To be a Clone.

(story told from Lia's perspective) It's been seven years since my parents died, my sister abandoned me, and I was forced to leave my home planet. I remember feeling completely devastated and thinking that everything was over. Of course, how can you enjoy life when you're an orphan, your home has been destroyed, and you're probably being hunted by separatists? For my own safety, I decided to lie low and wait until I was forgotten. I chose Satsuna as my “safe haven” — a remote planet in the farthest corner of the galaxy. Few people knew about it, so it was usually quiet there. The planet was part of the Republic, but it was so remote that even the Republic forgot about it and rarely visited. There, I miraculously managed to find a job as a mechanic's apprentice. I also managed to get a job at a small educational institution for refugees, where I received training as a translator. So all this time I was studying and working at the same time. Memories of my parents and home constantly popped into my head, but so did my childhood dream of becoming a Republic fighter. Back then, when I was 8-10 years old, it was just a childish wish, but now that I was 17, I realized that it was a dream that would never come true. It was simply impossible! I'm not a clone, and besides, the Republic doesn't need volunteers. If it needs new fighters, it can always order a new batch from the Kaminoans. One day, after graduating from college, I was able to climb out of the “pit” into the light. I decided to fly to Coruscant and find a job there. As I said earlier, I am a translator by education, so I could find a job anywhere. So I flew away from Satsuna and flew to Coruscant in search of a new life. I had a childhood friend on Coruscant, Raya Chuchi. Our mothers got along well, and Raya and I somehow became friends. When the tragedy with my parents happened, I kept quiet for a long time, keeping all my feelings to myself, but when I was 15, I couldn't take it anymore and contacted Raya to share my emotions with her. My friend listened to me and said that if I needed anything, she would always be there to help me. It was awkward, of course. Even though I was the daughter of senators, I didn't get that status. So now I was just an ordinary girl living an ordinary life. So, when I flew to Coruscant, I immediately rented a small apartment and went looking for a job. *** “I'm sorry, but we only hire adults,” said a middle-aged woman filling out some paperwork, dashing my last hopes. I had already visited at least five offices, and they had all turned me down. “O-okay. Sorry to bother you. I'll be going,” I said uncertainly, getting up from my chair and heading for the exit. “Goodbye!” “Goodbye,” the woman replied coldly. I walked gloomily through the streets of Coruscant. It smelled of gasoline and burnt metal. I stopped and looked up. Skyscrapers stretched into the sky everywhere. There wasn't a single tree on this planet, not even a blade of grass. It's true that Coruscant is sometimes called the “iron planet” . I exhaled heavily and trudged toward one of the tall buildings where I lived. When I got home, I noticed that Raya had called me. I picked up my comlink and contacted her. The senator answered immediately. “Hi, Raya,” I greeted my friend, trying to sound cheerful. “Hi. Is something wrong? You seem sad,” Raya asked. I bit my lip. She hadn't changed since then. She was still as sensitive and attentive as ever. “Nothing special.” “Are you sure? Lia, you know you can share your feelings with me. As your friend, I'll listen to you,” the girl said softly, with a smile in her voice. “Okay. I couldn't find a job. I went to five or more offices, but they all turned me down!” They say they only hire people over 18," I blurted out. Raya sighed: "That's very sad. Nowadays, it's getting harder and harder for ordinary people to find a decent job... Although, I know what you can do. Remember, you wanted to join the Republic's army? I can help you with that," said Chuchi. I laughed involuntarily. “But that's impossible! Those are just childhood dreams that will never come true,” I said nervously. Raya smiled: “If you try hard enough, any dream can come true.” I thought about it. It's true, if I really wanted to, I could fight alongside the clones. A moment of joy overwhelmed me, but it was interrupted by reality. "But even if I try, they'll just kick me out. Where have you ever seen a girl fighting alongside clones? I'll just be a burden to them," I said hopelessly. “Think what you want, but know that if you want to fight, I can help you,” said Raya, “and now excuse me, I have to go.” The connection was lost. I put the comlink on the nightstand and sank heavily to the floor. I have to try. Even if I'm rejected, I'll be able to find my place in this world. Probably... *** (From the perspective of Raya Chuchi) After my conversation with Lia, I decided to find out about jobs in the Republic. Lia was right — only people aged 18 and older were allowed to hold such important positions as translators. Then I decided to find out if there had been cases where the ranks of the Republic's fighters included not clones but people, such as men or women. I had to dig through the files for a long time, but I still couldn't find any information about recruiting volunteers for the army. Then I decided to take more extreme measures. I decided to talk to my friend Padmé. She would be able to understand my situation. *** "Hi, Raya. Nice to see you. So why did you need to meet me so urgently?" Padmé asked when we met. Padmé was wearing her everyday outfit, consisting of a white turtleneck, tight-fitting beige pants, and a crimson vest. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and secured with a simple hair clip. I was also wearing my everyday burgundy suit and a gold hair clip. “I called you to talk about something important,” I said and sat down. Padmé sat down next to me. “Do you remember the Shilly family of senators?” I began. “Of course, how could I forget them? It's a shame they all died and we couldn't get there in time to save them,” Amidala said sympathetically. “The thing is, not all of them died,” I said. “Lia, their youngest daughter, survived and is now on Coruscant.” “Really? Poor girl! It must be very hard for her,” my friend replied. “Well, Lia has a degree in translation, but no one will give her a job because of her age,” I continued, “but she had one dream. You'll probably laugh.” “I won't,” Padmé smiled. “She wanted to serve alongside the clones, protecting the Republic,” I finished. “But that's impossible! First of all, she's not a clone, and secondly, she's a girl. And that would be very strange... many people might misunderstand,” Padmé replied to my statement. “Yes, but if she's there as an assistant to the captain or general...” “Still, we need to think about it. First, we need to look at her abilities,” Padmé said, “we can ask the Jedi to test her. I happen to have an acquaintance.” “Okay. And if the Jedi say she's well trained, we'll discuss it with the Chancellor,” I finished and stood up. I hope Lia can pass this test, I thought to myself as I picked up the comlink to contact my friend.