Chapter Text
The ocean planet, Polaris, was known for many wonders. The tropical environments, the sunny atmosphere, and most of all its clear and crystalline waters. Some would say that the waters were so clear that it looked akin to glass. Others would sing legends about swimming deep enough in the oceans of Polaris and finding budding kyber crystals in the ocean’s floor. Many thought that rumor was fake; It just so happened that the Galactic Empire took the legend as gospel. For the first time ever, In the fifteenth year after the battle of Yavin (ABY), Polaris’s once pristine waters were reduced to sludge and ash. A Galactic Empire naval starship had shown up unforeseen and invaded Polaris. Fleet Admiral Gallius Rax had caught wind of the legends surrounding the ocean planet. Kyber Crystals were always a hot commodity on the light and dark side of the Force. Those little crystals could power hundreds upon thousands of weapons and lightsabers. Without a single warning, Gallius Rax opened the flood gates and sent extractors to retrieve the legendary kyber crystals. To his delight, the legends were reality. Deep in the waters of Polaris, where the light no longer reflected, miles and miles of kyber crystals were buried deep in the ocean floor. Gallius Rax was right.
“Admiral, I have an update on the kyber crystal extraction operation.” a lieutenant spoke, hoping to capture Gallius’s attention.
Gallius did not pay his attention immediately. His dark brown eyes were fixated on the expansive window in front of him. Chaos erupted below the naval starship. The slightest sliver of a smile snuck onto his face. Watching his extractors forcefully push defending natives out of the way brought him some kind of sadistic delight.
“What is it, Lieutenant Ander? I’m clearly trying to enjoy the… entertainment.” Gallius spoke, his tone akin to poisoned nectar.
“Some natives have drawn weapons at the remaining extractors leaving the hangar. These armed natives seem to be the planet’s warriors or defenders.”
For once, Gallius looked a little surprised.
“You must be joking, Lieutenant. There's no way this mid-sized ocean planet has any special forces. I know that there are tribes inhabiting this planet, but warriors? Please.”
A single heartbeat passed.
“Liuetenant Ander, I have a new order for the stormtroopers. Tell them to neutralize the situation with the natives. Anyone interfering with extraction will be targeted and killed. Actually,” he paused, “We need new troopers. Commandant Brendol Hux is always blabbering about needing more firepower. Tell the stormtroopers to neutralize the situation with the natives and capture any children between the age five and ten. Dismissed.”
Lieutenant Ander’s fingers tightened regrettably on the edges of his datapad. “Yes sir.”
Within moments, the maw of the starship opened again. Dozens of stormtroopers fled the hangar bay. The sound of firing blasters filled the air. Any warriors trying to defend Polaris were immediately gunned down. Many natives tried to get to safety, but to no avail. Countless children were stricken from their home. Each child being taken tried their hardest to reunite with their families. One stormtrooper heartlessly took a five-year-old from its mothers arms. The little girl screamed and struggled as hard as she could in fear of being taken away. Miraculously, she managed to kick the blaster out the trooper’s grip. Stunned, the trooper doubled their efforts and overpowered the child. He dragged that poor little girl all the way back to the docked starship.
“Stupid girl. Kicking a weapon out of a trooper’s hand can cost you. Better hope Darth Erastis grants you mercy,” the stormtrooper snarled, shoving her into a cell and standing guard.
The little girl quickly reunited with the rest of the children. Some children she recognized, some she didn’t. It wasn’t long before it seemed like almost every child was taken from their families. High-pitched wailing echoed throughout the steel halls. Three stormtroopers were stationed in front of the cell door. One of them grunted in annoyance before jamming his elbow into the cell door.
“quit crying!” was all the trooper needed to say to make the children trade their wails for choked whispers.
“I want my mommy!”
“There has to be a way out of here!”
“Where are they taking us?!”
Many of the older children tried their best to escape with the younger ones. Every wholehearted attempt proved futile. Seconds seemed like hours while minutes felt like years. Thirty whole minutes passed by until eventually the extractors had collected every kyber crystal they could find. Promptly, the starship began leaving Polaris. The cries of the children grew loud once again but that didn’t stop Gallius from chasing his mind. He along with Darth Erastis and Commandant Hux with his som stopped in front of the cell.
