THIS IS THE WAY (A Mandalorian / Star Wars Fanfiction Story)

CHAPTER TWENTY: PROJECT RESSURECTION

I see myself moving forward in a row.

On my left and my right, more children are moving on. Some my age. Some older and some younger. As we reach the end of the hall, a man dressed in black stares at us sternly over a podium. «Welcome candidates to the Imperial Academy!!! I am certain that many of you were sent here by your parents with the hope that we will fix you. Even though I'm sure some of you do wish to join the ranks of the proud let me make it clear to you that most of you will soon be out of here. Our job in this Academy is not to shape the sloppy, insubordinate descendants of your parents into something that looks like a proper galactic citizen. What the Empire wants is to make its heroes. Not a show about insufferable freaks. Those of you who stay will stay on your merit. Those who don't deserve you will leave on your own or you will be removed unsolicited. Now you will pass one by one in turn to receive your serial number. From now on, your names will not be used. You'll be cadets of the Empire. From now on, the Academy will be your home and the Empire will be your family.»

Soon my turn has come and as they nod to me to come into the office I feel my legs trembling. As I walk in, I hear the door closing behind me. An Imperial looks at me thoroughly. «Your hand.» he says hastily.

I give my trembling hand to the Imperial and he pinches it with a machine.

«My name is...» I say in a trembling voice.

«We have all the information about you, cadet. You don't have to present yourself.» he interrupts me. «Sit down.» adds hastily showing me the chair in front of me.

After I sit a nurse comes in. «Roll up your sleeve.»

I find myself up rolling up my sleeve, and then I see the nurse sticking a huge needle in my forearm. I'm drowning out the scream that threatens to come out.

«As for your name, young man, from now on, you'll go by the name AD219!!!»

My new name echoes in my head, but the more I hear my new name, the more I hear the old man's voice whispering from the depths.

Obi.

Obi.

Obi!!!

***

I woke up abruptly in the middle of the night.

AD had woken up again from another nightmare. I guess the same one. He hasn't stopped having nightmares. I'm standing outside his cabin. This time I'm not going in. I feel uncomfortable asking him what he saw. He used to tell me on his own.

I go into the cockpit and sit in my seat gazing at the scenery.

We had stopped on a planet to refuel, but also to read the files on the device that Crone had given us.

The planet was dry land with minimal fauna. I don't know how anyone would stay here. And yet we met a lot of residents.

I'm opening Crown's device and I start searching the files. So far we've read over fifty files, but we haven't made any sense at all. Most of them were about imperial infrastructure. Missions to various planets. Whatever names were included were mostly of Imperial officers.

«'Morning.» AD says and I turn around to look at him. «Looking at the files?»

I nod positively without saying anything.

AD sits next to me silently. «I woke you up, didn't I?»

«Woke me up? No.» I lie.

«I know when you're lying.» he responds.