The next morning, Aaron once again found himself in an office. But it wasn't his own—this time, he stood before Vice-Admiral Cor Killian, Commanding Officer of the Commenor garrison.
The Vice-Admiral's room was fairly standard, yet it featured trophies, photos, and objects from a specific assignment within the Imperial Navy—specifically, the fighter corps.
The office walls were riddled with photos from Cor Killian's time in the Starfighter Corps, and his old armor was even mounted on the wall.
To think he rose from the rank of Starfighter Pilot to Vice-Admiral—an unprecedented jump, Aaron pondered as he surveyed the room. Starfighter Pilot is usually the worst starting point for an ambitious man. You can rise through the ranks early on, but once you hit Captain, your ascent quickly stalls.
Among the trophies were plaques like "Graduated Top of His Class,""Medal of Valor," and "Medal of Piloting."
"The trophies and pictures have caught your interest?" Cor asked, pulling Aaron from his thoughts.
"With all due respect, sir, it's quite a unique starting point for a Vice-Admiral—and exceedingly rare," Aaron replied carefully, meeting the General's eyes. Cor chuckled softly.
"Indeed it is. But it all came down to luck and a singular feat," Cor said, piquing Aaron's curiosity further.
"A singular feat?" Aaron asked.
"Aye. Fifteen years ago, my squad and I were tasked with patrolling ex-Separatist space. We stumbled upon a yacht under attack by pirates using Separatist technology. We fought them off, killed nine pirates before they escaped—and later found out a Senator was aboard," Cor explained, and Aaron's eyes widened in recognition.
"That moment lifted the block most Fighter Pilots face. I advanced from Captain directly. Becoming a Pilot was a blessing, not a curse for me. It let me rise straight to Commodore without ever commanding a ship—and that's how I came to lead a squadron at 37," Cor continued.
"Quite the story, Admiral. A true underdog tale—how the lowliest became the highest through one bold act. Your life sounds like a childhood legend," Aaron said with a chuckle, which the Vice-Admiral returned.
"Anyhow, back to last night's situation. I admire your courage, but you've made a powerful enemy. Arrogant and revengeful, with connections high up. I did you a favor—I released him, his son, and your Captain," Cor said, handing Aaron a letter declaring no party at fault and ending the conflict with a stern warning.
"Thank you, sir. I appreciate it," Aaron responded promptly.
"It was the least I could do. You remind me of a younger version of myself. I've seen your training regimen—I've never seen such fire in another officer. I'd be damned if I let some talentless Commodore hold you back," Cor said, handing Aaron another letter.
"Commodore Devron is being transferred to his home planet. His grandfather is a legend in the Empire, and he took my warning seriously. Also, you'll now be directly under my command," he added, prompting conflicted feelings in Aaron.
Damn it. If I serve under him, I'll be stuck on Commenor for another four years. I can't have that, Aaron thought, bracing for the argument.
"I—" he began, but Cor cut him off.
"I know what you're about to say. I just said I want to see you succeed—why would I hold you here? No, we'll be reinforcing the front lines. We're being reorganized into a rebel-hunting task force," Cor said, earning a smile from Aaron.
"Thank you, Vice-Admiral. I greatly appreciate your help, and I won't forget it," Aaron said, bowing respectfully.
"Ha! You better not. I'm hoping to gain some prestige by training a future Admiral—you owe me one, kid," Cor replied with a grin, which Aaron returned.
"Anyhow, you're dismissed. We leave Commenor in two weeks, heading down the Perlemian Route. The rebels are most active there," Cor said. Aaron nodded, saluted, and left the room.
I seem to have hit the jackpot. To meet such a man at the very start of my career—it shows how massive the Galactic Empire truly is. Evil though it may be, good souls exist here. Not everyone's just here to cause problems or feed their ego, Aaron thought as he walked back toward his barracks.
Captain Catcher should be back by now. We've been on Commenor for a week, and he'll be glad to hear we're staying two more weeks. According to Military Police, he's been grumbling about some Stormtroopers not learning how to shut their mouths, Aaron thought, chuckling quietly.
Surely he wouldn't run the Stormtroopers who backed him into the ground? Or to be honest, I wouldn't be surprised, Aaron mused—and he was right.
For the next two weeks, Captain Catcher intensified training, especially targeting Young Lux—the one who hadn't let the insult to his Captain slide and ended up with Catcher in jail.
But by focusing on Lux, the young man grew to be the best among his branch. Perhaps Lux came out on top after all. He earned "personal training" for two weeks and gained the respect of both peers and superiors.
—————
In my country we've got like an extended weekend, which meant I'd usually be spewing out chapters after chapters, but due to a certain mishaps I forgot my laptop.
Which means, I will try my best to continue the schedule with 1 every day. BUT I cannot promise anything, and if I miss a day or two. I will make up for it when I get back on Monday.
So just don't be too surprised if I forget one day, but I most likely won't. Just a warning.
On another note, thank you so much for the support. Only 5 chapters in and I've already gotten multiple patreons and support.
Any comments, whether positive or criticism is more than acceptable. If you like hate this story, I'd prefer if you didn't say anything. But if you've got suggestions to what I can do, then shoot ahead.
Especially if you've for any characters you want introduced, or any way Aaron could like change certain lore battles.
Like Hoth or Endor.
patreon.com/pondsfyre