“See, Commandant? What did I tell you? I said I would acquire more soldiers, and I did.” A cheeky smirk bloomed on Gallius's face. He held his hands behind his back, studying the despaired children in the holding cell.
“I must admit, I’m impressed,” Commandant Hux started, eyeing the children like cattle. “There looks to be about three dozen soldiers.”
Commandant Hux looked to his young teenage son, Armitage, and placed an unsettling hand on his shoulder. “look very closely, boy. These are your future soldiers. Your future arm—“
“We’re not soldiers..!” a little girl shouted, hot tears still in her eyes.
“Hey! don’t speak unless spoken to!” One stormtrooper shouted, “Wait.. you’re that brat who kicked my blaster out of my hand. I should ki—“
“At ease, solder.” A deep, velvety voice echoed throughout the steel hall.
Everyone, including the arrogant Gallius Rax, seemed to quiet down. When Darth Erastis spoke, no one dared to utter a sound. Darth Erastis was a prominent figurehead in the Galactic Empire and the senate. Respect was instinctively and fearfully given.
“It's not your place to discipline new soldiers. It’s mine.” She spat at the stormtrooper before turning to the little girl.
“What’s your name, girl?”
“T-Tart.. Tart Willow.”
“Well, Tart, as your new commander, I suggest you learn to speak properly to your superiors lest you desire to spend the rest of your days as a servant and not a soldier. I don’t care if you look no more than five. You will behave.”
That seemed to get the little girl to quiet down. She didn't utter one peep.
“Now, no more stalling. I merely came to peek at the little ones. I’m taking my leave now. We will begin training them by the end of this week. For now, let’s focus on the kyber crystal extrapolations.”
With that, Erastis, Gallius, Hux and his son left the children without care. The son, Armitage, merely looked back at the little girl before snorting snarkily and leaving, “so pathetic.”
***
The captured children quickly fell into routine under the gaze of the Galactic Empire. One by one, each child trained to become a soldier for the Empire. Training days were simple. Wake up. Eat. Train. Learn. Sleep. Repeat. Each child, despite their reluctance, found their calling. Some were gifted fighters while others were skilled strategists. The little girl Tart who dared speak up wasn’t good at much. She would stumble and fall during training, or space out during lectures. No one wanted to be here. Not a single polarian child, especially Tart. During the night, she dreamed of her family, while during the day she doodled and drew on any single piece of paper she could get her hands on. The child wasn’t a gifted fighter nor a skilled strategist, but a talented artist. A talented artist capable of recreating anything she could see.That talent only got better in time. It wasn’t long before Darth Erastis and Gallius Rax took notice of this. No amount of correction, punishment, or forced peer pressure could keep her from picking up a pencil and running wild with it.
Two weeks turned into two months, and two months into two years. Before the children knew it, sorting day was upon them. It was the day where your fate in the Galactic Empire would be forever sealed. Darth Erastis upon her luxurious golden throne. One hand held her head while the other held a datapad. She had a list of the children's names on the datapad as well as their code number and assigned job.
“Soldier.
Bridge Crew.
Bridge Crew.
Soldier.”
Erastis ceased her assignments when the last child stepped up to the pedestal. The Artist. She looked the seven-year-old up and down, a scowl on her features.
“Ah, it’s you, Tart. Too weak for a soldier.. Too daft for the bridge. Hmm..” Erastis muttered, moving her auburn hair out of her face.
The little girl seemed to cower under Erastis’s gaze. She discreetly moved her sleeves under hand, hoping to cover the copious amount of doodles littering her skin.
“But… not too daft for the engineering department. That's… it. The engineering department. You will be moved to the engineering department.”
Immediately two guards escorted the child out of the room, leaving Darth Erastis to her silence. Conclusively, each child stolen from Polaris found their new purpose in the Galactic Empire. Those last two years were only the beginning.