"You're going to do what with me?" Ezra shouted in shock.
"Calm down, Ezra it's only for a couple of months!" Kanan said.
"Are you crazy? There's no way I'm going back to the imperial academy!" Ezra argued.
"You're not going to an imperial academy! You're going to an imperial-run school called The 66th Order," Kanan sarcastically corrected his padawan.
Ezra sighed and ran his hand through his hair. Everyone watched him argue against the mission.
"I don't care! I don't want to go back to school!" Ezra shouted. "It's boring, useless, and the instructors are terrible!"
"Oh. I thought you were going to say that you didn't want to go back and work for the other side," Kanan muttered.
"Well, that too!" Ezra said.
Hera sighed, then stood up, stepping into the conversation.
"Look, Ezra, you have to do it! You're the only one who can do it!" Hera said. "Plus we already paid for your school year!"
"Why can't Sabine do it?" Ezra asked.
Sabine laughed, drawing attention to herself.
"Kid! Don't you know how old I am?" Sabine asked.
"I don't know...my age?" Ezra guessed.
"Gee, I wish!" Sabine laughed even more.
"Ezra, just do it! We need you to go to the school, because it's right next door to the Imperial government, which has important plans that we need," Kanan persuaded Ezra, "and Sabine doesn't have any blueprints of it."
Ezra sighed. He knew he had to go, but he just got a bad feeling about going to school.
"Fine," Ezra gave in. "What do I have to do?"
"Well, first, you're going to have to change you're entire appearance," Hera interjected. "The Empire knows what you look like, so you have to get a haircut. Oh! And a new name!"
"What?" Ezra gasped. "I didn't sign up for this!"
"Kid, it's either get a hair cut and change your name, or get arrested on the first day of school," Zeb growled.
Ezra sighed. First he was going to have to do a mission he didn't want to do, and now he was going to have to get a hair cut. What next?
"Oh, and we're going to have to change your eye color. That's why we had Sabine and Zeb rob that imperial shipment. We got these brown eye contacts that are also video cameras. Plus, they found a small microphone that you can attach to your uniform," Hera added.
"You guys never said anything about a uniform!" Ezra shouted.
Ezra dropped down in Kanan's chair and groaned.
"Ezra, this mission is mandatory," Kanan said. "Don't worry. We'll try and contact you with our comms every night."
"Will I have room mates?" Ezra asked.
"Yes, but each boarder gets their own room. It's this weird system that the Empire made. First, you'll be put in a group of six people, and those groups will have a small common room that has a kitchen, table, living room, and laundry room all in one. On the sides of those common rooms will be your rooms," Kanan explained.
"Ugh! This is so boring!" Ezra whined, spinning around in his master's chair. "Could this get any worse?"
"Other than that...nope! That's pretty much it!" Sabine replied.
Ezra groaned again. Why does he have to do this?
"So what's my undercover name going to be?" Ezra inquired.
"I don't know, whatever you want it to be," Kanan sighed.
"I've always liked my name," Ezra said.
"How about 'Dash Lazaro'?" Sabine suggested.
"Sure. Why not?" Ezra dully muttered.
"Dash Lazaro it is!" Sabine smirked.
"Wait!" Ezra interjected. "'Dash Lazaro' is a very specific name. Where did you get it from?"
"Oh...it was just the name of one of my ex's," Sabine sighed.
"Wait, what?" Ezra shouted in shock as Sabine giggled.
Everyone left the cockpit as Ezra sat back down in the chair, spinning around. Chopper went up to Ezra and made some taunting noises, discouraging Ezra.
"Oh shut up, you bucket of bolts!" Ezra kicked Chopper.
Chopper then left, swinging his arms in the air. That's when he noticed Sabine was still in the cockpit. Ezra decided to ask her what it was like. She knew.
"So...what kind of uniforms do they have?" Ezra asked.
"Well, from my experience, they had the girls wear black skirts and white button-downs or dresses. The boys had to wear black blazers and pants. The uniforms are all really ghastly," Sabine replied.
Ezra snickered at the thought of seeing Sabine in a black dress.
"What are you laughing at?" Sabine asked.
"Nothing. I was just trying to picture you in a black imperial dress!" Ezra continued to chuckle.
A few moments later, Sabine was the one laughing. She was trying to picture Ezra wearing a black suit. It seemed strange, since he always dressed so casually. Ezra noticed her laughing.
"What you are laughing at?" Ezra asked her.
"I'm trying to picture you in a black suit and pants!" Sabine giggled. "I just don't see it!"
As the laughing died down, Ezra's smile began to fade. What would he look like after the haircut and with the brown eye contacts? He was beginning to worry about the people at school. Everything was kind of freaking him out.
"Kid, I'll be in my room if you want any more warnings about the imperial school," Sabine said as she left.
