I cannot remember exactly when I came to live on Alpheridies; my earliest memory is a time when I was walking through the light less forest, just beyond our home, with my father. At this point I had already begun to develop my shape-shifting ability and had taken the form of a Miralukan child. My father was talking to me about starting school with other Miralukans; I was about six standard years old and he was worried about the other children treating me differently from the others. Even the teachers could be expected to perceive my presence differently, perhaps even more so. The more he spoke about this concept, the more I felt I had to do something to prove myself as part of their society; I knew I was not truly one of them, but I was helpless to try to conceive what made it so.
Prior to this memory, my father had spoken to me of my true origins; he had inquired within the Empire, to the limit of his ability, and found an equally limited amount of information on who I truly was. He told me that I was one of the long forgotten species known as the Shi'ido. He gave me the limited scandocs from interviews and logs of Anthropologist Hoole. The tales of his travels and slight descriptions of our species gave me a foot hold in understanding who I was. He spoke in his journals of the transformational and telepathic capabilities of the Shi'ido. I became glad at the idea of an innate ability to "fit in" through telepathic suggestion.
However, such a change did not come to me quickly; in fact, I did not acquire control of this talent until much later. Around the age of nine, Sharak Melaj, a Miralukan adept of Tyia found his way back to our far off planet and soon discovered me. He once told me that he felt my force tremor through the bombardment of the other Miralukans' even clearer; he was drawn to the powerful "force-beacon" that the planet of Alpheridies had become. Until this point I had no one that had the ability to help me learn the method of my inborn telepathy; he began to teach me also to control, to a very limited level, the inner workings of my being through meditation in the force as is the way of the Tyia. He saw great potential in me even at that young age; as customary on Alpheridies, Sharak was required to gain permission of a Miralukan's guardians before taking them on as an apprentice. My father was very suspicious of Sharak; maybe it was his profession as an Imperial informant in this sector, but in any case he would not allow my apprenticeship.
Although I may have disagreed with my father, I had to respect his decision on the matter of my force training; however, that did not stop me from secretly learning the physical martial arts from Sharak. He specialized in the style known as Miralukan Fist; this technique is not generally taught to non-Miralukans, but he felt that this style in particular would serve to help me, as an individual, as its meditative techniques focus on the connection of its user to his inner being and to those around him. I learned well from him for several years as he taught the physical, mental, and 'spiritual' defenses to me. However, all good this must come to an end. At the age of 16, my father finally grew too suspicious of my daily journeys to a semi-distant forest land after school and housework had been done. Soon his investigations brought him back to Master Sharak Melaj; with a force unknown of him to possess, my father wounded Master Sharak in a time of great rage. My master was put into a deep comatose state and was sent to be dealt with as the Emperor saw fit for his mastery of the force. I never heard of him again, although I did hear rumors of a Miralukan sorcerer on one of the former emperor's sanctuary moons.
I was totally thrown off by my father's power, I felt it would be best for me to leave Alpheridies before it was discovered that I learned from him under my own free will. However, my father did not display any notion of even desiring to discover this fact; he just simply went about his daily work and treated me as he always had. On my seventeenth birthday, the prospect of me joining the Imperial Navy was brought to the attention of my father by one of my teachers. He concurred with their reasonings, of which I knew not. After I graduated from my secondary education, my father sent me to the recruitment platform at the edge of our system on our newly remodeled yacht-type craft. From that point, however, I decided to take up a search for the famed Anthropologist Hoole.
For about a year and a half, I closely followed the trail of Senior Anthropologist Mammon Hoole. He always seemed to be at least two or three steps ahead of me, but those who actually knew of his covert existence at each stop kindly pointed me in the right direction. Over this time I came to learn quite a lot about the varied species Hoole traveled the space lanes to discover. Some old, some 'new,' sentient or otherwise, all were very fascinating; I found myself finding great interest in the societal/cultural workings of these species, but I was intrigued more so by the anatomical/physiological construct of each species I came into contact with. I took every chance I got along the way to attempt the transformation of myself into each culture and almost acted Hoole's shadow as I pieced together his earlier reports on those he 'visited.'
During this time I also formed the binding connection to the force that would lead me forward into the future. I continued in the meditative techniques of the Miralukan martial training I acquired before leaving. As I traveled just behind Hoole I also gained a completed control over the telepathic suggestive properties of my people.
Due to my perseverance, I suppose, I soon found myself within arm's grasp of finding the exact location of Anthropologist Hoole; however, in my excitement, I failed to notice the Imperial scout-patrol ship come out of hyperspace just behind me and set in a pursuit course.
