It's 4 ABY.
Vaulent 6. The Gorathion-System.
''It's 7 hundred and this is the Vaulent CH7. Vaulent Capital, good morning, and we start our morning broadcast with the Rebel bombing of a cargo train on Kuat three months ago. The attack was catastrophic and claimed the lives of 131 civilians who lived in the apartments lining the track. It is still the deadliest terrorist attack conducted by the Rebel Alliance in four years.''
She sits on the cold floor of the living room, with the only source of light being the vidscreen in front of her. Her eyes widen as the broadcast of CH7 continues, showing the camera footage of wrecked containers and train carts lying chaotically around the track. She remembers the first time she watched what happened. Eight Thorium charges lied below the track. When the targeted cargo train appeared around the corner of the turn, the charges blew up and destroyed the track before it could pull the brakes. The train shot over the crater, derailed, crashed through the safety barriers, shot towards the apartment buildings and charged through them. She remembers the footage as clear as day.
''Relatives of the casualties waited for three long months until the Imperial Security Bureau and the Army Engineering Corps finished their investigation with the arrest of eleven suspects, who have been linked to the Rebel Alliance. They were arrested yesterday in the Warriot District of Kuat around midnight and have been neutralised after their capture.''
Good. Kill them in front of their Rebel friends. It's the punishment all of those demons deserve.
The news playing out on the vidscreen makes a smile form on her face, grinning to hear that justice has finally been served in the name of the Empire.
''However, the ISB is still on the lookout for one suspect who they believe to be the mastermind behind the Kuat train bombing.''
The footage of the disaster zone switches to a white background with animated sketches of a man dressed in all black. She's seen the sketches many times before on the same channel and she can recall every bit of detail. From the green, T-shaped visor to the black armour and kamas hanging down from his waist.
''The Imperial Security Bureau is searching for this man dressed in a black armour suit, and although his unusual color palette should stand out amidst the morning rush, the ISB has so far failed to identify him, and they struggle to find witnesses and gather valuable intel.''
But eleven Rebels are dead. That's good.
She can never get enough of it. Each day before she goes to school in the Capital of Vaulent 6, she watches CH7 to miss nothing about the current Galactic Civil War. It's a conflict brewing between the Empire and the Rebel Alliance, a terrorist movement of demons. The morning ritual of others is staying in bed until the last second and eating hastily to not arrive late at school or work. Her morning ritual is seeing the Rebel scumbags being kicked in their asses by the Empire. It's something she can't miss as it fuels her. It gets her through the day and it fuels the militaristic fury that burns within her.
As CH7 switches to economic news she finds it boring, she hears footsteps on the stairs behind her. Turning around her head, she sees it's her father walking down the stairs. His working jacket slides behind him while he's putting it on, and his wedding necklace is hanging around his neck. It's been 15 years ever since. Time's flying.
Her father's eyes land on her. ''Eva, what are you doing here so early?''
As her father steps into the kitchen that's part of the living room, Eva turns her head back to the vidscreen.
''I awoke early, couldn't sleep,'' she replies.
''Eva, it's 7 in the morning,'' he answers.
Her father taps the button and turns on the lights. The living room suddenly floods in a yellow-white hue and it hurts her eyes. She squeezes them and can barely see the green digits of Sienar Fleet System's stock value on the vidscreen. She looks down at her pink socks and white pyjama leggings to let her eyes adjust to the bright light.
''I know,'' she replies, nearly nonchalantly.
She doesn't care how early she wakes up. Whenever her eyes are open, she yearns for a plate of war news as breakfast, even when it's boring economic news that's playing out on the vidscreen. It's better than when a lunatic guns down his mother, his neighbour, and - for some reason, his dentist and that CH7 then approaches a civilian living nearby and asks what he heard. Yeah, I just came home from my workplace and suddenly I heard two loud bangs. I never expected this to happen here. This neighbourhood has always been very peaceful!
They always say the neighbourhood is peaceful. Turns out, they weren't. Boring numbers of rising stock value are far better than that kind of segments CH7 sometimes features.
Eva's eyes slowly adapt to the lights and she can finally bear to watch the vidscreen without burning her eyes. Then, the vidscreen starts lagging and the words of the news anchor constantly repeat. The footage is stuck on a random frame of an interviewed spokesperson of the Sienar Fleet Systems. Eva lets out a sigh of frustration.
''Blasted vidscreen,'' she whispers.
Eva reaches out for the buttons below the screen to fix the lagging. Her father turns on the Caf machine and lets it pour the caffeine into his cup as he notices Eva turning the buttons of the vidscreen.
