"It was one of those moments when I was wounded. You know, that deep pain that makes you forget who you are. And he appeared out of nowhere and looked at me in such an intense way, ready to heal me. He reached out to me that day. It was as if he was the only one who had noticed my presence. While my parents and friends, who had been by my side all my life, hadn't even noticed my pain, he asked me if I was okay. A complete stranger. Tell me something more ironic than that."

Corellia - 5 standard years ABY

Anthe was momentarily distracted from what she was doing. The Corellian farmers' market was always crowded with people and Star Destroyers in the sky. But it was the first time she had seen one take off from so close. Over her head, and blocking the sky like a storm cloud, a destroyer advanced at what seemed like very slow speed over the city, although Anthe knew they reached 900 km per hour in the atmosphere. The merchan repeated the price of her purchase over and over, trying to get her attention. But Anthe couldn't stop imagining herself aboard one of those majestic ships. In the docking bay, three squadrons of fighters entered the destroyer. There she remembered that she once had the opportunity to see a fighter up close. She wondered if she would ever have the privilege of piloting one. All these daydreams seemed too distant for her. Another shout from the old woman was what she needed to come back to solid ground, to the market, and to the bag of fruits she still had to pay for.

—I'm sorry —she muttered, handing some credits to the old woman.

Anthe walked straight through the farmers' market back to her home. As she approached the dock, she saw a small workshop just behind the entrance of a Sienar shipyard. They were repairing a speeder. A young man with greasy black hair was working inside an ion engine battery. Anthe stood still and observed the machinery, fascinated by the connections the boy was repairing. Anthe understood almost perfectly what he was doing. —You should disconnect the charges before repairing the ignition. You could damage the containment chamber and blow up with just a crack in the chamber —Anthe said confidently.

The boy came out of the hole where he was and observed her for a moment. He studied her from head to toe. He smiled when he saw that she was holding a bag of fruit.

—Not bad for a housewife —said the boy, realizing the bluntness of his comment when he saw Anthe's expression —I'm Norian Murk, by the way.

—Anthe —she shook his hand —Anthe Malerion.

—You know advanced mechanics, Anthe.

—I'm studying at the Naval University of Corellia.

Norian became even more interested.

—Well, you could help me here in the workshop.

—Here? You mean, working? No, I don't think so.

—Why? What's the problem?

—My parents don't like that I'm into mechanics. They pay my memership just for me to switch to accounting or space medicine.

—Ah, ambitious parents. I understand. And are you okay with that? I mean, are you satisfied with what you're doing?

Anthe thought about many things.

"We've spent everything for you to study, and you still haven't finished, you don't bring a single cent home. Your brother carries everything on his shoulders."

"Look at Prime's daughter, she works hard and gets the best grades."

"Why didn't you choose a better career? You're in the best university in the Core!"

"You must work, you can't live as a parasite your whole life."

"My daughter won't be a mechanic in a workshop."

She felt a knot in her stomach. Her eyes welled up. Norian pulled her out of her thoughts again.

—And tell me, Anthe, have you already built your own engines?

He caught her off guard.

—No, but I have made some droid prototypes. Similar to R2 units but more autonomous and with better defense programs. I've programmed them to repair engines and find microscopic faults.

—Very interesting. You could even program them as your assistants to build a complete ion engine. You could even design your own navigation system.

Anthe fell silent. She wondered why she had spoken so much to a stranger. Maybe it was the first time she had someone interested in what she did.

—Study hard, Anthe.

—I will.

Anthe walked away from Norian, but not before turning around a couple of times. She met a pair of blue eyes watching her as she walked away. A gaze so intense that she felt it piercing through her chest.

"I always thought these kinds of things didn't happen. I mean, that they would never happen to me. It just felt unreal."

