Imperial

"Ben! Ben, slow down! Ben!"

The tall grasses blurred past as he gunned the speeder faster. His sister gripped the door handle hard enough to turn her knuckles white.

"We haven't even hit the halfway mark!" he shouted above the wind, pointing at the speedometer. Her wildly horrified look made him laugh.

"Please, Ben!" she said, looking like she was about to cry. Ben sighed and slowed down, eventually coming to a stop. Ben laughed softly at the state of the young girl sitting beside him.

"How's right here?" he asked. She blinked, forgetting the tirade that had been threatening to burst from her mouth and settled for a hard punch on the arm while she looked out over the hills of the Castle Lands. She smiled.

"Here's great!" she said, standing on her seat for a better view. Ben leaned back and looked over the huge mounds and hills himself, only through the windscreen of the speeder.

"Well, grab the food," Ben urged after a moment. "I'm starved!"

"Didn't eat much in Belleau-a-Lir, huh?" she asked with a grin as she jumped into the backseat and picked up the ClimaCrate* from the floor. Ben shook his head.

"You know I barely make any money there, Andra," Ben answered, accepting the sandwich and the bottle of water she pulled from the container. "Festival Break is about the only time I can actually work."

She nodded, though she didn't really understand; she focused on opening the wrapping around her own sandwich as the commlink on Ben's belt buzzed insistently.

"Hello?" he asked.

"Ben."

"Hey, Uncle Den!" he answered, a small grimace on his face. He pulled the earpiece from the base of the device and placed it in his ear, affording some more privacy than before. "I wasn't expecting to hear from you until you arrived next week!"

Andra kept her eyes fixed on the huge mound in the distance as Ben and Uncle Den argued for a few minutes. When the conversation ended, the university student pulled out the earpiece and tossed the commlink into the backseat.

"What did he say?" she asked. Ben grinned, though his face looked pale.

"Aw, nothing," he said. "So what happened in primary?"

But one line kept repeating in his head, distracting him from his little sister's animated recollection of the day's events:

"You're out, Ben. No more money for school, no more falling back on your mother. Pack your bags, and find another place to stay."

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*ClimaCrate: a cooler

Note: this is a what-if story, asking the question: 'What if Ben had not been able to avoid going to the Imperial Academy?'

Imperial Navy, and Starfighter Corps Needs You

Mister Ben Merasska,

Your scores have been finalised in the Planetary Piloting Test and Simulation (Alderaan). Your scores place you in the top third of all participants. This is a great achievement, and you should be proud. We in the Imperial Navy and Starfighter Corps would like to extend an invitation to an Open House at the Imperial Recruitment Center in Aldera.

Contrary to popular belief, the pilots of the Navy and Starfighter Corps are not all TIE fighter pilots. The Imperial Military boasts the most advanced and powerful starships and fighters in the galaxy, and its pilots fly not only the versatile and fast TIE fighters, but a whole range of ships, from the heavily armoured and powerful Lambda-class shuttle, to the well known and feared Imperial-class Star Destroyer. You'll see the galaxy piloting one or any of these, visiting exotic locales and seeing wonders of space firsthand.

Coming to the Recruitment Centre is not considered an agreement to join; rumours of impressment and conscription are unfounded. The Imperial Military is composed of clones and an all-volunteer citizen force. And if you are not an Imperial Citizen and are human, service will grant you citizenship at the end your enlistment period.

If you do decide to go through Basic Military Training, you need not even join the Imperial Navy or Starfighter Corps. There are a whole host of opportunities for you, ranging from the Exploration Corps to the Diplomatic Corps, though these require further training and testing separate from military training.

We also know that many of our servicemen and women join to help their families with expenses and money. That is why all recruits receive an enlistment bonus of 15000 credits just for signing up. Anyone who joins through your referrals tacks on an additional 2000 credits for both of you, and this stacks for as many referrals as you make. Simply joining can guarantee both you and your family's solvency for years to come. Housing costs nothing - all housing costs and living expenses are handled by the Imperial Military, so virtually all of your pay goes into your pocket and account and stays there.

Attached to this message is a free document detailing the enlistment and training process, written by a former serviceman. If you wish, read it and familiarize yourself with the process.

We of the Imperial Navy and Starfighter Corps hope you will consider this invitation and come to the Open House; schedules and times are included at the bottom of this document.

Service. Fealty. Fidelity.

