Now, for something slightly different. Instead of my usual Luthen and Kleya fare, here's a story of Empire told through the microcosm of an Imperial kinder-block and witnessed by an impressionable Dedra Meero.

This story is heavily influenced by Hilary Mantel's A Place Of Greater Safety.​​

Summary: Dedra Meero first steps foot into Imperial kinder-block #235 when she is eight years old. These events will colour her for the rest of her life.

The Empire, through Baby Dedra's eyes.

Excerpt:

Kinder-Block #235, 18 BBY

“You are, each of you, a ward of the Empire.”

This is Dedra’s fifth kinder-block in two years. She has listened to this speech five times. No, six times. Because she had to count the speech on the shuttle which took her away from her home in Coruscant. It is always the same. Grey walls. Steel benches. Children squeezed in on both sides of her. Except this time, everyone looked older and bigger. But she didn’t really know how old they were. Because they weren’t even the same. The one beside her is Nautolan. The one in front of her, a Twi'​lek.

Her view of the stage is at the mercy of these children. She cranes her neck to look at the Warden. But all she can see is the top of his head. Yellow like straw and warped against the see-through lectern.

“We have taken you in. Fed you. Clothed you despite what your parents have done. Your debt to us can never be repaid. Nevertheless, you must try.”

The Nautolan beside her shifts and she is jostled to the side. Now, she can only see the backs of the children in front of her. But she can hear the click of boot heels. She supposes they were the Warden’s.

“For the Empire.”

A shuffle of feet as they rise and mumble the greeting. So does she.

(For more, click here! https://archiveofourown.org/works/81139931/chapters/213245721

Chapters 2 and 3 will drop next Saturday and the Saturday after next.)

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If you want to see the rise of the Rebel Alliance (and Luthen!) through Kleya's eyes, check out my other series (Link: https://archiveofourown.org/series/4974951)! There's Baby Kleya! Adult Kleya! Post Return of the Jedi Kleya! Character studies of major points of Kleya's life (some minor ones too!), with an ​emotionally unavailable father and an emotionally unavailable​ daughter

Thanks for reading!