It seemed that since then they were connected. Anthe started visiting the center's cantina with her university colleagues, something that hadn't interested her for a long time. She crossed paths with Norian several times. At first, he just looked at her from far distance, drinking Corellian beer and talking with his colleagues. Anthe knew there was something special about all this. She felt the fervor of the forbidden, the derailed. She felt that all of this was foreign to her. Drinking in a cantina, exchanging glances with a mechanic she had only met a few weeks ago. Anything other than studying and working at home felt strange to her. It was as if she had stolen someone else's role. And she wasn't going to waste it. She was enjoying playing that version of herself too much. Long before even thinking about letting go and talking to Norian, she was already behind the cantina, in a dirty and secluded alley, kissing him in a way she didn't think she was capable of. Norian noticed that she was trying to undress and stopped her. Anthe felt her heart stop. Before hearing what he was going to say, she was startled by the modulated voice of a stormtrooper, scolding them from the other end of the alley. They both ran away, through the sparsely populated streets of Corellian night. Anthe laughed like never before. She held Norian's hand and looked at the stars in the sky.

—Someday I'll sail among the stars in a real Star Destroyer —said Anthe, swaying back and forth due to her drunken state.

—And I'll be there to see you —said Norian.

Anthe devoted all her energy to prove that she was right. She no longer needed to bring home good news. If Norian knew that she was making an effort, it was enough.

—Make me proud —he would say.

Anthe gave her all, but she always wanted more. Still, Anthe found the strength every day to wake up early in Norian's bed and get ready for university. As she put on her boots, she looked at the model of a Lambda-class shuttle that Norian had on his desk. She held it in her hands for a moment before turning back to Norian, who was fast asleep. Now she thought... she believed she had taken off, that she had escaped the ties of her home, but the truth was, she was still tied to the ground. In a cold bed.

Anthe couldn't pay attention in class that day. She looked at the holo and through it, at the empty wall. If she had any hope of escaping, it would be with her own genius.

"Make me proud."

But everything crumbled, as fast as lightspeed. A holovid arrived at her house that day. Her mother, in tears and sobs, told her that she had to come back home. Her brother had died. They had received the notification that morning. It couldn't be expected any less from an Imperial stormtrooper, but she only believed it was possible when it actually happened. Her brother was gone. Anthe wanted to fulfill her role at home, that of a present daughter. She stayed there for a while, but it wasn't long before she received another piece of bad news. They would revoke her membership. Anthe didn't protest, didn't say anything. Without the income her brother provided, it was expected that they would have to reduce costs. The first thing to go would undoubtedly be her. Despite being sure that she would find a job, it didn't happen. It was always the same. "Too young, too inexperienced."

Anthe returned home with Norian, once again trapped in hopelessness. She returned to the gray days at the market, looking at the sky, and those engines that shone with a blue glow. Those masses of triangular metal that covered the sun and moved the clouds as they passed. Norian's lips had long tasted bitter to her. At night he would touch her shoulders with his cold hand and she would shiver. Anthe would kiss him on the chest, trying to draw him to her, but he would reject her. He would say he was tired. Other nights he would just take her. And while he did his thing, Anthe could only look at the ceiling. There were no more fleeting lights or butterflies in her stomach. Now more than ever, she felt how hungry she was.

"Three months later, Imperial propaganda sounded through the speakers. They called on students to enlist in the Academy. The first years would be subsidized, and then they offered a tempting compensation for those who began to serve. I didn't take too long to think about it. That same day I was standing in line to enroll. I thought I was alone, but Norian was behind me. He wouldn't let me go so easily. He paid my part of the membership without asking me."

"Look at me closely. Stay by my side, so you'll be there when I shine. I'll make you proud."

One night, after seeing Norian flirt with a pilot in one of the pavilions, Anthe walked aimlessly through the halls of the academy. Her project, which until then had gone unnoticed by Norian, had given her a pass for an interview with the Academy's high command. There, she could ask for a scholarship to finish her last year and obtain a recommendation. She didn't want to become a stormtrooper; she wanted to sail alongside the best. Waiting on a bench before going in, her feet and hands trembled. Next to her, a tall, brunette dark-haired girl also waited. She smiled at Anthe, although Anthe hadn't noticed.

—Nervous?

—A Little —she replied, trying not to sound too affected.

—Should you be? Do you think your project is good?

