''Ms Lu?''
It is past school time and Eva is standing in front of Lu's desk in the front of the empty classroom, holding a blue-black datacard in her hand. She can hear the wind whistling outside the school as she sees trees swaying behind the windows.
Lu looks up from her computer screen. ''Yes, Eva?''
Eva puts the datacard on Lu's grey, metal desk.
''Here's the literature assignment,'' she says.
Lu's eyebrows rise with surprise. ''I thought literature didn't matter to you,'' she chuckles.
Lu shoves the datacard closer to her and grabs it. Inserting it in her computer, her screen flashes, and she checks if Eva did the assignment correctly. She looks at Lu tapping on the keyboard until she takes out the datacard of her computer and shoves it aside.
''You did it really well,'' says Lu, satisfied with a smile.
Eva nods faintly. She tries to be satisfied, but her face doesn't allow her to smile, and Lu sees her nearly emotionless face.
''Eva, I heard what happened at the BlasTech facility,'' says Lu. ''I heard it from your father. I'm sorry what you had to go through.''
Eva is reminded again of the nightmare at the facility. She gets anxious when she thinks back, feeling her heart speed up in her chest. The red flashes and the loud screeches still echo through her mind, and her lungs still feel sore after how intense she gasped for air.
''It made me reconsider becoming a soldier,'' stutters Eva with heavy breathing. ''Seeing even the most elite soldiers dying-'' and she stops, not knowing how to answer.
Lu nods while the silence is deep. ''Not to sound negative, but I think it's good you've dropped the desire.''
Eva faintly nods. ''I'm still not sure if it's the right choice I want to make.''
Lu then bends over a little to lean with her elbows on the desk. ''Trust me, Eva, it's the right choice.''
It comforts her a little to get confirmation from an adult. It feels like a heavy weight is lifted from her shoulders, but it feels like it's still there. She can still feel the conflict that clouds her vision, and she shifts her eyes to look through the window of the empty classroom. The trees outside sway and the water droplets drip down the glass.
''If you need something from me, you can contact me anytime,'' says Lu.
Eva looks back and nods. She thinks back to Kyraan, the old teacher and the soldier who saved her from the spy, recalling the moment she saw him getting shot in the chest. I have to know how he's doing.
''Lu, I need you to check something,'' she asks. ''It's somebody who was hospitalised yesterday. Can you check where he's at?''
''I'm not sure I can do that,'' replies Lu.
''Why not?'' asks Eva, her eyebrows rising. ''Doesn't your civil service account give you access to the hospital registration system?''
Civil servants are granted access to basic information normal civilians wouldn't be able to find, such as the system hospitals use to register hospitalised people. Through the account of a civil servant, only the name, status of health, and the place of the hospital are shown. More sensitive information such as chain code, or governmental operations on other systems is not accessible, preventing espionage. It's a Vaulent-6 exclusive system to give families of the wounded faster information on their whereabouts.
Lu looks down. ''It's better for your mind to leave it aside.''
''Lu, please,'' Eva begs.
Lu shifts her eyes up and she shoves the computer a bit towards her, tapping relentlessly on the keyboard. Its screen is turned away from Eva, so she has no idea what it's displaying.
''What's the name?'' asks Lu, shifting her eyes to Eva.
''Kyraan,'' she answers.
Lu nods and she shifts her eyes down to the screen. Eva then notices there's something with her. Kyraan was a colleague of hers, so she expected some worry or sympathy for the man, but it seems like Lu wasn't worried. As Lu taps relentlessly on the keyboard, the flashing computer screen reflecting in her eyes, it weirds Eva out that she didn't express her worry, but on the other side, there's a reason why she isn't. Kyraan was an Empire supporter, having trained at the Academy and joined the Stormtrooper Corps, telling those he knew that teenagers should follow the conscription program and in some way contribute to the military. Lu was a bit on the opposite. Though she's not an anti-Imperial, she wasn't fond of the conscription program and the military as a whole due to the risks it carries, and she still isn't fond of them. Having to look up information about a combatant might not make her worried, even if it's someone she knows as a former colleague.
''Kyraan E'tad,'' reads Lu out loud. ''Hospitalised at Garrison Medical Center, non-critical condition,'' and she looks up at Eva.
Eva slowly nods, knowing Kyraan is not in critical condition. Letting out a sigh as she feels a wave of relief wash over her, she thanks Lu for helping her out and she walks out of the classroom. At least Kyraan survived that shot , she thinks, recalling the shot burning through his white body armour. She can still hear the blaster shot screech, flashing the storage room in a red light.