''Eva, why are you still watching the news channels?'' he asks, his eyebrows furrowing. ''Didn't I tell you to stop watching them?''
She sighs and refuses to answer as all of her attention is focused on fixing the lagging. Eva needs it to fuel her spirit.
''The reception antenna is broken again,'' she says, her eyes focused on the screen.
As the Caf machine continues to simmer like a speeder engine, her father walks out of the kitchen into the living room and approaches the vidscreen. Her father lets out a sigh. He has told her enough times she should stop watching CH7, especially this early in the morning. It's something Eva is unable to understand yet, so trying to get through to her, her father reaches out for the power cable behind the vidscreen and unplugs it. The screen goes pitch-black and Eva is met by her reflection in the screen. She sighs and looks up at her father.
''What did I tell you yesterday and the days prior?'' he asks, leaning with his elbow on the vidscreen.
Eva looks down with frustration brewing within her and she sighs. ''Don't care about the rest of the galaxy,'' she recites.
''Let the galaxy be for what it is,'' he says. ''It's better if you don't care what's happening beyond our reach. Let the galaxy alone and focus on our home instead of the war.''
''There won't be a home if we don't care about the war,'' Eva sighs. ''The Rebel Alliance is an unhinged pack of demons.''
The frustration rises in her chest and she looks up at her father.
''Why can't I care about the galaxy if they terrorise us?'' Eva asks. ''There's a whole galaxy with people like us, dad.''
''Eva,'' her father sighs. ''I just don't want you to be involved in this war. It's far more complex than what they show you.''
''But, dad-,'' she says, standing up from the floor.
''No,'' he interrupts her. ''I don't have the energy and time right now to explain this all over again. I don't want you anywhere near the vidscreen or else I throw it in the trash compactor, got it?''
Her father's strict voice makes Eva feel uneasy and she's left with frustration brewing in her chest. Though she disagrees with him, she can't speak against him. She shifts her eyes down and lets out a sigh, trying to relieve the frustration. She then feels the cold hand of her father on her cheek.
''Eva, please understand that I do this to protect you,'' he says.
Eva looks up at her father.
''The conscription program doesn't care about your personal dreams,'' he says. ''They'll put you wherever they need you the most, and that is on the frontlines of the bloodiest warzones on the other side of the galaxy. I don't want you there and so far away from home. Eva, it's better for you to become-, I'm just saying something, an officer or anything else other than a militant.''
Eva scoffs. She's a steadfast girl with a clear ambition she wants to follow, and she can feel it shining in her heart.
''Dad, I want to become a soldier of the Empire to fight the Rebels, not a janitor or an officer stuck at base, looking at datapads. Sure, they do important stuff too, but I'm willing to make my hands dirty and fight those Rebel scum anytime. I don't want to read some data about them or clean the mud on the floor. I want to fight those scum, hunt them and do whatever I have to for us, the people of the Empire.''
''Eva, the war is ruled by politics. When you join the Army or the Stormtrooper Corps, you're screwed.''
''There's no Senate to begin with anyway.''
''I mean the politics within the Imperial hierarchy. Generals and admirals fight for their own gain and not just for the greater good. The politics are screwed, and I don't want you to be caught in a warzone on the fields or between generals. You understand me?''
There's no way to talk out of it or to convince her father otherwise. Realising that, Eva sighs. I can better say I agree with him just to be done with this.
''Yes, dad,'' she responds.
Her father nods, happy to have broken through to her. He's been trying to for months but to no avail, and having to accept what he has told her makes Eva feel even more frustrated, having to believe something she doesn't want to. Serving the Empire and fighting for the people is what she wants and believes is good. It's what any citizen should do. Sadly, her father is not on the same line as her and it frustrates her that she can't follow her desires.
The Caf machine on the kitchen counter stops simmering and her father retracts his hand from Eva's cheek. He looks at the grey chronometer on his wrist. It's a little dome strapped around his wrist that shows a little, blue hologram of four digits displaying time.
''I have to go,'' he mumbles.
He quickly turns around and walks into the kitchen, grasping his working bag and sweeping it elegantly from the counter in a hurry. He takes his cup of fresh Caf from the machine and turns it off with a tap on the button.
''It will be a busy day at the facility,'' he says, checking the pockets of his jacket. ''BlasTech fished in a mega deal of the Army yesterday.''
The paycheck is going to burn with Creds, no?
Her father zips his jacket shut and taps the button. The door opens and Eva feels a cold breeze suddenly blowing into her. It's chilly and Eva feels her body shivering as her father steps outside.
''I'll see you tonight, Eva,'' he says.
