Space was beautiful, with the stars forming a picture so beautiful that not even the best holo-pictures would be able to capture every detail. In person, it was still as breathtaking as the first time Blake had ever boarded a ship. The viewing platform of the ancient Providence-Class destroyer offered the best view onboard the White Fang. It was the namesake of the White Fang Company of the Alliance to Restore the Republic, chosen by Sienna Khan, who had served as its captain during the Clone Wars. It had long been modified to hold quarters for living beings, not just an army of droids and a few organic officers. Blake took a deep breath, having long gotten used to the recycled air the White Fang provided. Secretly, she was thankful she wasn't one of the reptile Faunus. Smelling it was bad, smelling and tasting it at the same time would be a special level of hells.

The furry ears that sat on top of her head twitched as she heard the distinctive sound of metal boots on the deck plating, drawing closer. She recognized the tempo and sound and frowned, knowing exactly who was coming. A pair of strong arms found themselves wrapped around Blake's waist as they buried their face in the crook of her neck. Goosebumps formed on her skin as she felt Adam's cool breath.

"You don't have to do this, I can send someone else," Adam murmured. It felt weird, hearing him talk like Adam, and not like Commander Taurus of the Rebel Alliance, the same man who ordered the White Fang to bomb an Imperial factory full of civilians a standard week ago. The mere memory of the massacre left a bad taste in Blake's mouth. Their only crime was making components used in some of the Empire's weapons, but as the manager had kept trying to explain, they also sold on the civilian market. Adam didn't care.

"We both know it has to be me," Blake said, pressing her lips into a thin line. She placed her hands on top of Adam's, over her abdomen. An infiltration mission to the Royal Imperial Academy on Imperial Center would be her riskiest assignment yet, with the headquarters for the Imperial Security Bureau a short flight by airspeeder away. Blake would be right in the center of enemy territory. "There isn't anybody else who could use my parent's name convincingly."

With Menagerie recuperating from its losses from the Clone Wars, her parents were starting to gain more influence in the Outer Rim, for near-humans at least. They were the outlier, near-human governors were a rarity in a galaxy full of human politicians. It was their reward for welcoming the Empire with open arms after the Navy drove off the remnants of a CIS fleet.

Mom and Dad were nothing more than puppets for an Empire that would throw them away without a second thought. Still, at least using their title and an obscene amount of credits managed to get Blake a position at the Imperial Royal Academy as a third-year Stormtrooper cadet. That had been their budget, plus selling off some of their supplies for the next cycle or two. The White Fang desperately needed supplies and funding now.

"I could always send Ilia or one of the twins." Adam continued, pulling her closer. He sounded caring for once, despite ignoring her for a few days after the massacre. It bothered her that he would do that, ignore her for days after a disagreement, and then try to come back in like nothing had changed. Worse was how long it had taken her to realize what he was doing.

"Ilia's too important to send." An excuse that neither of them bought, even if Blake did have a point. Ilia was one of their best infiltrators, even if putting her back into an Imperial Academy would not end well for her mental well-being. And while the twins were skilled fighters, they were rather poor when it came to being inconspicuous. Blake just needed time away from the White Fang, from Adam, to hopefully get her head back on straight once more. "And her anger issues would make her stay at the RIA a short one."

The White Fang was already running on a skeleton crew, they needed every possible body onboard. Even if they recalled every sentient capable of holding a hydro spanner, it still wouldn't be enough to crew the destroyer fully. The downside of going from an all automated workforce to an organic crew was the addition of new machinery and having all of it requiring supervision. Not helping matters was that most of their recruits needed to be taught how to run the new machines in the first place. And new was a very relative word, given how old the design was.

"Ilia knows what's at stake." Adam defended. She felt his lips meet the skin on her neck. Blake did her best to hide her grimace, she really wasn't in the mood for this. Hadn't been, for some time, now that she thought about it.

"I do too." Blake had been fighting for years, a trait she had inherited from her parents. Mom and Dad had spent years fighting off the CIS occupation of Menagerie, and they were too tired to offer any resistance to the Republic, now the Empire. Still, just because Blake understood their reasoning didn't mean that she agreed with them.

