Unintelligible words of a news reporter echo faintly through the sterile-white hallway, occasionally interrupted by the footsteps of officers and the hums of the ventilation inlets. Walking through the hallway of the migration office, Eva tries to find the right words to say when she meets her, but each step she leaps makes her realise that it's impossible. Knowing what she has set in motion, Eva feels heartbroken, not knowing how to tell her. It doesn't feel right anymore to wear her Academy training suit, even when the Trooper Armament Bay got it cleaned and ironed out with detergents of the highest quality. Everything that happened yesterday, the outburst of rage, the shattering sorrow and the chains that bit like monsters remain fresh in her mind. They are feelings Eva can't shake off.
The sobs of a girl slowly grow louder as Eva opens a glass door. It slides into the wall and she faces a large waiting room with rows of seats, as if the migration office took direct inspiration from the passenger terminals of the spaceport. The seats face the countless desks of officers, their eyes glued to the screens of their computers. Eva's eyes land on Oliva, sitting cramped up in a chair with her feet together and her head leaning on her knees, sobbing heavily in a room that feels suffocatingly silent. With an aching heart, Eva walks through the rows of seats towards Oliva. As she approaches her, she feels the agonising sorrow surrounding her like a blaze of turmoil, and standing in front of her, Eva tries to form a sentence, but she can't. She's too overwhelmed by Oliva's turmoil, and gazing at her, she feels too hurt by her friend's pain. Her once curly, shining hair now looks dull and unattended. Oliva looks up and reveals her watery eyes, swollen and fiery red. Eva sees the despair in her eyes tormenting the girl and her shuddering gasps echo through the room. Each shiver makes Eva's heart hurt all the more.
''Oliva,'' Eva blurts out, unable to say more.
Oliva gazes at her friend with swollen eyes, her chest weaving relentlessly, trying to contain her inner turmoil. Eva can feel each shuddering gasp in her heart, cracking it with sorrow. Oliva reaches out and clings her fingers desperately to Eva's hand, shivering and shaking and holds it against her cheek. Oliva leans her head against Eva's hand, pressing it tightly against her cheek, and then she breaks into tears, crying with agony in her shuddering voice. Eva feels Oliva's warm tears touching her hand and her heart aches with pain, seeing her best friend now broken and shattered. Her tears fall like rain, splashing on the floor of the migration office. Hearing her agony, Eva sheds a tear as her heart breaks with the torture Oliva is in. It hurts her to see her like that, her best, best friend in terrible pain she can't bear to hold in. With each cry, each whirlwind of agony, Oliva's body shudders as the tears pour down from her crying eyes.
Eva's hands shake as each shaking cry of Oliva shakes her bones, and lowering herself to the floor, she puts her trembling hand on her friend's shoulder, trying to relieve her of the agonising pain, but she can't help her. Even if she tries to do everything, Oliva won't get her mother back from the claws of the ISB. After Eva arrested her at the Rebel stronghold, Lu was deported instantly, vanishing in the back of a heavily armoured ITT that drove off into the night. Eva has no idea where she is now, and what strikes her heart more is that Oliva will never know what happened. The ISB keeps everything confidential, even the littlest details, and Eva obeys their rules. It strikes her that she has to shut her mouth, unable to tell Oliva that Lu is gone.
Oliva entangles her arms around Eva, hugging her tightly. She can feel her friend's broken heart pounding and her lungs shuddering as Oliva sobs on Eva's shoulder.
''E-, Eva,'' Oliva sobs, her voice cracking with agony. ''She-, she's gone.''
Eva keeps her arms entangled around her, pressing her friend tightly against her. Hearing Oliva's voice breaking with so much pain, Eva can't bear listening. It hurts her too much.
''What happened?'' Eva stammers.
Oliva swallows heavily. ''They-, they told me mom was involved in a road accident. She crashed and died b-, before they could help her.''
Listening to Oliva, Eva's heart slowly breaks apart. She knows that Lu didn't die in a road accident. She never crashed. She was arrested for treason and Rebel sympathy. Her heart aches with the weight of a secret she can't share, the truth she can't tell. A tear rolls over Eva's cheek as each sob Oliva lets out pushes the dagger further into her heart with agony. She wants to tell her the truth so much, but she can't. It has been erased. Whatever really happened to Lu has been wiped from existence. The Imperial Security Bureau has unleashed the fabricated story of a mother who never came back from a trip amidst the busy evening rush. Lu's entire arrest of yesterday evening has been covered up. No one knows she has ever been linked to Rebel activity, and now that the ISB has covered it all up, Eva is forced to choke in her words, unable to tell the true story to her best friend.
''I'm-, I'm sorry,'' Eva stammers.
She almost chokes on her words, feeling her lungs shuddering and coughing to prevent her from suffocating on the pain of Oliva.
''She-, she was the best mother of the galaxy,'' Oliva's voice cracks.
''Always has been,'' Eva stammers.
Her best friend lets go and gazes down. She wipes away the tears, but they rain down quicker than she can erase them from her cheeks.
''Eva,'' she sobs, and with red eyes, she looks up. ''I'm sorry, but I'm afraid we won't see each other again.''
Her heart plummets into her chest as Eva hears Oliva's words. Tears well up in Eva's eyes as the turmoil she tries to contain bursts open with agony. It makes her unable to speak as the tears start to pour down from her eyes.
''We're moving out,'' Oliva sobs. ''I don't want to stay here, I-, I want to leave this nightmare behind and never return. We'll set up a new home on Coruscant.''
