Catlula sat on the transport ship. The special forces troops sat in seats against the vehicle's walls, facing each other. Every Imperial held their weapon in their hands and wore their protective black armor. Catlula wore her metallic black combat armor and black helmet with a single sight glass. The helmet had a larger volume than average to accommodate her lekku, and the back of the armor left room for the appendages. The twi'lek also wore a jet pack that she had learned to use and master in the academy. She held a sniper rifle in her hands, the signature weapon of a sharpshooter.

The twi'lek looked around at the still heads covered by their helmets. They all looked the same. This was as if they were as mass-produced as the armor they wore. After looking around at the bland sight of faceless metal planks, Catlula decided that her thoughts were more interesting than what was around her.

The Imperial twi'lek thought, "I will finally be able to prove myself as an effective soldier in this armor. My life has been leading up to this point. My years of training will culminate at this moment. I have put my foot in the door, but the most important thing I can do now is to take advantage of the slight crack in the entrance. I will prove that I will not disappear from history. Everyone who wants me to be nothing more than a novelty will be severely disappointed by this day. This battle is the climax of my life; this is the day I climb over my largest obstacle. With my gun and armor, I will bring these terrorists to their knees for the Empire."

Eventually, the transport landed on the surface of the sandy desert planet of Ubrika. The restraints holding each armored soldier to their seat were released, and the ship's entrance opened and created a ramp for Imperials to exit on. The troops closest to the opening were the first to leave, followed by those next to them. As each soldier walked down the ramp, they attempted to march in step with the Imperial they faced on the flight. The conformity could not be more scripted as the Imperial hive mind infected every troop exiting the shuttle. Once the last soldier left the ramp, the division stood still in anticipation of orders.

Catlula was happy to be part of this hive mind. As an outcast, she craved the community aspects of the army and took any advantage she could to consider herself part of the group. An outside observer of the division would not even be able to tell that one of the soldiers was a twi'lek. They were all wearing metallic black armor that favored their skill sets. Although Catlula's needs uniquely involved her species, an untrained eye could not tell the difference. Many of the twi'lek's contemporaries saw her as a sheep in wolf clothing, but the girl was determined to prove she was just as much of a wolf as everyone else.

The general walked to the front of the formation and called to the soldiers, "You will follow the stormtroopers into the base. If the attack halts, you are responsible for helping the stormtroopers break through the barrier. This building is one of the largest terrorist bases I have seen, but I know you will be able to capture it. For the Emperor!"

Every soldier in the formation responded, "For the Emperor!"

Ackerson smiled at the sight of his strongest soldiers and ordered, "March on."

With that order, the Imperial formation became mobile. The special forces units marched behind the stormtroopers as they approached the terrorist stronghold. The sound of footsteps flooded the path as the Empire made its intentions clear to the base's inhabitants. The disrupting stomps inspired the soldiers. It made them feel powerful. The battle seemed like a foregone conclusion, and they were waiting for their inevitable victory.

The base looked very similar to her army's headquarters on Nanth'ri, with a sturdy wall and a dull color scheme. Catlula assumed that the building was a repurposed Imperial stronghold. The twi'lek did not think about Hutt's implied ability to capture powerful bases, but she understood the immediate dangers of the cartel. The building sat in a canyon, which would have acted as a chokepoint if the terrorist had the troops to fight in open terrain. Instead, when the stormtroopers entered the canyon, a few snipers appeared over the outer wall and started shooting at the Imperials.

The snipers in the back of the Imperial formation noticed the snipers and started firing back. Catlula followed the lead of her fellow Imperials and aimed her crosshairs at one of the men on the wall. The bolt blasted louder than any shot she had ever heard. The sound bounced around her brain as she stared at her target, who had fallen from the wall motionless.

The moment felt surreal for the twi'lek. Her first shot ended in a kill, but the guilt of ending another man's life washed over her like a wave. The man had a life, a dream to fulfill, and a mind to learn about the world around him. His life would never reach its full potential as its vessel lay lifeless next to the walls surrounding his friends and allies. Now, he was nothing more than a statistic, a drop of blood in an ocean of corpses.

Catlula knew guilt was a restricting feeling as a soldier, but she could not help to pity the dead.

Eventually, as the twi'lek walked to the base, she told herself, "He would have easily killed me if he had the chance."

This reasoning worked as she watched stormtroopers stream into the base and hoped for their victory.

Catlula's squad leader stood by the door and said to his snipers, "Wait here until the building is cleared. We can explore after we get a signal from the general."

Catlula and the other snipers nodded and chanted in response, "Sir, yes, sir."

Eventually, the twi'lek heard horrific sounds from the other side of the doors. The gunshots and yelling were deafening as men desperately pleaded for their lives. Blood-curdling screams tortured her imagination as she winced. Catlula tried to rationalize what was happening as her squadmates waited patiently, seemingly oblivious to the worrying noises inside the base.

Suddenly, a beeping could be heard on the squad leader's wrist, and he said, "Huh, that was quick. Everyone, you have permission to explore the base."

Catlula kept her arms close to her body as she slowly walked toward the door, afraid of what she would find. Fear held her back, but her morbid curiosity overpowered any apprehension she retained.

The twi'lek cautiously opened the door, and she could not comprehend what her eyes were processing. Dead bodies sat against both walls in an organized manner, with the heads facing down, coving the deep cuts on their neck. Blood drooled out of many of their mouths as if they were leaking pipes. On the wall, a bloody message read, "No Mercy.". In the center of the room, five bodies were stacked on each other. Blood soaked their clothes as their many cuts changed the hue of their skin. A red pool of blood surrounded the lifeless men on the floor. Blood drops landed throughout the room, giving an image of cruelty. The corpses' stench filled the room as their souls attempted to avenge their deaths.

Catlula entered the room, and the reality of war hit her like a bullet. She knew about the awful actions of the Empire, but they were always seen as simple actions or statistics. The violence felt excusable when the blood was hidden behind ignorance, but she could no longer hide. Being a member of the Empire meant she was complicit in horrific actions. Then, Catlula finally realized why many other Imperials deserted.

Catlula walked toward the five stacked bodies and squatted to look at them closer. Light reflected off the blood pool and presented the image of her metallic face. The twi'lek could not recognize herself in the makeshift mirror. Her black armor and helmet made her look mass-produced and expendable. A killing machine masked any unique characteristic of hers.

She thought, "Am I a slave? Is the Empire using me as a slave?"

Suddenly, the twi'lek remembered her meeting with the Emperor and shuttered, deciding these questions were too dangerous to ask.

Then, Catlula's squad leader asked, "Are you disgusted or impressed?"

The twi'lek sniper stood up and replied, "I have never seen such violence. This is new to me."

The commander walked toward Catlula and laughed, saying, "You better get used to it, tail-head. This is a part of the war. If you can't take it, this will be your fate."

He said this as he violently stomped on one of the corpses' heads. The skull caved, and a blast of red and pink covered his foot and leg. Catlula stared at the man's leg, mortified by what she watched.

The squad leader focused on the armored twi'lek and asked in a firm tone, "Do you understand?!"

Catlula looked at the glass in her commander's helmet and nervously replied, "Yes, sir."

The squad leader harshly responded, "Good. Now, make yourself useful and explore this dump. It is one of the only things your kind is good for."

Then, he walked past the twi'lek and out of the room as she glared at the man. Catlula hated how many people treated her as a twi'lek, and her bitterness was tattooed on her heart.

Once her commander was out of earshot, the twi'lek murmured, "He does not know who he is dealing with. I will show him what a lowly twi'lek can do, and he will regret his words."

Then, Catlula walked in her commander's footsteps to the next room.