Honourably yours,

Major Wren A. Denarai
Chief Recruitment Officer
Alderaan Recruitment Office

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Surviving Imperial Navy Basic Training

It's certainly not your father's Navy anymore. Without peer, the Navy and Starfighter Corps' pilot training programmes are the most demanding in the galaxy. In recent years, they have emphasized survival training, toughened physical fitness standards, and have lengthened the basic training course from seven weeks to nine weeks. So, what can you expect in Navy and Starfighter Corps Basic Military Training (N/SCBMT?)

Read on, my friend, and find out...

------------------------------------

Ben Merasska,

We would like to thank you for submitting to the Planetary Piloting Test and Simulation. Thousands apply each month, and only hundreds meet the cutoff entrance score needed (80) for acceptance.

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into the Royal Alderaani Academy Piloting Program. Through this program, you will learn about the starships used by the Royal Guard, and the Alderaani Relief Fleet, which serves as a disaster relief force and frequently delivers aid and serves those in need throughout the galaxy.

The cutoff score needed for full public tuition assistance and bursaries is 90 and your score (88.5), is too low for full assistance and bursaries. Your score does qualify you for partial assistance and bursaries (up to a third of both tuition and housing costs). However, there are plenty of resources at your disposal to help offset the cost of study and housing in addition to the partial public assistance and bursaries.

We will hold a spot open in the registration records for you. Enrollment begins 8-25, and all tuition is due within the first week of classes and training. Alternatively, you may work out a payment plan with the Academy; one must be approved by the end of the first month.

We hope to see you,

Corrio Forgiana
Dean of Students and Student Affairs
Royal Academy of Alderaan

Alderaan

-2.125 BBY

"...Are you certain?"

Ben nodded, still looking at the table and not at his family.

"I can't afford to live in Aldera. Even with every last grant and loan I can apply for. My grades outside the simulations just weren't good enough. So I'll join the Imperial Academy, serve my time, and —"

Den snorted in derision.

"What, Den?" Ben asked, lifting his head.

"Giving up like that," the older man said. "'I can't do this, it's too hard.'"

"How do you expect me to afford housing in Aldera? My scores were too low for a stipend to cover it. Sorry, yes, I'm a disappointment, but that's just the way it goes."

"Joining the Empire," Den cut in, his eyes dark coals glinting in the kitchen's lighting. "There's always a way, like perhaps finding a job —"

"—I'd be spending seventy hours studying and in class every two weeks, Den, at least. Where am I going to find the time to work? Especially enough to afford even the low income housing near enough to the Academy to —"

"—public transportation—"

"—near enough to the Academy or are you going deaf too—"

"—family—"

"Are you saying I should sponge off my family, Uncle Den?" Ben asked, breathing heavily. The older man glowered at him.

"This is completely different."

"No, it's not. The only difference is who I'm sponging off of, and that I'm doing something you approve of, that you can say to your oh so important academic colleagues: 'Oh, my nephew's in the Royal Academy for piloting, he's going to courier Princess Leia to her Senate meetings when she's finally elected.'"

"Guys!" Andra shouted. "Stop arguing!"

Ben and Den glanced at the youngest member of the family present, and as if suddenly remembering, turned to look at his mother, who was watching them with tears spilling down her face.

"I've already sent in my acceptance message," Ben said finally. "I'm leaving in a month. Basic training should take a couple months, piloting a couple more. I'll get some leave before my enlistment starts."

"Don't come back, boy," Den snarled, his fists clenched on the tabletop.

"Den," Ben's mother said quietly. Her brother stopped and glanced at her, and then stood and marched out of the room. She looked at Ben for a long moment. "Is this what you want, Ben?"

"Honestly? No." Ben answered without hesitation. "But I don't have much of a choice."

"You always have a choice, Ben," his mother said, standing up and sitting next to him. She hugged him tight.

"As much as we don't get along, Den was right, mom," Ben sighed. "Things couldn't stay the way they were going. And this is the only way I can see of getting out of here and not dragging you down."

"I love you, Ben," his mother sighed tearfully. "And I want you to know this one thing if nothing else. No matter what, even if you fail miserably," she and Ben laughed, "I will never — never — consider you a disappointment. You are always welcome in my house. Even if I do vehemently disagree with a decision you're making."

Ben shifted as Andra sat next to him on the other side and hugged him too.

"I appreciate it," he said.

"Do me a favor though," she said, sniffling. "Don't fly a TIE."

"I'll do my best," he replied, laughing softly.

-2.007 BBY


He'd needed to change before getting on the transport to his hometown.

It had been the stares and distance he'd been given by everyone since he'd arrived on Alderaan that had pushed him into the transport terminal's restroom, in the cramped stall, shoving his duffel into the corner while searching for something that didn't brand him as Imperial. No one had spit on him; no one had denied him a service or treated him badly. But they'd avoided him.