—It is! It's my best work so far —said Anthe, full of determination.

—Then you have nothing to worry about.

The girl smiled at her again. Anthe felt a tingle run through her from head to toe. Just then she heard her name as a door to the conference room opened. She walked nervously over there and before entering, she looked back at the girl.

—What's your name?

—I'm Meda Aztuc, good luck —she replied confidently. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Anthe.

Anthe remembered that name every day, until they finally met again, and shared training and specialization subjects. Without Meda, she wouldn't have been able to pass half of the exams. But even more, having her as a friend gave her the strength she so desperately needed.

The Devastator - 2 standard years ABY

A beep sounded in the monitoring room and the lights on the screens filled with alert messages. Anthe sat up in her chair, trying to interpret the readings. Her colleagues were confused. Norian asked what was happening, but no one said anything. A message began to transmit through the speaker. It was the admiral.

""—Attention to all crew. We have intercepted an unmarked corvette from the Outer Rim, suspected of belonging to an illicit organization..."

—Rebels —said a worker behind Anthe.

""—Protocol 338 interception must be carried out."

Immediately, everyone got to work. Within minutes, a complete scan of the ship appeared on her screen. A UT-60D. It carried ten crew members on board. The Empire had already intercepted their communications and was broadcasting a call for surrender over their speakers, which still remained unanswered. They were about to open fire. Suddenly, the corvette made the jump to hyperspace. "Foolish," thought Anthe. The destroyer soon followed them without much difficulty, stopping near a small moon and an asteroid belt.

"—Commence the blockade."

"—Initiating navigation system blockade."

Anthe entered the codes for the Imperial interception program. She quickly delved into her computer and shut down the main systems, leaving them without instruments and without the ability to jump to hyperspace. They had been captured. They would then initiate towing to the docking bay, surely for arrest.

—Our first interception in the Outer Rim turned out to be much simpler than expected," said Norian, leaning back in his seat.

Suddenly, the screens turned red. Anthe watched in horror as her graphics and slowly, error notifications flooded the screens. The internal system of the Devastator began to fail. And with it, the machinery. The deflector shields were the first thing they lost.

—They've attacked our navigation system!

Her colleagues typed frantically in search of a solution.

—It's a system hack —said Anthe —they've shut down the proton charge. They've disarmed our cannons!

—We still have explosive charges.

—They must not fire! The lower shields are at 13%! If we fire on the asteroids, we'll ignite with our own armory! —Anthe jumped up from her seat and ran to the exit.

—Anthe, where are you going?! —Norian shouted, but she didn't hear him.

Running through chaotic corridors, she reached her quarters. She found what she was looking for in her bag and rushed out again, heading for the opposite corridor, towards the elevator. Two officers gave her furtive glances when they saw her enter, but they didn't have time to say anything because she had already shot out again. Soon she came to a maximum security door. She had forgotten. She couldn't advance from there because she wouldn't pass through the voice reader. She shook nervously in her place. She saw a holopad on the side of the hallway and didn't hesitate to take it. She entered the internal monitoring communicator, searching for Meda's comlink.

Things were anything but calm in the command room. Meda was preparing to enter the bridge. A private urgent message appeared on her holopad. Only one person could be.

"—Meda! Come quickly! I need you at the first door on the command floor!"

"—Are you crazy!? Go back to your place! I'm in the middle of a crisis here!"

Meanwhile, Ozzel approached his officers and operators on the bridge

—What about their weapons?

—They only have reserve engines, just like us.

—Perfect. Captain, get close enough to be above them. We'll line up to release the charges.

—Yes, sir.

—Sir, we are skirting the asteroid belt, they are heading there.

—It doesn't matter, follow them — Ozzel insisted, clenching his jaw—Where is our team? We need to recover our navigation system right now!"

—Yes, sir!

—Lieutenant! Have you notified Lord Vader?

—He's on his way, sir.

