Lost Stars (Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens)

by Claudia Gray

(Ciena knew that was his title and his name, but she wasn’t sure whether his title was Grand Moff and his name Tarkin—or whether his name was Moff Tarkin and he was very grand indeed. She’d ask later, when no second-wavers were around to mock her for not knowing.)

“Everybody knows it was the Senate that steered the galaxy into civil war before the Emperor established order again. Why would anyone take the peace we have now for granted?”

Ciena whispered, “Someday, once we’ve made it to the academy—I’m going to show her the stars.”

They’d been reviewing galactic history for three hours now. “Okay. The criminal gang that interfered with a legal execution on Geonosis and sparked the Clone Wars was led by…by…” She shut her eyes, winced, and said, “Mace Windu?”

omfg insane propaganda

Our students are meant to become citizens of the Empire. To think of themselves as patriots and soldiers first. Can you stop thinking of yourself as a native of your home planet and begin thinking of yourself as an Imperial first? An Imperial only? Can you accept that protecting and serving the world you came from is best accomplished by strengthening the Empire to which it belongs?”

nasty levels of imperial nationalism ugh

“Sounds rough. On Alderaan, people are encouraged to learn and grow. All education is free, and people volunteer to teach various skills or crafts just for fun. Of course, someday the entire Empire will be like that.” Thane laughed, which made Nash frown. “What’s so funny?” “You, thinking the whole galaxy can turn into starshine and flowers, all because of the Empire.” “That’s what the Empire is for, isn’t it?”

“And yet you don’t seem excited—not about meeting girls, at least. That means one of two things. Either you’re interested in men instead—which I doubt, given your reaction to that risqué holo of Ved’s—” The curse of fair skin was that even the faintest blush stood out.

Although the official information channels spoke of building projects, successful trade negotiations, and endless economic prosperity, he knew that shine was mostly gloss. The Empire built new bases to solidify its control. Its “trade negotiations” always seemed to result in the Empire’s getting everything it wanted on terms that couldn’t possibly have benefited the planet in question. And as for the mood of the populace, even the official information channels had begun spitting venom about a small group of terrorists who plotted evil and called themselves rebels.

perpetually going insane trying not to be the this is literally america guy but. like.

Yet the Imperial Palace was one of the grandest and most elegant structures on the entire planet; apparently it had once been a temple of some kind.

palpatine kys

Maybe so, but Ciena couldn’t resist shaking her head at the arrogance of anyone who thought she knew better than the whole Empire.

girl ur brainwashed

“Think of the billions who perished in the Clone Wars.”

all for NOTHINGGGG

“But by ending the war now, before it truly begins, the Death Star will save more lives than it took.”

god i hate the empire so much

These terrorists had gambled on the proposition that the Empire would never strike back.

ha

Ciena wondered whether their leaders would ever take responsibility for the horrible measures necessary to stop this rebellion—this war—before the entire galaxy had been plunged into chaos. Probably not. The Rebellion had started this. Even provoked it. Ciena felt better now that she understood whom to blame.

girl shut up

We killed billions of people. We slaughtered billions, and afterward we were expected to applaud.

Terrorism could never be the answer, but as of that day, the Empire was as guilty of acts of terror as the Rebel Alliance was, if not more.

cough america cough

What is he? Ciena wondered. Her splintered mind refused to accept Lord Vader as human.

-__-

“Listen to me,” Ciena said. “As crazy as things are, we’ll be together again. I don’t know where or when, but it’s going to happen.” “It will,” he answered, brightening. “No matter what, I’m going to find you.”

that dumb-ass incident

omg language chill

That was how evil magnified itself: it took root in the young and grew along with them. Each generation provided the next level of abuse. We’re teaching children to approve of slavery. We’re teaching them cruelty is a virtue.

❗️❗️❗️

He’d followed the path that led from there, and where had it taken him? Now he flew ships only to frighten people, in the name of an Empire that slaughtered entire worlds. If he could go back, would he have the strength to choose a different path? Do I have the strength to do that now?

okayyy thane okay... he's getting itttt

The creature’s weakness lanced Thane through, especially because there was nothing he could do. Absolutely nothing. Not against an entire garrison of stormtroopers. He had to just stand there and watch, and know his part in the evil he beheld.

Every single program was Imperial propaganda of some kind or another: a documentary ostensibly about the Empire’s successful “building programs” on Thurhanna Minor (really enormous power facilities that squatted over once-pretty countryside) was broken up by recruiting calls for stormtroopers (“Discover adventure and serve your Empire!”) or news items about Emperor Palpatine receiving guests as he smiled and nodded. Worst of all was an ad for a special report scheduled to air soon, in which the “full extent of the treasonous acts of sedition on the planet Alderaan will finally be exposed!”