As she exits the school building, Eva feels the rough wind blowing into her face and water pouring onto her hair. It's raining heavily as the sky is filled with shades of dark grey with no sight of the blue atmosphere. The clouds cascade over the city as they pour down water onto the roofs and the streets. Despite the heavy rain, Eva doesn't care. She leaves the school behind and walks through the street, with speeders parked beside the wet sidewalk, all Eva can feel is pain in her heart. The feeling of being wrong aches as the rain pours down, soaking her hair in water. It was her dream to become a soldier of the Empire, but now it's the complete opposite. Now, it's a distant memory in the back of her mind. Kyraan was a trained soldier, an elite soldier of the Empire, but he was heavily wounded in an operation that she assumes was planned out carefully. Though it might have been hastily, the trust in them to execute it properly had never worn down. Now it is. If even the elite soldiers can't kill or just apprehend a Rebel, Eva thinks, then how am I supposed to? She might have underestimated the dangers of fighting as a soldier.
''The raid of the security task forces at the BlasTech Facility left 15 people dead and the Planetary Authority on edge.''
She hears a broadcast blaring out of an electronic retailer. Eva shifts her head and sees a hologram inside the shop window displaying the news broadcast of Channel Vaulent. She stops in her tracks and walks towards the window. As she approaches it, she puts her hand on the glass and looks inside at the hologram, displaying a grainy, stand-still picture of a person dressed in all black, roaming the corridor of the facility with a blaster in his hand.
''Secret intelligence forces were after a spy affiliated with the Rebel Alliance. The ISB hasn't released any news regarding this event. The BlasTech facility where they mass-produce weapons for the military is running again after a ceremonial commemoration, but the fear remains in the employees and Planetary Authority.''
The event that happened there left a scar behind. Her dream of becoming a Stormtrooper is gone, and it leaves an empty spot behind. She knew what was on her path, she knew what to do and how to get there, but now all of that doesn't matter. Becoming a Stormtrooper has now become a joke. She wouldn't stand a chance against the force of fear.
''The galaxy is a treacherous place, from Kuat to Ryloth. It's full of threats to our perfect way of life.''
After the broadcast ended, the hologram showed footage of stars and planets rotating around them in orbit.
''But fear not. The Galactic Empire stands ready to defend YOU as we bring prosperity and peace to every world we touch, no matter the cost. We stand firm against anyone who dares to bring us down.''
A call to conscription plays out on the hologram, showing the shining symbol of the Empire as the rain continuous to pour over her. Eva knows this is one of the many advertisements to get people to join the military. It gets many people hooked up, and she wasn't the exception, but since BlasTech, it's different. The call to conscription feels so much weaker now, knowing that she won't be eligible for the military.
''The Stormtrooper Corps is the elite fighting force of the Empire. Our shiny bucket heads defend against any foe to the Imperial civilisation. Join us, and become the elite troopers of the Empire!
Or join the Navy. We ensure safe passage from and to Imperial planets, protecting you from any threat. From pirates to asteroids, nothing stands in the way of protecting you. Join the Navy, and embark upon one of the thousands of Star Destroyers.
Up for a challenge? Enlist for the Army, as we stand unyieldingly on the front lines, directly facing our foes with equipment made by the best. Participate in the most daring campaigns to establish security and stability on all worlds outside the border.
No matter where you're from, the Empire is proud to have you as its soldier, behind or on the frontlines. Join the military, and take part in the galaxy's golden era as a forth bringer of peace, security and prosperity. Come and fight now!''
Indeed. It has become much weaker, and Eva walks on.
That evening, as the rain clouds drift away and let the sun show itself as it nears the horizon, Eva sits on the little porch of a treehouse she and Eline built a year ago together with their father. It's built on a sturdy tree reaching out far with its branches and green leaves. It's a wooden platform attached to the thick tree trunk, barely big enough to fit a 3x3 meter closet.
It was hard to punch the nails in the trunk and get the wood up, but it was a nice memory of building it up. Now, that's one of the few light spots she has as all the others are gone. The very thing she lived for was the strive for joining the Imperial military. Every day she watched the news channels to keep up with the war effort until her father forbade her to do so. Some of the light spots she created were the epic fly-by of the TIE Fighter, the saluting Stormtroopers, the amazing trip to the BlasTech facility, and the TIE Vulcans on Imperial Defense Daily pushing up through enemy defences. All of that is now gone, meaningless.