Finally, he'd simply taken off the jacket and settled on the white undertunic and black trousers. Not much better, given that the stylistic cut of the trousers and tunic were still blatantly Imperial, but now he had the personal satisfaction of at least attempting to hide the shame of his choice to join the Empire.

"It's still pretty obvious," Kiera said, giving him a grin. Ben rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah," he answered, taking her hand and looking over the departure times. She squeezed his hand comfortingly.

"Good thing, too, cause if we were on Corellia or Coruscant, I'd be batting the girls off with the butt of my pistol. Should I buy a stick or a bat or something while we're here? We still have to go to Corellia after this too."

Ben laughed and hugged Sontebren to his side. The science officer-in-training wiggled slightly, kissing his jaw line and glancing up at the holographic displays.

"Transport 14, Gate J12," he said, shifting his bag around his shoulder. Kiera mumbled the designations to herself and followed her boyfriend through the terminal to their section.

"Oh, I could use some caf," she sighed. Ben glanced at her and followed her line of sight to a small cafe a short distance away.

"We've got time," he said. "I'll wait here. Get me something too. You know what I like."

She smiled and trotted off, while Ben sat on a bench, looking around and reacquainting himself with his home planet.

"It's so nice here," Kiera said when she came back. "I'd never expected an open air terminal just... built into the city like this."

"It's nice, yeah, unless it's raining or snowing," Ben laughed and accepted the small cup of caf she'd bought for him. "Then we find out how many climate controllers in the outdoor areas actually work."

"Oof," Kiera grimaced. "I take it back. Give me a nice heated and dry eyesore of a building any day."

"It's great for days like today. And when the weather isn't cooperating, we'll get a foldout roof so unless the wind's really being troublesome we'll be mostly dry."

"Mm. Mostly dry. Sounds great."

They talked more while they waited. Mostly he fielded questions the Corellian had about Alderaan and his family that she'd either forgotten to ask before or had already asked and forgotten the answers. The transport arrived on time, and he dozed in the aisle seat while she took the window and watched the scenery as they travelled half the planet to his mother's home. It was dark when she shook him awake.

"Ben. Ben, honey. We're here."

They rented a speeder at the terminal and arrived at the house in the wee hours of the morning.

"Is that it?" she asked, eyes wide. Ben smirked, still amused at Kiera's astonishment at all the open space. She was a city girl, and he from a family of nerf-herders. Not so far out there that they'd considered themselves completely country, and not so territorial given that the pastures were communal; besides, it was mostly his father's kin that did the herding. But the difference was there. "Wow."

The Merasska's home was on the outskirts of a small city on the other side of the planet from Aldera. Still mountainous, still scenic; not too far away from Belleau-a-Lir, which was one of the major population centres of the planet. They and other families boasted mainly pilots, explorers, and ranchers in their lineages. A few could trace their origins to the time of the Sith Empire and the great war the Republic had fought against it, but those were few and far between.

A few lights were on in the house; which spilled over the porch and onto the packed dirt of the parkway. Ben and Kiera grabbed their bags and walked up to the door.

He put his finger to his lips.

"Lessee if the key's still in the same spot," he murmured. He moved a mat and pulled a small metal key from its hiding spot, and opened the door. There was no entryway to speak of; the front door opened to the living room and the stairs to the upper floor in a relatively open floor-plan. His mother was sleeping on a sofa, a mug of cooled caf on the sitting-table beside her. Ben stepped over to her and gently prodded her shoulder. She blinked sleep from her eyes and smiled.

"Bennie," she murmured. She sat up and yawned.

"Hey, mom," he whispered, smiling a little at the wide-eyed look she gave Kiera. "Just got in. That's Kiera. Introductions can wait for the morning, I don't want to keep you up. Just point us to the room and we'll talk in the morning, yeah?"

"Sure thing, baby," his mother said tiredly. She led them upstairs. "Everyone's here. Solvan, Jem, Errol, Andra. Even Den stopped by."

Ben grimaced. "We'll talk in the morning. Get some sleep."

She hugged him and Kiera, whispering 'It's so nice to see you!' in a slightly embarrassing way to her, before slipping off and letting them fall into the bed, still wearing their clothes, and falling asleep almost immediately.

-2.006 BBY

He woke up early, conditioned as he was by BT. Light was spilling into room from the window, but it was a frail luminescence rather than a bright strength. Kiera sighed next to him and curled up closer, resting her head on his diaphragm. He could feel that weight every time he took a breath. For a moment, he debated just laying there and enjoying the feeling of having nothing to do, but he could hear the sounds of people downstairs and curiosity pushed him out of the bed (Kiera barely noticed, as heavy a sleeper as she was) and down the stairs.