Eva slowly nods, her breathing shuddering with pain. It torments her that not only does she have to withhold the truth, but she also has to say goodbye to her best friend. They've known each other since elementary, having met each other after Eva was assigned a random table. It so happened to be near a girl who liked to talk a lot, never being able to keep in her words. Ever since Eva's first introduction to her elementary school, they've been each other's best friend. Oliva always stayed with her, helped her with whatever she struggled with, and made sure she felt well during a civil war that threatened the Empire they both loved. It feels shattering to feel Oliva's words sink in. Eva will have to say goodbye to a friend she's known forever. She'll be gone, half a galaxy away from Vaulent 6, never knowing what truly happened to her mother. Oliva now believes in a fabricated story, a lie to bury the truth to protect the Imperial society as a whole. It has been buried so deep by the Imperial Security Bureau to ensure it will never see sunlight ever again. This is the sacrifice Eva has to pay. It's the loss of serving the Empire. It's a tormenting pain no child should endure, and the vague words of Eva's father echo through her mind like a lost, buried memory. She remembers when she sat crouched on her bed, crying because of the heated argument Eva had with her parents. She tried to convince her parents that it's good to become a Stormtrooper, to serve the Empire as an elite soldier to face the Rebels. What her father then said in her bedroom remains reminiscent. You're an innocent child who deserves a good childhood. You're vulnerable and innocent, not a tool of war.
The words echo through her mind. Eva is no longer an innocent kid with a childhood. She's become a tool of war, used when the war effort demands it. Her childhood is gone now that a part of it, Oliva, will be lost. As Oliva is called by her father to get her stuff, Eva gives her best friend one last hug, squeezing her and embracing her in her arms.
''I'll miss you,'' Eva sobs.
''I'll miss you too,'' Oliva's voice cracks.
''Promise me, we stay in contact.''
''Promised. You'll hear from me when I'm there. Goodbye, Eva.''
After a tight hug, Oliva walks away, leaving Eva behind. It hurts her to see her walking away from her, holding the hand of her father and leaving the migration office, on their way to a new home. The doors close and Oliva vanishes, and now a part of her childhood is gone too. Sobbing, Eva realises the military is perhaps not so good after all. The choice she made put her on this path, a path of sacrifice and struggle, and Eva has lost her childhood because of it. It's agonising, tormenting her with more pain than the electrostaff the Rebel Twi'lek stabbed her with. Her parents may have been correct. The military might have been a bad decision.
The nurse droid unwraps the bandage from her naked chest. The bacta that was spread all over it has cured most of the bruises and the wounds. Surprisingly, no ribs were broken, even when Eva thought some were. However, her body requires more time to heal completely. Her muscles still feel sore, and the shotwound on her shoulder needs time to fully heal. Her captivity has engraved its signs all over her body, but Eva was spared from severe injuries. While the nurse droid injects medicine into her blood vessels, Eva gazes at the sterile-white floor of the Academy's medbay. She doesn't even flinch a little as the droid retracts the needle and starts wrapping her left arm in bandage to cure the bite marks of the chains. Her mind drifts away to Oliva's goodbye, fresh in her mind as if it happened mere seconds ago. Each echo of a word Oliva said breaks her heart all the more. Eva can feel the tears welling up in her eyes and she starts regretting having made the decision to sign herself in at the conscription office. If she remained a civilian, seeking refuge at the orphanage or staying with Oliva, she would have never had to say goodbye to her best friend. Lu's Rebel sympathy would've remained a secret, but at least it wouldn't have resulted in all of this. Eva realises that her choices all the way back had great consequences, and now she has to face them. Even when she starts regretting her decision, Eva knows she's too far down. Her childhood has now made space for the military. That's her life now, one without a way to turn back.
As Eva is buried in her thoughts, Ashara walks into the quarters of the medbay. She sits down on the hospital bed next to her and she shifts her head to Eva. Her yellow eyes scan her visible injuries, the red bruises and the disinfected cut wounds on her chest and her arms, but her injuries are not what worries her. Ashara notices Eva's stare into oblivion, gazing at the floor, deep in her thoughts. She can almost feel the turmoil that's brewing within her, and she swallows.
''Eva, are you okay?'' Ashara asks.
Eva gives no response. There's no sentence she can form in her mind as Eva is too entangled in her own pain, the pain of having to see a friend leave her. The sobs she remembers still shake her and she's unable to answer.
After the droid finishes wrapping the bandage around her arm, Eva and Ashara leave the medbay, walking through the empty corridors of the Academy. She has missed the neutral, cold smell of the Academy, and knowing that her friend walks next to her, Eva takes a deep, shuddering breath and forces herself to open up.
''After I left, I got help from a friend I've known since elementary,'' Eva's voice cracks.
Ashara shifts her head to her and Eva swallows.
''She helped me investigate the first clues the Spy left behind. She was so helpful. Without her, my search would have never gone anywhere,'' says Eva.
Ashara nods. ''She's pretty daring.''
Eva nods. ''Her help led me to the Spy, but when I faced him, I discovered the Spy was her mother.''
Eva can hear the discomfort in Ashara's suddenly shuddering breath.
''Does she know it?'' Ashara asks.
Eva shakes her head. ''No,'' and she lets out a shuddering sigh. ''She helped me arrest her own mother, and she has no idea.''
''That's-, awful,'' Ashara blurts out.
''I know, and I can't tell her the truth. She's convinced her mother died in a road accident.''
''It has all been covered up?''
Eva nods. ''Everything. She now thinks her mother is dead. It doesn't sit right with me.''
Ashara nods. She reaches out to her and folds her arm around Eva, putting her blue hand on her shoulder.
