Koreena was lost in her thoughts again on the walk home. She carried a bag of spice loaf.
She wasn't stupid enough to believe that Bela Vistal would take a personal interest in her piloting talent or writing. They were grooming her for another generation on money makers and tourist pleasers. She'd go home, turn on the holoprojector and watch another episode of Cooking Corellian. Later, if she was lucky, Dark Romance would come on and she'd call it a night. One of the more popular holoseries yet to date, it featured a dark haired sort of black prince who could see into the future. His name was Artimis and it was so dreamy. Whatever. Koreena could spy the later heart break from a mile away.
She wondered how many others watched late at night, cloaking themselves from their own guilty pleasures with their eyes glued to their holograms...
...
"There is an old family story that has circulated for ages. It is rather silly," Vana Kepler took a deep breath, making the room quiet again, "A member in the family was once named after a telescope, an ancient thing, really." Sweat began to bead on the back of her neck, displaying a smile towards Lieutenant Kerrington, as he was the easiest one to look at.
She tried to look at the other one- she really had tried. It took an actual extent of concentration. The heavens above, he was a terrifying person. She wasn't quite sure if he was a person. An index finger curled above her upper lip. She saw the bars and ranks against his chest.
Koreena's father was propelling himself with all due speed, out of breath by the time he reached the front door,
"Koreena, sweetheart. There's men here. They just want to talk to you. I don't know what it is. They won't budge. All work and no play type... the Imperials. They're just... here." He shook his head.
Reality tinged the outer edges of Koreena's vision, "Imperials?" She sounded far away. Legitimate questions came. Even if she had the courage to speak, she could not explain herself. What was there to explain? Rather, what would they want to hear?
"That's a little unusual. But, they're always like this. I can just talk to them and we'll show them the way out." She shifted the bag of spice loaf into her father's hand.
At the present moment, Koreena considered running into the T-14 Skyhopper and taking off to go around Corellia, excluding the part about coming back. She didn't want to have to think, or admit that she would have to gather the courage to speak in front of them. Koreena went unaccompanied, knowing that the world was ending. Like a solider in combat, she threw her bare shoulders back and elongated her stride. If she had known her very important person status, she would have choked from laughter.
Koreena forgot to breathe and her heart didn't beat. Her cheeks were dying coals. The room inside was chilled and as a result of wearing only a thin Neo-Imperial styled bandeau, her skin rose with goosebumps. Wearing such little clothing was optimal in the sun, with sweat going everywhere.
The texture between the naked room and the gold Corellina skin was the only interesting contrast.
She felt like she was nude in a room full of mirrors. A thousand eyes all reflecting the worst, all silent judgements and imagined hostilities.
"Hopefully you weren't bored to tears, our people can be kind of long winded." Koreena glanced down at an untouched cup of tea, assuming her mother placed it there. She hooked the handle into her fingers with a girlish finesse. The pair seemed weary, sharp and intelligent. She tried to focus on the tallest one, but couldn't dare herself to meet his gaze. She focused on a fold below his neck, anchored her eyes on the symmetrical fold of the uniform. She wondered at the exaggerated magnificence of the Imperial presence enjoying tea at Kepler's Skyhopper Tours.
"Right. I'm Commander Raeder and this is Senior Lieutenant Kerrington. We're on official business in the name of the Empire." Commander Raeder studied the air of the girl.
He held the datapad and recited the words firmly, "In the name of the Imperial Government and the Emperor, you are hereby selected for the honorable and glorious duty of serving in the name of the Empire. Koreena Kepler, henceforth you are to report to Commander Aeridanus Raeder and you are to become a pilot in the grand Imperial Navy. Commander Raeder will escort you to your designation in the 235th TIE fighter squadron." Raeder paused for precious breath, "They're forcing a conscript onto us?"
Kerrington was equally as quizzical, "Mmm, seems that way, sir."
Commander Raeder folded his arms, swooping to confront Koreena, "Do you think you could impress me?"
She didn't have time to recompose herself.
She met a rather unpredictable gaze, which she believed to be beautiful. Studying the flecks of royal purple, she saw the colors cascaded like dripping, colored marble. Her lips parted open when she looked over unusual features. From the same beauty she witnessed, there was also needle pointed teeth that may or may not have eaten girls her size for breakfast. Koreena erased the image from her mind for not, but not permanently, as she did not want to let her guard down to become a breakfast delicacy.
His face and oddly tall ears haunted her vision as she focused at a familiar crack in the tiling on the floor. There was poorly disguised reluctance in his voice while his face was flushed with frustration. Commander Raeder didn't have the decency to mask it.
He saw again and again, she was to be conscripted, trained and placed under his command. He didn't want the responsibility, nor the headache of a not-so inclined underling. If she wanted to be in the Navy, she could have enlisted on her own accord.
"Sir, it appears that your penance is to be made through overseeing Miss... Miss Kepler." Kerrington quickly recalled the name so as not to be rude in her presence.
Raeder scrutinized her intensely, searching for any kind of debilitating disease or mental illness.
Koreena could only think of teeth- the motions of them gnashing on human flesh of girls was so nauseating, she hadn't realized the teacup was no longer in her hand. The good china shattered into a hundred pieces, a larger fragment landing on top of Raeder's polished boot.
Koreena granted herself the shock, both from his offensive words and alien appearance. She would remember her subsequent actions with a tinge of pride and incredulously met his gaze.
"I wouldn't be so quick to judge by appearance, if I were you." It was too late. Koreena's temper was vexed.
The Commander was lucky she dropped the teacup. It would have done a better job smashed against his face. What a shame she hadn't. Her cheeks and forehead were burning drunk with embarrassment. Inevitably, she casted off an abundance of problems to her weary mother, who pretended not to hear the good china break. That was the least of their problems.
Before anyone could come to the heated situation, the triangular cabin to the Skyhopper was shut tight.
In the quiet room, Vana Kepler came in for one last time, in vain to protect her daughter from further damage, "Well, I pledge she flies better than her father ever has..."