Many thanks to Ladyofdarkstar for permitting me to use Jentessa Motti (aka Lady Batch) from her story Family Ties II and stormtrooper Torr Kann (referred to in my story simply as Kann) from her other story Perspectives.

CHAPTER 37 - INFILTRATOR

We followed Yalasa to the armoury and equipped ourselves with our armour and blasters. After standing around during the executions, I was pleased to be back in action again. I was anxious to fulfil the will of Lord Vader and the Emperor by perfecting the execution of order 5551.

When we arrived in the training hall, we took off our helmets and gathered around lieutenant Denlin who was dressed in his black officer's uniform. Sergeant Dreyfus and Yalasa stood on either side of him in their stormtrooper armour, also with their helmets off. Standing behind lieutenant Denlin were three men dressed in coloured baggy clothes. They would be our live opponents for the 5551 training session.

"Congratulations, men." Lieutenant Denlin smiled and looked around at us. "You have succeeded in completing the 5551 training session against battle droids. But now you will have to carry out the same exercises against living opponents. That will be more challenging."

Lieutenant Denlin did not have to explain why it would be a challenge. It was generally more difficult to complete missions against live opponents. During regular training exercises, live opponents are more difficult to hit because they are more unpredictable, agile and mobile than the relatively static battle droids. However, in a 5551 training session, the live opponents would be a challenge for exactly the opposite reason. Their quicker movements and flailing limbs would increase the risk of hitting them unintentionally while we tried to miss them.

"Sergeant Nalon and his men will be your opponents for today." Lieutenant Denlin signalled to the three men in the baggy coloured clothes behind him. "They have been fully instructed in each exercise. They will play the role of rebel infiltrators who are trying to escape the Death Star. You all know the objective and requirements of order 5551. You are to pursue and fire on them as if you intend to kill them. But you will ultimately shoot to miss and allow them to escape."

Our three 'unarmoured' opponents were stormtroopers from another battalion. Underneath their baggy cloths, the men wore light body suits which would protect them against the weakened bolts we used in 5551 training sessions. They also wore light helmets to cover their heads. As stormtroopers we often train against such 'unarmoured' opponents as it allows us to practice against enemies who have similar equipment to the rebels, pirates and militia we normally fight.

I and my squad mates have, of course, also occasionally played the role of unarmoured opponents for other stormtrooper units. This is a useful exercise as it allows us to practice combat without our armour. This not only sharpens our skills and allows us to try new tactics, but it also ensures that we do not depend too much on our armour when engaging the enemy in combat during regular missions.

Lieutenant Denlin paused and started to pace back and forward in front of us.

"Some may wonder why order 5551 would ever be put into force. Why would we want enemies of the Empire to escape? Why would stormtroopers ever be expected to shoot to miss?"

Lieutenant Denlin halted again and looked at us sternly.

"Such idle speculation is not our concern. Lord Vader has ordered us to prepare for the execution of order 5551. It is the will of the Emperor and thus we shall do our duty."

Lieutenant paused again before continuing.

"But know this. It is in the interests of all of you to perfect the execution of this order." A subtle smiled played on lieutenant Denlin's lips. "There are several squads all round the station training on order 5551. The very best shall be selected and formed into a new company which will serve under the direct command of Lord Vader himself."

I had to employ all my concentration to stop myself from gulping hard. All around me, my squad mates looked as impassive as ever. But I knew that every one of them would be calling on all their training and conditioning to force themselves to stay calm and retain their composure; to keep their emotions under control; to smother the sense of excitement that wanted to burst from within them.

It was the ambition and desire of every stormtrooper to serve under Lord Vader. He was the Emperor's fist that mercilessly crushed the enemies of the Empire and fulfilled the infallible will of our great Emperor. Serving under Lord Vader would bring us the greatest honour and glory. It would permit us to demonstrate our absolute devotion and dedication to the Empire under the Emperor's greatest commander.

Lieutenant Denin's smile broadened, clearly amused as we looked at him impassively. He knew the turmoil we would be feeling at that moment.

