Hours later Luke clads in his new white and gray cadet uniform found himself in shuttle bay two followed by his longest companion, Red who rolled in behind him. Captain Lawrence had pulled some strings after seeing the effectiveness of the small red and white droid and as a favor he was able to add Red to the roster as a part of Luke's belongings. While to some it may seem like favoritism, in reality it was because of the lack of astrodroid units that the Imperial State owned.
Captain Lawrence had explained that even though the galactic standard had not changed, many new Terran military bases hadn't been built with easy Astromech integration due to the fact that many of their systems were either automatic or completely manual. So, in cases like the joint base on Eriadu, there was a large shortage of Astromech and other utility droids in service.
It was because of this that Red was allowed to join as a part of Luke's future squad.
Like Luke, Red also had a new 'uniform' so to speak. His red and white color pallet had been restored to what it would have been when he was rolled off the assembly line. He also sported a black Imperial cog on the side of his cone-like head.
Luke looked down at Red though his visor. "They really did a great job on you didn't they."
[New Color + Join Luke = excited / Query / Location of Captain?] Red beeped twirling his head around. Luke lifted his gaze back up and performed a quick sweep of the area. Inside of his helmet an internal scanner followed his eyes sending a small stream of data back to him. The scanner—which was passive—gave Luke a readout on the bay around him. He saw many things from crates to fuel canisters but no sign of Captain Lawrence or the other seventeen cadets.
"I don't know Red; I think we're still a little early. Head onto the transport and get our stuff settled in. I'll wait out here."
[R5 = Understood / R5 = Wait in transport for Luke] Red replied before rolling towards the shuttle they would be taking.
The shuttle in question was a TIE/rp or "Reaper" for short. Luke had seen them takeoff and land throughout the week and once every so often back on the farm. While Tatooine got little civilian traffic, its harsh environment was perfect for military training and weapons testing in the dune sea. Walking up to the landing craft Luke couldn't help but admire it. Even though he joined up with the Imperial State Troopers he had a passion for flying. As such he was familiar with designs and classes of ships such as the transport.
Forcing his gaze away from the shuttle he checked the time, "Hmm… eightish minutes until Captain Lawrence should arrive…" Luke mumbled as he took a seat on a crate and brought his E-22 into his hands. "I guess I can clean you until the captain arrives." Luke said to his trusty blaster as he took out a wipe from a cleaning kit.
"Alright cadets, line up and be ready to board!" Luke heard Captain Lawrence order from just outside of the shuttle bay. Quickly packing up his cleaning equipment, Luke stood up with his E-22 in hand and walked over to Captain Lawrence who was followed by seventeen teenagers all dressed in civvies. As he got closer his scanner became active once more. Picking out mostly human signatures—fifteen to be exact—and two non-humans—a Twi'lek and a Zabrak.
"Captain!" Luke called out as he approached the group. But this did not just get the attention of Captain Lawrence who turned around to see Luke but also the other cadets. While none of them spoke out of turn they did look at the arrival of Luke with different expressions. Most being one of curiosity while there were a few confused looks among the group. "Cadet Skywalker reporting as ordered sir!" Luke snapped into a salute as he had practiced over the last week. Captain Lawrence walked up to him and stared into the blonde's helmeted face then slowly walked around the cadet like a predator before stopping where he started.
"Getting better… remember to keep your upper arm level with your shoulder." Lawrence reminded. "At ease Skywalker and join the line."
"Yes Captain." Luke said jogging to the far left of the line. The cadet next to him, a tall blonde-haired boy, gave him a glance before turning his attention back to the captain.
"Now," Captain Lawrence started. "That you are all present, we will proceed."
"Look to your left. Now look to your right. Those beside you have earned the privilege of being accepted into the Imperial State Trooper Division. All of you have a unique talent and skill that will be tempered and refined once you arrive at the Eriadu Training Facility. For the next year you will be expected to be pushed to your limits and go past them in every way possible. It will be tough. You will get hurt. Some of you could even die before ever seeing graduation. That said, if any of you are having second thoughts or getting cold feet this is the only chance you have to leave and rejoin civilian life—a speeder will be outside waiting for you. Those who wish to stay and accept those risks step forward. Now."
For a moment no one moved.
That was until Luke took a strong and confident step forward. He had been with the Garrison for the past week and was already a part of this new life. He had experienced what it was like to be shot at and kill someone. He was no longer just the shy, timid, naive farm boy that he once was. Now he had the beginnings of a hardened shell forming around him.
