Life is a journey, a path on itself...

The last two weeks I spent on working on my educational lessons. I was not quite satisfied that a lot of students had left the academy. More or less I felt if I had failed somehow. I was not longer afraid to stand for a class of know-how-betters. The survival techniques were okay, but the spirit in the teaching could be stronger. I read through my own philosophical notes upon being a good and dedicated soldier. I searched inside myself what I thought about friendship, learning about trust and strength. Except a few friends I didn’t have many. In the light of what I taught to my students it was questionable. I was a person who wandered mainly alone. I wondered about it how I could be a better illustration to them. My personal life was a big flaw, with most people I lived mainly on uneasy ground. The recent visit to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant was an example of it.
With my code clearance I could enter all sorts of information and look into it. The code went in combination with my enhanced ID card. I still held my old card too, belonging to my captaincy. The latter was the known official one. I had learned quickly to make use of my clearance without making myself suspicious. I found more interesting subjects that philosophy. High Command had communications with Bastion and the active departments of the Imperial Fleet. An official from Bastion would come to the academy and some high and secret stuff would be discussed then. I wanted to find out what it was about, because the file was very thin on information.

By the roster department I got five classes newcomers assigned to me. In their eyes I read eagerness, overconfidence and interest. In two weeks I had all their confidence destroyed. Relaxed and innocent boys and girls laughed and grinned to me. I listened to their introductions that they were and I told who I was and why I had enrolled the academy a couple of years ago, just as them. The first lesson was always one in merry spheres and I kept it that way, not wanting to scare them off. But for next assessment I asked them all to appear just before dinner time to come to the exercise room of a stardestroyers bridge. But the 71 students met a specter from the past, wearing a suit and a helmet was something new for me, but my students hadn’t expected it and I felt their fear rolling to me, soon they saw my form against the windows. I was alone there. For an hour old Lord Vader was back. My voice sounded weird as I addressed to them, saying I was displeased by their progress. I gave orders and watched them go. The reputation of my great-grandfather was notorious. For a time I let the Vader’s ghost wander around. In the third assignment I acted normally as at the first session and informed to their last week. Some said nothing, others told about the last adventures, but none referred to the exercise bridge. I made a start with the lessons.
Learning physical survival techniques was not easy and from making use of your natural surroundings, it contained also certain amount of fighting. They received all theory from me in class and practice in the field. I enjoyed it, moving around. Somewhere in the lessons mister Skywalker turned into Lord Skywalker, perhaps because of my inheritance. I didn’t correct it; the students had to decide for themselves how they called me. My new title ran quickly through the academy, as higher years students came along me to ask advice on certain matters. Most of the time they liked some guidance about the disagreements they had among themselves and with teachers. I did what I could. Among the students I grew somehow to a beloved teacher, where you could drop by and learn something from. My new title angered a lot of my colleagues and they demanded clarification on the subject. I allowed my commander, the admiral, speak about it and explain what my position exactly was. But popularity was something very hard to battle, as in my case was. I shrugged about it, when they asked for an explanation.

As my name also the ghost of Lord Vader got his own freedom and wandered from high to low through all ranks inside the academy. Not bound by mortality anymore, he became even scarier than Vader had been in real life. For me it was fun, but I hid it behind a thick wall of innocence and ignorance. It brought excitement and that is what I merely lived from. I could not prevent from escaping that the name went off planet and traveled further into the galaxy. I paid no attention to it how far it went. Not that it worried the senators on Bastion, neither that even Coruscant got wind of it. It was the second half of the college year that I first noticed something about it. Issues had come from Bastion to search out what Lord Vader’s ghost was? They wanted from High Command proof and answers. With my clearance I got secretly by night into the main computer and found out that it had been an order from vice admiral to sweep the base for an imitation Vader, or at least his armour. If it could, the person too. He didn’t want to have a dark lord wandering around and putting it all to his own hands. I knew I had to be careful, if I wanted to stay in this uninteresting position as a naval captain.
So the academy was alerted by a warning signal that there was a drill coming and all personnel, including students had to assemble at the exercitation terrain. The alarm was sounded at daybreak. Sleeping half on the Force since I had been looking for data until late in the night, I was not awake immediately. I secured my terminal with an own encrypted code none could crack. I put on my uniform and hid the rest of Vader’s armour inside Nerny. The astromech had all sort of hidden compartments and sometimes I stored something in it. Nerny went with me to the exercitation terrain, where I arrived as one of the last. The admiral raised an eyebrow when he was Nerny wheeling right behind me, but said nothing. Stormtrooper arrived to sweep through the academy and every corner of the terrain. But after two hours on the assembly terrain the major of the stormtroopers came to the admiral and reported them his troopers nothing had found. I stood not so far away from then and trusted on my power I overheard them easily. None was allowed to leave now the search was over. The admiral was not pleased and felt someone was playing a hoax. I couldn’t blame him feeling that way, but the action had been an innocent one and I felt better to let old Vader being a ghost who liked to come and go. The admiral wanted answers and to my dismay he went on searching for it, now among all those here on the terrain. Plain was asked who had actual seen the dark lord. None answered. On pure guess he then went off to me and folded his arms, looking accusingly toward me. I kept being in position and only looked at him, not wavering under his stern gaze. The admiral was not Force-sensitive, so I tapped the Force partly to be calm and at peace. When he had no choice to let us go, he went angry toward his office. I felt waves of unsureness, relief and fun when it was over. The ghost was not here right now and presented no danger at all.

Four days later two Jedi from Coruscant arrived to investigate the Vader ghost affair. After checking I knew that High Command had asked for support. And the Temple had answered. A master and an apprentice had been sent and I was forced to hide my abilities. I didn’t like it, but it was necessary to maintain the harmless image of myself among the Imperials. The Jedi knew a great deal more of me, due to my visit to the capital. The Jedi they sent was Master Anda Sulundar and he knew that I was trained to use the Force. Having no choice I went down to meet with him and lay down my trust in the Force that the Master wouldn’t betray me to my superiors. Depending on it he could be a friend, but also an enemy. He was all politeness when I saw him, but the Force whispered to me I could not depend on him in this situation and I stood alone.