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Endora Strax - How I Became an Imperial Down the dimly lit halls of the YV-666 “Starstruck Dreamer”, the click of boot heals echoed softly off the walls. The young man walked with nervousness in his step and small beads of sweat gathered on his brow. He brushed a hand through his wavy blonde hair and took a deep breath, pausing at the blast door before him. This was supposed to be a special treat to the journalism community but coming on board the ship of a Sith meant that there was a bit of uncertainty left to linger in the air. He slowly extended his hand out to press the comm but the door hissed open before his finger could press to announce his arrival. A figure stood with her back to the door surprisingly dressed in the uniform of the Navy. Her hair was tied neatly in a bun with ornate needles holding it in place. The room was not dark and eerie as he expected but well lit so that the extravagance of the room could easily be gazed upon. He was expecting a robed figure before him, not this elegant naval officer. “Come, sit. I hope you fancy Hapan wine. Its all I have at the moment. “ she turned to face the journalist as he sat on a deep red couch set in the middle of what he only imagined as a lounge set up for social gatherings. He opened his mouth to speak but she put a finger up to her lips. “shh. No need to speak. I know why you are here and lets face it. Your job is to write not to soften me up with idle chatter.” “We are here to find out why I became an Imperial.” She smiled and turned back to face the viewport. Her eyes searched through the countless stars of space as if they held the answer to her past. “Most of these stories start with how parents are brutally massacred by Rebel terrorist I’m sure. My story is not one of those. Neither one of my parents were killed, at least that I am aware of. I was born in Coronet, my mother was a beautiful housewife and my father was a brilliant engineer in the service to his majesty the Emperor.” She paused a moment and took a small sip of wine from her glass. “I think I may have been six when we moved to Tatooine. The details behind my father’s sudden departure are shrouded in mystery but time has taught me that if someone leaves the Empire, it is because they fear for their life. He more than likely did something to betray their trust. I remember my mother screamed at him a lot after that. “Endora continued on with little emotion in her voice except with the subtle hints of cynicism. “So we found ourselves on Tatooine with its endless dunes of sand and glaring twin suns. If ever you wish to improve your tan I highly recommend it. Oh and no one can forget the villainy and scum that run rampant through what they call cities. It was a big change from what I remembered in Coronet. There were no random patrols of storm troopers to ensure safety in cantinas. No what Tatooine has is swoop gangs and Hutts. Those swoop gangs made out like bandits when my father started to work for them. If any good came out of that it is that I learned how to fix my own speeders. I think that lasted a few years. I was a teenager and needed my own money at the time so I spent time at the starport in Bestine loading freighters or cleaning ships. It takes a lot of credits to convince a smuggler that the only reason you are running away from home is because you think Corellia is cleaner. “The silent journalist chuckled a little under his breath. (more...)