Star Wars: Darkest Hour

[Cyborg Ninja]

The two girls had run into some kind of sith soldier.

 

"Can I see your passes?" the sith trooper asked rather coldly.

 

The girls tried to lie their way out and turned around only to see him standing there.

 

"It's Alpha Commander Kyr'am," she explained, "and he's come to give me a more detailed answer to the question I asked back in Cha Drithma's class. Right?"

 

In order to get what he wanted, he would have to help out the two girls. Even if the soldier didn't believe him, he still was a Commander and for some reason one of Vader's favorites.

 

"I must speak to this girl in private over my answer and as for her friend here, I have to teach her a lesson in respect. You should leave while you're ahead trooper. I'm already going to file a report to Vader... and you know he doesn't like it when I have to report a soldier for doing something wrong. You two, follow me and you soldier don't let me catch you in here again."

 

The Clone Commander turned in a direction and walked down the hall hoping the girls would follow.

[Tysyacha]

"Can you believe that?" mumbled Nylen under her breath. "He talked back to a Sith!" Her violet eyes widened with incomprehension, whereas Chasi merely nodded and put a finger to her lips. She motioned for Nylen to follow her, as she herself was following Alpha Commander Kyr'am through the now-deserted hallways of the educational facility. Chasi caught a strong whiff of...

 

"Ugh! Processed vegetable matter. Not even bantha steaks," complained Miss Moranity, holding her nose. "Can't our cafeteria do any better these days?" She hoped this idle chatter would distract her from the anxious thoughts swarming through her mind--thoughts of conscription, enlistment, and war. Thoughts of being turned into some mindless automaton made out of flesh. Nylen entered an empty classroom behind Chasi and the Alpha Commander.

 

"Now, then," began Chasi, "is the Empire evil, or what? How did the Clone Wars even begin, anyway?" She winked at Kyr'am. "Yes, we need help with our homework. I figured there was no better way to get it than to ask one of the veterans who fought in it." She folded her hands in front of her, waiting.

[Cyborg Ninja]

Kyr'am led the two girls into an empty classroom and waited for them to enter before closing the door.

 

"Well the good news is that even if that sith is a higher rank than me I won't get in trouble for it."

 

is the Empire evil, or what? How did the Clone Wars even begin, anyway?" She winked at Kyr'am. "Yes, we need help with our homework. I figured there was no better way to get it than to ask one of the veterans who fought in it."

 

"Alright I'll help you with your homework assignment but I need your help with something. I saw the clock change and I have a very good feeling it was you. So I'm also guessing you're force sensitive... I was wondering if you could possibly locate two jedi for me... Bardan Julisk and..." his voice choked up a little at the next name "Etain Tur-Makan... I don't want to hurt them, I just need to know if they're okay."

 

Those were the only two jedi he cared about and he really needed to know if they were alive or not. If they were he would go try to find them just to see how they're doing, he'd tell Vader he was on recon or something. He wanted to see them again... espically Etain.

[Writer]

Katri Haalen was seething. It had been two weeks since she'd learned of her brother's disappearance and they were getting nothing out of Imperial Intelligence on the matter. She'd stayed with her parents as long as she could manage, but then she went to Imperial Center to see what she could find out on her own. The bad news was that her criminal informants had nothing. What made it worse was that Imperial Intel somehow learned that she was snooping into their private business... and they didn't like that much. And so, Katri found herself handcuffed to a chair, glaring across a desk at an overfed bureaucrat in an Imperial uniform.

 

"Just exactly what is your interest in our agent's status?" the man stupidly asked.

 

"Are you brain-dead?" Katri spat. "He's my brother. Look, I already know you don't know exactly where he is. Your people were caring enough to tell us that. But you do know where and when he last reported in. That is the information I want."

 

"You intend to do your own investigation, I take it?"

 

Katri rolled her eyes. "With black market resources and whatnot. I happen to know this adorable little twelve-year-old who could pry this information out of your cold, hard, data storage units. If you don't tell me, I'll go to her."

 

"A slicer at twelve?" the pompous fool snorted. "More threats like that and you'll end up in a mental institution." He shook his head. "I'm not giving you the information you want. It's directly tied to some highly classified documentation and personnel movement." A pause. "Unless..."

 

"Unless I come to work for you," Katri supplied, having long since figured out how an Imperial's mind worked. "I told you people three years ago that I'm worth more to you as a merc."

 

"Some mercs take classified jobs too." With this statement, his IQ improved a little from Katri's perspective. She couldn't suppress a slight grin.