''I understand,'' she replies. ''I might regret saying this, but-, you did it for the greater good. Her mother and her Alliance are why we've lost our parents, and if it wasn't for you, many more would've lost their lives.''
Eva nods, shifting her head to her Pantoran friend. The golden tattoos on her cheek shimmer in the light and she gets closer to her. Just her soft voice makes her want to cuddle with her, getting close to feel the warmth of her softness. Ashara's presence alone makes her feel at ease, a feeling she missed.
''The truth is often harsh. We have to learn to face it and stand our ground and-, remain ourselves. I'll be here for you any time.''
Eva nods as she can feel the warm breath of Ashara blowing faintly into her face, and a smile forms on her face, grateful to have her by her side. She wouldn't have gotten anywhere without her, and Eva feels her heart shining with joy.
They return to their barracks. Yesterday night was the first time in a long time Eva slept at her barracks. She missed the stiff mattress and the soft pillow, hearing the fluorescent lights cease buzzing when the lights turned off. It felt like a delight to be back. As Eva opens the door, she suddenly sees Dr Kirbley and an admiral standing in her barracks. Peyton, Ecklund and Roslin stand in half a circle around the two with arms crossed behind their backs. For a moment, her heart plummets in her chest, not expecting higher up to be visiting them.
The admiral turns around to the two girls standing in the doorway.
''Ah Eva Young and Ashara Mirai,'' says Admiral Carter, his eyebrows rising with surprise. ''Come and join us if you will.''
''Yes sir,'' Eva and Ashara stammer, and they walk quickly to the rest of the squad and join the circle.
Her heart pounds in her chest as Eva crosses her arms behind her back, fearing her late presence at this unexpected meeting might have raised their eyebrows. However, the Admiral doesn't seem to care much and he continues as if nothing happened.
''VSRC-005,'' starts Admiral Carter. ''Your performance during the raid at the Rebel stronghold yesterday was nothing but outstanding.''
Eva remains silent as Carter's eyes scan around.
''I'm not lying if I say that this squad is one of, if not, the best at the Academy,'' he says. ''Peyton Brenet, your plan to slice the signal amplifier and hack the radio tower was an outstanding move. Thanks to you, the Army Engineering Corps quickly discovered the bombs and disarmed them. Good job, slicer.''
Peyton nods and a thin smile forms on her face. ''Thank you, sir.''
''Ecklund Tarrin, the precision and marksmanship you possess were excellent. Your shots were dead-on accurate and saved a lot of Stormtroopers who couldn't shield themselves from the rain that poured down from higher up. Without you, we would've lost a lot of men to raid it. Well done, cadet.''
Ecklund nods, keeping her word for herself.
''Roslin Verin, commander, your bravery is to be praised, and your aggressive raiding techniques have paid off very well. Storming through a Rebel stronghold alone and getting out alive is something not many can do. You'll become a great commander.''
''I'm honored, thank you sir,'' Roslin answers.
''Your father would've been proud of you.''
Roslin smiles and nods.
Carter ends up at Eva, and her heart pounds with anticipation, wanting to hear what the Admiral has to say about her. However, he skips her and proceeds with Ashara, and puzzled and a little bit heart-stricken, Eva wonders why the Admiral skipped her.
''Ashara Mirai, there's no squad at the Academy with a better medic than you. I very much praise your skills and the bravery you've shown during the raid.''
As Carter praises Ashara, Eva's mind drifts away. Why did you skip me? Is there something I did wrong? I mean, I went AWOL, took a hostage and got a warehouse blown up. Maybe because of-,
''And now you, Eva Young.''
Eva's heart makes a leap as her eyes dart to the Admiral. He approaches her and puts his hand on Eva's shoulders. For a moment, her brain stops, caught off guard by the Admiral.
''Even with your recent, complicated history, you are a miracle of what the Academy has gotten,'' Carter praises. ''You are a tough, unstoppable force. You've faced horrible dangers and yet, survived all of them and remained yourself. You saved the night and that of Vaulent Capital. The Spy is finally in our custody and the 300 files are back in our hands. Thanks to you, the Rebels stood no chance of stealing our intel.''
Eva feels her cheeks burning with shyness as she casts her eyes downward, blushing by the compliments of the Admiral. A smile forms on her face as she listens and her cheeks burn red.
''You are a special kind of cadet with a fury no other soldier possesses,'' he praises. ''You are the kind of soldier the Empire needs and you will inspire many girls of your age. Welcome back home, Eva Young, and we're happy to have you back.''
Eva lets out a chuckle, feeling her heart burst open with happiness and she looks up. ''I am honoured, Admiral. Thank you.''
A smile forms on Carter's face as Eva's eyes twinkle with happiness and he turns to the squad as a whole.
''Thanks to you, we have a great story to tell High Command about, and they'll be very pleased to hear and see your performance,'' he says.
High Command? Those figures are gonna see us fighting those scum? Dank Ferrik, that's astral!
The smile shines on her face as she hears that soon, the mythical forces behind the entire war effort will see her punching the crap out of Lu. Eva almost fails to hold in the chuckles as, from an eagle's perspective, her punching Lu nearly unconscious would look so silly. A small girl just ravaging a Rebel - she can't hold them in, but she takes some deep breaths and slows herself down, shaking off the amusing thoughts.
''According to the schedule, there's a training session at The Well within ten minutes,'' Carter continues. ''However, yesterday was a rough night and I understand you all want to rest. But if you still have the energy, you can join the training and play the match as an uncompetitive, casual game. If not, take your day off and enjoy the rest.''