Then, the door slides shut and her father disappears, going out to work. She can hear his speeder powering up and shrieking away from the house. Eva steps backwards and lets herself fall onto the couch with a soft thud. The polyester bounces back.
Ugh, why can I join the military, Eva wonders. It frustrates her that her father doesn't accept the dream she wants to strive for. It's an ambition that shines brightly in her heart, and it's one of the few things she wakes up for. Serving the Empire, fighting for the people, and punishing the Rebel Alliance for the horrible stuff they do, and it's footage shown on CH7 that fuels her desires. No matter how many times her father needs to explain it to her, Eva remains steadfast, going straight ahead towards what she desires. Eva is determined to join the Imperial military, do what must be done to maintain the peace, and become theā¦
IMPERIAL ELITE
PART 1: FURY OF DEATH
It's 7 fifty. The sun slowly rises in the air and floods her room in a soft, yellow hue. The light of the sun feels blissful in her eyes as Eva prepares herself to go to school like any other day. Her tightly ironed school uniform lies on the blue sheet of her bed. Next to her grey pillow stands her night desk with the little action figure of a Stormtrooper standing upright. She got it from her best friend as a birthday gift two years ago. On the other side of the room stands her metal desk with her black schoolbag sitting on the table, and in the middle between her desk and her bed is the large window that floods her bedroom with sunlight. It gives her a magical-looking view of the scenery around her house, a field of grain that reaches as far as her eyes can see. The sky is filled with shades of yellow and blue as the blazing sun slowly rises. The blissful sun that shows itself through her window makes Eva forget the frustration she had this morning with her father, and she proceeds with her usual morning routine.
She grasps the jacket of her uniform from the bed and holds it in front of her. Eva tugs the fabric with her hand, feeling the soft but durable fabric. It's a grey, white-striped jacket with a black zipper going from the neck all the way down. She bears the white insignia of the Empire on her chest and she wears a black tie. The uniform has a grey, waving skirt, grey leggings, white socks, and a pair of grey shoes with black laces. It's the uniform all students across the Empire have to wear. It radiates authority, order and discipline, and the shiny Imperial emblem on the chest gives her a sense of loyalty, and the fact that every student has to wear it makes her feel united with the Empire she loyally serves.
Eva puts on her uniform and it sits tightly around her body. It makes her feel proud to wear it, and every time she does, it gives her a smile on her face.
She walks towards the mirror next to her window. Staring at her reflection, Eva twists and pivots around and checks her outfit. The grey uniform sits tightly around her body, but she notices there's a rimple down her uniform. She pulls onto it and the rimple disappears. Perfect.
In the mirror, she can see her open door and Eva notices the face of her little sister peeking around the corner. Her long, blond hair hangs down and her blue, little eyes look at her. Seeing Eline in the reflection makes her heart warm up with love. Eline is one of the few close people in her life who doesn't judge her military desire, and she smiles as Eva sees her in the mirror.
Eva walks away from the mirror and crashes down on her bed, making the blue bedsheet rimple and she reaches out for her black shoes to put on. They're tight and it's always a bit of a struggle to put them on.
''Eline, what time is it?'' she asks, tying her laces into a bow.
Eline looks at the small, blue chronometer on her wrist. She got it for her birthday when she was six years old, and Eva remembers the smile Eline had on her face when she opened the box.
''8 ten,'' Eline answers, her soft voice as soft as a bird.
''Blast it,'' Eva curses and she jumps up from her bed and sweeps her backpack from her desk. ''Is it that late already?''
Eva needs to hurry if she wants to take the right bus on time. They always arrive according to a tight schedule and they never come too late, even in remote areas like her home. She bolts out of the door past Eline, runs downstairs and sees her mother in the kitchen cutting some fruit on the metal cutting board. Her wedding necklace shimmers around her throat in the sunlight as it shines through the windows of the home.
''Mom, did you prepare my lunchbox?'' she asks, stepping towards the kitchen counter.
Her mother smiles and grasps a metal lunch box next to her cutting board.
''Yes, I did, sweetheart,'' and she slides the lunch box over the kitchen counter.
''Thanks, mom,' she says and she grasps the lunch box and pushes it into her packed school bag, the Imperial insignia shining in the light.
''I'm going to school, bye.''
''Bye, sweetheart!''
Eva taps the button and bolts out of the door. She stumbles into the chilly wind as she puts her backpack on her back and steps onto the wooden porch. It's a house in the middle of grainfields and it's connected to Vaulent's infrastructure through one dirt road in front of her. She steps off the porch and walks towards the dirt road that ends at her house. It goes almost a click ahead.