But then his expression turned serious again.

"You shall be assessed at the end of tomorrow's training session. You have until then to demonstrate your are worthy." Lieutenant Denlin's face took on a stern expression. "Do not fail me."

Shortly afterwards, lieutenant Denlin left the training hall. The three men in baggy clothes also departed to prepare for the first training exercise. We gathered around sergeant Dreyfus and Yalasa in a semi-circle to hear our instructions. Then we began the exercises.

That afternoon of training sessions against the live opponents went well. We completed most of the first few scenarios successfully on the first attempt. In the two instances that we failed a scenario first time, we quickly adjusted our tactics and completed it the second time without problem.

The scenarios were almost the same as those we played out against the droids over the previous two days. The only difference was that some of the parameters were changed to allow for the mobility and speed of the live opponents.

The change to live opponents did not cause us as much difficulty as expected. The drills of the past two days had familiarised us with the tactics and actions required for each scenario, allowing us to complete them quickly and successfully. Because the live opponents were faster than the droids, they often reached the escape point much quicker. This shortened the length of the scenarios quite substantially, making them easier. With the droids, many of the scenarios lasted a minute of more. But with the fast moving live opponents, the time was often shortened by 20 or 30 seconds.

By the end of the afternoon, we had completed 11 of the 15 scenarios. We only had 4 scenarios to complete before Lord Vader's assessment at the end of the following day.

Part of the reason for our rapid progress was the addition of trooper Kann, our new human recruit. He may have been a new recruit in our squad, but he was no rookie. Despite only joining our squad that same day, he was clearly familiar with the details of order 5551 and integrated into the squad almost seamlessly. He positioned himself well and was one of the most accurate shots in the squad. His experience, composure and competence made a positive contribution to the successful completion of the exercises and significantly improved the squad accuracy ratings.

However, there was one thing that bothered me about Kann. During the meetings between exercises, I often found him staring intently at Yalasa. Even when Yalasa was not addressing us or giving us instructions, I found him glancing at her, a stern expression on his face. When we went to the armoury and medical area after the day's exercises were finished, I again found him looking over at her. Then when Yalasa accompanied us to the mess and instructed us on the following day's exercises, I again noticed that Kann was watching her intently.

It reminded me of the intense interest Brack had shown in Yalasa and raised my suspicion. Brack had tried to kill Yalasa and I was wary that Kann could have the same murderous intention. I was concerned that some other officer, perhaps an associate of Feyr, had sent Kann to infiltrate our unit to finish off the mission that Brack had failed to complete.

After we returned to the barracks and Yalasa left with with sergeant Dreyfus to prepare for the next day's training, I decided to go and talk to Kann. I wanted to see the sort of man he was and what his intentions were. I wanted to find out if he could cause problems with Yalasa. I walked over to Kann's bunk and leaned against the wall next to him. He was installing his Empire issued clothing into his locker.

"So, Kann." I looked at him grimly and got straight to the point. "What do you think of our woman corporal?"

"What?" Kann frowned and turned to face me.

"Does it not bother you to serve under a female corporal?" I said. "Many of us believe it is inappropriate."

Kann raised himself to his full height and looked directly into my eyes.

"I am a loyal soldier of the Empire." He moved forward to confront me, a sneer covering his face. "I will obey the orders of my commanding NCOs whoever they may be."

Kann took another step forward so that his face was only a few inches from mine."

"I do not care what the sex of my NCO is. The stormtrooper code does not distinguish between sexes and so neither will I. And if my NCO happens to be a woman, I will do my duty and obey her orders. I will fight and die for the Empire at her command and fulfill the will of the Emperor. Do you have a problem with that..." Kann threw the towel he was holding onto his bunk and squared up to me."...trooper?"

Kann emphasised the word 'trooper' to stress the fact that I was not above him in rank.

I have to admit that Kann's response took me aback. I was expecting a tirade of subtly worded insults against Yalasa, a grumble of dissatisfaction or even a grunt of indifference. I did not expect a vigorous defence of Yalasa's right to lead.