Eva takes a deep breath of exhaustion. She feels like she could really need a day of nothing to rest her body. It's been exposed to a lot of elements, and Eva rather refrains from taking part in the training. Her wounds simply need some peace.
''Commander Verin, it's up to you.''
Eva shifts her head to Roslin, wondering what decision she'll make. In the end, it's her who decides what the squad is going to do, so Eva waits for her instructions.
''I can take the match,'' says Peyton, a smile forming on her face.
Ashara nods. ''Yeah, me too.''
Roslin shifts her head to Ecklund and the quiet girl nods. ''Sure. I'm in too,'' she replies.
The rest of the squad looks at Eva, wanting to know whether she's in. Eva looks down, weighing her two options. But there's one option that is better for her body.
''I-, I stay out,'' Eva replies. ''I want to take some rest.''
Roslin frowns and lets out a sigh. ''Come on, Eva, join us. I want to fight you at The Well again.''
Eva lets out a chuckle, remembering the fiery competition between her and her commander. Roslin chuckles too and puts her hand on Eva's shoulder.
''I'm joking,'' says Roslin with a smile. ''Please, take your time off, you really deserved it.''
Eva nods with a smile. ''Thanks, Roslin.''
Roslin nods and she turns to the rest of her squad. ''Alright, move out.''
As the rest of the squad prepares to head to The Well, Eva stands by and watches, seeing her squad members put on their helmets. She thinks back to what Roslin just said to her, I want to fight you at The Well again. Her words stick to her and despite the exhaustion of her body, Eva feels the urge to take the challenge. However, she knows her muscles need rest, so Eva abides by the demands of her body, respecting its limits. The squad walks out and leaves Eva behind. Silence falls in the room as all she can hear is the faint humming of the ventilation inlet above her. She looks at her bed, tidy and the sheet tightly ironed. Her training helmet lies on her grey pillow. Trooper Armament Bay couldn't assign her a new helmet, so Eva decided to keep the old one with the metal-grey scrapes and worn off-white paint. Her search for the Spy has had a toll on its sleek looks, but its frame remains robust, even after the Twi'lek's speeder smashed it when he tried to escape from her. As her eyes focus on the helmet, Eva no longer feels the exhaustion in her body. Suddenly, the urge to accept Roslin's invitation floods her, and from deep within her, Eva wants to fight her commander again. Their competition was always fueled by frustration, but now, Eva sees Roslin wants to fight her because of the friendship, the trust that's grown between each other. All it took was a genuine apology and a helping, soft voice when Roslin found her, chained up and captured in the Rebel stronghold, bitten and ravaged by the monsters that surrounded her. It took their hearts to change each other, and Eva doesn't want to wait for the next training match to enjoy their newly created bond.
''Commander!''
Roslin and the squad stop in their tracks and turn around. Eva dashes out of the barracks with her battle-torn helmet enclaved in her hand as she approaches her commander.
''On second thought, count me in,'' says Eva, looking up at Roslin.
Roslin tilts her head with surprise.
''Let's fight for the Top Three,'' Eva smiles.
Roslin lets out a chuckle and she puts her arm around Eva. Her heart shines with happiness as Eva puts on her helmet and walks with Roslin to the Well.
The floor descends into the pit, and as they drop and Eva looks up, she feels dizzy seeing the top so far up. It's a feeling she missed and she smiles as she stands on the bottom, looking up at the top of The Well. There's another girl squad standing next to them, fighting against Eva's squad to fill all three places of the Top Three with their own men. As the sinking floor comes to a stop, the squad comes together and forms a circle.
''Peyton, how many times have we stood here?'' Roslin asks.
''36,'' Peyton answers. ''This one included.''
Eva raises her eyebrows, surprised that Peyton counts the number of times they've been here. Most of the time, Eva doesn't care how many times she stood here at the bottom of The Well, but this time, the 36th, matters. It took 36 matches in The Well to bond with Roslin. All those times, Eva and Roslin were fueled by selfishness and frustration, but now, as Eva looks at her commander, the competition is far more friendlier. No bad feelings are in the way, and it took 36 matches and over a 100 days to become each other's friend. Suddenly, this match matters, even when it's one of the many games they've had in The Well. This time, it's all different. No longer does she fight against an obnoxious girl. Now, she fights a friend in a friendly competition.
''36 times,'' Roslin repeats, ''and this will be the first time we take it easy, okay? Don't force yourself, just enjoy this game.''
''Yes sir,'' say the girls.
Roslin nods with a smile on her face, happy that the squad is together. She reaches out with her hand to the center of the circle, ready for a group huddle. The girls reach out and Eva rests her hand on that of Ashara, feeling the excitement rushing through her veins, making herself ready to climb The Well. Eva clears her throat, ready to chant. Roslin looks at the girls one by one with pride and happiness in her eyes.
''For the Empire.''
''FOR THE EMPIRE!''
Eva turns around, facing the center of the pit. It's been a long time since she climbed The Well, but she remembers what she has to do. After the high-pitch tone, the platforms move out of the walls with railings on the bottom to hold onto. Jump from platform to platform and climb to ground level. Top Three wins, everyone else has to report themselves to ACY. Even after the electrocution, Eva's mind remembers crystal clear what The Well demands from her.
Roslin approaches her and taps her on the shoulder. ''Ready for the game?''
Eva shifts her head and she starts chuckling. ''Yeah, I'm ready to kick your ass.''
Roslin chuckles. ''Wanna bet that I get the first spot?''
''Yeah, not on my watch,'' Eva smiles.