The Empire was a disease that needed to be cured, but not at the cost of innocent lives. A chance to get an infiltrator in the upper ranks of the Imperial Navy was hard to pass up. Blake would be able to get her hands on military secrets and targets to help the Rebellion, and if she was an officer, maybe even scout out sympathetic voices in the lower ranks to defect. And who knows, maybe she could seize an Imperial warship and bring it to the company, finally giving them a more modern warship instead of the relic Sienna had given them. Adam finally loosened his embrace and removed his face from her neck.

"If that's what you wish, then fine." Adam whispered into her 'human' ear. "I believe in you, Blake. You won't let us down."

It was a chance to step away from all the violence, even if that respite was temporary, Blake was going to be able to save lives. The Empire would never know, that they had grown fat and satisfied, that they would never imagine that someone like Blake would be able to enter their home, eat their food, use their equipment, and steal their secrets. She'd never been to formal school before, so this would be a new experience for her as well. Her week away from Adam consisted of locking herself in her quarters, researching, and studying materials that Ilia remembered from her days in the Academy. It was boring, unlike the holonovels that she read in her off time, but it was good practice. Blake doubted school life was as spicy as her reading material suggested, but it was better than nothing.

Blake angled her head to meet Adam's lone blue eye, the one that wasn't hidden by his usual white mask or the eyepatch that hid his mangled eye socket. He really did look normal for once, as it felt like he stared into her soul. She gave him a small smile and briefly pressed her lips against his. The kiss tasted like blood the moment she parted.

"I'll be fine." Blake turned her attention back toward the stars. She'd go to the Academy, and by the time she came back with a load of vital intelligence and useful skills, the Republic would be restored, and everything would be back to normal. "This war will be over before you know it." That was Blake's hope at least. After all, rebellions were built on hope. Hope for a better future, one without oppression and hate.

"May the Force be with you," Adam said in between a breath. The saying had been growing in popularity with the successes from Phoenix Squadron. The rumors claimed that two of their members were Jedi, the mysterious warriors of old. Blake wasn't a believer, but if they were going to win this war, the Rebellion was going to need all the help they could get, even if it came from myths and legends.

"Don't be so dramatic." Blake closed her eyes and nodded slowly after a few seconds. She wasn't going to see him for a long time, she might as well indulge him. "You too." Blake was going to need all the luck she could get if she were going to survive this mission. At least the mission would get her away from Adam, that was just as important as helping the Rebellion.

Blake spent the rest of her time staring at the stars. Admiring their beauty, she allowed her mind to just drift away from her worries.

Even if it was just for a moment.

Blake's room was barren, while most members of the company decorated their bunks with whatever they wanted, her side of the room was empty aside from her bed and trunk with her belongings. It wasn't as colorful as Ilia's side of the room, which wasn't saying much, but it had been her home since she joined the White Fang. She went to her trunk, pulling out an Imperial bag that was half-empty, some of her clothes and personal effects already packed. It was a bit disturbing how easily her current life could fit into a bag and still have some spare room.

"You don't have to keep hiding, you know," Blake said dryly, her furry ears twitching in the direction of Ilia's bed. Her childhood friend soon appeared, as if she had been summoned out of thin air. The colors of her skin, which had been helping her blend in, turned into Ilia's chosen shade of tan. She had been blending into her bed and wall from the moment Blake had walked in. It wasn't the first time she'd tried to pull that trick on Blake, but it would be the last for a long time.

"I should be the one going," Ilia replied without a greeting. She had cried herself to sleep when Blake announced her latest mission. Blake could understand why, all sorts of old memories coming back to haunt her once more.

"Adam already decided." Blake lied as easily as she breathed. The two didn't get along whatsoever, only speaking to each other when it had to do with a specific mission, or whenever Blake was spending time with the other. "I'm the best option we have, and I'm not sending you back to an Imperial Academy, not after what happened at Haven."