“No. I understand the thinking that led to the attack on Alderaan—but I don’t condone it. The thing is, I don’t have to.”

“So two billion people died in vain,” Thane said. “And nearly a million aboard the Death Star.”

The Empire didn’t deserve her, yet it had her in its grasp forever. She didn’t remain a part of the Emperor’s machine because she was ambitious or corrupt. No, the Empire had found a way to use her honor against her. The strength of her character was the exact reason why she would remain in the service of evil.

very valuable concepts to ponder but god is ciena exhausting

Never again, she promised herself. From that day on, her service to the Empire would be more than her duty: it would be her atonement for loving even one person in the galaxy more than her honor.

WAKE UPPPPP WAKE UP WAKE UP

That was only an acronym for its full name, Mighty Oak Apocalypse, a title that apparently sounded a lot more badass to Wookiees, such as their captain.

star wars sanctioned use of "badass"

Dak’s chatter broke his reverie. “I still can’t believe I got assigned as gunner to Luke Skywalker. The guy who singlehandedly destroyed the Death Star!”

oop... about that . . .

Inadequate body armor for soldiers appears to be standard throughout the rebel forces. Look at weapons that expel shrapnel, possibly razor-edged microdroids?

so evil ew

So it wasn’t that surprising when one of the transport pilots mentioned that they’d brewed a little engine-room hooch. Making jet juice was one of those things the brass officially banned but in fact turned a blind eye to as long as neither the manufacture nor consumption interfered with duty.

i just KNOW dumbass 19 year old post ep4 luke was getting absolutely smashed on this shit

To think that the leader of the entire Rebellion would say it was an honor to meet them. He doubted the Emperor had ever said such a thing to any of his troops.

yup EXACTLY

The same minor informality would’ve landed an Imperial officer in the brig; in the rebel fleet, discipline could coexist with humanity.

:)

He’d joined the Rebellion to take down the Empire and remained unmoved by all those starry-eyed notions of the New Republic to come. Just because he thought the next galactic government would be better than the Empire didn’t mean he thought it would be good.

Whatever else was happening, all the thousands of other people assigned to the Executor had little to do but wait.

"whatever else" being the entire climax of empire strikes back

But joining the Rebellion? How could Thane ever have become a terrorist?

BOOOO girl when will you realise you are a fascist

Yes, Alderaan had been destroyed first as a gambit to end the war before it began, and that gambit had failed. But that was one space station, one planet, one terrible day. The rebels’ attacks on Imperial ships and bases had never ceased, as if they could not spill enough blood to slake their thirst.

oh my GODDDDD stfu i beg

“Good people can start to serve the Empire. But if they stay, they stop being good. You do one thing you thought you’d never do—follow one order that makes you feel sick inside—and you tell yourself it’s the only time. This is an exception. This isn’t the way it’s always going to be.”

It’s only Jelucan, the result of one dishonest governor. Higher officials don’t know the truth, because if they did, they’d take action. So Ciena told herself. But even within her own mind, the rationalizations sounded so laughable that she could not believe them, much less speak them aloud.

The appearance of fairness mattered more than the reality.

“I’m not going to leave, at least not before my tour of duty ends. If there’s any chance that the good in the Empire can outweigh the bad, then it’s our duty to preserve it.” “The Empire’s rotten to the core. It’s our duty to destroy it.”

TO THE CORE!!!!! EXACTLY!!!

“No, Ciena. You should not speak against your government, ever, under any circumstances.” “Pappa—how can you say that today?”

you are BRAINWASHEDDDD

“You abandoned your post to bang your ex? The lieutenant commander in the Imperial Starfleet ex?”

some of the modern word usages in this book kill me like oh ok so they say that in star war too

The rebel fleet’s new base was on an uninhabited planet so small and obscure it had no name, only the numerical designation 5251977.

omg original film release date cuteee

The featureless green holograms simply vanished when they took a fatal hit; Ciena found herself wishing the programming were more honest and graphic. She wanted to see her kills for once.

get help girl

Thane said, “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

Whereas Nash had mourned his friend for years, discovered he was alive, and instantly been ready to kill him. That wasn’t loyalty to the Empire. That was…fanaticism.

girl ur only just realising this NOW?????

No other reason could ever justify the destruction of an entire planet, or the deaths of billions of people. Only by restoring galactic peace could the Empire redeem those deaths. But now more worlds would be destroyed for no reason—except to cause pain and fear.

Instead, this would incite more people to join the rebel cause. This wouldn’t end the war; it would intensify it beyond all imagining.

“I can’t believe they did it this soon. How long does it take to construct one of these? They must have started right after the Battle of Yavin. Good for them.” Ciena refused to believe she’d heard that right. “…good for them?” “Well, we had to rebuild the Death Star. I mean, come on!”