gunner begins to believe that they are all Luke Skywalker.

Thanks to the signal from the beacon, the Imperial Army found the Imperial gunner. However, he was treated as a deserter and traitor and was subjected to interrogation. He is tortured by an IT-O Interrogation Unit. The gunner comes to the realization that the Empire was responsible for torture and horrific mental probes as a means of applying pressure. His Imperial Navy interrogator refuses to believe his claim that Skywalker was present on Jakku.

The enraged gunner manages to break free from his restraints and attacks the IT-O Interrogation Unit, knocking it to the ground and destroying it. He picks up one of the droid's needles and stabs the Imperial interrogator, who accuses him of being a rebel. The gunner retorts that they are all Luke Skywalker.