Days had passed since the funeral and Solasta was still excused from classes to grieve her father. Her teachers forwarded her the course notes so she could keep current with the class, and she had spent the time at home putting the house in order. Knowing her parents were together again made her father's passing a little easier and she took his words to heart, as she always did, with renewed focus on the future and Tasa.
Tomorrow she would be returning to classes, but today she was sitting in Major Gegne's office to ask for his help.
Before leaving home that morning, she found all the files, articles, and documents regarding Cathar physiology that she thought would be helpful and she copied them onto a data stick for the Major. She even decided to part with one of her kitling teeth in case it might be useful, and pushed all the items across his desk to him.
Solasta began, "Sir, I need your help with proving my age so I can enlist after graduation," and proceeded to explain the details of her adoption as they had been told to her by her parents, and the revelation by Tasa regarding her adult teeth.
"My dear, you'll simply have to wait until your eighteenth year. There's nothing I can do to change that rule," explained the Major.
Solasta answered immediately, "Major, I'm not asking for the rules to be bent. I'm asking for a review of how old I should be. When we graduate I'll have to wait more than a whole season to enlist, but if my age is corrected I may be able to join sometime after school ends this season."
The Major leaned back in his chair and thinking aloud said, "Well, I guess we could go to the Hospital and see what sort of tests they could run on you, or this tooth you gave me. There has to be experts on this type of thing... Cathar anthropology or genetics maybe?" Feeling a glimmer of hope, Solasta said, "Yes, whatever tests they want to do, I'll take them!" Solasta waited outside the Major's office while he made a few holo-calls, and he emerged minutes later with the name of a doctor she needed to ask for at the Base Hospital.
Walking across the Base on her way to the hospital she looked at her chrono and realized Tasa would still be in class, so she decided to call and leave an update for him. "Tasa, the Major is going to have the doctors look at me to see if they can confirm my actual age - he's told me that the Republic Birth Records can be amended, but the process will take a long time - if there is enough evidence on how old I really should be, he will take it to Coruscant to present to the 'higher ups' for a decision on whether or not I can enlist - I love you," and disconnected. Feeling optimistic that things were headed in the right direction, she picked up her pace and genuinely smiled for the first time in days.
Striding into the Hospital she approached the Admissions Desk and asked for Dr. Asaak, as Major Gegne had instructed her to do. She was ushered down the hall by a droid and into a little room to put on a hospital before being instructed sit and wait for the Doctor.
Hours later, Tasa had finished his classes and was sitting in the waiting room. When Solasta emerged, she was covered with sterile patches on various parts of her body that had the fur shaved away, and she was pretty certain that she had given a sample of every type of fluid or tissue ever discovered. Tasa looked at all the little white patches dotting her and trying to stifle his laughter asked, "How did it go?"
Hugging Tasa and nestling her head under his chin, Solasta replied, "I hurt all over. The Major has told me to get back to my studies while he puts together a case to take to Coruscant. Regardless of the outcome, I still need to focus on my marks and graduating," and let out heavy sigh.
"Are you ready to go home then?" asked Tasa.
"I have to make a quick visit to the Adjudicator's Office to settle the open files regarding my Dad's death. My parents had everything taken case of years ago, so this should be quick, and then we can go," she said. Solasta met with the Adjudicator and with her thumbprint on his data pad confirmed the Commander's death records. Her parent's estate was modest and processed quickly since, as their only child, everything was left to Solasta.
Stiff and sore, Solasta returned to school the next day and resumed focus on her studies.
As the weeks passed she tried her best to put it all out of her mind by helping Tasa with completing his applications for University, giving the gardens at home the attention they desperately needed, and spending more time with Tasa's family. Without her parents there, her home had become little more than a shell that held her belongings or a place to eat and sleep. So, despite the ongoing nuisance and threats from the Separatists, Solasta began spending her free time with Tasa's family after he managed to route holo messages from her house to the holo-communicator she carried. School nights she usually left while it was still light, but on a few weekends she spent the night at his house and slept in his bed, while Tasa slept on the floor in Cudu and Atan's room. Those nights, tangled up in his sheets and wrapped in his scents, drove Solasta crazy for him.
Almost two months had passed since Solasta spoke to Major Gegne and played test subject for every genetic test known in the galaxy. She was beginning to lose hope that the doctors could find anything useful to prove her actual age until one morning while leaving for class the holo chimed with an incoming call. Dropping her bag at the front door, she went back to the holo to answer it, and when it hummed to life the image of Major Gegne flickered and appeared before her.
"How are classes coming along, Solasta?" he asked.
"I'm doing well and still holding an above 90% average, Sir."
"Excellent, I wanted to give you an update on our progress. There was some delay with confirming the details regarding the day you were discovered on Nar Shadda," he told her. "Why did you omit that you had a brother and two sisters in your litter?" he asked.
Solasta thought for a moment, "I guess because I don't remember them, or know where they are, or even who they are."
"Ah, well that detail spawned off an investigation into their whereabouts and subsequent testing on your litter-mates, which I'm glad to report supports your claim, and also has resulted in their files being reviewed by Central Records also. The data from the test results all seem to be valid, so I'll be leaving for Coruscant at the end of the week to meet with HQ, and should have an answer before the month is completed. Good Luck my dear, I'll be in touch soon," and the Major disconnected.
Solasta closed her eyes and let out a sigh of relief before picking up her bag and walking out the door. Walking to the Desler she tried to imagine the sight of her litter mates with shaved patches, little white sterile pads, and confused as to why they needed to give bio-samples to the Republic Forces, and broke into laughter.