 

"Are you talkin' about giving me a security clearance of some sort?" she inquired.

 

"It would be project driven," he replied. "You'd get information based on whatever assignment we give you."

 

"And what sort of assignments are we talkin' here?"

 

He didn't answer immediately. "Can't really tell you unless you agree."

 

"I'll get information on my brother's last known location." It was not a question; Katri Haalen had just given him a direct order. He knew it, but he didn't care.

 

"Count on it."

 

Arching an eyebrow, Katri tugged gently at her restraints. "Care to let me out of these?"

[Tysyacha]

Chasi Vtorie's heart sank. Though she was indeed sensitive to the Force, she could only perform the most rudimentary tasks with it so far: moving books and papers out of her way, speed-reading, slight telepathy, changing the numbers on a holodigital clock. There was absolutely no way she could locate two Jedi who were either in remote exile or dead. She told Alpha Commander Kyr'am this, still trying her very hardest to pick up a trace of the life and light that only a Jedi would broadcast through the Force. Nothing. She sighed.

 

"I'm sorry," Chasi told Kyr'am, "but these certain Jedi you're looking for are nowhere near me. I sincerely tried my best, but the Force was silent." She hoped that answer would satisfy the Alpha Commander, if not please him.

 

"This is stupid," grumbled Nylen, whose stomach growled softly. "The Jedi are enemies of the Empire, so the only reason this Clone would be looking for them is to kill them. Besides, why would a Jedi be so dumb as to remain on Coruscant? To find a place to hide? I don't think so--not with the whole city-planet crawling with Stormtroopers and Imperial Officers. I think the real reason he brought us here is to try and conscript us, even though he said he wasn't going to in class. I'm going to set things straight, all right?"

 

Chasi shook her head rapidly, but she couldn't stop the nimble Nylen from launching into a cheer that suspiciously resembled the ones she always did for their educational facility's melee sparring team. It went like this:

 

"Do you THINK we'll FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT?

You are WRONG and NEVER RIGHT.

I'm a bad SPARRER, and besides THIS,

Chasi's got CEREBRAL PARALYSIS!

 

"She's DISABLED! OH, she's DISABLED!

I'm UNSTABLE--in fighting, UNSTABLE!"

 

Chasi thought her "boon companion" was unstable in more ways than one, but she decided not to press the point. After all, this was an almost perfect way to convince the Alpha Commander they were both unfit for military conscription. Nylen--sometimes you're an idiot and a genius all at once!

[Cyborg Ninja]

"I'm sorry," Chasi told Kyr'am, "but these certain Jedi you're looking for are nowhere near me. I sincerely tried my best, but the Force was silent."

 

"Oh..." the only word Kyr'am could say as he fell into a chair," t-thank you for trying" he managed to add.

 

"This is stupid," grumbled Nylen, whose stomach growled softly. "The Jedi are enemies of the Empire, so the only reason this Clone would be looking for them is to kill them. Besides, why would a Jedi be so dumb as to remain on Coruscant? To find a place to hide? I don't think so--not with the whole city-planet crawling with Stormtroopers and Imperial Officers. I think the real reason he brought us here is to try and conscript us, even though he said he wasn't going to in class. I'm going to set things straight, all right?"

 

Kyr'am never ever yelled at anyone when he wasn't in combat but this remark got him very angry. The girl then did a cheer which only got him madder. He stood up and pointed his blaster at her.

 

"Now you listen here, those jedi are my friends and don't you dare call them stupid! Bardan Julisk is a very good jedi and so his Etain. She's smart, funny, and she's very very pretty. Do you know what its like to shoot your friends because someone forces you too!?!? Do you really think we clones want to do this!?!?" Kyr'am realized he had a blaster pointed at a student and quickly put it away.

 

"I'm sorry... I truly am its just been hard this past year for me. If you still want to hear my story I'll tell it and if not I understand." He looked right at the girl with force powers, "As for you don't ever do what you did in public again, keep yourself hidden. Any other clone or trooper would have either forced you to come with them or killed you right on the spot. Don't share your force powers with anyone or they will kill you. I won't report your abilites back to base and I don't want to recruit either of you. You shouldn't suffer the same pain I have... its just not right."

[Tysyacha]

"Well, that's a relief," smiled Nylen sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "He's not planning on conscripting us after all. I guess that means we can go?" Chasi shook her head at her best friend, ashamed and afraid for her. Nylen's most potent weapon was her mouth, and it could yet cause her annihilation.