Kann's comment about the stormtrooper code was correct. Officially, stormtroopers have no sex. There are no men or women. There are just stormtroopers. When a stormtrooper gives his oath to the Emperor, he ceases to become an individual. He becomes a tool of the Emperor, leaving all symbols of his previous identity behind, including his sex. Although we use male terminology to refer to stormtroopers, this is principally done for the sake of uniformity and convenience rather than to define our sex.

Some misguided but influential imperial officers exploit this loophole in the stormtrooper code to recruit women in the corps. Although there is great hostility to women being permitted to serve as stormtroopers, the stormtrooper code does not prohibit their recruitment. The reason is simple. Since the stormtrooper code declares that stormtroopers are neither male or female, the corps cannot prohibit a sex that doesn't exist.

Many male officers and enlisted men would like to see a change in the code to prevent the enlistment of women. But only Lord Vader or the Emperor can change the code. And in their wisdom they had not done so.

So the policy of recruiting women in the stormtrooper corps regrettably continues.

This policy differs from the other arms of the imperial military where there is a formal distinction between men and women. As a result, the army and fleet is able to specifically prohibited women from enlisting, while the stormtrooper corps cannot. In consequence, women can enlist as front line soldiers in the most elite combat unit in the Empire, yet they cannot serve in the imperial navy or army even as support personnel. It is one of the greatest ironies in the imperial military system.

If anything, Kann's indirect support for Yalasa's leadership made me even more suspicious. It was rare for a male stormtrooper to show such open willingness and enthusiasm to serve under a female NCO. Especially a new recruit. He was too confident, too sure of himself, too arrogant. Just like the murderous Brack. I was suspicious it was just a ploy to lead us into a false sense of security, so that he could take action against Yalasa at a later time without interference.

"So what is your interest in corporal Yalasa, Kann?" I asked sternly.

Kann frowned at my sudden change of questioning. "What do you mean?"

"Why do you keep looking at the corporal, Kann?"

For the first time Kann looked unsure of himself. Despite his attempt to maintain an impassive expression on his face, he looked confused and even ashamed.

"I just want ensure that I understand her instructions." Kann replied hesitantly.

I squinted my eyes and examined Kann carefully. I knew he was lying. He had looked at Yalasa even when she was not giving instructions or orders. I was sure there was some other reason for his behaviour. I was about to respond saying just that. But then I stopped myself. As I looked again at the nervous expression on Kann's face, it dawned on me why Kann was so interested in her. He didn't want to kill her.

He was attracted to her.

It was obvious. And I more than anyone else could see it and understand it. Kann had no murderous intent towards Yalasa. I was certain of it.

I realised then that there was only one thing to do. I stepped forward and put my hand on Kann's shoulder. He flinched and looked at me suspiciously.

"Welcome to the squad, Kann." I nodded to him and patted him on the upper-arm. "You performed well today."

A confused expression crossed Kann's face. He had no idea what had just happened, nor why my behaviour to him had changed so abruptly. I nodded to him cordially again, before turning and walking away.

A moment later, after I had taken only a couple of steps, Kann called to me.

"Hey Trooper."

I turned to face him. "Yes, Kann?" I said cordially.

"Have you seen episode 11207 of Infiltrator?"

"No." I answered.

Kann glanced over to where Timor was lying on his bunk and smiled subtly. "Well, I recommend that you do."

I frowned with curiosity. Then I nodded to Kann again and turned to walk back to my bunk.

Infiltrator is a documentary drama about imperial agents and loyal imperial citizens who uncover criminal activity and treasonous plots against the Empire. Typically two episodes a day are released, each one lasting for 30 minutes. With the series lasting for more than 15 years, over 11,000 episodes have been released, although we stormtroopers can only see about 50% of them on our datapads.

