"Look, I made a sandman," I told Tom. "A real snowman is made of snow," Tom says. "I didn't know it snowed here." I joke.
"How come we are stuck in this desert?" Tom asks. "Because we're orphans. But maybe someday I can get us out of here and travel the galaxy." I say. At nightfall, I stare into the starry night sky. I look over to Tom who is sleeping soundly.
I stare into the stars again, the only things that are keeping me company. In the morning we'll be back to trying to survive.
✦✦✦
It has been many days since I had awakened in this cell where I am being kept. My right arm was bandaged by a medical droid yesterday.
The droid was the only company I have had for what seems like an eternity in this cell. A tray of gray slop is brought to me once a day, but I refuse to eat it.
I wait for stormtroopers to march down the hallway before I attempt to climb into a vault to escape the cell. The door then abruptly opens, revealing Commander Dodonna and two stormtroopers patrolling him.
"Get the prisoner out of this cell and show her to the command station. Darth Vader gave me strict orders." Commander Dodonna tightens his hands behind his back.
How could a commander who executed his own trooper walk away free? Well, under the Empire, anything their own do is permitted, as long as lips are kept sealed about it.
I walk in silence as I am taken to the headquarters room of the Imperial spaceship I am boarding, where Darth Vader and other commanders test a Death Star.
"This Death Star might be smaller than a dwarf star, but it has twice the power of our other Death Stars." An admiral proudly boasts. "Let's test your claim, Admiral." Darth Vader tells him.
"Of course." The admiral replies, signaling for the control room to activate the Death Star. "Which planet shall we demonstrate the Death Star's power on?"
"That planet over there, Ralltiir." Darth Vader says, pointing to Ralltiir. Ralltiir, a few miles away, is a cloudy blue planet. "But my lord, Ralltiir is under Imperial forces. Our forces." Commander Dodonna interjects. "Ralltiir is of no more use to us, Commander." Darth Vader responds.
I watch with aghast eyes as the Death Star destroys Ralltiir, its beams obliterating Ralltiir's core. The command station then erupts into applause as pieces of Ralltiir float outside. Millions of lives were obliterated in a second, with this power that the Empire possesses.
"We've been expecting you," Darth Vader says as I'm taken into the command station. The other commanders turn their attention to me. "I didn't know that I had an audience awaiting me," I say. Commander Dodonna scoffs in his seat.
"You have been selected to serve the Galactic Empire. You will be of great use to the Empire yet." Vader says. "Selected? But I do not have a link to the Force," I object.
"I sensed the dark side of the Force once I landed on Korriban, and the Force led me to you and your brother," I tense at the mention of Tom.
Vader goes on, "You will become a powerful Sith." Vader says. Powerful. If the Sith are as powerful as he says, then becoming one would grant me endless abilities.
"If I become a Sith, will I become as powerful as you say?"
"Yes."
"And then I will possess the power to destroy any enemy?"
"Yes."
"Then I'll consider your offer," I say.
The room is silent upon my words, only the commander's mechanical breathing is heard. Darth Vader then walks across the room to the door, the black cape on his attire flowing behind him ominously. Stormtroopers accompany him.
"I have heard of a legendary blade that Force-wielders have. Will I also be equipped with one?" I ask. Nothing.
Darth Vader had left for more pressing matters. I leave the command station heavily guarded by stormtroopers. That legendary weapon must be somewhere on this ship, I'm certain of it. As I lag behind caught in thought, the stormtroopers accompanying me push me forward.
"Move it, kid," one stormtrooper says. "I can't believe the Commander is going to waste his time training some kid off a desert rock, while I've been a trooper for almost five years now. Why doesn't Darth Vader train me instead?" One of the stormtroopers says. "An Imperial personnel could overhear you," Another stormtrooper warns.
"It is still not determined as to whether or not I possess any Force abilities. Vader only wants to test if I do," I say.
"Neither do I and yet, the Commander is going to personally train you," The stormtrooper shoves me. "Hey! That's enough," One grabs his shoulder to deter him.
"Face it, the Empire doesn't care about us, we are below the admirals and commanders. At least we serve the Empire, this kid just got here and is getting all of this special treatment!" The stormtrooper says.
"I didn't want to be taken by the Empire from Korriban, either," I offer. As the troopers shove me forward, I pass by a dark chamber pod when I suddenly hear voices all around me, and a strange pull comes over me. This new strange whisper tells me to enter the chamber pod.
The troopers around me suddenly drop to the ground, having fainted. The whispers grow louder, now commanding me to enter into the dark chamber pod. Inside the chamber, there is no light source, only a mysterious weapon that floats in the middle of the room.
I have heard tales of the Jedi, that they are masters of the Force. But I sense that this pull is different. The whispers become more fierce as I walk towards this mysterious weapon. As I grab it from the air, the whispers vanish. The only thing they tell me is the name of this weapon–a saber.
A red beam then suddenly swishes on. On Korriban, there had been rumors in the market about those who sought one of these weapons. As I hold the saber up close, I can feel the intense red light emitting off its beam. The whispers reemerge, commanding me to assassinate Dodonna. Hypnotized by its glow, I follow its guide to Dodonna's chamber.
Dodonna's chamber door slides open as I walk in. Upon seeing the saber in my hand, Dodonna has a ghastly look on his face.
"Don't! I did not intend to shoot that blaster at the boy, it was a mistake, really!" Dodonna cowers. The saber commands me to strike, and so I swing it at the commander.
As I'm about to impale him with the saber, Darth Vader, accompanied by Stormtroopers, enters the chamber. Darth Vader uses the Force to stop my movements. The Force keeps me from moving, and I stand idly as the Stormtroopers aim their blasters at me.
"Lord Vader, you saved me!" Commander Dodonna straightens up. "What about the prisoner?" A Stormtrooper asks. "She tried to assassinate me! She is a traitor to the Empire, and therefore should be executed." Dodonna tells Darth Vader. Vader releases me upon seeing the saber. "Where did you get this?"
"I do not know," I reply. "There are no lightsabers on this ship," Vader says. "Forgive me, my lord, but I do not think that a traitor should be allowed in our ranks," Dodonna says, having regained his composure.
"The dark side of the Force led the prisoner to this lightsaber, it would be a hindrance to executing her as a traitor," Vader says. "Take the prisoner to her chamber. Your Sith training will begin shortly," Vader instructs the stormtroopers. I'm taken back to my cell, heavily patrolled by Stormtroopers. Now I think of a way to escape the Imperial ship.