 

"What?" asked Nylen after a moment, placing a hand on her almost-invisible hip. "You actually want to join the Empire, or listen to this Clone babble on about his two Jedi friends that he was forced to kill? There's something that we humans have called willpower, the ability to resist temptation and refuse to do something morally wrong. I guess Clones don't have it, which wouldn't surprise me because they're only copies anyway. Copies of an original which wasn't so attached to the Light or the right side of a cause, anyway. Come on. Let's go to lunch, and then we can ask for a pass to take the rest of the day off. Goodbye, guest speaker, and please don't let the door hit you where the Force split you on the way out!" She let out several guffaws and signaled to Chasi. "Coming?"

 

Chasi shook her head once more. "You go ahead. I'm planning to listen."

 

Nylen's violet eyes grew wide. "It's propaganda, Chasi! Don't be so stupid! Whatever he's planning to tell you, it'll make you want to join the Empire!" Now it was her turn to shake her head. "I can't believe you. I'm going now." She turned toward the door and said, "Evil is evil is evil, no matter if it's dressed in a Clone suit or an Emperor's uniform. It has to be fought and destroyed, or at least resisted. I thought you'd be stronger than this."

 

Once Nylen had departed from the empty classroom, Chasi turned to the Clone. "Forgive her, Alpha Commander," she said, "even though in this case, you really don't have to. My best friend, even though she is my best friend, is all body and mouth--no brain. She doesn't consider the ramifications of what she's saying, and all she cares about is what's to her own benefit. I've seen her talk back to teachers, principals, everyone--without principles to back her up, her talk of 'evil is evil is evil' notwithstanding." She paused for a moment, motioning for the Clone to sit down across from her. "Tell me about the Jedi, if you would," she began. "You were about to, I believe."

[Cyborg Ninja]

"She doesn't understand what we clones have been through, the friends we've made and have been forced to kill. I did not kill Bardan or Etain, and I do hope to find them soon."

 

Kyr'am took a seat across from the girl and thought about the Jedi for a second.

 

"I could talk about the Jedi but it wouldn't fill up those ten pages you need, maybe I should tell you my story instead. It will answer any questions you might have about the Clone Wars and hopefully keep you away from joining up with the Empire"

 

He sat waiting for the girl to answer and how such a polite girl as herself would pal around with such a little monster that if he ever saw that evil little girl alone he would not hesitate to shoot her.

[Tysyacha]

"I'd like to hear it, and not because of the paper." Chasi turned her head toward the Commander, waiting for him to narrate.

 

****************************************

 

Meanwhile, out in the foyer near the cafeteria, several Sith officers, Clone troopers, and military-minded school personnel were manning tables which held enlistment papers for every single one of the students in the educational facility if they were so inclined. However, not everyone was, including Nylen Moranity. She wandered through the swarms of her fellow schoolmates lining up, shaking her head in embarrassment and revulsion. I can't believe these people, she thought. They're signing their lives away, and for what? Supposedly so they can get their higher education paid for in full, but don't any of them realize that the Empire is counting on all of them getting shot at so that it won't have to pay the bill when--and if--they return from war?

 

Holding her nose as the stench of processed vegetable matter drew nearer, Nylen hoped she'd at least get to eat a few bland pieces of starchy bread.

[Corinthian]

Kando stepped into the foyer of the academy, groaning inwardly. The lieutenant had suggested that he make an appearance, as this was projected to be the high point of the recruitment drive at the local academy. So, here the ARC was, poster child for classified operations.

 

It was patently ridiculous.

 

He had taken his helmet off, showing the face of Jango Fett. Most of the other Clones had their helmets on - in fact, none of them that he could see were barefaced. People got nervous when they could see many identical faces in the same room. It was fascinating, really.

 

Kando wended his way through the crowd, not interested in sitting at one of the tables. He wasn't under orders anyway. Inevitably, someone would recognize the symbol on his pauldron and start pestering him for a real autograph from an ARC. Civvies were the same everywhere.

[The Betrayer]

Meanwhile, in the Command Star Destroyer above Coruscant, Grand Moff Yal surveys a junior officer.

"How goes recruitment, Captain?"

"Perfectly well, sir. These clones have nowhere to go, sir, and will gladly follow the Empire."

"Good. Ensure the recruitment stays that way. Lord Palpatine would want soldiers for his conquest... a conquest that would bring the Empire to near invulnerability!"