They opened a comm. channel and told me that they had been 'hunting' me for about a year now under the orders of Imperial Inquisition. Apparently my father had pulled a few strings when he found out that I hadn't joined up right away. They took my vessel into their cargo hold, and I soon found myself in the custody of several stormtroopers and a shadowy man covered in a cloak that resembled the starry sky itself.They told me that in accordance with Inquisition's orders I was to be taken to Coruscant to be tried for treason against the Empire. As you can imagine I was quite shocked at the age of eighteen, to be charged with treason; I thought about it for a long time as they set in the coordinates for the trip to Coruscant. They placed me in one of the custody cells onboard with one trooper outside the force-field. The destination was quite a ways off from where they captured my ship in the Unknown Regions, so I had a while to think about what was happening to me. By about half way through the jump I had calmed and set myself into a deep meditative trance to wait out the rest of the trip.
In moments I felt fists pummeling me from several directions. When I forced myself out of the trance, I found myself lying on the chilling floor with blood trickling down my face as I looked across the cell at the feet of about three stormtroopers. The cloaked man stood just beyond them looking down on me, I could see that his lips were moving but I couldn't hear anything for a moment. The stormtroopers picked me up and held me in a standing position as the man walked slowly toward me and spoke into my ear; I couldn't hear him at first, then he repeated the question. "Who are you to refuse service to the Empire? You will be punished for your treason soon enough. We near Coruscant and then you will be taken before the Inquisition."
We arrived at the port just above Coruscant and disembarked. Beaten and broken, I was taken in 'shackles' before the Imperial Inquisition. The men who brought me there were sent away as they moved me closer to the Grand Inquisitor. He extended his hand and my body begin to feel empowered but not of my own will, my muscles contorted for a moment before my no frail frame came to rest in a kneeling position.
"Do you have anything to say on your own behalf, Youngblood? Think well before you speak, child, your response will be judged by the three before you." My mind went blank as he spoke to me in a deep almost booming voice. My clouded eyes shifted focus across the men before me, as I kneeled speechless. I lowered my head before I could think to speak.
"Master Inquisitor... my actions were not entirely of selfish intent. It is true I left the recruitment platform of the Alpheridies system to search for Anthropologist Hoole. However, I fully intended to join the honorable ranks of the servants of the Emperor... But only once I had gained full control of the powers vested to my people. Only when I could serve the Empire with my whole heart. I meant no treason in this..."
The Inquisitors looked to each other for several moments before the Grand Inquisitor looked down at me with a simple smile and spoke in his low tone. "We here know your heart child... However, in Alpheridies it is a punishable offense to fain the recruitment process." Then the High Inquisitors next to him stood and bowed to him before leaving the room. The Grand Inquisitor then came down to my level where I remained kneeled on the floor; his smile receded as he did so. "I'm sorry to be the one to tell you that your adoptive father, has died; he passed away while you were chasing Hoole through the Unknown Regions and beyond. It was his dying wish for you to follow in his footsteps as one of the Imperial Navy. I suppose the Major General Valarin Herdiram still carried some weight within the ranks of this institution."
At this point I was so in shock that tears wouldn't even try to form in my bloodshot eyes. How could he be dead... My father was a strong man, he could protect himself. And what was that about Major General? He never told me anything about actually being in the military, I knew nothing of this matter.
"Will you fulfill your father's desire now, Youngblood?" He said in this tone like he already knew the answer to his question.
I stood slowly with a slight grimace upon my features as my wounds still ached. "You can see my thoughts and my heart, Grand Inquisitor. You know full well that I would join the ranks whether my father had died or not. Yes, I will go... my place is here, under the service of the Emperor." He simply nodded, producing a few datapads from behind him and held them toward me.
"These should aid you in the days to come." He placed them in my hands and pointed toward the doors behind me. Just then, a lieutenant came through the door and addressed me. I turned to thank the Grand Inquisitor, but he was no where to be seen. I turned again to the voice of an assistant to the training officer here on Coruscant.
He took me to a brief orientation which seemed to hold no importance to me at the time; all the while I carried the datapads with me though for some reason I did not look over them yet. After this several other recruits and I were shuttled to the port of entry where we were to await dispatchment to Platform Tigris. At this point I didn't think to ask about what happened to the ship I came here in, but I figured it wouldn't help me now anyway. I then thought to take a look at the datapads given to me. As I looked over them, it appeared to be my father's personal logs, his military service records, and attached to his logs was his last will and testament. It finally hit me that the man I knew as my father was now dead; I nearly began to cry, but I restrained it for now. The other cadets just shook their heads at me, and started whispering amongst themselves to my detriment. I then shook my head, for this was nothing that I hadn't dealt with in the past. I thought to myself then that I must then perform to higher standards then they would even dare.