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

The Imperial Navy had a lovely problem. But I was proud at my new destroyer and knew I loved it, as I was attached to my companion Nerny. The droid always hang around me, never letting me out of his side. Only when I wished it and asked he would stay behind. The grand-admiral was over swept with applications from personnel all over the army to serve onboard the new destroyer. I didn’t have to advertise for personnel, they came on own initiative. The Persuitor was against all regulations, yet it solved greatly the problem of strength in the Imperial Army. For a long time, since the losses of all greater command vessels, the Empire had yearned for a new command vessel. High Command could do a little to than to accept this new addition. Also the admiral was forced by my action to promote me officially to the position of Commander. So I ended up into active service of the Empire, not longer being a simple teacher of survival techniques. But still I gave the lessons, refusing to abandon what I had begun at the beginning of the year.

News went out I needed officers for the bridge and the diverse departments. All would be off the same rank, as they were leading their departments with a few head-officers and me above them. I didn’t want a high and difficult hierarchy onboard. I looked for capable persons, so gender was not an issue. I accepted them both. The Empire was still these days mostly human, only sometimes you could find a few Chiss around. But they didn’t apply for service onboard the Persuitor. I did the interviews alone, with the help from the Force to know if they spoke honestly. I had quickly about thirty men and women from who I thought they were capable for the jobs. Sometimes I assigned them to another department, based on interest, despite their education. In some areas were feelings and compassion more important than in others. With my officers I searched for under officers and lower crew. Besides the interviews there was also a lot of administration to care for and that part I didn’t like. I had taken a command upon my shoulders, so I had to perform all tasks going with it. My little bit cultivated manners as teacher were under influence of the command gone quickly and replaced instead for a sturdier presence. Then besides in secret I let go out a new order for smaller stardestroyers. The shipyard accepted without questions. It was work, good for the economy and a stronger army was a lesser favoured target to attack. Although the quite beaten history of the past, the Imperial soldiers were still the best in the galaxy. Trained they could be employed in almost every territory; enemies were interested to lure Imperials to their side and take up arms against us. All teachers at the Imperial Academy were bound to silence how they taught the students. I was too. This to prevent the enemies to find out how exactly our forces were being educated at the Academy.

Most of the crew of the Persuitor were seasoned warriors, men and women with a good state of career, but never got higher than the position they held for years. Serving onboard the Persuitor was a chance to become special. I didn’t doubt some would try. And then the Persuitor looked nicely on their resumes. Commander Skywalker was a name with fame. Everyone knew it, although not my own person behind it. Nerny had his own opinion during all the interviews and the intonation of his whistles told me enough he agreed or not. My own students and those I had last year were thrilled about the destroyer and asked me if they could get a place there. I smiled only, but make no promises. It was good to be admired, but I didn’t want adoration. That was something for women. The Persuitor got its own dock in orbit of Raxior.

From the Holonet I downloaded the news that also the Republic had gotten wind of my acquisition. Questions arose there, like was the Empire going to rebuild the Fleet it had? Or what is the meaning of this war vessel of four kilometers? Did the Empire have plans for expansion? And to where? Who had ordered the built of this destroyer? The last thing they hadn’t found out yet, but I was sure between now and soon in the future they would come to know the Persuitor was mine. It unnerved the Republic considerable. A delegation could be sent perhaps, to find out about the intentions. But that was not my problem. I wanted my ship and I had it now. The consequences of that ownership I didn’t care about. The galaxy had to learn to live with it. In this pose I was visited a couple of days later by a face I remembered well from my one time visit to the Galactic Senate on Coruscant. I felt Macey Jucan Djoron from the moment she came with her shuttle from hyperspace. It took some distance to come down and land onboard the Persuitor and in that time I had contact with her, but didn’t enlighten who I really was. She would discover soon she saw me in person. To the bay I left an order to welcome her unhindered and so I took my lift down to the docking bay to welcome her and see why she had come. It was over a year than I had seen her for the last and only time. This was our second meeting. And whatever she came for, I was out to turn it all upside down on her.
I was calm in my appearance, but yet I felt also excited I was seeing her back again. I knew she felt it too, but I was not able to conceal my feelings to her. I registered her bemusement, but soon she faced me she was calm as any other Jedi. Her eyes lightened up when she got me into her sight and I felt that something clicked together in her mind about my identity. She said nothing about it, but in her eyes I read she remembered Coruscant well. The greeting was formal. I invited her to come with me to the bridge, so I had more privacy. Macey’s eyes studied her surroundings secure and what she saw she would remember later on. In the turbolift she was silent as we traveled together up. The bridge had its own impression on her. Macey walked slowly around, entering the crews pit and looking at the consoles. I took up position at one of the windows and looked from there to her. The stars were an endless universe.

Slowly Macey made her way across the bridge toward me and joined me finally at the windows. She breathed in and out, and said nothing to break the silence between us. I was aware of it, but found it quite pleasant. Rather I didn’t really want to break that silence for other matters. I strived after what my heart wanted. I knew what my path was, but that didn’t keep me from going after my desires. I wanted to enjoy, as long as it could, before my anger grew too strong and my fall would be a fact. I knew about the dangerous path, who what too many family members had fallen victim too. I saw myself not as an exception to who it wouldn’t happen, not since I became aware of the sort training my father had given me. My emotions were a flaw. Time would tell whether they would harm me or not. The joy of seeing Macey vanished a bit when this crossed my mind and something of pain moved through me, adding another accent to what kind of responsibility laid on my shoulders. Until now I had merely ignored that responsibility and took my own decisions. I had an employment in the Imperial Army, but I didn’t serve.
Serving was something for mindless beings, which adored and held everything in high esteem. Those beings, who didn’t question authority and gave lethal power to anyone, willing; those kinds of people were a nuisance. It was those who had christened me to Lord Skywalker, a reference to my past. Deep in my heart I would rather have stayed a simple and unimportant teacher. But that was impossible. I folded my arms and stared out of the window to the planet below me.