Ezra waved goodbye to her and spun back around in the chair until he was facing the stars in space again. He was hoping his room and school mates were nice. He'd been to school before. The last time he went to school was in second grade and he hated it. Most of the kids were mean and bullied him because he didn't look exactly like all the other boys and was short. In fact, compared to Kanan, he's really short. Plus, his hair was in a transition period of changing from brown to an electric blue. He was always pretty solitary and liked it that way until the day his parents were taken away.
But just knowing that the school he's going to will have stormtroopers crawling all over the place, meant that this school wouldn't be fun. And Ezra wasn't anticipating the first day of school, which by the way, is in two weeks.
****
"Ready?" Hera asked as she was about to begin cutting Ezra's hair.
"Um...yea," Ezra replied, somewhat unsure.
Hera was a good pilot, but according to Kanan, she wasn't the best at cutting hair. That's probably the reason why Kanan just grows his hair out and puts it back. Ezra could watch Hera move around him and cut his hair from the mirror. He could also see Chopper and Zeb sitting behind them, waiting to see what happens.
Twenty minutes later, Hera was finished cutting Ezra's hair and had parted it differently. It wasn't to his shoulders any more, but it was still long. Hera gave him a windswept look to the right. Everyone came out to see Ezra's new hair cut.
"Pretty handsome if you ask me!" Sabine said, causing Ezra to feel more positive.
"Not too bad kid," Zeb added.
"Nice!" Kanan smiled.
Chopper made a few mechanical noises.
"What can I say?" Hera grinned. "I still got it!"
The Specters went silent.
"Well, anyway, we need to get your books and Hera and I will go with you to registration," Kanan told Ezra.
"Registration? For school?" Ezra asked.
"Yea! Haven't you been to school before?" Sabine inquired.
"Yes. I just haven't been in such a long time," Ezra said.
Ezra took a seat at a nearby table and Kanan looked at his padawan.
"Won't the Empire recognize you two at registration?" Ezra asked.
"Yes, that's why we're going undercover too!" Kanan smiled.
Just as everyone was about to disperse, Sabine interjected.
"By the way, Ezra, you have to be able to act like a normal teenage boy. Do you think you can pull that off?" Sabine asked.
"Of course! Why shouldn't I be able to?" Ezra laughed.
"Well...I just didn't know. You've on your own for such a long time, that...well...it's hard to describe," Sabine trailed off.
"That's true...," Kanan nodded.
"Of course I can act like a normal teenager!" Ezra ensured Kanan.
Everyone waited for him to demonstrate. Ezra stood awkwardly in the middle of the room.
"Um...exactly how would I do that?" Ezra asked.
"See! This character is so average and simple, it's hard!" Sabine said.
"Well, I'm sure I can adjust to being a regular teenager!" Ezra smiled.
"Right...," Sabine teased Ezra.
That's when Hera came up with an idea.
"How about this! Until we drop Ezra off at school, we all have to act like a family. Sabine, Zeb, you guys are Ezra's older sister and cousin. Chopper will be the pet and...," Hera said.
"Hera and I will be the father and mother," Kanan finished.
"Right!" Hera nodded.
The four specters looked at Hera and Kanan.
"Right...," they all awkwardly said.
Normal? That word wasn't exactly in their vocabulary.
****
"Ugh! I'm so happy to be here!" Ezra exclaimed, blinking, adjusting his contacts.
"Yea! That two weeks went by so slow!" Sabine agreed.
"How were we supposed to act 'normal'?" Zeb asked his "cousins".
Sabine and Ezra shook their heads and said "I don't know".
"Alright! Ezra, Sabine, you two come with Hera and I," Kanan said as he stepped out from his room.
"Woah...," Ezra gasped.
Kanan approached the other specters. He looked completely different. He was wearing a suit and pants. His hair was down and was combed back. He had coated it in some sort of hair product.
"So, what do you guys think?" Kanan asked.
"You look...different," Sabine replied. "Really...fancy."
"And note, 'different' does not necessarily mean 'good'," Zeb added.
Kanan sighed and rolled his eyes. Then Hera came out. She was obviously not happy with her new appearance. She wore a feminine hair piece and a white dress.
"What are we going to, a ball or registration?" Ezra asked.
"Ha ha," Kanan sarcastically said. "Anyway, did you pack your things?"
"Yup! All in here!" Ezra replied, gesturing towards his backpack.
"You have everything in there?" Sabine examined his bag.
"Well, I only have two outfits...including this one. And I put all of my loose, spare parts in a bag, so that minimized the amount of space it took up. Other than that, the only thing in there is a small key and my lightsaber," Ezra explained.
Kanan nodded and then walked quickly in and out of his room. When he was returning, he had a big, thick book in his hands. He handed it to Ezra, who looked at it.
"What's this for?" Ezra asked.
"It's a possession hider. If you use the force, you can open it and put things in and out of it," Kanan explained. "You should keep your lightsaber in here. Metal detectors won't find anything in it, so they'll let you keep it. Plus, it acts like a real book. It's pages are blank, though."