''Eva!''
She stops in her tracks and turns around. She sees Eline running towards her over the dirt as her long, blond hair sways in the breeze. Eva notices her little sister is holding something in her hand as she stops in front of her.
''You forgot your datapad,'' she says. ''It was still in the charger.''
Blasted.
Eva smiles as she quickly takes her datapad from her sister.
''Thank you so much, Eline,'' and she chuckles. ''Where would I have been without you?''
Eline chuckles too and she moves away the long strands of her hair away from her face. Eva zips open her backpack and puts her datapad on top of her lunch box.
''When will you be back?'' Eline asks, holding her hands together.
Eva looks up. She lifts up her backpack and puts it on her back.
''I think in the afternoon,'' she says, smiling. ''You already miss me?''
Eline pivots around a little in the breeze and nods. She steps closer and entangles her arms around her. Eva embraces her little sister in a tight hug. It makes her heart warm up in the cold breeze of the morning. Eline is two years younger than Eva. Sometimes, she's unable to let go of her sister and Eva understands it. They live so remote they don't have neighbours, making Eva the only person Eline can get close to, and they simply love each other.
Eva runs her fingers gently through Eline's blond strands of hair as she looks down at her.
''What will you do today?'' she asks.
''I'm going to visit the Scouts with mom,'' Eline replies, tilting her head up. ''We're going to see if it's fun.''
Eva smiles. The Imperial Scouting Group is an organisation that teaches young kids survival techniques in the wild. It's a lighter version of the Imperial Academy, focusing on shooting with bows and arrows and simple first aid techniques rather than firing blasters and hitting punching bags. Just hearing what the Scouts has to offer makes Eva believe it's going to be fun.
''I'm sure it will be fun,'' Eva replies. ''You'll learn recognising traces of animals, arching, making campfires and other astral things. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.''
''But I want to join the Academy with you,'' Eline replies.
''Hey, you're not old enough to apply,'' Eva smiles, ''but I'm sure the things you'll learn at the Scouts will help you at the Academy. I think the skills can really come in handy.''
Eline nods. ''Will mom and dad allow it?''
Eva lets out a sigh. Her fingers still run through Eline's long strands of hair as she looks at her.
''Well, mom and dad can't force us not to join the Academy,'' says Eva. ''We'll be conscripted, which means we'll have to attend the Academy. It's mandatory, even if mom and dad don't like it.''
Eline nods, and she puts her head against her sister's chest, tightening her grip around her.
''I hope we can one day shoot the demons down,'' she says.
Eva suddenly bursts out in laughter, chuckling at Eline's comment. Even at such a young age, the Imperial ideology has been hammered excellently into her mind and it shows.
''I promise,'' says Eva, smiling. ''We'll shoot them down when we're both Stormtroopers.''
Eva lets go of Eline's long hair and lets it blissfully sway in the breeze. Then, Eva's eyes land on the little blue chronometer on Eline's wrist in the corner of her eye. 8 thirteen. I have to go.
Eva tilts her head down. ''Hey, Eline. I have to go now. The bus is waiting for me.''
Eline looks up, hesitating to let go of her older sister.
''They won't like it when I'm late,'' says Eva, looking at her.
After a bit of hesitation, Eline nods and lets go of her older sister and they both say goodbye.
''Eline, I'll be back soon,'' says Eva, ''I promise.''
Eline nods and a smile forms on her face as her blond hair sways in the breeze. Smiling too, Eva turns around and walks away from her home, heading to the bus stop. Walking through the dirt road, she can't get the hug out of her mind. There's no other person in the galaxy she loves more than her little sister, and they'll never let go of each other.
Walking over the dirt road that cuts through the grainfields, Eva reaches out for her hair and gently scrambles them together. The wind at Vaulent 6 can be rough sometimes, especially in the streets of the Capital. She ties the long strands of her hair up in a bun so it won't fly up in her face when the wind picks up. As she runs her finger gently through her bun to check if it sits right, Eva's eyes land on a dark grey marble in the blue sky, slowly moving away from the bright sun. It's Vaulent Prime, a toxic, uninhabitable planet that's been owned by mining corporations for centuries. The biggest one, the Exodus Mining Corporation, is one of the main leaders in the ore market. To keep their employees close to their mining facilities, the corporation built a settlement on the only inhabitable moon that orbits Vaulent Prime. That moon is Vaulent 6, Eva's home world. Long before she was born, the Exodus Mining Corporation slowly expanded the settlement to accommodate more and more employees. They took their children and their families with them as they discovered Vaulent 6 had a stable climate and very few apex predators roaming the grass fields. The settlement slowly grew as more families moved. That was 400 years ago. Now, that small settlement is a thriving, metropolitan city housing millions of inhabitants now known as Vaulent Capital.