''What will the price of losing be?'' Roslin asks, smiling.
Eva shifts her eyes to the floor, coming up with a good price.
''One who loses-, gets electrocuted,'' Eva chuckles.
''Dank Ferrik, you can't come up with that,'' Roslin chuckles, and she looks up at the top of The Well. ''Alright then, at least it's encouraging.''
Eva chuckles and she looks up too. The top is dazzlingly far up, but Eva wants to be the first to reach it. She taps on her helmet and closes the visor. It scrapes a little because of the weathering and the damage her manhunt inflicted. The visor shows some cracks in the see-through plastic, but Eva doesn't care. She wants to wear it no matter how much the Rebels have hurt her.
Then, a high-pitch tone screeches in The Well. It's the go-sign, and Eva and the squad run off. Platforms emerge from the walls, just like how she remembers. She runs towards the nearest platform and jumps, landing with her feet on it. A platform rises near her and Eva jumps, grasps the railing below and climbs up, and without looking down, observing her squad members, Eva continues to climb to the top. She jumps from platform to platform, hangs onto the railings, and climbs up. Steadily, Eva makes her way to the top. Further up, a platform moves near her and Eva makes the leap, jumping towards it and catching the railing with her hands. She almost falls down but Eva feels the energy pumping through her veins like electricity. She grasps the platform and puts her leg on it first. She climbs over the edge, and standing up, she sees another platform moving into position below her. It's rising to the top, and as it nears her, Eva jumps down, lands on the platform and moves up towards the finish line. As the platform reaches its highest point, the edge of The Well is close enough to reach. Eva jumps, grasps the railings with her hands and climbs up. Reaching the finish line, Eva pounds with her feet on the bars of the railings and climbs over the edge. Without dwelling on it, Eva has reached the top of The Well, the finish line of the match. Gasping relentlessly for air to feed her racing lungs, Eva stands up from the floor. Her eyes immediately dart around. She expects to be in last place as usual, but now, Eva notices she's not. Even better, Eva sees there's no one except for her. With pure shock, Eva taps on her helmet, convinced she's dreaming, but as she sees with her own eyes that she's the only one at the top, Eva realises that not only did she reach the Top Three, she now occupies the first place. She won.
''Eva Young,'' says the taskmaster.
Eva shifts her eyes to him as her heart pounds in her chest.
''Congratulations on your very first, legitimate victory.''
Her heart bursts open with happiness like a supernova. It's official. She won. Eva won the game. Eva clenches her teeth and screams at the top of her lungs with happiness. The triumphant smile spreads on her face and her eyes gleam with pride. Having won the game makes Eva feel like she's on top of the galaxy, feeling confident enough to take every challenge that dares come her way. As the other cadets climb up and reach the top, they watch as Eva celebrates her first-ever victory. The cadet who always lost the games in The Well now won for the first time, and Eva can't help but show it off to the rest. It feels like a gift of the spirits, having granted her a bright star to shine within her. It feels liberating to have finally won.
As Eva can't help but smile triumphantly, Roslin approaches her with a smile on her face, happy to see Eva celebrating her first victory.
''Well done,'' she says with a smile.
Eva reaches out and smacks Roslin's hand, giving her a high five with pride shining in her eyes. For the first time in 36 matches, Eva has beaten Roslin by a great margin. Eva climbed so Roslin could eat her dust. No longer were her matches in The Well fueled by frustration, the anger of being denied a spot in the Top Three. She ruled because she didn't care how others were performing. She didn't mind how Roslin, Ashara or Peyton were doing. She focused on herself with a heart that was shining because of the bond Eva created with Roslin. The obnoxious commander and the reckless girl have finally changed. It feels like a liberation.
In the early afternoon, her squad leaves for dinner at the canteen. As Eva walks amidst her team, she can still feel her heart pounding with excitement from her victory in The Well. It's a heartwarming feeling she's unable to shake off. It's a smile she can't suppress, one that makes her forget the truth about Oliva's mother she's forced to choke in. The sour aftertaste has washed off, and it feels liberating to finally enjoy the game. However, she expects the fun to wash off soon. This was an informal match, and soon enough, they'll have to train with discipline and narrowed eyes, but at least Eva has Roslin on her side. To have gained the trust of her commander makes Eva far more comfortable in a threatening world.
She feels a light tap on her shoulder, and glancing over, she sees Ashara having caught up with her.
''How do you feel?'' she asks, her tattoos shimmering on her cheeks. ''Do you still feel pain?''
''Well, my shoulder still feels like it's burning and my muscles feel sore, but I feel good,'' Eva answers with a smile on her face.
Ashara nods and she smiles too. ''Haven't seen you smiling this much in a while,'' and she puts her hand on Eva's shoulder. ''I just-, can't express how much I've missed you.''
''I know,'' Eva replies, her smile starting to vanish. ''I'm sorry I couldn't tell you about my plan. You must've been so worried about me.''
Ashara chuckles. ''Well, I was, but in the end, it went well, right?''
Eva nods. It surely did, but not everything. Even when her victory of earlier today washed away the sour aftertaste, its remains stay behind, and Eva's mind drifts off for a moment, thinking back to the tears Oliva dropped when she sat in the migration office. Though it was the right thing to do, arresting her mother wasn't an outcome she thought was perfect. She shakes it off, but Eva feels it remains in the back of her mind.
''Eva.''
Suddenly, she's pulled out of her thoughts and Eva stops in her tracks and turns around. She sees ACY-4, the squad's protocol droid, walking towards her. Its white metal body shines in the light as the two little lights in its head focus on her.
