A Few Hours Earlier...

Waiting.  

That is what Deenlark has been doing for quite some time.  Waiting on an update from Admiral Tko has been quite frustrating.  Tko was known as an effective officer, he did make it to the prestige of being an admiral after all, but all the same Deenlark was getting impatient.  He did not doubt that this plan would work, though.  Even though William Beesly was a brilliant engineer and shipbuilder, he was still a gullible man.  When he was presented with the evidence that Deenlark had crafted, he would resign to the truth: his wife was a criminal and rightfully going to prison.  Also, Deenlark knew from personal experience that William Beesly was an ambitious man.  He would not risk his position by lobbying against such substantial evidence.  It’s not like he would have any choice.  Once the cadet’s reaction was revealed, the trial would be of futile concern.  

Beep.  Beep.  Beep.  Deenlark’s musings were interrupted by a loud beeping noise coming from the center of his desk.  He turned on the holoprojector and an image of Admiral Tko appeared.  The hologram revealed his finely trimmed beard and his hair coated in the whiteness of old age.  “Commandent Deenlark.”  

“Admiral”, acknowledged Deenlark.  

The admiral had a thin smile on his aging, creased face.  “Helene Beesly has been apprehended and is in custody.  Her husband merely protested and said that we had the wrong person.”  

Deenlark gave a big wide smile.  “That is excellent news Admiral.  All there is to do now is to wait.”  

The Admiral nodded and agreed, “Yes, I will be in position at the trial and let you know what happens.  I will make the necessary measures based on the cadet’s actions.”

Present Day...

Jim had just gotten out of the Core Worlds Culture Class and he was perplexed.  Where was Pam?  She hadn’t been at the cafeteria earlier, but he dismissed it as a sign of her being busy.  Now, not so much.  She would never miss class like that.  She would never miss her studies.  She would never miss her demands at the academy.  It wasn’t like her.  

As he was pondering over her absence he walked through the corridors of the academy.  He spotted her roommate Tydie talking with another girl he didn’t recognize.  As he neared them, he heard them discussing Pam.  

“I know.  I feel bad for her.  I can’t imagine my mom getting arrested”, said Tydie.  

Jim jogged up to them and frantically asked, “Hey guys.  Do you know where Pam is?”  

Tydie looked up and her eyes lit up, recognizing Jim.  “Hey, Jim.  Didn’t you hear?  Her mom got arrested or something and she is there for the trial.”  

Jim’s eyes widened in shock.  “Wait, what?”  

The other girl nodded.  “Yeah, the rumor is that it was something about forgery.  The Commandment allowed her to go to the trial.”  

“Wow.”  Jim was shocked.  From what she had told him about her family, this was a surprise.  It seemed like they were good people and at the very least law abiding citizens.  He felt bad for his friend.  He knew she had a very close relationship with her mom and seeing her on trial would be hard.  Although Jim would not care if his parents were thrown in jail, it's not like they would be there for him any less, he knows how much it would hurt Pam to see her mother in a cell.  But on the other hand, the Empire is imprisoning her mother so she is kind of on both sides of the coin.  Nonetheless, the Empire arrested Pam’s mother for good reason, most likely.  They wouldn’t make a mistake like that, so although it may sting for Pam, it is the right move.  Right?

“Ma’am, prepare for landing.  We are approaching Corellia’s spaceport.”  

Pam glanced up from her seat to look at the cockpit, seeing her home planet just outside the window.  She had an overhead view of her hometown, Coronet City.  She spotted the mag-lev trains and subway stations.  She saw Juni Street Station, the train station where she got separated from her parents for three hours when she was six years old.  She saw the casinos her older cousins frequented.  She saw the expansive shipyard where many Star Destroyers and Tie Fighters were being built.  Finally, she saw the large spaceport that their ship was approaching.  

“This is shuttle one-two-six-five, sending clearance codes now.”  

As the shuttle began to descend, she heard the voice on the intercom.  “Shuttle one-two-six-five, you are cleared for landing.  Head to Bay 6.”  

Once they landed, Pam walked off and was greeted by an Imperial officer she recognized as Admiral Tko.  She had never met him, but his speeches on the HoloNet were frequent.  She bowed her head in respect and said, “Admiral Tko.  It is an honor.”  

“Cadet Beesly is it?”  

“Yes sir.”  

“Well Cadet Beesly, come right this way.  I made room at the Imperial barracks for you.  They are not too far from the courthouse.”  

Tko started to stride away without a turn back, but stopped in his tracks when he realized no footsteps were following him.  He slowly turned around to find Pam awkwardly shitting from one foot to another.  “Is there a reason you are just standing there?”  

“I, uh, was wondering if I could visit my father?  I just want to check on him.”  

Tko was surprised by her boldness, but glad that her intentions were becoming clear.  He made a mental reminder to tell Commandant Deenlark about this. “Oh.  I think that can be arranged”, Tko replied.  

He turned to two stormtroopers standing nearby and pointed towards a landspeeder that was a feet away from them.  “Hey you two, drive this cadet to William Beesly’s house.”  They nodded and proceeded to the landspeeder.  Pam’s eyes scrunched in confusion, wondering how they knew where her house was so well.  She shrugged it aside and followed them into the landspeeder.

Knock.  Knock.  Pam waited for a response from the oak door she had come to know so well throughout her 17 years of life.  After a few seconds of silence, she knocked again.  Finally, she heard some familiar footsteps.  They reached the door and it opened revealing her father.  

His eyes widened in complete surprise.  “Pam?”  

Pam smiled.  “Father?”  

“Oh my daughter, come in, come in.”  She stepped in, completely oblivious to the stormtroopers outside that were getting listening devices out of the landspeeder’s storage compartment.  As she stepped into her childhood home, she noticed that her father looked tired.  Very tired.  He looked like he hadn’t gotten any sleep in days and she didn’t blame him.  

When they reached the dining room table where the family had many wonderful dinners together, Pam’s father turned to her and a look of desperation appeared on his face.  His hair seemed grayer than usual.  The thin hairs guarding his head seemed frail and wispy.  The lines under his eyes seemed almost to express a message of sadness.  The stress lines on his face were like a maze.  A maze where every corner and crevice was stress looming like a ferocious rancor.  “I assume you are here for the trial?”  

She nodded.  “Yeah, they allowed me some time off to go to it.  I am surprised I got it, to be honest.”  

“Yeah, I am quite shocked too,'' he agreed.  He turned to look his daughter in the eyes and remarked, “I don’t know why they took her.”  

Pam stepped forward to give him comfort, but he continued on.  “She wouldn’t commit that crime.  You know that, Pam.  She isn’t a criminal.”  His voice broke at this, “they’ve got it all wrong.”  

Tears formed in his aging eyes.  Pam put her hand on his arm in an easing way.  “I know, father.  The trial tomorrow will be okay, I promise.  There can’t be any substantial evidence.  The judge will see what kind of person she is and know that this accusation can’t be true.  The Empire may have made a mistake, but they will see that they made one and fix it.  I promise you that mother will be back here in just a couple of days.”  

He shook his head and looked up at her and uttered a whisper.  

“How can you be sure?”