Ozzel loosened his uniform around his neck. The Devastator moved slowly near the asteroid field, positioning itself slowly over the corvette trying to escape, at a much slower pace, but skillfully zigzagging between the asteroids in its path. Suddenly, a metallic thud was heard. Then another. The entire crew shuddered. Anthe felt the floor tremble beneath her feet. The blows were so strong that they left her deaf for a moment.

—The hull is being damaged, sir.

—Can't we dodge those asteroids?!

—The backup engines are too small to withstand evasive maneuvers —replied one of the navigation operators wearily, piloting blindly and without instruments, trying to prevent the inertia of the gigantic ship from pushing them against an asteroid. But his skill was not enough, and the destroyer slid too much to the right, colliding with a large asteroid.

Alarms sounded. The ship was suffering serious damage to the hull. The noises felt like earthquakes. They were terrifying. Anthe fell to the ground in a jolt. For the first time in a long time, she felt afraid of dying. The sirens were so strident that they caused panic throughout the crew. On the floor, she could see the feet of stormtroopers and officers running in all directions through the corridors of the command deck. Anthe composed herself and got up from the floor. Just then the door opened. Meda was on the other side.

—Anthe! are you crazy?! —screamed a desperate Meda, immediately helping her to straighten up.

Anthe knew she would come. She knew that if she called her, she would come. Meda couldn't help but notice that she was holding a disc in her hand.

—What are you doing here? —said Meda.

—You have to stop the attack, we can intercept their computer with my program. I know how to recover our navigation system —said Anthe, agitated.

—There's no way to enter the unauthorized program into the Imperial system, Anthe!

—You have to get it done! You will enter the bridge! Convince Admiral Ozzel! He trusts you.

—Shut up!

Anthe stood petrified. More screams joined the concert when another blow to the hull shook the corridor walls and the lights flickered for a moment.

—Even if I did, I don't know the commands of the program, Anthe, I couldn't manipulate it —Meda finally said.

Anthe hadn't thought of that. In a situation like this, she was the only one who could use the program. And time was running out.

Another door behind them opened. Three officers and several operators emerged from there, yielding their positions on the bridge. Meda's colleagues had already entered. Admiral Ozzel appeared there and walked up to them, very angry.

—Aztuc! Why aren't you at your place?! We must have the full team working on our navigation system! —Ozzel shouted. Just after noticing Anthe by her side —And who is she? What is she doing here? This is a restricted area!

Before Meda could respond, Anthe interrupted her. In a loud voice and with her head held high, she said:

—I am Anthe Malerion, sir. I am in the monitoring area. I believe I know how to solve our problem, sir.

—Excuse me?

—I have developed a program that allows access to encrypted systems and counteracts hacking —Anthe said, showing the disc in her hand.

Ozzel sighed irritably.

—Sir, my program has received recognition at the academy. I beg you allow me to help.

—That goes against all our security protocols, cadet.

"—Lord Vader arriving at the bridge" an operator said over the speaker.

"—Side shields at 5%."

—Kriff —Ozzel snorted.

—Trust her, sir. She is an excellent programmer —Meda said persuasively.

Ozzel was so nervous after hearing the announcement over the speaker that he shrugged and finally gestured for both of them to accompany him.

Despite the emergency, Anthe couldn't help but pause for a moment when the bridge door opened. This had been the dream of her entire life, under different circumstances of course, but nonetheless she was there, just a month after boarding and escorted by the best officers and intelligence team. She saw the huge viewport in the distance, the monitoring computers in the corners, the operators working below the bridge, Lieutenant Piett walking in circles with two other officers. Meda led Anthe down a small staircase to the side and found an empty seat in front of one of the computers. That was her place. She belonged there.

—Get to work immediately —Ozzel said.