He entered the kitchen and saw Jem sitting at the table, wiry as ever and his hair brushing his shoulders. His son was in his lap eating from a pile of berries on a plate. Jem looked up and stopped for a moment, taking in Ben's rumpled Imperial clothing, before smiling and looking him in the face.

"Well, morning," Jem said, setting the boy down and walking over to give him a hug. Something eased a bit in Ben at the gesture. "What time'd you get in?"

"'Bout three-ish," Ben answered.

"Early. No delays, then? Tenny, say hi to your uncle," Jem ordered. "Got some caf made."

"Hi," the boy didn't even look up and kept eating.

"Morning, Tenny. You got huge. You the only one up?" Ben asked, walking over to the caf-maker, an old artisinal straining affair they'd bought for their mother some years back. He made two mugs and took one to the table.

"So far, yeah," Jem answered, sitting down and plunking his kid into his lap again while Ben slid onto the bench opposite them. He glanced curiously at the other mug, but shrugged. "Sollie might be up, but it's hard to tell. He lives in the loft of the barn. It's a pretty nice set up."

"Morning," Kiera grunted, trudging into the room.

"Caf's on the counter," Ben said, to which Kiera only responded by heading straight for the mug and taking a deep drink of it. Jem looked at Kiera and then at Ben with raised eyebrows and a small curling grin of appreciation. Ben accepted the praised with a shrug and a satisfied smile of his own. "Jem, this is Kiera. Kiera, my brother Jem."

"Nice to finally meet you," Kiera said, shaking his hand.

"Only good things I hope," Jem replied, to which Ben shook his head.

"Nope. You're a scandalous villain with no redeeming virtues."

Jem nodded. "Nice."

"Jem! Jem, have you seen Ben or his girlfriend? He brought a girlfriend!" his mother's voice echoed from upstairs.

"Down here, ma!" Ben called, while Jem sniggered and Kiera hid her smile in another swig from her caf.

"You have a girlfriend?" Tenny scoffed, finally paying attention. Ben frowned.

"Hey now. Do you?"

"Uh, duh." Tenny held up three fingers and pushed one down with his other hand. "Two."

"Ladies' man, hm?" Kiera asked, causing the boy to look at her. He smiled and nodded. Ben's mother swooped into the kitchen in a long loose nightgown and her dark brown hair flecked with grey tied up in a bun.

"Who wants eggs and bacon?" she asked. Tenny raised his hands in the air.

"I do! Bacon! Bacon!"

"I'm starving, thanks mom," Ben answered. Kiera nodded.

"Yes, please. Didn't eat much yesterday."

"Hey hey hey, when's breakfast? I'll cook," a skinny teen entered the kitchen, visibly stopping on seeing Ben and Kiera. "Oh, hey! When'd you get here? Last night? Nice, nice."

"Lots of noise this morning," a new voice hummed tiredly.

"Mornin' Andy!" a whole chorus of Merasskas said at once. Andra blinked at them tiredly and shook her head.

"Too early for this — Ben!"

The girl bolted through the group and sat herself down on Ben's lap, hugging him tightly.

"Hey now," Ben laughed, hugging his sister back. "I've only been gone four months."

"But they didn't turn you into a monster," Andra replied. She leaned back, staring at him suspiciously. "Did they?"

"Caught me," Ben answered. "Rawr."

She smiled. "Thought not."

"You're here until after the year's end celebration, right?" His mother asked from where she and Solly stood by the oven and stove.

"Yep," Ben answered.

"How do you guys celebrate year's end?" Kiera asked.

"Fireworks, mainly. We have a big festival out in the pastures, with drinks and games and dancing. When the clocks hit zero, we shoot off a bunch of fireworks and everyone of age gets drunk. Well, not everyone. Just mostly everyone," Ben explained.

"Good to know," Kiera laughed.

“Hello, hello! Aunt Idril? There’s a speeder outside. Is Ben here?”

"In here, Ren!" His mother called, and a tall young man made his way into the kitchen. He had short dark hair and equally dark eyes, which were set on a clean shaven face with sharp lines.

"Ben!" Ren exclaimed. "Been too long, cousin! And who's this?"

Ben stood and hugged him.

"Kiera, this is my cousin, Ren Hadrana. Ren, Kiera Sontebren."

Kiera and Ren shook hands, but Ben's attention was stolen by his mother's own quiet greeting:

"Den, you came!"

Ben grimaced, but couldn't turn around quickly enough as Ren moved to the side to reveal a shorter, older man; he was obviously Ren's father, though his dark hair and trimmed beard were flecked with greying strands.

