armor FN-2187 could easily spot in the crowd his three friends who made up the FN Corps with him Each stormtrooper had an assigned First Order designator but when they were alone the four of them used the nicknames they’d given each other and themselves FN-2199 was Nines because he thought it sounded cool Their sniper FN-2000 called himself Zeroes because of the pure simplicity of his designator The three zeroes made him feel special and he didn’t care about the whispers that someone who called himself a zero wasn’t going to have much expected of him Zeroes liked it and he stuck with it FN-2003 didn’t get to pick his own nickname He got stuck with Slip because he was always sliding in behind everyone else Slip was a bit slower a tad clumsier and a little less studious than the rest of their fire team He tried hard but he was never quite at the same level as the rest of the group And the rest of the group was never quite at 2
the same level as FN-2187 Everyone knew that he was one of the best stormtrooper cadets ever to have come through training and next to him especially in one-on-one training most of the other cadets looked and sometimes felt more like Slip FN-2187 was strong loyal brave smart and willing to follow orders but able to make correct decisions on his own when he needed to He was clear officer material for the First Order so he had never been given a nickname and had never chosen one for himself After years of training FN-2187 had itched for some real action Like other stormtrooper cadets he’d rotated through several lower-level lower-level duties including a janitorial assignment but he hadn’t seen any real live-fire action yet Then one day their trainer and leader Captain Phasma told him that they would be deployed So FN-2187 gathered his men double-checked their gear and headed to their transport 3
Did the captain say where we’re going what we’re doing Slip asked once they were aboard and alone Of course not Zeroes said dismissively She’s not going to tell stormtroopers the Supreme Leader’s plans or General Hux’s or even her own She’s not going to ask for our opinion She’s got a job she wants done and she’s counting on us to do it Once their gear was stowed away and their helmets were off they finally had time to chat with the older stormtroopers who shared their space Fresh meat said the stormtrooper across from them Who’s who Slip puffed up proudly FN Corps Slip he pointed to himself and then around to the others Zeroes Nines and Eff-Enn-Two-One-Eight-Seven Eff-Enn-Two-One-Eight-Seven The stormtrooper looked FN-2187 in the eyes Let me guess Eff-Enn-Two-One-Eight-Seven Eff-Enn-Two-One-Eight-Seven is in charge right 4
That’s right The stormtrooper harrumphed and stared at FN-2187 No nickname You’re one of those FN-2187 looked around at the others confused One of those what The stormtrooper chuckled but there was something hard and dangerous in his laugh It wasn’t what you would call friendly An outsider cadet You’re on the outside and you’ll always be looking in and wondering why you don’t belong The rest of the stormtroopers laughed including FN-2187’s friends which only intensified the bad feeling rising in the pit of his stomach A few hours later they were marching through a mining colony called Pressy’s Tumble to restore order as Captain Phasma coldly described it to them Enemy agents were fomenting rebellion among the miners who had been unearthing a valuable ore that was crucial to the First Order’s plans So FN-2187 and his 5