Inside Lawrence smiled at seeing Luke take a step forward. Slowly, one by one, the rest followed Luke's example. No one had turned back.
"Amazing. I welcome you all to the Imperial State Trooper Division. Everyone into the transport. We're leaving immediately!"
The eighteen cadets walked towards the transport single file. Soon all of them found a seat and the hatch closed leaving them all in a dimly lit compartment. After Captain Lawrence had gotten everyone settled, he made his way into the cockpit leaving the cadets by themselves. Feeling the vibrations of the shuttle taking off Luke decided that now was the time to remove his helmet.
Grabbing it from the sides Luke pulled the helmet off revealing his appearance to the cadets around him. Their eyes tracked his movements with a small interest. Afterall, what made him so special? To his left, a girl who seemed to be slightly older than him with brown hair and sharp green eyes observed him without turning her head. He felt her eyes travel up and down his form a few times before looking away with a bored expression and attending to the datapad sitting on her lap. Just as he was going to open his mouth to talk with the girl, a boy from across the aisle asked him something.
Turning his head Luke asked the boy to repeat whatever he had just said, "I'm sorry I missed that. What did you say?"
"No worries, I asked why you arrived at the shuttle ahead of us." Luke recognized the boy who stood next to him prior to takeoff. "Oh, names Zachary Smith by the way. But just call me Zach."
Luke nodded to the boy with a friendly smile. "Nice to meet you, Zach. I'm Luke. Skywalker." The shorter blonde said almost forgetting to give his last name. "I was in town when the attacks happened earlier this week." Luke started catching Zach and a few curious listeners by surprise. "I met Captain Lawrence there and assisted where I could. Afterwards I volunteered to help with the Garrison until the shuttle came to pick us up." He gave a summarized account of the past week's events.
"Really? Dude that is awesome. I wish I could spend a week with the Garrison." Zach admitted. "What did you do while you were there?"
"Mostly busy work I'm afraid. They were scrambling to bring back several dozen members that had left for Geonosis in case of another attack. I spent most of my time with Captain Lawrence in the training room." Luke watched as Zach leaned back into his seat with a thoughtful expression.
"I guess that makes sense. I was in Mos Espa during the attack. The city itself saw little fighting because the only place of note is the spaceport—maybe the Podracer track? But other than that, we were affected little."
"Yeah… Mos Isley saw moderate fighting. Couple dozen homes burnt down and a couple hundred dead." Luke mentioned mournfully. "I heard from Captain Lawrence that the Palace saw the worst of it."
"You can bet that right!" Both boys turned their heads to the lethan Twi'lek who called out. "The whole damn place was a war zone. Garrison there was taken off guard like someone pulled the floor out from under them. Before me and Falynn over there left, they were still fixing the holes in the Palace tower." The Twi'lek said, pointing to another girl sitting a few seats away from her. Falynn was a blonde petite girl around Luke's height but had a rather robust look that seemed to make her look larger than she was. However, unlike the Twi'lek who had an air of confidence she had one of danger—the seemingly permanent scowl on her face furthered that opinion.
The blonde girl glared at the Twi'lek. "Show some respects, why don't you? Everyone was caught off guard by the attack. So, think before you speak Schutta." Just like that the tension within the shuttle was so palpable that it could be cut by a mere finger. However instead of rising to the insult the Twi'lek turned her eyes downcast.
Clearing his throat, a tall chestnut brown-haired boy gathered everyone's attention. "Now, now, let us all calm down. As the Captain said, we are all comrades from this point forward. So why don't we all start over—I'll go first. My name is Markos Enshire. I am from Mos Isley and I wish to join the officer corps one day and surpass my father." He said confidently. Everyone stayed silent for a moment before the Zabrak spoke up next.
"Names Tangie Oto, I was arrested a year ago for attempted theft of a speeder bike." He admitted causing everyone to look at him with disbelief and surprise. "I was given two choices. Either serve my sentence in jail or the military. I chose the military. Over the last year I rose through the ranks of the Anchorhead Imperial Boot Camp and was able to join up with the Imperial State as a State Trooper." He spoke. The smile on his face that appeared after looking at everyone on the transport told Luke that he found them all very amusing.