''I see you have returned from your mission,'' says the droid.
Eva smiles.
''I apologise for being inactive,'' it speaks.
Eva approaches the droid. When she came back, she had no idea she would miss the monotone, female voice of the droid.
''It's fine, I understand it went against your programming,'' she says.
The droid holds its metal arms behind its back. ''Thank you for understanding. It makes the aftermath much easier for us to process.''
Eva nods. It does.
''How exhausted do you feel?'' ACY asks.
''How much? I'm tired but not willing to sleep already.''
The droid nods. ''That is good to hear because there is one, very important thing for you to do.''
Eva raises her eyebrows and tilts her head, wondering whether there is another consequence her search for the Spy has caused. Receiving a medal? Reporting to High Command?
''It's a high priority,'' says ACY. ''A very high priority. Come with me, please.''
She still has no idea what the droid is talking about, but she decides to follow ACY nonetheless. She leaves her squad behind and Eva walks with ACY to the hangar bay of the Academy and steps aboard an ITT transporter. Puzzled, she wonders where the droid is taking her, but her mind remains empty. Eva looks out of the window and sees the shops and the apartment buildings racing past her, until there's one building she recognises, and they happen to stop in front of it. It's the hospital and instantly, Eva feels her heart starting to pound with excitement and anticipation in her chest.
With the droid behind her, Eva walks through the sterile-white hallways of the hospital. Human nurses walk around with gloves and light blue caps on their heads. Some nurses push the handlebars of hover chairs to drive their patients around. The little repulsorlifts in the hover chairs whirr a little as she walks past one, carrying a male she estimates to be in his fifties. After a quick glance at the man's injury - an amputated leg, Eva follows a human nurse through the sparklingly sterile corridors. The sun of the early evening shines through the long windows on her right, stretching from the floor to the ceiling. It lets the corridors bathe in a fiery flood of light. The atmosphere feels calm, letting everyone restore in peace to return to society fully healed. It makes Eva anticipate all the more and her heart races in her chest.
The nurse leads Eva and ACY to the end of the hospital wing. This far end comprises mostly recovery rooms where patients receive physical and mental exercises to let time pass by in an instant or heal quicker from their wounds. The nurse opens a door, revealing a sterile-white, vast room, mostly devoid of anything. The nurse stands in the doorway, preparing to leave Eva. She enters the room and suddenly, her heart makes a leap in her chest. The sun outside shines brighter than ever before as Eva's eyes land on Eline. It was an eternity ago when she last saw her, and now, after countless hallucinations of her, Eline is awake, back from comatose. Eva is nailed to the floor, unable to believe her little sister is there, sitting on the floor, facing a little table with a single cup, alive and breathing. For a moment, she believes to be in a dream that isn't true.
Eline turns her head around, and after so long, Eva makes contact with her sister's innocent, blue eyes. It isn't a dream. It's reality. No longer are they closed in deep sleep but wide open. Her pupils grow as she sees her older sister standing in the doorway, and Eva's heart bursts open with happiness.
''Eva,'' says Eline, her voice shuddering with shock.
Hearing her soft voice after so long makes Eva smile from ear to ear. They both storm towards each other and Eva entangles her arms around Eline, embracing her little sister in a tight hug. She squeezes her in her arms, trying to make up for all the time they've lost to the wounds the Rebel airstrike left behind. Eva can hardly hold in the tears as she feels Eline's warmth in her arms, having missed it so much. She presses her sister so much against herself that Eva feels Eline's beating heart, a rhythm that reassures her it will no longer cool down.
''Eva, I missed you so much,'' Eline whispers, her voice cracking with emotion.
Eva swallows as if her throat is clogged with emotion. ''I missed you too, Eline, so, so much.''
''Where have you been?'' Eline's voice shakes.
''I've been to places,'' Eva stammers, ''to make you feel proud of a sister who can protect you.''
Eline sobs. ''From the monsters?''
Eva nods. ''Yes, from the monsters, and I'll make sure they'll never take us away.''
Eline's breathing shudders, sobbing on Eva's shoulder.
''Like how they took away mom and dad?'' her voice cracks.
You know it? You know they're gone?
It makes a cold teardrop fall from her eyes, and Eva's grip on Eline tightens. She had no idea Eline already faced the truth. She already knows what happened. It strikes her heart as Eva imagines the despair Eline must've been in after having woken up, alone in a strange place, far away from a home that at that point, didn't exist anymore. The moment it was told to her must've shattered her. It hurts Eva to imagine how much Eline cried when she faced the truth. However, at least she got to face it, something that's not granted to everyone as Eva learned.
''Yes,'' she whispers. ''I will never allow them to take us away.''
Eline tightens her grip on Eva, feeling the protection and the security her older sister can give her. No longer does she have to face the Rebels now that Eva stands in between. It gives her the reassurance she needs in a world where the filthy demons have come so close to her.
Eva releases her arms around Eline and lets her go, wanting to see her blue, innocent eyes after so long of having been closed. Staring at her, the twinkles in her eyes make Eva feel like a shining star, feeling assured that they will never close again when the Rebels come to get them.
''Eva,'' says Eline, her voice cracking, and suddenly, her smile disappears. ''There's something I have to show you.''
Eline moves up her right arm and suddenly, Eva's heart plummets in her chest. Her pupils widen and she grasps Eline's arm. She feels the cold metal in her hand, as cold as ice. Eva looks up with shock running through her spine, and she can see Eline's eyes starting to water.
''Your arm,'' Eva stammers.
