"Injuries concealed? As I recall, non–Force-sensitive subjects aren't supposed to undergo high-intensity testing," Gideon said, turning toward the researcher with a frown.
"That's correct, sir," the researcher explained. "That's why we didn't pay close attention to her physical condition. During the stress training, she went into shock due to internal organ damage and fractures to the chest."
Accidents during experiments were inevitable—especially in tests as dangerous as theirs.
Most were ordinary incidents, but when a case had no clear cause or carried suspicious elements, it drew immediate attention. Any anomaly could be connected to the Force or to genetic modification, and investigating such incidents could expose flaws in their research—or even lead to breakthroughs.
It had happened before.
"Tulio, take Amir to complete a set of basic tests. And don't stop the conditioning."
Gideon gave the order and followed the researcher out, along with several scientists responsible for that sector.
Tulio cast one last glance at the monitor—Amir sitting quietly, eyes closed in meditation—then turned and left the lab.
Amir opened his eyes after mentally reviewing the knowledge from the manual.
"I need to find a way to get the next section," he thought, "but that's impossible until they fully trust me."
"And time… isn't on my side."
He stood up, entered the bathroom, and retrieved the spider droid he'd released earlier, scanning through the data it had collected.
At last, Amir had mapped out every area he wanted to know about.
Just then, a knock came at the door. Amir quickly shut down his wrist device and covered it with his sleeve, replying in a calm but faintly weary voice, "Come in."
To his surprise, it was Tulio.
Amir had waited all day, expecting to be taken to the training area, but when Tulio hadn't come, he'd planned to act alone that night. Yet here he was after all.
As expected, Tulio started speaking in that same soothing, persuasive tone—the "conditioning" mode.
"Your talent and conviction have earned our full recognition," Tulio said. "Colonel Gideon has authorized me to take you for basic training—to test your abilities."
Amir replied evenly, activating his own subtle counter-technique: "I'm looking forward to it. The material in the manual was… fascinating."
With a carefully measured mix of excitement and awe, he added, "Where are we going? A dedicated training room? I'd love to test some of what I studied today."
Tulio paused briefly, but not for long. "Yes. The ship has several chambers specifically designed for training and testing. They're fully equipped. You'll be able to try what you've learned."
"Do all the test subjects train there?" Amir asked, seeing that Tulio was growing more talkative under his influence and pressing for more details.
"Yes. Most of them are concentrated in that section—for activities, training, even rest."
"Then let's go."
Satisfied that his earlier map data matched, Amir followed Tulio out the door.
This time, there were no Imperial agents—just three stormtroopers escorting them. The battle droid still trailed close behind Amir.
Every time Amir saw that machine, he couldn't help imagining the feeling of slicing through its armor with a lightsaber. That would be satisfying.
He didn't look around; he already knew the route by heart, thanks to the spider droid's stolen schematics. The training area was right next to the so-called rest zone.
And so, the two men walked—each subtly trying to influence the other's mind with the Force.
The corridor was as narrow as ever, metal plating echoing underfoot like they were walking through the gut of some giant mechanical beast.
The cold light overhead reflected sharply in Amir's eyes, making him uncharacteristically uneasy. It was strange—he'd been on warships many times during his years at the Imperial Academy; this shouldn't have felt unfamiliar.
"Am I getting space-sick?" he wondered, almost amused by the absurdity of the thought. Impossible.
The ship simulated normal gravity, and hyperspace travel was steady—there was no reason for it.
Amir never ignored sensations like this. Such instincts were often the Force's way of warning him.
So he tuned out Tulio's endless chatter and focused inward, seeking the source of that feeling.
Gradually, his expression darkened, his breathing quickened.
"What's wrong, Amir?" Tulio asked, noticing the change.
"I sense something… unsettling," Amir said frankly. When it came to the Force, explanations were unnecessary; people usually filled in the blanks themselves.
As expected, Tulio's eyes gleamed with sudden excitement.
"It must be that!" he said, pointing toward a nearby room. "You must be feeling it—the Force in its most powerful form! Driven and amplified by emotion, it's what we call the Dark Side! We've conducted experiments with it. Inside that chamber is Subject 032—the only survivor among the hundred original test subjects. He's still alive, though only barely—sustained within a medical pod."
"The Dark Side?" Amir extended his senses toward the room. The source indeed came from there, yet something about it was strange. He had faced Imperial Inquisitors before—he knew what the Dark Side felt like.
This was… similar, but mixed with something else. Something foreign. Something almost familiar.
Tulio, seeing Amir's reaction, explained eagerly, "Yes! Through our stimulus training, we successfully provoked and magnified his emotions—allowing the Dark Side to manifest. He was remarkably gifted, though his body suffered severe degradation. A pity, really."
Stimulus training. Amir didn't want to imagine what that meant.
The emotions that fueled the Dark Side most effectively were anger and fear—and the quickest way to trigger those emotions was through pain.
Pain that bred fury.
Despair that bred terror.
"He was born around the same time as me?" Amir asked quietly.
"That's right. Of the original hundred, he was the only one to survive—Designation 032. He's provided us with a great deal of useful data."
"What's his name?" Amir asked suddenly, a pang of empathy in his voice.
"He doesn't have one—only 032. Only the subjects who arrived here with names keep them," Tulio said. Then, as if remembering something, he added, "But those two girls in the other section—Mona and Milisen—they didn't have names either. Another test subject gave them those."
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🌌 Star Wars: Relics of the Past
📢 The Force Calls! 📢
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