Ilia's near-human features only appeared whenever she changed color, which easily allowed her to pass as a full-human, provided she didn't get too emotional. She didn't like speaking about what she had faced at the Haven Starfighter Academy. It was evident, though, that her time there had hurt her both mentally, and physically.

"It's different now," Ilia argued. "ISB agents are going to be everywhere, there's a chance that you could even catch a glimpse of the Emperor!" An attempt on the Emperor's life would be no easy feat. However, if she had one, could she afford not to take it?

"Everything is going to be fine." Blake continued packing her bag with the few belongings she would be allowed to take. All she needed to do was last a year and make it to graduation, from there, she could assist the White Fang with any intelligence they would need. "You'd just blow your cover by trying to kill another cadet if they made you mad, again."

Speciesism and discrimination were a guarantee on the Imperial Center, even if the Grand Vizier was non-human. All that meant was the Emperor was smart enough to offer some token nonhuman representation to disprove any claims. Ilia's frown made Blake form a small smile. She placed her bag on her bed and sat beside her shorter friend, pulling her into a hug.

"I'll be back soon." Deserting anytime after graduation would be easy with Blake's skills. She was good at running away, as much as she hated to admit it. "And once the war is over, we can go visit any planet you want, without any judgment or fear."

The corner of Ilia's eyes started to moisten as she pulled Blake into an even tighter hug. They'd been inseparable since Ilia defected from the Empire, and even before, back when they were children. When Blake had signed up with the White Fang after Ilia's return from Haven, the color changer had followed her in a heartbeat, which had not made the last time she'd talked with her parents any better. Given they'd all but adopted Ilia after her parents had died in that mining accident, they were losing two daughters.

"Promise me," Ilia mumbled into Blake's brown jacket. She refused to let go, which made Blake's smile turn sad. Blake didn't want to imagine how Ilia would react without her. There'd been jokes in the past that when Blake had been hospitalized Ilia had refused to leave the door outside of her room. But surely that was just what a good friend did, wasn't it?

"I promise," Blake said softly, patting Ilia's brown hair. "Whatever you want to do."

Ilia finally pulled away, using one of her hands to wipe her tears. She used her free hand to hold Blake's. "I'm holding you to that, so don't die on me."

Blake nodded ever so slightly. "I won't, it'll take more than an ISB agent to take me out." She'd killed a few in the past, ones that were stupid enough to try and infiltrate the White Fang. Blake was going to survive and make it back home.

For the Alliance. For the Republic. For her people.

Imperial Center was as corrupt as Blake expected. The air felt suffocating, as if the planet knew that she didn't belong there, at least on the surface of the planet. It wasn't as beautiful as Mother and Father said it was, but then again, it had been over a decade since they last visited it. This was, as far as Blake was aware, back when it was still called Coruscant and not Imperial Center. The white and gray uniform that she wore felt uncomfortable, and as she walked through the halls of the Royal Imperial Academy, Blake felt like someone was watching her. It was probably her paranoia, being surrounded by Imperials.

Like Senior Cadet Schnee, or Cadet First-Class Schnee as her official rank likely was if Ilia's notes were accurate, spent most of her time staring Blake down, until two other transfers took her attention, thankfully. It had taken all of her self-control not to say something sarcastic in return. Blake's amber eyes turned towards her new datapad, which had the map to her new bunk.

Time to find out who would be her bunkmates for the rest of the school year. Based on what she'd seen so far, they would probably be several nobles from the Core Worlds, rich and influential. Blake would be at the bottom of the social ladder once everyone found out she was a near-human the moment she took off the hat that hid her ears. She paused in front of the door the datapad indicated as her new room.

Maintaining her composure, Blake was about to press the button that would open the door when someone approached. She wasn't nervous, she was just making sure she had the right room. She wouldn't put it past the quartermaster to accidentally mix up the room numbers, it had happened back in the White Fang.

"Hiya, fellow transfer!" The blonde girl that was one of the cadets Senior Cadet Schnee had been glaring at appeared. Blake gave her a side glance, gauging her as a possible threat. The blonde was easily taller by a few inches and wore a matching uniform, complete with the Krayt Dragon patch. Her uniform did little to hide how muscular she was, with calloused hands.

