Catlula walked down the streets of Coruscant. She displayed her prestige through her black officer uniform. The twi'lek wore bands around her lekku to cover the scars left by the slashes. The wounds still hurt, but she was determined to continue her life despite the pain. Catlula walked step after step through the urban landscape. Speeders drove through the roads as pedestrians walked on the side of the street. The twi'lek traversed through the crowd on her way to the Imperial Palace. Suddenly, a troubling sight caught her eye.

Catlula saw a billboard promoting a local strip club. The poster featured a beautiful blue twi'lek woman who seemed to be in her early 20s. She wore a tight, golden metal bra and a silk loincloth connected to a metal wire around her waist. Her large breasts hugged her tight clothing, and most of her cleavage was visible. The sexy twi'lek's leather headwear completed her tantalizing appearance. The dancer's seductive smile gave Catlula chills as she walked past the disgraceful advertisement.

Catlula scoffed at the billboard and thought, "What an awful thing to see. I hope the owners of that establishment don't abuse their workers. They treat them like the Hutts treat their slaves. What am I kidding? Their owners probably treat them like slabs of meat. They probably pay them terribly and give them 'free housing' to make it seem that they are employees rather than slaves. It's sickening to watch this happen in a 'civilized' section of the galaxy. I would love to see the Empire take care of this, but they are probably too busy with other things. What a disgusting blemish on this otherwise perfect planet."

When the twi'lek finished her thoughts, she was at the stairs of the Imperial Palace. Two large, elegant black banners showcasing the symbol of the Empire hung on each side of the building. A mass of people walked up the steps with the twi'lek to attend the important event.

As Catlula walked, step after step, she thought, "It is a truly incredible thing to see other loyal Imperials walking into the heart of the Empire to celebrate such an important event. Today, we honor the anniversary of this great polity's founding. I am probably one of the first twi'leks the Empire invited to this event, and I am honored to take such a big step for my species. I promise to myself and every other twi'lek in the galaxy. I will represent myself and my people as an upstanding Imperial citizen."

After walking up an endless flight of stairs, the twi'lek reached her destination. She followed the crowd through the doors and found herself in a massive room. Catlula looked around, shocked by the scale of the room. It was large enough to comfortably fit the incoming crowd, who dispersed to different parts of the area after entering. The masses were no longer smothering the twi'lek, who now stood alone. The walls were pitch black, and square red plates tiled the floor. There were many portraits of ancient Sith warriors hanging on the distant walls. People walked along balconies overlooking the level below. Many grey tables covered the dark red floor, and a few served food and refreshments. Palace employees scattered around the room, supplying the party with food and refreshments as high-profile Imperial guests comfortably walked around them and helped themselves to the delicious fruits of other people's labor.

As the room mesmerized Catlula, she thought, "I may never get another opportunity to be in this magnificent building. I need to explore this place while I have the chance."

The twi'lek started walking toward the balcony stairs. Catlula made sure to avoid getting close to other Imperials.

Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice say, "Hello, twi'lek." She looked to the side, in the direction of the greeting, and saw Eskol.

Catlula was shocked to see her classmate and replied, "Hey, Eskol. This party is very nice, isn't it?"

Eskol laughed and responded, "It certainly is, but it would be much better without you here."

Catlula gave her fellow a questioning look and asked, "Why do you think that? I graduated at the top of my class. Please elaborate."

Eskol gave the twi'lek a smug look and replied, "This event is for future high-ranking Imperials to build connections in the Empire. You may have been successful in the academy, but you will crash and burn when your life has actual stakes. You do not have the charisma expected of an Imperial leader and cannot socialize with others. If anyone cares about you, it is because of your appearance. You may have done some impressive stuff in the past, but you do not have any potential."

Catlula was surprised by the personal nature of Eskol's insults and nervously responded, "You do nothing but drag everyone else down around you. No one likes you; your friends only pretend to be your friends because they find the mocking funny. You are only bitter about graduating below me."

Eskol laughed again and walked closer to the twi'lek, saying, "So? What if everything you say is true? That just shows that I have charisma, and you have nothing. Should I congratulate you for being pushed through the cracks by one of the most prestigious officers in the Empire?"

The twi'lek immediately responded in a frustrated tone, "I don't care what you think of me. I worked for everything I have independently of you or anyone else. Your validation means nothing to me. The past is the past, and the future is joining it. We don't have the time to bicker about meaningless things like personality or merit. Our abilities will show as we work through the Empire. If there is something important you want to talk to me about, say it to me."

Eskol continued giving Catlula a smug look and stated, "It seems we have a slight misunderstanding. In the Empire, none of us express our feelings to each other. You always want to find a diplomatic solution to every problem, but no one else wants to solve these problems. Sometimes, you have to live in ambiguity."

The twi'lek wanted to respond to the other graduating officer, but she agreed with his statement. She thought, "He is probably right; Everyone always acts secretive and fake to everyone else. I should learn to adjust to this reality, but the anxiety from thinking about what everyone else thinks of me is torturous. I guess I have to start speculating, then."

Then, Catlula responded, "I understand. I truly understand. Besides, the only thing I want from you right now is for you to get away from me."

Eskol chuckled and responded, "Don't worry. I want the same." Then, the two officers went their separate ways.

Catlula continued walking toward the balcony stairs. They were on the other side of the room, but the twi'lek was not intimidated by the short journey. She took step after step on the red-plated floor as she got closer and closer to the stairs. Eventually, Catlula reached the stairs and walked to the upper level. Then, she walked past the many Imperials, enjoying the high life, and stood near the balcony's edge. Most of the guests on the upper level were senators, wearing elegant clothing and jewelry that represented them and their culture. A glass barricade blocked the guests on the upper floor from the fatal fall that met them over the edge. Catlula put her arms on the sturdy glass and leaned against it, watching the party below. She saw that, just like she saw in the back lobby, the paint was chipping. The twi'lek noticed its pattern but paid no mind to it thinking, "The glory of the Empire outweighs its flaws." She thought about the location's history for the Republic but only cared about the giant party. The twi'lek knew this was propaganda, but she did not care as it helped her cause.

Suddenly, Catlula felt a tap on her should and turned around to see General Ackerson. She smiled upon seeing the man who raised her.

The General smiled back and said, "It is nice to see you here, Catlula. How have you been enjoying this place?"

Catlula responded, "It has been fun so far. This palace is beautiful."

Ackerson chuckled and replied, "I'm glad you have enjoyed yourself, but I wish to talk to you about your future. You are to report to my base on Nanth'ri tomorrow as a member of my army."

Catlula was excited about working under her adopted father and hugged him, saying, "Thank you, sir. I will not disappoint you."

Ackerson responded, "I'm sure you won't. I'll see you tomorrow at my base. I can't wait to see you there."

Catlula let go of the general and said, "I can't wait either, sir.". Afterward, General Ackerson walked away from the twi'lek.

Then, the twi'lek turned around to face the edge of the balcony, but suddenly, she felt something rip, and her eyes widened. Her bra tore because of the girl's breast movement, allowing her boobs to move more freely. Catlula looked down and was thankful the malfunction did not affect her modesty, but she knew the situation could worsen if she stayed. The twi'lek crossed her arms over her chest and hastily walked out of the building and to the street. Then, she felt more of her clothes tearing and continued accelerating in speed until she reached her apartment building and the privacy of her room.