Eline nods with watery eyes, staring back at her with a hint of turmoil brewing in her eyes. Not only did she lose a mother and a father, she lost an arm as well, replaced by a metal cybernetic that isn't hers. The unease brews in Eline's eyes, she feels uncomfortable about having a limb that doesn't belong to her, an unworldly thing that has attached to her because of the Rebel air strike. With the hands of her older sister on her shoulders, Eline looks down on her metal arm and grasps it with her other hand
''I don't feel well,'' Eline whispers. ''I shouldn't have it.''
Eva nods and shifts her eyes down to Eline's cybernetic arm. The thin letters of BioTech are engraved in the metal, serving as a reminder that her arm is in fact not hers but of a cybernetic corporation. It's out of place, and Eva can see the discomfort brewing inside her eyes.
''Don't worry,'' says Eva. ''With me, we'll make it yours. I'll draw you a Stormtrooper helmet.''
Eline looks up from her arm and a thin smile forms on her face, feeling happy that she has her sister on her side.
''Without a crooked visor, right?'' Eline smiles. ''I still can't draw it right-,'' and suddenly, her words are cut off by a dry cough and her thin smile disappears.
Eline lowers her head as she coughs heavily like a smoker, grasping her chest and pounding on it with her fist. Her lungs shudder as she tries to suppress her coughs that sound like the stalling engine of a truck. Eva tilts her head with worry. Something bad is going on with her lungs.
''Something wrong?'' she asks.
Eline shifts her eyes up but she keeps coughing, unable to let out a word except for the wheezes of her stalling lungs. Eva shifts her head to the shiny white nurse droid idling a bit away, standing with its arms crossed behind its back. The red circle of the medical sigil shines on its chest.
''What does she have?'' Eva asks.
The droid tilts its head. ''Eline Young is diagnosed with Respitora Constriction.''
Eva's heart skips a beat with worry brewing in her chest. Hearing the full medical name, Eva understands the struggle Eline's lungs are in, and she shifts her eyes to her. She's still coughing but Eline gets control of it.
''Asthma?'' Eva replies.
''Not quite,'' the nurse droid replies. ''Eline Young is diagnosed with respiratory problems caused by the inhalation of dust and debris particles. Unlike asthma, Respitora Constriction is partially curable.''
Eva looks back at Eline, getting control of her stalling lungs. It isn't just a cold that is stalling her lungs. It's the bits of concrete stuck in her airways that have damaged Eline's lungs, left from the collapse of her home when the B-Wing charged through its walls. Eline is choking on building materials. Dry, dusty, and gritty concrete. It's a way of torture Eva imagines to be far more agonising than the electrocution that zapped through her at the Rebel stronghold. No amount of volts is as tormenting as having to choke on the bits of concrete walls.
''With properly timed medication, Eline Young is expected to make a partial recovery.''
It still doesn't sit right with her. Even when it's curable, Eline's dry coughs make Eva feel distressed with a heart struck with worry. She can nearly taste the dry dust Eline is coughing up with most of it stuck in her lungs. It hurts her to see her little sister with so many wounds with most of them invisible, unable to cure as long as the concrete dust is stuck within her.
As the dry coughs subside, Eline pants as her lungs gasp for air, trying to press away the dust in her lungs with fresh oxygen. She looks up at Eva with her blue eyes.
''I-, I want to join the Academy,'' she whispers, her voice cracking. ''I want to fight together, but I don't think I can.''
Eline almost breaks into tears, seeing her dream of fighting with Eva together slipping away, having been brutally taken from her with a single B-Wing. Eva can see the turmoil brewing in the eyes of her little sister. However, her injuries might be her protection. Eline's watery eyes make Eva's memories flash before her eyes, knowing the Academy is a one-way road she regrets having taken. She lost her innocence and a childhood after she saw Lu being escorted away and Oliva leaving the migration office without her mother. What made her a 13-year-old child is gone, now occupied by the military that rules her life. Dad warned her but she didn't listen. Now, she's paying the price. She's no longer a child, she's become a 13-year-old, metal soldier. Eline still has a childhood she deserves, which Eva has lost. A clog in her throat forms, aching with pain. It hurts her to say no to her, but she has to. Her little sister has to remain a little sister.
Eva swallows heavily to break the clog in her throat and looks her straight in the eyes. She puts her hand on Eline's warm cheek, feeling it shudder from the turmoil brewing within her little sister.
''Eline, maybe it's better for you to not join the military,'' she says.
''Why?'' Eline stammers, her voice cracking.
Eva sighs with unease, having to force her sister to face the harsh reality she painfully learned about.
''You're a child, my innocent, little sister,'' she responds. ''You have a childhood, and in the military, I lost mine. I now have to fight for my life, stare death in the eyes, risk losing my friends, and kill those who are just like me and you. I lost my childhood,- and I learned it the hard way.''
She remembers the agonising wails of Oliva, sitting cramped on a seat in the migration office.
''Trust me, the Academy changes a life you can't rewind. You have something I've lost that's more valuable than anything. I don't want it to be taken from you.''
Eline casts her eyes down and lets out a shuddering sigh filled with pain and the dust particles of concrete stuck in her lungs. She struggles to accept the harsh truth that's laid bare before her. She has always seen the military as something completely good with no bad side to turn her away. She finds it hard to believe otherwise.
''Eline,' says Eva, holding her hand against her warm cheek.
She looks up at her.