Meda whispered in her ear and indicated the controls. She put a pair of headphones over her ears and showed her the authorization codes. Anthe marveled at how different the main computer was. Although it was hacked, she could tell how advanced it was from miles away. It was her game. Her moment. But a second before she could start, the main door opened again. And suddenly, everything fell silent. Anthe didn't understand the situation. She saw the other operators momentarily stop their work, she saw the commanding officers squirm in their uniforms. Through the door entered a large black figure. Anthe could barely see from that angle. Until he was close. Very close. She heard heavy footsteps just a few meters above her head and a cape that brushed the floor. While everyone around her lowered their heads, Anthe couldn't take her eyes off him. She felt intimidated by his way of walking and his presence, which had turned the atmosphere of the place into a dense and charged air. He was dressed from head to toe. He wore a mask, a helmet, and an artificial respirator, which sounded in such a way that it penetrated her ears and for a moment she couldn't hear anything else. As he moved away a little, she noticed how tall and imposing he was. And despite not being able to see his face, somehow she knew he was angry. Nothing could have prepared her for that.

—That's Lord Vader. Try not to attract his attention —Meda whispered, continuing the work that Anthe had interrupted. She told her to lower her gaze.

—Sir, we are now aligned —an operator said.

—Prepare to release the charges —Ozzel said.

—Sir, we are too close to the asteroids to open fire!

—I said open fire! —Ozzel shouted.

—Open fire —Piett repeated.

The commotion was suddenly silenced by a deep, baritone voice translated by a voice encoder. Anthe jumped in her seat.

—If anyone else gives the order to open fire, I will personally throw them out of the cargo hatch —said Lord Vader, with his hands behind his back. He had turned away from looking out the viewport and walked very close to Ozzel, perhaps to reinforce his threat. No one said anything more. The operators canceled the opening of the explosive hatches.

—Navigation, move the ship to the left, maintain altitude, and await my orders —said Vader, walking towards Ozzel and Piett, who had fallen silent.

The Devastator turned towards the widest part of the asteroid field, still following the corvette but from a larger distance. The ship stopped receiving blows, although the sirens still sounded on the lower decks.

—What happened to our system? —Vader asked.

—They hacked the main computer. We have brought in a team that is working on it.

—I've got it! —said Anthe, too loudly.

Everyone turned towards her. Meda hit her with her elbow. She not only caught the attention of Ozzel and Piett but also Vader's, who immediately walked to her and observed her from above.

—I managed to stop their program. They had hacked the Imperial network...

—Continue —said Vader.

Anthe locked eyes with him. It seemed to be something she couldn't avoid.

—They managed to infiltrate through our navigation system, they were downloading information from the main computer. It seems as if...

—If they had allowed themselves to be captured on purpose —Vader continued.

—Yes. My program countered the attack, now we have access to their computer. It will take time to decipher it, everything is encrypted.

—The system is back online, sir —said an operator.

"—Shields at 40% and rising."

Vader turned and walked to the viewport. From there he could see the asteroid field and the corvette. Ozzel and Piett walked around him, trying to anticipate his next order. Anthe also watched. Of course, she didn't expect congratulations. Vader took a moment longer. The bridge was pure silence.

"—Shields at 80%."

—Capture them —said Vader.

The destroyer's engines roared again. They moved once more, this time, propelled by a terrifying power, cutting through the asteroids that were above the now immobilized rebel corvette. The magnetic beam soon trapped them. Piett gave the arrest order, Ozzel was calling for damage assessment, and the news were not good; they would likely have to make a stop for repairs. Anthe's team had set to work on downloading all the information by accessing the computer. Decoded messages and coordinates appeared on the screens. A gold mine. Once the capture maneuver was completed and without wasting time, Vader left the bridge, drawing all eyes to him.

Anthe had the same effect once the door closed. The monotonous silence turned into noise and shouting instantly, and all eyes fell on her, including Meda's, who was by her side.

—Don't smile —Meda said, annoyed.

The comment only made it harder for Anthe to contain her excitement.

—Anthe saves the day.

—It was just beginners luck —said Meda, carried by her contagious laughter. Both lowered their heads when they noticed Ozzel giving them a threatening look. He seemed very nervous, and with good reason.

Hi! so sorry for the late. This took me forever to translate and Im not quite happy with the result yet. May do some changes in the future. I hope you like the story so far. I have big plans for Anthe. From now on I will try to upload both chapters (eng, spa) at the same time so all readers get the same update. Please leave a review! Thanks for reading!