[Writer]

Frustration was becoming a constant state of being for Katri Haalen. Even now that she'd been given a specialized security clearance, certain elements of Imperial Intel were not willing to deal with her. The division Devi had worked for was being particularly difficult.

 

"I fail to see what this information would do for you, Ms. Haalen," Devi's direct supervisor said stiffly. "Your brother's mission has very little to do with yours."

 

"My mission is to retrieve Devi and the information he was after, no matter the cost," Katri snapped.

 

"Which does not indicate that you need to know exactly what he was after."

 

"It would certainly help," Katri shot back, "especially if Devi turns up dead and I have to go after the information myself."

 

Ten minutes and a few shouting matches later, Katri learned what her brother had been after... and that he'd last been seen on Coruscant.

 

"He mentioned brief interaction with a few Sith troops," Devi's supervisor said wearily. Katri had worn him completely out. He passed her a photo. "There. That's your next lead."

 

Smiling pleasantly, Katri said, "Thank you. I'm out of your hair now." With that, she left, heading back for Coruscant.

[The Betrayer]

Meanwhile, at the Annihilation, Grand Moff Yal remembers.

"How many troops do we have left, Captain?"

"About 50 sir. These pirates are getting more vigilant! We should surrender, sir!"

"We're not losing Taris to a bunch of pirates, you'd do well to remember that,Captain! Set up defensive perimeters, scouts on top, grunts on the bottom!"

[Writer]

Finding one Sith soldier on a planet swarming with billions upon billions of people was no walk in the park, Katri decided as she showed the photo of this one man to yet another pompous airhead. For something like the zillionth time, she saw the stupid grin on an idiot's face as he asked something to the effect of, "Lookin' for love?"

 

Or that's what she thought. But she quickly realized that's not what came out of his mouth. "Eh... come again?" she stammered.

 

"Chasten Niven," the man repeated. "You're right around the right place. Think I can call him out for you." The stupid grin grew wider. "He your loverboy or somethin'?"

 

Katri sighed wearily. "Just call him," she ordered sharply.

 

"May I say who exactly?" The idiot was suddenly determined to be bureaucratic about the whole ordeal. Katri was not in an obliging mood.

 

"Emperor Palpatine's much-younger-lover," she spat, waving her security clearance in his face. "This tells you that you don't need that information. Now call for Chasten Niven." Glaring up at him, she added, "Or do I need to report you to your supervisor and do it myself?"

 

That got him moving.

[Cyborg Ninja]

"I'd like to hear it, and not because of the paper."

 

"Very well then... Kamino was a cold desolate place, very fitting for a clone. There were different kinds of clones I suppose in jedi terms like a padawan, kinght, and master but you can't really switch of what role you are. Most clones were just standard issue soldiers, some of us became ARCs and some of us became clone commandos. There were two kinds of ARCs, Alpha's and Null's; I was an Alpha. Jango Fett, the host of the clones, personally trained the Alpha's himself. I got most of my training from him but I decided to watch the clone commandos, that's where I met the greatest mandalorian to live Kal Skirata. Apparently we Alpha's were seen as the bully type of clones because the commandos were a little startled. I decided to help train the commandos and learn some skills from Kal'burr himself. I learned it wasn't just commandos he trained but the Nulls too. Shortly after there was an attack on Kamino. We ARCs were deployed into combat to defend the others. Kal and I were able to get the Nulls into combat was well and they fought well with their Alpha brothers. We were then deployed into combat finally going to see some real action and off that horrible planet. I had a quick assignment on Qiilura and that's where I met her... Etain Tur-Mukan. Grant it I was too shy to say anything and it was against protocol to do so I believe. After her master was killed I assited her secretly until a squad of commandos took over for me... what a mistake that was. After that I assisted Anakin Skywalker on a mission on one of Naboo's moons. Only the best ARCs assited him in this and I took a nasty saber wound to the gut saving Skywalker's life. It was there I learned that jedi can be good people and actually become your friends. After recovering they sent me on an easy mission I was to assist Commander Gett and his troops..."

 

Kyr'am suddenly stopped his story remembering something he had blocked out... something bad. He began shaking in his chair and fell onto his knees.

 

"Order 66... I...I watched her die... killed by a jedi trying to save a clone.... I could have done something... I could have saved her!"

[ForceFightWMe12]

He closed his eyes, letting a long, annoyed sigh escape his lips as his comm. link went off, bleeping like an angry R4 unit. Grabbing it up from the compartment on his belt, he flicked the switch. In a tired and annoyed voice, he answered.