Arriving at the stop, the bus quickly arrives and she steps in, taking a window seat on the left side. The grainfields woosh past her until the bus enters the highway towards the Capital, and after a trip of twenty minutes, the bus stops at her destination. She steps out at Overbrook Road, a three-lane avenue that pierces through the city. No matter the time, it is always busy.
Looking a bit around on the sidewalk, Eva feels the cold breeze blowing through the avenue as the speeders dash past her. Everything is still the same. The grey buildings, the highrises, the red flags with the white Imperial insignia, the smell of combustion gases - everything is still the same as always. Nothing of her beloved home world is taken away by the Rebel demons, and when she is at the Imperial Academy, Eva is determined to protect all of it.
She walks through a road towards her school which is a 10-minute walk away from her. Eva passes many citizens with thick jackets, on their way to their workplaces whether it is the supermarkets or the prestigious corporations at Trustfall Center. Walking through the morning rush makes Eva feel like she's part of something bigger, the economy of a large, powerful presence, the Galactic Empire. There's nothing better than that. The Empire is the most superior system in the galaxy and Eva has no doubt in her beliefs.
She walks past the outlets of some fancy fashion brands. Usually, they show advertisements for the brand on holograms, but in the morning rush, they show propaganda videos for everyone to see. They attract Eva's attention and she stops in front of one.
''The Galaxy is a treacherous place, from Kuat all the way to Ryloth,'' tells the narrator through the speakers.
The hologram shows her an image of planets orbiting their stars, worlds under the reign of the Empire.
''It's full of threats to our way of life. But fear not. The glorious 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.''
The hologram footage switches to Stormtroopers marching through the avenues of Coruscant, and Eva's eyes widen as she looks at the future of herself.
''We're the Stormtrooper Corps,'' she hears as the camera focuses on one Stormtrooper. ''We shinies are the elite troopers of the Empire, defending our worlds from any foe. Our bucket is our face, our TK number is our name. Join us, and become part of the elite fighting force of the Empire!''
Eva sees three teenage boys approaching her and watching the hologram as well, watching in awe at what their Empire is offering them. They all wear their school uniforms as well. They are mostly the same as Eva's outfit with the only differences being their jeans and their jackets.
''Or join the Navy,'' says an officer as the camera focuses on him. ''We ensure safe passage from and to Imperial worlds, protecting you from any threat we come across. From cowardly pirates to stubborn asteroids, nothing stands in the way of protecting you. Join the Imperial Navy, and embark upon one of the thousands of Star Destroyers.''
One boy on Eva's left points at the hologram. ''There's no kriffin' way those Rebel bugs think they can face off those Star Destroyers, right?''
Another one scoffs. ''Dumbasses. The glory is enough to make them run away like cowards. Glory to the Empire!''
A smile forms on Eva's face. Glory to the Empire.
As she keeps watching the hologram, the propaganda video switches to a gunner in dark grey armour sitting on a TIE Vulcan, driving over a muddy battlefield with its threads ploughing the ground. The gunner holding his anti-personnel machine gun looks directly into the camera as it focuses on him.
''Up for a challenge?'' he asks. ''Join the Army as we stand unyieldingly on the front lines, directly facing our worst enemies with equipment made by the best. We are the fighting force that fights the most to keep our glorious Empire expanding into oblivion. Participate in the most daring campaigns and establish security and stability on all worlds outside the border. Make them bow for us!''
The footage switches to TIE Fighters shrieking over the battlefields like vultures as battalions of TIE Vulcans drive over the ground with Army troopers flanking them.
''No matter where you're from,'' tells the narrator, ''the Empire is proud to have you as its soldier, behind or on the front lines. Join the military and take part in the galaxy's golden era as a bringer of peace, security and prosperity. Join us and fight for your Empire!''
The call for conscription ends with the blazing insignia of the Galactic Empire on a black background.
''Long live the Empire!''
Long live the Empire.
The hologram starts showing cinematic close-ups of a fancy jacket made for men with the price tag being 4 thousand credits, ridiculously high for just a jacket people wear once a day. It turns her away and Eva walks on. Aside from that, she can't afford to arrive late at school. Too late means reporting at the school office too early in the morning.
She enters a street that splits the mid-rise apartment buildings. Trees line the sidewalk and separate the parking spots from each other. At the end of the street, she notices a squad of 4 Stormtroopers on patrol walking over the sidewalk. They hold E-11 blasters and their white boots thud on the sidewalk. At the same time, a single TIE Vulcan enters the street with its ion engine roaring like a truck.
