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

As I learned it was not easy to travel half across the galaxy with one duty on one side and a pleasure on the other side. The admiral who was my commander called me into his office and demanded an explanation for my not filed leave. He had no idea of my strength and I kept myself in hand not provoke him. He was right that I handled against regulations and it was not wise to do so. I accepted the reprimand. My students, on the other side, had missed nothing of the lessons. I had rescheduled them. The roster was a bit better than before, even to other teachers. It was less tight. I didn’t tell the admiral how it was done; I kept my face straight when he asked me how the roster change was possible. I had no access to the roster files in the computer systems. I shrugged about it and apologized I didn’t know. He allowed me to go back to my lessons.
It was in my own quarters than I let my anger about it go. I knew I had been more thoughtful this would not have happened. It was my own doing. I fought off my anger against my assassin droids and later on reviewed my mistake. I felt lively afterwards, the Force still flowing through me. I was used to tap deep into it from time to time, search up my limits, but at one point it felt to me I grew stronger in the Force still. It was easy to reach out and let something to move over to my hand, instead of standing up and go getting it physically. I didn’t allow myself this satisfaction of easiness, only when I trained. I still felt there was more joy to walk around as everyone than a Jedi. Life without the Force was hard, but a worthy one.

I went over to dress myself in black, but still the uniform of captain. The others wore all grey, as well the students. It distinct me a bit from them, but on the other hand, I was not completely one of them anyway. All knew who my ancestors were and that made a curiosity inside the Empire. If I liked I could take a position with High Command, but I didn’t. I wanted surely to be there someday; only by a normal road by courage and honour, not by lies and deceit. My adept in the Force didn’t give me right to take what I liked. But I could not deny I wanted that power sometimes.
Very soon there were the examinations for the second semester. I prepared them and allowed my students a few prepare tests to make. They were tough and not all passed when I looked into them. The tests didn’t counter for the finals. All were afraid and nervous. I had a rough time to give them so strength and hope. Some arguments were quite strong and I didn’t blame them they were afraid to fail and that they had to leave the academy, in search for another profession outside the military. The Force told me nothing of their future; it didn’t tell the answers to the test. It had never done to me either. Although I had used my power to know what the good answers were, when I was a student myself. But I had never passed with my entire questions okay. The examinations for the students were tough and I was present as supervisor. The hours were dull and out of boredom I played with my pencil in front of me, letting it float in the air. The heads were bowed over the terminals and keyboards to answer the exams. Sometimes someone looked up and looked surprised to me. As long the pencil moved in the air, nothing was amiss. But one time it stopped and all learned that one student didn’t keep his eyes to his own terminal. So he got a silent warning of me, as questioning look. It was enough to keep everyone from cheating. It was forbidden.

The holidays lay behind the examinations, but first was there the outcome who had passed the first year and who had not. And more than fifty percent had to leave. In my class were also a lot of failures, but in percents to the other teachers lesser. As first year as teacher it was an astonishing sign compared to the seasoned teachers around. It brought envy up in some of my colleagues. And it was voiced in public. I was not happy with it, but the wonder and envy was something difficult to rule in people. I was 23, the youngest among them and promising. Some colleagues knew they would never come higher than they had reached, but for me being a teacher physical surviving techniques was not the end station of my life. It was just a beginning to make my way into life fair and square. The wonder would turn to acceptation, but not the envy. That could turn into hate, if not handled properly. And it was up to me not to let that happen. I didn’t want to have enemies, because just for whom I was. I was present at the celebrations, congratulating the students who had passed the first year. Two more years would come and they had to pass those too, before they would found themselves to be true Imperial soldiers. Later as only one I was also with them who hadn’t passed the first year. Why I wanted to be there, I didn’t really know, but their sad faces stirred something in me to comfort them. And so I did. I gave with them a few good qualities what could serve them onto a better road than inside the military. A few were very good orators and could become good politicians in the future. Another had a good feeling for the law and could turn to a good judge. Leaving a dream behind because in capabilities didn’t mean they were totally written off. Some needed this encouragement, others were happy with a handshake. I felt what they needed and gave it to them.

The holiday meant also for me free time, two months what I liked I could do. But it was not so that I could go where I liked. This was the military after all and my presence had to stay on availability. Yet I asked for vacation and was granted my two months. There were no wars, nor any sign that one would come. And the pirates were being kept at bay, by the usual patrols in Imperial territory. I flew back to Naboo to decorate my house in Theed. Change of surroundings was what I surely needed and the thought of total relax, away from the military, gave me a lot of joy in advance. And I enjoyed it really. My house was empty of furniture. The first thing I did the next morning after my arrival was visiting the furniture shop in town and go in search for chairs, tables, and cupboards in the living room and the appropriate furniture for my bedroom. I took the great room in the back of the house with a view over the back garden toward the lake and the mountains beyond. Personnel of the shop brought the furniture to my house and allowed them to give it a place inside. A couple of days the house looked very different from first and I was content with the result.
The second I did, was buy myself a better wardrobe than I had until now. It was kind of poor what I had. Although I was a man, there was much choice on fabrics around here in Theed, but for women there was more choice in design. Shopping was also an adventure for me. I had nobody with me, but as I observed around it was a bit unusual to come alone to a shop. Naboo brought always a companion or a family member with them. I got help from a male employee in the dress shop for men. First I was pretty irritated, but when I looked at my first new image in a mirror I was astonished at my reflection in there. Only the clothes what suited me, I bought. About the money I spent I made no fuss. But for the shop owner I was a good customer this day. The garb of Naboo was beautiful. The shops stood free in the landscape of town, not protected by an overhanging roof against the weather. I wandered around them, viewing shop windows with real clothed dolls and not holo images, as was usual on Bastion. In a shoe shop I came across along two pairs of boots, brown and black. I didn’t want other kinds. And I liked simple style, what could be worn in almost any occasion.
When I passed a mechanics shop I decided to enter and take a look around. New models droids were put nicely around, but I had no interest in them. I walked to the back where the second handed stuff was located. I saw a model of the NHA-7 astromech series, what I fell in love with at that moment. The lights were out and the astromech didn’t look functional anymore, but I didn’t mind. With all the electronically equipment it was heavy to carry. But the Force was a solution for everything and I carried the astromech to the counter if it weighed nothing. The owner raised his eyebrows in amazing. I paid only forty credits, a bargain to the new series around and behind me. Some were even active and tweeted at me. The owner told me that my purchase was worthless. I didn’t listen to the man; I knew he wanted to sell me a new model from what he profited. So I left the shop with an astromech under my arm. It was odd to see in the street. I felt extremely happy for reasons unknown. I went home with my purchases. I felt my speeder in the garden, brought my clothes inside and vanished for the rest of the day in my garage to refit my astromech. The dome was brown-white, unattractive outside. I shrugged, giving my droid new wheels and other stuff. Also it needed a new battery. I checked all the electronics inside, as well the memory banks. The last owner had been a tin can seller on the markets across the whole galaxy. A short survey learned that the man’s children had dumped the old droid after his death. I left the memory intact. I discovered an own personality in the droid that resembled closely to a curious, but careful child. I learned the astromech language in four days to understand and found myself more talking than ever before. The droids carried the name of Nerny.