''I wish I could rewind time to just be a child again,'' says Eva. ''I wish I could, but I'm a soldier now. I have to follow orders no matter what, even those I don't like. Oliva would've still been here, but I had to take her away, it was my duty. She left this morning without her mother and I fear I'll never see her again. The actions I do in the military can have consequences I can't keep up. The responsibility is torturing, and I don't want you to feel the pain. Eline, the military isn't as good for you as you think it is, even if they've pledged to protect us. Eline, don't join it, it's something you can't go back from.''
Eline holds her arms tightly and shifts her eyes down. She pivots around a little, struggling to accept the truth, the advice her older sister is giving her. Deep in her heart, she's still convinced the military can do no harm, and Eva wants to believe the same, but she can't. Even when they fight for them, the military has changed her life so much and so quickly she can't keep up. The drastic changes of the Academy has made her a person she shouldn't be, a child without a childhood. She doesn't want her little sister to become the same person, and Eline sees why. Pivoting around a little, she nods and looks up at Eva, accepting the harsh truth. Eline's blue eyes twinkle in the sunlight. Her empty gaze at Eva betrays the void within her, left behind by a dream she lost. The exact same feeling Eline shows in her eyes is one Eva can remember. It was when she first faced Lu as the Spy, seeing Stormtroopers die at her hands with ease. It left her empty until the B-Wing came down and shattered her world. The few days between the ISB incursion on the BlasTech facility and the Rebel air strike, she was in a state of confusion, unable to choose a direction until fate made the decision. Eva sees the same empty void she felt in the eyes of her little sister as Eline stares up at her with the twinkles of the blazing sun gone.
''What now?'' she asks, pivoting around a little.
''You were gone for over a 100 days,'' Eva responds. ''Let's make up for all the time we've lost, don't you think?''
The twinkles in Eline's blue eyes suddenly return and she smiles from ear to ear. Her smile shines brightly and that alone makes Eva's heart melt with happiness. Never will her sister's smile get old, and Eva's heart shines brightly with joy. She can't wait to tell Eline everything about what she has done to bring her justice. Eva's eyes then drift away to the table behind Eline. Four metal cups sit on the surface with three of them being indented and squished like a tin can of energy drink.
''How's your cybernetic doing?'' Eva asks, shifting her eyes to her sister.
Eline tilts her head a little. ''Cy-, cybernetic?''
''I mean, your metal arm,'' Eva smiles. ''Do you have to train to control it?''
Eline nods and she looks down at her cybernetic arm. She clenches her fingers with relative ease, and Eva sees how beautifully it works. No wrist is squeaking like a droid or screeching like a blast door. She wonders where the hospital got it from considering it's of relatively high quality, but Eva knows it's one of the many good things the Empire provides to its loyal citizens, and she gazes in awe at Eline moving her metal fingers flawlessly.
''You're good at it,'' Eva smiles.
Eline faintly shakes her head, and her smile becomes thin.
''I put too much power,'' Eline replies. ''I've been trying to grasp a cup but every time I-, break them.''
She looks up.
''It's-, hard,'' Eline adds, letting out a faint sigh. ''I don't know if I want it.''
Twisting her metal arms around a little, Eline's focus drifts away with a hint of sorrow reflected in her eyes. Eva notices her little sister seems to struggle embracing the sudden change. She's unable to adapt to her new life yet, but with a bit of sisterly love, Eva knows Eline will get on top of things. All she needs to do is hold her hands and embrace the new life that's in front of them, a life amidst the crisis of war. As the sun blazes at the horizon with hope, Eva grasps Eline's hand, feeling her human hand and her cold, metal hand in the other.
''Eline,'' she says.
She shifts her eyes up to her older sister.
''At the Academy, I struggled a lot to adapt too,'' says Eva. ''I couldn't balance my emotions and did things that made my squad members despise me. I was bad, very bad, and when it all crashed down, I couldn't bear it and considered dropping out and leaving the Academy. I was on the verge of breaking down, but I didn't. I pushed on to improve myself and get everything back on track not because I just saw some shimmer of hope, but because I saw you. Just thinking about you kept me pushing on. Even when you were asleep, you helped me. You guided me and helped me through my worst moments.''
A twinkle shimmers in Eline's eyes as she hears Eva's soft words echoing faintly through the hospital room. It's like the void in her eyes suddenly floods with the light of a sunrise.
''You kept me going on and without you, I couldn't have done anything,'' smiles Eva. ''And I want to return the favor.''
She lifts up Eline's hands.
''Adapting isn't easy. The war has come so close to us, but together, we can face them and go on.''
A smile forms on Eline's face as the twinkle in her eyes brightens.
''Together,'' Eva repeats. ''No matter how many traitorous, demonic, scum will come for us, we stay together, okay?''
Eline squeezes Eva's hand and she nods with a smile on her face. No Rebel venturing into Imperial territory will tear them apart anymore, and Eva feels determined to protect her sister from whatever comes their way, to threaten their lives in the fight against their Empire. Even when some like Tal have an understandable motive to fight, Eva will stand her ground and fight everyone who dares coming close to her sister with her bare hands. It doesn't matter how many B-Wings the Rebel Alliance sends to get her, no one will reach her little sister. As long as she lives, Eva's blood boils for a fight and her fury is ready to take all of them for her sister. No one will be allowed to pull so much as a strand of her hair.
Eva bends herself towards Eline and kisses her on the forehead. That kiss is going to last forever. Never will it fade away in the ashes of war. Traitors. Monsters. Sinners. Rebels. You're warned.
Long live the Empire.
THE END
!IMPORTANT AUTHOR NOTE! After one year of writing, I finally finished writing Imperial Elite Part I! Thank you for reading all of it and I can't wait to see your comments and insight! Part II is on the horizon, so stay tuned.