As soon as her dream went away, so did a lot of the light spots, and it makes Eva sad and empty. There's nothing she can strive for, and there's nothing to dream about. The Rebel spy at the BlasTech facility holding her at gunpoint engraved a mark on her.
Leaning with her back on the tree trunk, Eva feels the light breeze blowing over her skin as she stares into the distance, seeing the orange sun hitting the hills at the horizon. It hurts her eyes looking at it, but together with the breeze, it lightens Eva's sad emotions. It makes her feel a little bit better as the breeze whistles faintly.
Then Eva hears the wood creaking and she shifts her head to her right and sees Eline climbing up the ladder as she puts her hand on the wooden platform. Her blond hair sways in the breeze as her eyes land on Eva.
''Eva, are you alright?'' she asks, putting her feet on the platform.
The warm feeling of Eline's presence comforts her and lightens her sadness.
''Everything is fine,'' answers Eva as her little sister sits down next to her, leaning with her back onto the tree trunk as well. ''I'm just a bit stressed.''
Eline shifts her head with suspicion as she keeps her blue eyes locked on Eva. She knows it isn't true what Eva is saying.
''Eva, what's wrong?'' she asks.
Eva then lets out a sigh to think of a good answer.
''Dad and I went to his workplace yesterday,'' she then tells.
''You were there?'' asks Eline, perplexed
She knows about the Imperial incursion and the firefight? I didn't expect her to know that.
''Yes I was there,'' answers Eva, ''and now I dropped my Stormtrooper dream. I feel empty, I don't know what to do.''
Eline then leans her head onto her side, and it fills Eva's emptiness a little with warmth.
Eline tilts her head up. ''Eva, you can come up with something new to go for.''
Eva tilts her head a little down, ''I'm not so sure.''
Eline then tilts her head up to look at Eva. ''Follow your heart.''.
That line surprised Eva a bit. She didn't expect something like that to come out of her little sister.
Eva nods. Follow your heart. What says my heart? Eva closes her eyes and clears her mind to think about what her heart is saying, but the sadness she still has obstructs her thinking.
''Kirbley, how is it going?''
Kirbley sat at the Star Destroyer's bar with Captain Carter at a circular table. It was standing at the end of the bar in front of a large window.
''I'm stressed,'' answered Kirbley. ''It's too much.''
Carter nodded. ''I understand that.''
''I'm not sure if I can finish the preparation on time.''
''What do you have to prepare?''
''The correct environment. Teenagers are vulnerable and easy to break down. I need to make them more sustaining, and I'm still not sure how, and I don't know the long-term implications.''
''The problem is the same with orphan teenagers?''
''Less, but it still is. I'm not sure why I agreed to plan this out. Night Force is a wrecked train I have to keep running.''
''I think you're not the only one. In the last couple of months, the Emperor had ordered to speed up the military efforts because of the threat of the Rebel Alliance.''
''I'm sure the destruction of the Death Star shook his seat?''
''It did. I've heard that Imperial High Command is planning to speed up the recruitment programs to expand the infantry forces. I'm afraid that Night Force falls under that too.''
The Imperial High Command was the greater power behind the Empire's war effort, leading the entire military.
''They want me to speed up?''
''I think so.''
''I can't do that. I can't speed up the development of Night Force. It will jeopardize the mental welfare of the soldiers''
''You can't deny orders, especially those of High Command.''
''But I'm no military, I'm just a civilian.''
''Well, they see things differently. Since you're working for the military, you thus have to comply with their orders.''
Kirbley started to realize how little free space he actually had. His father promised that he had full control of the project and that he decided the pace of Night Force's development, but that wasn't true. His father lied. He really had no freedom of decision, and his citizenship didn't protect him. He had to follow orders like every other military personnel, even though he was just a scientist. The realization hit Kirbley hard. He was driven in a tight corner.
Carter is called up to the bridge through his comlink, and he left Kirbley behind, and it gave him room to think.
He wanted to confront his father about the fact that he lied, but he knew he had no other option. He knew that the threat of the Rebel Alliance is so big that even pacificists like him weren't safe. He decided not to confront his father. An apology from him wouldn't change anything. He was driven into a tight corner with an exit long gone. There was no other way than to go forward, keep researching for Night Force, and get the best out of it. It put a heavy weight on him, but Kirbley knew it wouldn't be lifted in a long time. He had to go on.