When she got to school and found Tasa, she told him about the call from Major Gegne that morning. "Do you know when he has his meeting? Did you tell you when he would call with their decision?" he asked. "He just said sometime this month," said Solasta as they headed into class.
In the weeks they waited for the call from Major Gegne the school had prepared a 'Vocational Expo' for the senior student to meet with potential employers, Universities, and the Republic Forces always attended as part of their normal recruitment drive. While the day was primarily aimed at Tenth and Eleventh Forms to help them start setting a path forward with their lives, it was still attended by a few of the Twelfth Form students who found it to be an excuse to skip afternoon classes.
Solasta and Tasa decided to walk through the Expo before cutting out early for the afternoon. They entered the school's gymnasium and wandered around to look at a few of the displays and asked a few exhibitors some questions. Tasa had already sent of his University applications so there wasn't too much to interest him, but it wasn't too long before Solasta was drawn to the massive Republic Forces display that consumed nearly the back entire wall of the gym.
From a distance they could see that both the Navy and Army had setup displays of armor and weapons, handed out flimsiplast flyers, and had holo-sim's for the students to test their tactical and problem solving skills. The Army display was nearer to them as they approached and there was a group of boys all crowded around one of the Recruitment Officers, and there seemed to be something interesting going on as the boys laughed and occasionally cajoled each other. When they reached the small crowd of boys, Solasta could see the young men were all testing their strength by lifting an old A-115 Plasma Cannon, and many of the younger or smaller boys who stepped up with an air of cockiness were quickly dealt some humility.
As some of the boys moved onto the next exhibit and the crowd thinned, Solasta let go of Tasa's hand and stepping up to the cannon lifted it with ease. The Recruitment Officer was quick to encourage her, "bend your knees and straighten your back ... a little more bend in your knees, a live cannon will have kickback and you'll want to be able to compensate ... now cradle the cannon by the upper grip for balance while you use your hips and lower grip to direct the firing arc in front of you... there you got. I swear Cathar are all naturals at this."
Tasa rolled his eyes thinking, "sales pitch," as Solasta slowly walked around practicing a fluid sweep with the cannon.
Feeling pleased with herself, Solasta looked at Tasa and smiled before putting the cannon back onto its floor mount where it locked into the base with a metallic 'clink'. Immediately Solasta began asking the Officer questions about the Army enlistment requirements, Basic Training, Specializations, and they stood there talking for the rest of the afternoon.
On the ride home Solasta talked non-stop the entire time, "Basics are twenty-one weeks, then I get a two week break once that's done before I spend seven weeks on a Specialization, which rolls directly into Advance Battle School if I want to enroll, which should lead to an early Commission."
"So what about the Navy?" Tasa asked.
Solasta sat back in the seat and after thinking for a few moments said, "The Navy was my Dad. I think this is what I want to do. With a commission and my own squad I can still develop tactics and plans. It will just be on the ground instead of in a fighter." Then sitting forward, almost whispering said, "holding that Cannon and moving around with it was like dancing, Tasa... besides maybe it's time the Republic Army got a taste of the Dinn awesomeness," and they both laughed.
After a few minutes of silence, Tasa asked "So, does this mean I can call you 'Ground Pounder'?"
She swatted him on the shoulder saying, "You do and I'll 'ground pound' you," which made Tasa laugh.
They talked about the upcoming exams the rest of the ride to Tasa's house. When they arrived and parked the speeder, Solasta climbed out and was walking around the front of the vehicle when Tasa, who had already walked ahead, called back to her, "C'mon little Ground Pounder." Dropping her bag, Solasta charged him and tackled him to the ground. As they rolled around on the lawn wrestling, Tasa's mother stepped out onto the porch and yelled, "Cut it out you two! Solasta, you left your holo-comm here yesterday and someone's been trying to call you all day."
Picking themselves up and dusting off the grass, Solasta gave Tasa one last good shove before collecting her bag and they went inside.
Solasta's holo-comm was still sitting on the table in their family room where she had forgotten it the day before, and the green light on the side blinked furiously to let her know that there were messages waiting. Picking it up, she thumbed the controls for a moment, then looked at Tasa, "Major Gegne left me a number of messages to call him," and a worried panic crept across her face.
Solasta's hands shook as she keyed the address to the Major's holo-comm, and Tasa's family quietly gathered around while they waited for call to connect. When the image of the Major appeared he didn't waste any time with pleasantries, "Solasta, you have been cleared to enlist with the Republic Forces if you are agreeable to the conditions."
"Conditions?" she asked.
"Yes," the Major continued, "First, you will authorize the Republic Forces to work with the Central Records to update your birth date so that it corresponds to the first day of the Summer Break as your Eighteenth Season. Second, you will agree to visit the recruitment office on the first day of Summer Break and enlist."
"Wait, so the Republic Forces can pick my birth date for me?" Solasta asked.
"Solasta, using a liberal margin of error the Review Board determined that this date of enlistment may still fall within a plausible birth date. I also may have mentioned that switching to the Cathar nine month calendar would more than put you past the minimum age of eighteen," and he grinned, quite pleased with himself.
"What else?" asked Solasta.
"That is all, and the formal approvals will be sent to you immediately if this meets your -"
"YES!" shouted Solasta, interrupting the Major.
"Happy belated Seventeenth Season, and pre-Eighteenth Season wishes, my dear," and with that the Major was gone, and she let out a triumphant cheer
Tasa's family hugged and congratulated her, and it was decided they would go to town to celebrate with dinner. While everyone got ready, Solasta waited on the porch and played with Cudu and Atan. Inside, Tasa checked his holo-comm to find he had received his acceptance to the University on Coruscant, and thought this news could wait until tomorrow to be shared.
Tonight was for Solasta.