Star Wars - Empire of the Innocents

6 - Stormtrooper

After a season in the refugee shelter, the day had finally arrived. A formal call had been issued to the refugees, inviting those who wished to do so to volunteer at the Galactic Empire's cadet training center. Although most of the boys had already offered to collaborate with the Empire unconditionally, the convocation informed them of the main procedures of the complex selection process, as well as the serious commitment of full dedication and submission they would assume if approved.

Despite having the essential element to serve the Emperor, the strong desire to dedicate their lives to the imperial objectives would not be enough for them to be definitively accepted. After a period of intense technical and military training of various kinds and under the most adverse conditions, the cadets would have their performance evaluated. Once selected, they would be assigned to perform activities in which they had demonstrated the greatest aptitude during the selection process, according to the interests of the Empire.

Akdron signed his commitment alongside Joruaal Menar. They had become great friends in the early days of living in the shelter. Both were the same age and confident that they were making the right decision.

Joruaal was calm and easy to get along with. At times, he reminded Akdron of Gollid, one of Akdron's brothers. He lived with his father in an old communication tower owned by an agricultural producers' cooperative on Tatooine. His father had been a communications officer and served in the Republic army during the Clone Wars. With the end of the Republic, he took refuge on Tatooine, where he met Joruaal's mother. In recent years, he worked for the cooperative of farmers, synchronizing their activities through the communication tower.

After his mother's death a few years ago, Joruaal began assisting his father during work at the tower. With the recent loss of his father, he hoped to rely on Akdron's friendship.

Unlike most of the volunteers present there, Joruaal did not seek revenge for his father's death. He simply wished to rebuild his life in some way and took advantage of the opportunity offered by the Empire.

The two friends were determined to make every effort to be approved. Hopefully, they handed over the signed document to the recruitment officer and continued discussing their expectations for the future.

Other groups from different backgrounds had joined Akdron and Joruaal's group. The training was quite elaborate. For months, the aspirants were subjected to various simulations on different planets and environments. They were presented with diverse military practices, and different types of missions were imposed, most of them high-risk. Occasionally, accidents occurred that resulted in casualties among the cadets.

In addition to military personnel, the Empire intended to train technicians and agents for numerous fields of operation. The group received instructions and participated in exercises through which each man could be evaluated.

The imperial military might was impressive. Akdron had never imagined that there could be such a colossal military potential under the rule of a single man, an emperor. But it was not just a matter of the quantity of resources available. The state-of-the-art equipment used by the Empire granted its military the privilege of being at the forefront of technology in the galaxy. Starting with the personal survival and combat equipment provided to their soldiers, which allowed them to carry out missions in the most inhospitable and peculiar environments. Those who served the Empire would always have a significant advantage over their opponents.

The preliminary selection period had been tough and exhausting, but those who had succeeded felt rewarded. Akdron had excelled in assault missions, and as a result, he had been assigned to join the Stormtroopers. From then on, his training would be directed towards becoming a stormtrooper. After this specialized training, he would be ready to participate in any combat situation, in any environment.

The time had come to bid farewell to his best friend. After months of daily companionship, he would miss Joruaal, who was going to work with the crew of an Imperial destroyer, serving in the role of space monitoring. In Akdron's opinion, it wouldn't be as thrilling as being a stormtrooper, but it would be in line with his abilities and, most importantly, his personality.

Akdron smiled as Joruaal stared at him with a worried expression, knowing what his friend would face while serving in the Stormtroopers. A rebellion was brewing, growing stronger every day, and the expectations were of great risk for those who would be part of the troops. However, the future stormtrooper made a point of showing calmness to his friend because he knew it was useless to worry him. After everything they had been through together, it was natural for them to feel like brothers to each other. The fear of loss was part of this feeling but should be replaced with optimism and hope before it began to dominate their wills. That's how Akdron thought.

The two friends then embraced each other in farewell.

- Take care - Joruaal said sincerely.

- You too - Akdron replied. His smile faded asthey separated and each went their own way.