A Stormtrooper cadet, then.

"Looks like we're bunking together." Her lilac eyes gave her own datapad a glance. "Nice to meetcha comrade. I'm Cadet Yang Xiao-Long!" She gave Blake a large grin.

The near-human only gave her an indifferent stare in return. She seemed nice enough at a glance, but Stormtroopers were the Emperor's personal enforcers, and anyone who willingly signed up to join them was not to be trusted. They were nothing more than fanatics.

"Cadet Belladonna." Blake turned her attention back to the door, her tone even and neutral. She pressed the button without another word, causing the metal door to slide open. Cadet Xiao-Long followed Blake in, her grin carved onto her face like stone.

A cadet in a gray uniform was lounging on the top bed of the closest bunk to the door, her legs hanging off the side. She wore dark glasses that hid the color of her eyes, and wore the same uniform as Senior Cadet Schnee, marking her as another cadet first-class. Blake and Cadet Xiao-Long immediately saluted. Ilia had told her about the inner workings of the Imperial academies, how the cadets marked as First-Class would act as officers to underclassmen, or other students.

Blake could only assume that it was the same here at the Royal Imperial Academy. For all she knew, this is where it started. This was the most famous of Imperial Academies, after all. They set the standards for everything.

"Welcome, newbies! Just on time." The Senior Cadet said with a large smile. She jumped down from her seat, landing with ease. The Senior Cadet had short brown hair, with a long wavy lock on the right side of her face that faded to caramel. "At ease. Velvet! Don't be shy, and say hi to our new roommates."

Another cadet appeared from behind the bunk, wearing the same uniform as Blake and Xiao-Long. Her hair was a lighter shade of brown, longer too, with a pair of long furry ears sitting on top of her head. Blake's eyes widened slightly. Another faunus? Cadet Velvet gave them a small wave with a nervous smile. "Cadet Velvet Scarlatina."

Was she from Menagerie? Or was Velvet one of the many faunus that had fled during the Clone Wars so many years ago? Blake would have to do a more thorough investigation once she was settled in.

"I'm Senior Cadet Coco Adel." The Senior Cadet introduced herself casually. She tilted her head, lowering her dark glasses to reveal her brown eyes. "But you guys can call me Coco when we're not in class. Getting called a Senior Cadet can get boring after a while." A classic Imperial tactic, pretending to be modest to hide their true selves.

"Cadet Yang Xiao-Long." Cadet Xiao-Long gave her another salute before relaxing, her large smile returning after it disappeared during their first salute. "It's a pleasure to be here, Ma'am."

"None of that Ma'am crap either." Coco laughed, waving the blonde off. She turned her attention to Blake. "What's your name, Cadet?"

"Cadet Blake Belladonna." Blake said evenly, copying the blonde's salute. Velvet's smile didn't disappear, nor did she act like she recognized Blake's name.

Good.

Coco crossed her arms, satisfied. "You two can relax, we're going to have a fun year, as long as you don't drop out, snap, or flunk."

That was the least of Blake's worries. Surviving any suspicion her classmates had would be her top priority. However, that doesn't mean she shouldn't take advantage to better herself. If nothing else, the Imperial Academy was a premier educational facility. Any and all knowledge she learned here could be applied to the White Fang Company, allowing them to come up with better strategies against Imperial contingency plans.

"Sweet." Cadet Xiao-Long gave her an unprofessional thumbs up.

"Velvet will show you two to your new bunks." Coco placed a hand on her hip. "Nebula and Octavia have been wanting new roommates for months now."

Now there were her true colors, having the near-human do all the work. Blake nodded after a few seconds, doing her best to keep her furry ears from twitching under her cap. None of them could be trusted, much less a traitor like Velvet. Near-humans and non-humans like her would just be an Imperial pet, to be disposed of whenever the Empire felt like it.

How disgusting.

A/N

Chapter was done with help from Night_Stalker and MambaKingGhidorah.

If you enjoyed feel free to leave a like or comment, it helps new chapters to come out much faster.