A Faceless Number

The Empire's Best

RAZ POV:

Before I knew it, I was once again on a transport to basic training. This time it was not Imperial Army Basic Training, but instead Carida Imperial Stormtrooper Basic Training. There is 1,600 of us coming directly from our initial academy. As our large transport lands and we disembarked, I notice a distinct change from the Army Academy. There are no yelling officers or formations we had to be in immediately, just robots helping the men as we form into lines.

LOG-87476: "Next" says a robot. "Please state your name."

RAZ: "I am Raz of Lothal." I respond.

LOG-87476: "Confirmed. Here is a map to your barracks. You will find more information there."

The machine spewed out a map, and I follow it. About ten minutes of walking uphill later, I found my dorm. Inside is a small room, with not much room. However, it is private and just meant for one person. It's basic with just a sink, closet, desk, toilet, and bed built into the wall. There is also a holoscreen sitting on the desk. I pick it up.

Tablet: "Facial recognition confirmed. Hello Raz. Please click on this instructional video." I do so.

"Cadet. Congratulations on being the best of the best at your Army Academy. However, you are nothing here. You are just one of the 125,000 troopers that have now joined your class. Every single one of you will exit Carida in one of two ways. The first and best option: you will leave here as a weapon for the Empire. The second: as a corpse. There is no room for failure in the Empire. Soon you will be assigned to your squad. Your squad will be the group you will be with during your entire training. You may now open your closet if you have not done so."

The door opens on cue. Inside there it was. And it was mine. So clean I could see my own reflection. The armor. The helmet. The bodysuit. As I step towards the closet, the tablet begins again.

"From before this moment, you were dead. You no longer have a name. You will now be known as TK: GLH-286-78149. This is your TK identification. You will only be addressed by this, and you will only address other troopers as their TK identification or a nickname related to their time in the Corps."

Well, goodbye to old me.

"You will wear your armor in all locations outside of this room, your barracks. You may remove your helmet during the ten minute meals in the mess hall. Your squad will meet outside of your room in 24 minutes and 38 seconds. You must be wearing your armor. You are in Squad 2187."

I grab the shiny helmet. My reflection is almost like a mirror. Fresh and new. I put it on. I see normal at first, then a blue light pops up. Suddenly, the light expands. It shows me information, like my new TK number. Now isn't the time to marvel at it. It takes me 20 minutes to suit up the rest of the armor, and I walk into the hallway after sitting down, which was much easier than I expected.

Other TKs also begin to walk out of their rooms. As they do the blue light, which I learned is the HUD, shows the TK number of the other troopers.

STB-975-49852: "Well hello everyone. 2187?" He has a voice that tells you he's just thrilled to be here. Uplifting and positive.

LNB-290-11568: "Absolutely." He sounds more like he has a death stick problem. Deep voice and no emotion.

JRW-886-23887: "So when do you all think we'll have our first mission?" An eager boy, probably as young as me, wouldn't stop moving.

NYB-347-71968: "Slow down there. We don't want to blitz there already." A girl? They let a girl in here? I'm sure she will be someone to watch.

JRW-886-23887: "Okay, I won't blitz on in."