After an ice breaker like that one by one everyone else went. The lethan Twi'lek was named Ce`na, she was from the Palace. She was a very confident girl and had a bit of an attitude, but Luke found her rather likable. Next was Bruyere Zor'n. He was very polite and held a great joy of history and everything Terran. After him was Zach. Despite his laid-back attitude Luke felt like he could count on him to watch his back. The one that interested him the most was when the girl beside him went. She introduced herself as Jyn Erso, from outside Mos Taike near Mospic. However, like Luke he could tell that everyone was thinking the same thing. She was lying. Accents in the galaxy were very regionalized. The way Jyn spoke would have to make her be from somewhere in the Galactic North or within the official Imperial State of Terra's borders. Despite this everyone just nodded and gave her a smile. It then fell to Luke to finish the introductions.
"It's great to meet you all. My name is Luke Skywalker. I lived south of the Jundland Wastes, about ten miles from Tosche Station with my aunt and Uncle." He said keeping his introduction simple.
"Skywalker?" Bruyere said. "Like the—"
"Jedi? Sorry but no relation as far as I am aware." Luke said, crushing that train of thought before it continued. Luke knew what his surname meant to the greater galaxy. However, like the name Antilles, Skywalker was a rather common name on Tatooine. Its origin came from a ancient Revanist who inspired a failed slave uprising on the planet millennia ago. Since then, it was a rather popular name for those who were enslaved on the planet during the Hutt's rule.
"I was told that my father was a pilot for a spice freighter during the war." Bruyere nodded and dropped the question. Any other conversion was stopped between the group when Captain Lawrence appeared from the cockpit of the TIE Reaper, R4 rolling into the compartment from behind.
Alright Cadets listen up. We are about to arrive on the ISS Sao Paulo. As most of you know, while the Imperial State and Galactic Empire use similar designs, the Imperial navy has seen great overhauls since the Terrans became a part of the galactic community. As such we are going to play a little game before we arrive. Cadet Zor'n you claim to be a historian, tell me what caused such a shift in fleet doctrine?
"Sir, following the Triton Massacre two years ago the Imperial State launched several dozen campaigns against insurgents and terrorist elements festering in the Galactic South. Surprised by the success of the Terrans, the Imperial Navy began an investigation into the tactics used by the Imperial State."
Captain Lawrence nodded and jumped to another. "Cadet Falynn, why was the Triton Massacre considered by many as the Death of the Rebellion in the Galactic South?"
"The Triton Massacre was significant because of the destruction of a relief ship owned by the Terran organization called the Red Cross. A rebel fleet destroyed the ship and its two escorts which were crewed by fellow cadets who had been training over Mustafar at the time. It is considered to be the Death of Rebellion in the Galactic South because the Imperial State began cracking down on resistance cells in response to the attack while being supported by the people."
"Good, good. Alright last one… Cadet Oto, why were the local populations of these planets so quick to support the Imperial State Troopers?"
"Umm… many of these planets had been wasted by the battles during the Clone Wars and the Sieges against the Separatist Holdouts. The Imperial State helped to rebuild and brought financial and medical aid to these planets. The Outer Rim has since gained wealth comparable to those of the Mid Rim systems. Uh, Sir!" Tangie said.
"That's good enough I suppose. Continuing on from earlier, the ISS Sao Paulo is a Arquitens class light frigate. When we board this vessel, you are to show the naval officers and Marines the respect they deserve. They are the ones who will protect you when you are deployed into battle. Am I understood?"
"Yes Sir!"
"Once we land you will be sent to temporary quarters. From there it will take us sixteen hours to reach Eriadu. Take this time to rest and get into uniform. Training begins the moment we land on the planet.
Sixteen hours passed far more quickly than Luke had thought. He spent most of the time taking a nap resting for the training ahead. Things were happening very fast. The eighteen of them had been split into three squads already. Zeta, Victor, and Romeo. Luke had found himself in Zeta Squad. With him was Jyn Erso, Ce`na, Tangie, Zack and Bryere. Pyxis and Markos had been sent to Victor and Romeo respectively.
Once they had arrived in the Eriadu system the eighteen cadets from Tatooine were ferried to the planet to begin their training.
I had a surprisingly hard time writing this chapter and I remember why. I just wanted to introduce Lukes squad mates again and get them to Eriadu but I didn't exactly know how. BUT I did it! After maybe a year I got out chapter 3! No clue when chapter 4 will drop. I get working on it eventually.