TIE Vulcans are upgraded TIE Century Tanks. They were flawed in design and the new Vulcan solved them. They had no repulsor lifts but two, large threads encircling their rectangular housing. In the middle of the two threads hangs the circular, TIE cockpit. On top of it sits an anti-personnel machine gun, the same as the propaganda video on the hologram showed her, and she watches in awe as it drives through the street. The 4 Stormtroopers flank it, and as they walk closer, Eva notices the front trooper has an orange pauldron on his shoulder, reflecting the sunlight. She figures it's a commander. You can always notice them by the orange pauldrons on their shoulders.
As they walk closer, Eva's pupils widen and she raises her hand and salutes them. The Stormtroopers raise their hands and salute too as they pass her. Eva smiles as she walks past them and her heart starts pounding with excitement. Each time she sees a Stormtrooper, she feels excited about the military. Eva will never lose her respect for Stormtroopers, and one day, she'll join their corps. The Imperial Academy, the shiny armour, the authority it reflects - everything about them inspires her to become one of them.
Eva arrives at school. It's plopped down in the middle of apartment blocks with a patch of nature surrounding it and a playground in front of it. She walks through the hallway and she stumbles into many students of her age. They're all loyal followers of the New Order.
''The New Order is the ideology of the Galactic Empire that decides our policy. It values order, control and the rule of law, and thanks to it, we feel united through civic pride, patriotism, militarism, and individualism.''
Imperial Ideology has always been her favourite subject. Never does it bore her out.
''The New Order also bears the right for the human race to rule. We are superior to all other alien species, giving us the right to rule the galaxy. The New Order introduced a classification system that ranks alien races based on their similarities. I don't think I have to tell you that we, the humans, occupy the top level of the system. Eva.''
She makes eye contact with the teacher, a man in his forties wearing a tight, neat suit, looking as if he's about to invest in the stock exchange.
''Humans are the top level. What is the level below us?''
Eva clears her throat. ''Near-humans, sir. They are similar to us but still-, genetically and physically-, distinct.''
''Races like?''
''Like Pantorans, sir.''
She can recite the entire classification system the New Order introduced at the start of the Empire. Below the near-humans come the humanoid species. They feature human-like bone structures but are physically vastly different from humans. Wookies and Rodians are among the humanoids. Wookies in particular are of interest to the Empire since their strength makes excellent work in hard-labour duties in the factories. They are vastly inferior to humans, but it doesn't mean they're useless yet. The bottom rank is possessed by the non-humanoids, the most disgusting-looking aliens such as the Hutts and the Mon Calamari. They feature no similarities to the human race whatsoever. Humans are the apex predators, ruling over all of them and the New Order allows it. Some outside the Imperial border call it xenophobia. Eva calls it a new line, the new direction of the Galaxy, and because of her life under the reign of the Empire, she doesn't know different.
A blue-skinned Pantoran sitting at the desk in front of her raises her hand.
''Sir?'' she asks. ''Isn't such a system xenophobic?''
Eva glances at the girl. According to the system, the Pantoran would stand below her.
The teacher glances at her. ''Miss Alien, The system is used to provide healthcare and governmental services more efficiently.''
Some students around her snicker and try to hold in their chuckles when he calls the Pantoran 'Miss Alien'. A thin smile forms on her face and Eva tries to suppress it.
''The Empire is all about efficiency, and this system provides that,'' the teacher continues. ''Only a systematic rank is enough for a doctor or a medic to understand the species they treat. Insurance corporations know which services they have to provide for their clients and what to expand to include other species. It makes processes at the government easier and more efficient.''
''But it can be used in xenophobic ways, sir,'' the Pantoran argues.
The teacher nods.
''At the test of last week, there was a question that asked me what the results of such a system are,'' she argues. ''I wrote it made processes in governmental instances more efficient, and that it could be used in xenophobic ways. I think it's no surprise racism is an unwanted result, but you wrote my answer was wrong. Could you explain what was wrong?''
''Perhaps your answer was vague.''
''No, sir. I wrote almost exactly what you just repeated. What was so wrong about it?''
Another student, a boy, chimes in and he raises his hand.
''Sir, Sakira and I compared our answers,'' he says. ''The wording differed but the answer was pretty much the same as mine, and mine was correct, I scored all the points.''
The teacher shifts his eyes to the Pantoran girl and Eva notices a hint of discomfort in his stern eyes.