Ezra quickly opened it and put his lightsaber, key, and spare parts bag in the book. The book was thick and big, so he had room. After putting everything in his "book", he placed it in his backpack along with his classic orange outfit.
"Alright, let's go!" Hera said.
She walked into the cockpit and disguised the ship as she directed it into Coruscant's atmosphere. The school was an isolated, cylindrical building on the upper-most layer of the city. It was floating, almost. The very top of the building was a landing pad for ships. Ezra looked out the window and saw two long hallways on opposite sides stretching from the school to a part of the government. Chopper gained control of The Ghost and Ezra, Kanan, and Hera walked down to the ramp. Many boarders were there. There were probably about two-hundred of them. Ezra followed Kanan as he jumped with Hera. He waved goodbye to Sabine as The Ghost circled around the large school. Kanan, Hera, and Ezra made their way to a line and waited to be escorted to Ezra's room.
****
She stared out the window into the cityscape and sighed. He acknowledged her and put down his drink. He approached her and put his left hand on her shoulder.
"What's the matter?" He inquired.
"Dad's going to be gone again. And this time, if he gets recruited, he might not come back," she replied. "Those rebels are causing a lot of trouble."
"He'll be back in three days," he comforted her.
"I don't want anything to happen to him," she muttered.
"Nothing will happen...I promise," he said.
She took a seat on the couch and turned on the television, which only had imperial programs on it. He sat next to her and watched a few moments of the show. He smiled and looked over at her.
"Listen, mom and dad might not be here for your first day of tenth grade, but I'll be there to protect you," he looked at her.
"I know...just...give me some space," she moved over a bit. "I want to be alone."
This school year was going to be rocky. As her parents continued to get promoted in the Empire, she knew she would finally be alone. However, this year was the deciding year. It would tell you what you would be. She felt like something was going to interfere with her decision. She'd been spending a lot of time pondering about her future.
****
After moving into his room, Ezra began to say his goodbye's to Hera and Kanan. He made sure he had his book and looked around the room. He stepped to the entrance of his room and examined everything. He had a large desk on the left side, his bed in the middle of the back wall, and a window on his right. On the sides of his bed, he had drawers for his clothes. Two posters--both painted by Sabine--were hung above the drawers. Above his bed was a reading light. His room was small, but at least he had a window. The room had a white carpet installed and grey curtains.
"Well...it's decent," Hera looked around.
"It's actually pretty nice," Ezra said.
"Well, anyway, Ezra, we have to leave now," Kanan sighed.
"Um...okay," Ezra murmured.
"Don't worry, we'll be in touch," Hera winked as they were halfway out the door.
"Goodbye!" Ezra shouted.
Ezra could hear a faint goodbye from Kanan and Hera. He was hoping this mission wouldn't take long. Purely out of curiosity, Ezra decided to meet his five other room mates. One of them was in the kitchen, making a sandwich. He was a little taller than Ezra and had red hair. A bright right, almost unnatural.
"Hey...I'm Dash," he introduced himself.
"Oh, hey! I'm Xenon," the boy replied, offering his hand.
After shaking hands, Ezra and Xenon talked a bit and got to know each other.
"So, where are you from?" Xenon asked.
"Lothal. You?" Ezra answered.
"Tatooine," Xenon said.
A moment of silence passed.
"How old are you?" Ezra inquired.
"I'm fifteen," Xenon replied.
"Oh cool! Same here!" Ezra smiled.
Suddenly, a boy came rushing out of his room chasing after something. Ezra looked around and noticed the boy had dark skin and brown hair. The boy was younger than Ezra, and reminded him of Zare Leonis from the imperial academy.
"Hey!" Xenon shouted as he tried to catch the small creature.
Ezra unconsciously used the force to find the creature and caught it.
"Woah! How'd you do that?" The boy asked.
"Um...I don't know," Ezra shrugged, handing the creature back to the boy.
"What's your name?" The boy asked.
"I'm Dash. He's Xenon. What about you?" Ezra inquired.
"My name is Kazi Leonis," he replied.
"Oh...nice to meet you Kazi!" Xenon offered his hand.
The three boys retreated to the couches and began to talk.
"I can't believe school starts in two days!" Xenon said.
"I know...!" Kazi moaned.
"Yea," Ezra agreed.
Ezra began to wonder in his own thought. He forgot his first day of school. It's like a whole new life was about to begin. It's high school. "Sith year" according to the Empire. The year where students choose their paths. Anything could go wrong.
"Hey! Anyone in there?" Xenon waved his hand in front of Ezra.
"What?" Ezra asked.
"Dude, you just blanked out," Kazi said.
"Yea, I was...just thinking," Ezra nodded.
Yea...he was just thinking...
****
Specters,
I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter of "An Imperial Affliction". For all of my fans of "The Fault in Our Stars", you know what the title means. However, this book doesn't have to do with cancer at all. In fact, the title has a little play on words. It's literally an imperial affliction! Anyway, I hope you all vote, comment, review, and follow for more updates! Thanks so much for all the support!
Specter 7, out!