The Infiltrator series is very popular with stormtroopers. This is partly because their short length allows us to fit them into our heavy duty and training schedule; and partly because some episodes feature stormtroopers who of course heroically detain or slaughter the traitors or criminals at the end of the story. Of course, we all like to discuss and joke about the glaring errors with regards to stormtrooper protocol, equipment and behaviour that always occur in the episodes.

As I walked to my bunk, I passed Timor. He was lying on his back looking at something on his datapad. He looked up at me and pointed to the fading scar on his head that I had given him during our brawl a few days before. As usual he grinned and mouthed the word 'pussy' at me. Timor occasionally still tried to provoke me with that insult. But it had ceased to bother me for some days now. I found myself smiling as I walked past.

When I returned to my bunk, I switched on my datapad to see if there were any messages or announcements we were required to read. After seeing there was nothing of significance, I turned to order 5551. I wanted to read over the details again to ensure that I was ready for the next day's training. Tomorrow would be an important day and I wanted to be prepared.

After I was satisfied that with my awareness of order 5551, there was still some time available before lights out. So I decided to watch episode 11207 of Infiltrator as Kann had suggested.

The Infiltrator series is a portrayal of true stories where criminals and traitors are brought to justice by imperial agents and citizens who infiltrate their organisation or activities. The nature of the infiltrators vary widely. Sometimes they are specially trained imperial agents sent to infiltrate and dismantle a criminal or rebel organisation. Sometimes infiltrators are regular imperial citizens who are somehow caught up in criminal or rebel activities. Sometimes the infiltrators are loyal men, woman or children who dutifully inform on parents, siblings, friends, colleagues or associates who make treasonous statements against the Emperor, or who carry out treasonous or illegal activities.

At the end of each episode, the Infiltrator is always richly rewarded and the traitors/criminals are appropriately punished. In some episodes, there is a big battle at the end between forces loyal to the Empire and the traitors, criminals and aliens who are attempting to bring chaos, oppression and disorder to the galaxy. Some of these battles involve stormtroopers who heroically kill or detain the evil enemies of the Empire.

Episode 11207 was released the day after Alderaan was destroyed. It featured a female spy of noble birth called Sofia Telarana, one of the few females agents who appears regularly in the show. Telarana is an imperial agent who is principally skilled in the arts of deception and disguise, although she is also effective with a blaster and in hand-to-hand combat.

In episode 11207, Telarana goes to Alderaan and uncovers a plot by the Alderaan government to build a secret army and incite a galaxy-wide rebellion against the Empire. At the end of the episode, Alderaan was deservedly destroyed and Telarana goes to the Death Star where she receives her rich reward for her services to the Empire from a grateful Grand Admiral.

I couldn't help smiling to myself after watching the episode. I realised that this was how Timor got his theory that Lady Batch was an imperial agent. He had thought it up after watching episode 11207 of Infiltrator. Timor's theory wasn't based on anything he had heard directly about Lady Batch, or Miss Jentessa Motti as she was called before her marriage. It was based on the exploits of Sophia Telarana from the Infiltrator series.

It proved to me that Miss Jentessa Motti was still the delicate naïve young lady I believed her to be. She was no imperial agent. I was sure of it. The fact she was on Alderaan was just a coincidence.

Amused, I switched off my datapad and made my final preparations before settling down to sleep. Tomorrow would be a critical day in my career as a stormtrooper. I had to be ready and well rested.

PSYCHOLOGICAL SECTION

REVIEW OF JOURNAL - TROOPER LC-9087

The subject's (trooper LC-9087) explanation as to why women are permitted to enlist in the stormtrooper corps is broadly accurate. Despite the consensus among most senior officers and enlisted men that the stormtrooper corps would be more efficient and effective without women in its ranks, neither the Emperor nor Lord Vader has approved a change in the stormtrooper code that would prohibit the enlistment of women recruits.

Only slightly more than half of Infiltrator episodes are passed by our censors as suitable for stormtrooper consumption. Although such propaganda material is suitable for the entertainment and control of the general populace, the remaining episodes are deemed to have content that may have a negative impact on the moral, mental state, conditioning or fighting effectiveness of imperial stormtroopers.