''My apologies, Ms Sakira, I'll correct your score as soon as possible,'' he apologises.
He fell through. Apparently, despite the answer being correct, the Pantoran didn't get the same score as the human boy who sits next to her. It could have been a simple mistake, but it has happened before when an alien got a lower grade than the humans around them, even when the answer was correct and the same. Eva feels a bit of compassion towards the Pantoran. Even when her alien genes differ, the girl is almost the same as her, a teenage student living like any other with a kind personality. Sakira is even smarter than her, knowing the exact formula of carbon tetrachloride, down to the state of matter. Yet, her grades are nowhere near good, far below average. Sometimes, Eva feels the New Order is too strict on those who look almost exactly like her. Again, it could have been a simple mistake, but Eva feels like it's become too repetitive. Perhaps it's the New Order crossing the line.
At the end of the day, she follows her last class, Imperial Literature, fiction glorifying the Galactic Empire.
The classroom has gone into a moment of nothing and the students around her mumble to each other. Soft chuckles fill the room as Eva waits for the literature lesson to continue. It's the lesson she likes the least since it has nothing to do with what she actually wants to become. Then, her literature teacher stands next to her desk with a datapad in her hands. It's Lu, and she got her every time for Imperial Literature. She has a tanned face with brown eyes and dark brown, curly hair. Eva looks up at her, wondering what she's doing.
Lu makes eye contact with Eva.
''Eva, do you have your homework with you?'' she asks.
Homework?
Eva looks down at the floor, with her heart skipping a beat for a moment. She can't remember the homework she was assigned to and she leaves Lu in silence.
''The essay about Lyria Starn's Sun Birds?'' Lu asks, her eyebrows rising.
Oh, right. That one.
''I didn't make it, ma'am,'' Eva stammers, looking up.
Lu tilts her head in confusion. The students around her keep murmuring but some turn their heads to her.
''Why didn't you make it?'' Lu asks.
''Forgot to make it,'' Eva replies.
Lu looks away and lets out a sigh of disappointment. They're in the middle of the second semester, and Lu knows Eva is not an everyday student. She's stubborn, unyieldingly stubborn.
''The truth, Eva,'' says Lu, making eye contact with her.
Eva tilts her head down. Her schoolmistress has already figured out that she's lying, and she lets out a sigh.
''I didn't make it because I don't think I need literature to live,'' Eva answers, looking up. ''Stormtroopers don't need it either.''
She hears some students around her softly giggling, trying to hold in their chuckles, but Eva doesn't mean it as a joke. She's serious. Stormtroopers shouldn't read books. All they need is the ability to follow their orders without question, but Lu doesn't want any of it.
''Eva, I want to see you after class, okay?'' she asks.
Eva sighs and nods. There's no way to speak against a teacher. The last time she did, her geography teacher got her almost banned from the school because of disobedience. It wasn't because she wasn't loyal to the New Order, she simply didn't understand why she'd need to know how mountains form through tectonic movement.
As Lu walks past the other students to take their homework digitally stored on datacards, Eva's mind races with thoughts, distracting her from the last 20 minutes of the lesson. The frustration rises in her chest.
Why does nobody want me to become a Stormtrooper, she wonders. I don't need literature to understand strategy and the technique of bombarding Rebels with mortars.
Whatever the answer is, Eva is too frustrated to think of one.
As the classroom slowly drains and the students go home, Eva stays behind at school, sitting at her metal desk. She sees a crowd of students emerging into the street and speeders driven by their parents. It frustrates her that she can't strive for her ambitions, a dream she wants to pursue. It's the only future she can see of herself, serving her Empire as a shiny Stormtrooper.
She gazes into oblivion in boredom, until Lu finally has time to speak with her and slides a chair from another desk to sit next to her. Eva keeps gazing into oblivion, uninterested in what Lu has to say.
''Eva, honestly, why do you think you don't need literature?'' Lu asks.
Eva sighs and shifts her head to her.
''Stormtroopers don't need it,'' she replies. ''I just don't need it to follow orders.''
Lu tilts her head in surprise and her lack of words makes Eva think she hurt her feelings. She doesn't like her class, but Eva doesn't disrespect her. They both serve the same Empire.
''I didn't mean to hurt feelings or something,'' Eva stammers. ''Your lessons are astral, but I don't think I need to understand the message Sun Birds is trying to tell me. I just think it's not important.''
Lu smiles and chuckles a little. ''You didn't hurt my feelings, Eva. You're just a unique student who keeps surprising me. So you want to become a Stormtrooper?''
Eva nods. ''It's my dream.''
''Why? Because they're shiny?'' Lu asks.
