Chapter 4

The landing craft gently slowed than landed with no more than a dull thud. Humans filled one side of the landing craft while the other species filled the other. The hatch lowered, and ten troopers flooded in taking the mix of strange beings away, (Grall would later learn that they were forced into slavery or killed.), a officer boarded with two naval troopers by his side. "Welcome to Training Facility Omega Nine," he said with a proud voice, "here you will be treated like any other recruit into the mighty Imperial Army." The officer cleared his throat, "Unless you try to escape, then you will be eliminated."

The two troopers dressed in all black began to unfasten the shackles that held them all together. The officer continued with his speech "When you have been released from your confines, disembark and form two columns. You will be then marched to the testing and processing area." The group did as they had been ordered to do.

Their first stop was the hygiene and uniform depot. The twenty-six humans were each issued a pair of calf high boots, a pair of black pants, and one tunic. The made their way though the dark narrow hallways to the hygiene stations. Grall entered the one that he had been ordered to enter. The hatch closed behind him, he laid down his new clothes the empire had issued him. He removed the sweat stained clothes of his past. Grall walked into the hygiene booth, the steam and water quickly washed the stink of a long duration confined space flight. It took only a couple of moments for the hygiene station to clean and dry him.

After dressing he stepped back into the hall. Most of his fellow conscripts emerged at the same time. The new Imperial soldiers marched to the next station, aptitude testing. They marched into the large room a low ranking soldier told them to take a seat anywhere. Grall took a seat towards the middle of the large room. He sat at his stationed and waited. There had been a long wait, first test of the empire, can you handle the wait to do your mission? Finally the testing officer entered the room. The officer was shorter than most of the imperial forces he had so far encountered, the officer spoke with a very nasally, squeaky voice, "The testing you are about to start is to determine what role you will serve your emperor. Some of you will become mechanics, gunners, troopers, or anything else the Imperial Forces need to regain control of the separatist systems."

"The testing is timed and we will check your results. You will then be told which training group you are assigned to. BEGIN!" the officer quickly disappeared . Grall began his testing. For him the questions were too easy. He may have been raised on Tatooine, but his parents had made sure he had an education. Grall zipped through his test as if they were basic arithmetic. He was the first one to finish and in record time. He stayed in his chair rubbing the last part of stiffness from his legs, the same squeaky voiced officer tapped him on the shoulder and said, " Come with me recruit."

Grall stood up almost towering over the officer. He stayed two steps behind him. They walked for a least a kilometer. The two stopped outside a door that read COMMANDANT. "Stay here." the squeaky voiced officer said as he disappeared behind the door. It took numerous moments before the officer reappeared. "Enter" it was the last time the squeaky voiced officer would ever speak to him.

He entered the office as he had been told. The Commandant sat there watching as Grall entered the room. Commandant Mich'la was an older man with gray hair around his temples. "Sit, my young recruit, sit," the pleasantry rang through the Commandant's voice. "Congratulations, you received the best score ever in the history of this Training Facility. With that comes honors."

"What kind of honors?", questioned Grall

"You will be put into Advanced Leadership Development Training." the Commandant said. "You will come out of here a Sergeant."

"Pardon me for asking Sir," Grall was dumbfounded , "what does this mean to me?"

"Well according to your files, you are a conscript." the Commandant bluntly stated, "Any conscript that makes a leadership position is given citizenship in the new order."

"What about my Mother?"

"I assume she was taken to a relocation center?"

"According to a Strom Trooper that captured me, yes."

The Commandant opened up the terminal in his desk, "What is her name?"

"Bekahon Grall", he said trying to control his emotions.

The old officer became fixated on the terminal before him. A click here, a push of a button here. In no time the Commandant looked up and said, "Your mother is now a citizen. She will be released from the relocation center and given residence on any controlled system."

"Thank you sir" Grall was now fighting hard to control his emotions.

"I except great things from you. I see you making elite forces." the old officer said. "Now go to training command and get assigned to your unit."