 

"What?"

 

"There's someone here who wants to see you."

 

After a long discussion about the chain of command and why one didn't disturb a higher-up while he was on assignment, Chasten was sliding into the driver's seat of his speeder while barking orders to those that would be leaving behind. It didn't appear that he would be escorting the Commander and his men back to base...not that he was particularly upset by that. It was all that Chasten could do not to rip that clone's helmet off his head right then and there, and remind him exactly why one doesn't cross a Sith officer...

 

But that was all in the past now. The present had him speeding through traffic back to base, dropping through levels and flying between the lanes with all the manners of one used to ruling over the general population.

 

It was only a few minutes - though in his impatience, it seemed more like hours - he set down easily and jumped out without opening the door. He passed through the halls in a blur, blowing past soldiers who snapped salutes at his passing, though he didn't pay the least bit of attention. After checking in with the soldier who'd called for him, he was led to the woman who had made the inquiry. With hands in his pockets, he moved to meet her.

 

"You called for me?" he asked, removing a hand to offer it to her. "Sergeant Chasten Niven."

[The Betrayer]

"Sir, they're attacking! THE PIRATES ARE ATTACKING!"

The pirates came in droves, 1000 men attacking at once. But the Imperials were better, more organized...

 

 

The pirates were being drove back. After an hour of intense fighting, the Pirates had 500 casualties, the Imperials 10.

Yal, who was just a Lieutenant Commander back then, suddenly received a shot to the chest.

But he persisted.

And had he not, that battle would have not been won.

Suddenly, Yal Betra wakes up...

[Writer]

"He is coming, is he not?" Katri demanded. The response was a rapidfire nod and Katri settled back in her seat once more. Not more than a few seconds after that, Chasten Niven breezed into the room, made a few inquiries as to who called for him and was directed to Katri. He introduced himself and extended his hand to Katri. She shook Chasten's hand, but did not offer her own name in return.

 

"Thank you for coming so quickly, Sergeant." She retrieved an official photo of Devi and handed it over. "Do you recognize this man?"

[The Betrayer]

"Suddenly, Yal Betra wakes up..."

Yal Betra wakes up, sweaty, and he surveys the surroundings, and to his relief, he was still at the Annihilation, his flagship.

 

He receives a transmission from the Emperor, and replies immediately.

"Grand Moff, How is the recruitment on Coruscant?"

"Perfectly well sir."

"Go there, I want you to check it personally."

"Yes sir."

"You are dismissed, head to Coruscant immediately. A junior officer will dismiss you upon arrival."

 

The holo of the Emperor disappears, and Yal is suddenly calm again.

He calls his captain.

 

"Captain, prepare my shuttle and take command of the ship. I have an errand to run."

"Will do sir."

 

A few minutes of travel later, Grand Moff Yal's personal shuttle lands on Coruscant.

 

He is met by a Lieutenant Commander, who then tells him his first task:

"You are to go to several classes, Sir, and see if the students there are persuaded to join the Empire. Here are all the details of the said classes, Sir."

*The officer gives him a datapad*

"Thank you, Lieutenant Commander, you are dismissed."

Yal goes through the datapad, seeing the details of the first class.

***************************

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY

Class No. 2832-323

Taught by: Cha Drithma

Species: Mon Calamari

***************************

[The Betrayer]

"Suddenly, Yal Betra wakes up..."

Yal Betra wakes up, sweaty, and he surveys the surroundings, and to his relief, he was still at the Annihilation, his flagship.

 

He receives a transmission from the Emperor, and replies immediately.

"Grand Moff, How is the recruitment on Coruscant?"

"Perfectly well sir."

"Go there, I want you to check it personally."

"Yes sir."

"You are dismissed, head to Coruscant immediately. A junior officer will dismiss you upon arrival."

 

The holo of the Emperor disappears, and Yal is suddenly calm again.

He calls his captain.

 

"Captain, prepare my shuttle and take command of the ship. I have an errand to run."

"Will do sir."

 

A few minutes of travel later, Grand Moff Yal's personal shuttle lands on Coruscant.

 

He is met by a Lieutenant Commander, who then tells him his first task:

"You are to go to several classes, Sir, and see if the students there are persuaded to join the Empire. Here are all the details of the said classes, Sir."

*The officer gives him a datapad*

"Thank you, Lieutenant Commander, you are dismissed."

Yal goes through the datapad, seeing the details of the first class.