''Among others, yes,'' Eva replies. ''I want to serve the Empire and fight, you know. Fight for what we stand for and defend what we've created. It's my duty to fight for the Empire.''
Lu nods. ''Okay. Let me tell you a story about my father. He was a soldier too and was basically what you want to become.''
Eva looks away and rolls her eyes in boredom. I don't have time for a story. I want to go home, but I don't want to face the school director again. Fine, let's hear it out then.
Eva keeps her mouth shut and crosses her arms as Lu starts telling her the story.
''My father was a soldier and fought in the Clone Wars,'' tells Lu. ''He fought in the military because of the same reason as you, serving his superiors and protecting what they've built. He was a private and was part of a large division with soldiers who were as thrilled as him. Once upon a day, he and his men were sent out on a mission to re-capture a Separatist-occupied city. My father had to face the enemy directly and he and his men started to siege the city. Their plan was to drain the city from the first wave of Battle Droids, but before they came even close to the city border, they were slaughtered by the Separatists. The entire division was wiped out and the soldiers were mowed down until they had no limbs anymore. My father lied low and pretended to be dead while the Battle Droids scouted the battlefield for survivors. When they were gone, he escaped and survived the slaughter. He was the only one to return and when he came back, he was a changed man. He was afraid of everything and medics concluded he developed PTSS. He couldn't stand hard, sudden sounds anymore. Empire Day kept him shaking all night long.''
Lu concluded her story with silence. Looking at her eyes, Eva notices what her father went through has had an impact on her, and the frustration she once had was replaced with curiosity, wondering why she told her the story.
Eva puts her hand on her chair and pushes herself to sit upright.
''Lu, why are you telling me this?'' she asks.
Lu shifts her eyes to her. ''His superiors treated my father and his men as cannon fodder. They were expendable soldiers sent straight to their doom, and his superiors didn't care about them at all. Death just didn't matter to them and my father had to follow his orders without question. I'm telling you this story to make clear that the military doesn't treat its men like worthy soldiers. It's not what you believe it is. They'll send you to the worst battle zones in the Outer Rim without caring about your dreams. They'll put you wherever you're needed the most and you can't go against them.''
Suddenly, Eva feels the disbelief building up within her. The frustration returns as she hears the tone of her father in Lu's worried voice.
Lu puts her hand on Eva's shoulder with worry in her eyes. ''Eva, don't join the Imperial military. Nothing is in your control. They decide your fate.''
Eva shakes her head. ''I don't believe the military would do that, treating their soldiers like fodder. You're talking about a war that happened 20 years ago.''
''And the current war isn't any different, is it? A side fighting against the expansion of the other?''
''The Empire cares about its soldiers. Don't you see the videos they show you everywhere? They truly care about them. They give them the tools they need to protect us, and that's what they're doing.''
''The Imperial military makes decisions without taking the well-being of its soldiers into account. All they want to see is the results of a propelled war effort. The decisions they make always have big consequences for every soldier, and they're not always good.''
''I appreciate the concern, Lu,'' interrupts Eva before she can say more, ''but I trust the Empire and the military, and I know they do everything to protect us, the citizens and the soldiers.''
Eva grasps her backpack leaning against the leg of her desk and prepares to leave. She can't bear the frustration. Lu lets out a sigh and retracts her hand from Eva's shoulder as the girl stands up. Her chair slides back and scrapes over the floor as Lu looks up at her.
''I wish I could hope you are right, Eva,'' she says.
Eva glances at Lu and picks up her grey backpack from the floor. ''I know I already am.''
She sweeps her schoolbag onto her back and zips her jacket shut and walks towards the doorway.
''Eva,'' says Lu.
She stops in her tracks and turns around.
''Go home and think about what you just told me,'' says Lu. ''Oh and don't forget that tomorrow you're school free.''
You think I don't keep track of when the school-free days are?
Eva keeps her mouth shut, turns around and walks out of the classroom. Bolting out of the empty hallways, Eva's mind keeps drifting off to the conversation she had with Lu. The disbelief and the frustration remain within her as the cold breeze starts blowing into her face. She can't believe the Imperial military would neglect its soldiers. They are the backbone of the Empire's safety and security. They defend it with all of their power and they're heroes for doing so. The military would never let them down, and Eva knows Lu's reason for telling the story is flawed. A historic war doesn't apply to a different war 20 years later. The Clone Wars was fought by an entirely different galactic government and an insurgency group in a different era. The Galactic Civil War is different, and Eva knows Lu is wrong.
There is no way the Empire would throw its soldiers under the bus like this.
