The universe. Such a vast and unforgiving place on the surface, but dig just a tad bit deeper, and you'll find the exact same thing. The universe is horrible, unless you know how to guide yourself through it. Luckily for you, I'm doing just that.
Day 1, Correllian Imperial Academy
My names Fallon Tryo. I'm a student here at the Imperial academy on Correlia. I just graduated basic flight school at the age of 21, the youngest person to do so. Now, I'm here to learn to fly a real ship. A Destroyer. I wasn't put here on a pilots education though. One of my teachers at basic school recommended me for Leadership, so the Empire offered me a deal: I could get through flight academy for free, if I took leadership classes too.
Needless to say, I took them up on their offer. So now I'm here, standing outside this gigantic white-marble building, and I'm thinking "is this worth it?" Only time will tell.
The entrance hall was filled with students from all around the galaxy. Correlia was one of the four major academy's. The other three being Eriadu, Uyter, and Mandalore. I spotted the desk I needed to get to, desk 3300.
"Take a form and fill it out," the lady at the desk said to me. She sounded scary, and I probably needed to fill it out to get my dorm anyway, so I did. Question time.
"Why are you applying to the Academy?" That one was easy. "To further my education and join the Empire", I wrote down. Next question.
"Have you been in or are you in a relationship with an Imperial employee?" Well jeez, that's kinda personal. And creepy. Wonder why they want to know? "No" I wrote. Oh well, next one.
"Do you agree that whatever punishment you get you deserve?" That sounds mildly threatening, but nevertheless, "Yes" I wrote. Last one.
"Parties of any kind are strictly prohibited on campus grounds. Do you agree to this?" Jokes on them. I'm never invited to parties. "Yes" I wrote.
I turned my paper in, and the lady at the desk looked over it. "It's all clear," she said. "Name?" She asked. "Fallon Grey Tryo," I replied. She wrote something on a list. "Good. Here's your key to your room. It includes access to your speeder garage, the library, the pilot lounge, and since you're on the leader program, the CIT lounge. Any questions?" She asked, while handing me a bag.
"Yeah. What's a CIT?" I asked.
"Captain in Training. Anything else?"
"Nope. Thanks," I replied with a grin.
"Good," she said, "Your room is 3336. You have your room to yourself, but it's a part of a complex that includes 4. I suggest you make friends with the residents of 3335, 3334, and 3333. Now please leave. Next!" She yelled, batting me away from the booth.
I stepped away and looked into the bag I got. I opened it up to find a key card, a lanyard, and a special badge that read "CIT". Guess they really take this leadership thing a bit serious. Underneath the CIT was a red and black Imperial logo. There was another item in the bag too. It was a pin. It had a grey and black Imperial logo with three colored stripes next to it. A blue, a grey, and a red.
I put the keycard in my lanyard, and hung my lanyard around my neck. The lanyard was blue and red. Now, the biggest question of them all.
Elevator or stairs. I opted for stairs.
What I didn't realize, was that there were only 100 rooms a floor. And I was on floor 33. 33 flights of stairs was not fun.
Once I reached my floor, I started looking for 3336. The rooms weren't organized much at all. There were 18 rooms on the side of a hall, and of course with my luck, 36 was the last room. I used my key, and opened up the place I'd be living for the next few years.
Inside was pretty much what I expected. There was a bed in the corner right next to the door. All my suitcases were piled next to the desk, which was facing the window. There were two open doors on the wall opposite the door I came into, leading into the bathroom and closet. A bookshelf stood next to the beds end table, and there was another door next to the bookshelf. I used the keycard to open it, and was amazed at what was inside.
The door led into a living room, with a gigantic holonet viewer, and four leather couches. To the back was two more rooms, one a kitchen, and the other a dining room. There were also bookshelves lining the walls, and various paintings. There were three more doors. One had a picture with two blue and grey stripes. Another had two blue and green stripes. The third was directly in front of mine, and had a blue and orange stripe. This door was already opened, and a person emerged.
"Hey man!" The guy said. He was dark skinned, with short black hair, and he was already in his light grey cadet uniform, with a pin that had the blue and orange stripe. "What's popping? Wanna tell me the deal with your door picture being all wacky?" I looked up and sure enough, mine was different.
It was blue and grey striped, like the first one I saw, but it had a third stripe, unlike the others that only had two. The third stripe was a red one.
"Um helloooo? Earth to new blood," the guy said.
"Uh, yeah. Sorry. I have no clue why mine's different. Hi, my names Fallen," I said.
The guy smiled, "Damnnnn, Fallon's a good name! I had a friend named Fallon once. Yeah we won't go over his story. My names Thaddeus, but everyone calls me Amadeus, cause I'm a whiz with machines," Thaddeus said.
"That's nice, so that's what you're here for?" I asked, "Engineering?"
"Yessir," Thaddeus said, "And to get laid. Someone on the street told me that Imperial chicks are the best." He said with a grin.
I smiled, "I'll keep that in mind."
As I said that, the third door opened, this one of the blue and green, and out walked a blonde woman. Like Thaddeus, she was wearing her cadet uniform, and like Thaddeus, she had a pin. Hers was blue and green, like her door.
"Well hello there beautiful, mind telling me why someone of your stature is doing here?" Thaddeus said with a dorky grin.
"I dunno handsome, you tell me," the girl said with a smile, batting her eyelashes too.
"Thanks for the compliment baby, but I truly don't know," Thaddeus replied back.
The woman smiled. "I'm here to learn to be a combat medic. That's what the greens for. Now what are you here for?" She asked.
"Well I'm here to be an engineer, and preppie here has no clue what he's here for," Thaddeus said to her.
She turned to me, "You don't know?!"
I sighed, "No, I don't. I didn't get the stripe handbook when I came in."
"Did you check your desk?" She asked.
I hadn't even thought of that! I ran back into my room and looked at my desk. It had a little piece of paper that said "Fallon Tryo. Blue stripe: Cadet. Grey stripe: Pilot. Red stripe: CIT. One of three CITs in class. Recommended crew is stationed in his apartment. Discretion about last half is advised."
I looked up and back at the two people watching me. The Empire wanted them to be a part of my crew one day? They already gave me a crew? What if I don't get along with them. I took the paper and saw three more underneath. The top one was of Thaddues.
"Name: Thaddues J. Elon
Recommended Staff: Engineering Head
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Height: 5:8"
It also enclosed a full list of accomplishments, but I didn't read through them. I flipped it to the next one.
It was a picture of the blonde.
"Name: Zoe K. TreVoe
Recommended Staff: Medical Head
Age: 24
Gender: Female
Height: 5:7"
It also had a list of accomplishments, I flipped to the next one though. This one had a picture of a brunette.
"Name: Kira O. Hart
Recommended Staff: First Mate
Age: 22
Gender: Female
Height: 5'9
WARNING! MAY NOT PLAY WELL WITH OTHERS. IF NOT, ASSIGN TO SANITATION"
I looked up and back at the two people in the doorway.
The Empire must really want me to be a Commander