***************************

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY

Class No. 2832-323

Taught by: Cha Drithma

Species: Mon Calamari

***************************

[ForceFightWMe12]

Chasten had to strictly fight down the impulsive urge to roll his eyes at the question. Not another one of these sorts of inquiries - a private eye sent out by an overly desperate family, searching for a soldier that had disappeared years ago, or a scout sent out by a private company to fulfill a contract that they had been given by the Empire, hunting out AWOL members of the military...he'd recieved dozens of them - it would seem that everyone in the business assumed that a drill sergeant would remember every single face he had trained...But Chasten's tired look became suddenly sharper as he realized that he did, in fact, recognize the man photoed.

 

"Yeah...I've seen him before..." he muttered lowly - the face was strikingly familiar...oh by the moons of Hoth, who was that?? After a long moment of studying the picture, he handed it back over. "Who is he?" he asked, "A cousin, a friend?"

[The Betrayer]

I have to go see a class taught by a Mon Calamari?

"Is it just me or is the rank Grand Moff being lowered everyday?", Yal Betra thought to himself as he heads to his first assignment.

 

He finally arrives, and goes inside a classroom, filled with students.

 

A Mon Calamari voice said, "Excuse me Sir, who are you?"

Feeling offended, Yal said, "I am Grand Moff Yal Betra of the Imperial Army. The Emperor sent me here to personally oversee recruitment."

The Mon Cal said, "I'm sorry for the way I initially treated you, Sir. You may proceed."

 

"Unless you lot are deaf, you probably heard my conversation with your teacher. In case you are, I'm Grand Moff Yal Betra. I am here to see that recruitment for the Empire's soldiers goes well. Before that, is everybody present?"

[Writer]

Katri allowed herself the faintest of smiles. So Chasten Niven had seen Devi, and they'd interacted long enough that Devi's face was a familiar one. Katri decided she wouldn't answer Niven's question directly, not just yet... if at all.

 

"He wouldn't have given you his real name," she said. Moving on. "Do you recall the situation in which you last saw him?" Thinking to give Sergeant Niven a little incentive to try to remember Devi, she added, "I have reviewed his last recorded communications to his superiors; he said you were quite helpful to him. Please, if you can remember any details as to where he may have been heading after he left you, they would be helpful."

[Corinthian]

Kando had to struggle to keep a straight face as 'Grand Moff Betra' began his little tirade at the poor Mon Cal. The question she had asked had been fairly reasonable. He wondered if all political leaders were arrogant, posturing scumbags.

 

Probably. It was a reasonable assessment. He remained standing, stock-still in parade-ground formation, doing his best to ignore and be ignored by the egotistical governor.

 

What the hell is a Grand Moff doing at a minor recruitment drive, anyway? In a galaxy of billions of planets populated by quadrillions of individuals, on a single world with a population somewhere in the vicinity of several hundred billion, why here, at an academy of no more than a few hundred students? Most of the students weren't fit for service anyway, and short of conscription, a lot of the rest never would pick up a blaster rifle.

 

From across the hall, a Bothan waved a sign marked in a half dozen languages, and shrieked at the top of his lungs "Resist Imperialization!" A handful of seconds later, the Bothan was on the ground, a security officer having bludgeoned him with a stun baton and placed him in stuncuffs and dragged him off. Not exactly an auspicious start to the day.

 

The slogan 'Resist Imperialization' had taken root all across the heart of the Galaxy, but it was especially noticable in large metropolitan areas, particularly among teenagers who were quick to fear. Not surprising, really, the new Galactic Empire was turning grim, with a definite Anti-Alien bias creeping into governmental policy and a massive further militarization campaign despite the fact that the Clone Wars were over.

 

Still, those weren't things for him to be concerned over. He was a Clone, and Clones obeyed.

[The Betrayer]

At that clasroom, Grand Moff Yal feels the force...

Somebody here is a force-adept. It's as Lord Sidious predicted!, thought the Grand Moff to himself.

 

"As you all know, this so-called "recruitment" is not by choice. This is mandatory. You'll join the Empire war effort one way or ano-

The Grand Moff was interrupted by a sudden outburst from the students.

"War? "I thought the Empire is at peace!"

"Did I say war? I meant recovery. Yes, precisely. Recovery. You'll join the Empire recovery effort one way or another."

 

"You there, soldier!"

The Grand Moff pointed at Kando.

"I trust you have already briefed this students on how they can help the Empire?"