"Of course I did," Denton Hadrana said, his mouth quirked in something approximating a smile, which faded as he looked at Ben. "I don't see you often enough."

There was a small pause, which Ben broke first.

"Uncle Den."

"Boy," Denton answered, his expression sternly blank. "At least you're not wearing the uniform."

"I've got enough of a handicap without it to go about wearing an Imperial uniform around here," Ben answered. Denton made a noise that could have been a laugh or simply an agreement. "Oh, uncle Den, this is Kiera Sontebren. Kiera, my uncle Den."

"Denton Hadrana? The Denton Hadrana who wrote the books about the Alderaanian and Corellian explorers of the Rim? An honor to meet you. Good reads."

"An archaeologist?" Denton asked bemusedly.

"Oh no," Kiera smiled. "I am going into SciCorps, but I'll be doing stints on Destroyers and frigates before I get an option to crew a science vessel. Just a Corellian girl who'll take any excuse to brag about the exploits of her people. Proud, us Corellians."

"Indeed," Denton quirked a smile and bowed slightly.

"Ben, what're your plans? How long are you staying? We should do something while you're here if we can," Ren cut in, and Ben turned to his cousin while Denton turned to his sister.

"Staying for the celebration and then heading off to Corellia to see her folks and then I'm getting assigned."

"Oh? What'd you get into?"

"145th Transport Group. Based around Kuat, but I'll be doing long hauls too."

Ren smiled. "At least you're not..."

Ben grinned and nodded. "Don't know what I'd do if I were."

"You could join the Rebellion," Ren said. Ben's smile disappeared.

"Don't talk about that too loud. Dangerous stuff," Kiera said quietly.

"Here?" Ren blinked and looked astonished at the thought that the Merasska house wasn't safe.

"Anywhere. Can't be too careful, even if it's safe here," Ben warned, just as quietly as Kiera had before. Ren nodded, his expression sober and serious. "Let's just say that I've talked to some people who know some things and it's an option."

"When're you heading out?" Ren asked, changing the subject.

"I've got a week here, a week on Corellia to meet her folks, and then it's off to Kuat to get my orders and assigned.”

“Got a full schedule here?”

Ben laughed.

“Come Idril, let’s get you off that leg. It hasn’t finished healing yet.” Den’s voice mixed in with the chattering of the rest of the family, but Ben glanced over at his mother for a moment before continuing the conversation.

“About as full as it ever was before I left,” he answered.

“Well, you should come over. Aredde was asking about you.” Ren smiled at the look on Ben’s face. “She understands, Ben. Dad’s the only one who’s taken you going off so hard.”

“So you’re Ben’s girlfriend?” Andra’s voice rose over the din of the crowd, prompting Ben to look over.

“Yeah, I am,” Kiera answered. Andra grimaced.

“Ew. Why?”

Kiera’s brows rose and she glanced over to Ben, who was doubled over in laughter.

“Because I like him. He makes me laugh.”

The younger girl looked at her dubiously for a moment before a smile slowly broke through.

“Nice.”

“Breakfast!”

There wasn’t enough space at the table for everyone; Ben ended up eating and talking while standing and Kiera talked with his mother and Denton and Andra.

“You done eating, Ben? Come on outside for a bit, yeah?”

Ben followed Ren and his brothers to the front porch.

“So how’re things here?”

“’Bout the same. We got some new fencing up. Dad was surprised you went to the Imperial Academy.”

“Where’s the old man?” Ben asked, accepting a proffered cigarra.

“Hydian way. Finishing up a long haul, but won’t be back until after the festival. Man, was he livid when he found out you were coming back and he wouldn’t be here for it.”

“I bet.”

“He’s not happy that you’re sending money back, but now we can afford all the upgrades and repairs we’ve been putting off. Got the speeders all back up and running, and put up some new insulation in the barn. Andra’s pretty happy she’s got some new datapads instead of our old loaners.”

“Glad to hear it. The money’s not doing much in my accounts.”

“Another year or two and we probably won’t need it. Solly’s got work lined up, and so do I,” Jem exhaled and leaned back. “Errol’s going to vocational, and Andra’s got herself a work study thing going on in the clinic. Mom’s getting better and should be able to go back to the school in a couple months. She broke her leg pretty badly.”

“I heard. She told me it wasn’t that bad though.”

“The speeder clipped her and almost took it off,” Jem said shortly. “She didn’t wake up for almost a week. If it weren’t for you, we would’ve needed to wait for a specialist. We had one waiting for us by the time we got there. Imperial efficiency, I guess.”