It's so big and bright in here! she thought as she pulled her little suitcase. It was getting old and the floral pattern was fading, but she couldn't bear to be parted with it. It held too much sentiment.

The walls were a blank slate of gray, full of possibilities for artwork, but those weren't allowed, of course. The lights were hospital bright, and the metal floors made a funny, almost tinny sound as she walked.

They said it was room H35. Oh dear. I think I'm lost!

It was a big ship. A venator-class star destroyer to be exact. When she'd boarded, she'd expected that the halls would be fuller. It did, in fact, house a great quantity of the Republic's finest troopers.

The girl smiled, hoping that she'd get along with them well.

There was also the other matter to think about - the Jedi General and his young Padawan.

She was supposed to be around my age. I hope we can be friends too.

The young woman sighed, pushing a stray wave of her hair behind her ear. It really would be wonderful if she could find her room. She wanted to get to the medbay and meet with the head physician.

What was his name? I can't call him by his cee-tee number. That'd be mean. And I can't just call him 'medic.' He probably gets enough of that anyway. Oh, dear, what was his name!

As she turned a corner, she gasped, trying to stop but not making it in time. Arms covered in a protective casing of armor grabbed her, keeping her from falling over from the impact of their collision. She dropped her suitcase and grabbed at his shoulders, trying to steady the surprised trooper as well. He dropped his helmet.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" she apologized, escaping the rescuer's embrace to bend down and retrieve his helmet. "I shouldn't have been so distracted!"

"That's quite alright, ma'am. I could say the same for myself." He took the helmet from her and tucked it under his arm against his side. "You must be Kix's new errand runner."

"Oh! Thank you!" she exclaimed. "I was having a time trying to remember his name. Thanks for reminding me!"

He smiled. "You're welcome. I'm Jesse."

She took his hand and shook it with a sweet smile. "I'm Ella. Ella Starrow."

"It's good to meet you," he said. "Did you just arrive?"

"Yes, I did," she answered. "This place is so... so big! And it sort of feels empty. Like you could pack a million people in it and it still would never fill."

"Strangely accurate," he agreed. "Judging by your luggage, you haven't found your room yet, have you?"

She sighed and shook her head, "I'm lost," Ella whispered, as if it were a dangerous secret.

Jesse chuckled. "I'm sure I can help you sort it out. You'll get used to the layout soon enough."

"Thank you!" she said brightly, and grabbed her suitcase again, following him. "How long have you served?"

"Almost two years, I think," he replied.

"That's a long time, isn't it?"

He shrugged, "Depends on how you look at it. I don't think it's been a short while, of course. It feels like we've been at war for ages. But I know that it isn't as long as some of the real veterans."

"Ah. I see."

"Where do you come from?" he asked.

"Have you heard of a little remote planet called Veritas?" she asked.

"I think I have," Jesse replied. "It's mostly a trade planet; farming and mercantile and the like, yes?"

She nodded. "It is. Mama and Daddy wanted me to see if I could get an education, so I went to Coruscant and attended the school."

"Um... what is it that nat-borns say... you, um, you focus on a subject, right? It becomes your specialty?"

Ella smiled encouragingly, "Yes! That's exactly it. We usually just say it's our major."

He blushed. "What is yours?"

She shrugged, "Nursing, mostly. I knew that regardless of whether I could use it for civilians or for the army, I wanted to focus on the medical field. It's intriguing."

He shuddered, "All that slimy stuff?"

She giggled, "Don't worry. It's only gross when it's on the outside."

He had to chuckle at that. "I guess you're right. Is there something you wanted to do specifically for nursing?"

"Labor and delivery, but I studied field medicine and minored in physical therapy too."

"Wow! Quite the resume."

"Thank you! How about you? How many droids have you gotten?"

He smirked. He, like many of his brothers, kept count. It made the battles more interesting. "I made 150 last time. I mean, that's the number I finally reached."

Her eyes widened, "That's a lot!"

He shrugged, "Some of us record how many we shoot. Some of us don't. Those of us that don't probably have more. It's the shinies that are the most devoted to it. It's like a rite of passage to them, I guess."

"Um... what's a shiny?" Ella asked meekly.

"Someone who's new. Inexperienced on the battlefield."

"But you train intensely on Kamino, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Then... you mean they're fresh? Like haven't seen battle?"

He nodded. "Yes. Exactly. They've spent their fighting days doing simulations and drills. It can only prepare you so much."

"Basic training, then."

He nodded.

They were silent a moment, then he laughed.

"What?"

He stopped and shook his head.

"Which room was it we were supposed to be looking for again?"

"H35."

He smacked his head.

"Great. Ok. We have to turn around."

But she only laughed and followed him with a bounce in her step, assuring him that she wasn't upset in the slightest and that she'd been just as distracted getting to know him.

They talked until they finally reached her room and she stepped inside, looking around.

It wasn't much. There was a bunk bed, a fresher, two desks, a table and two chairs, and two chests of drawers with hanging space beside them in a shallow closet. A mirror hung from the far wall. There also seemed to be places to shelve books, as a few pieces of metal stuck out from the wall. She couldn't help but smile at that.

Ella wheeled her little bag of treasures and clothes inside, and spun around slowly, taking it all in. Then she stopped and sighed, a sweet smile pulling her cotton-candy lips apart, and a peaceful gleam in her brown eyes. She rested her hands on her hips, feeling like she could make this place homelike if she used her imagination.

"It's not much," Jesse apologized from the doorway. "I hope it'll suit."

She shook her head, "I like it, Jesse. It's bigger than my little dorm at Corrie Uni if you can believe it. And I'd be happy with anything at this point."

Then she walked back to the door and closed and locked it, pocketing the little keycard, then turned to the trooper waiting for her dismissal.

"I know you're probably busy," she said. "Thank you for helping me find myself. I think I'd be wandering the halls forever if you hadn't helped me."

A pink tinge rose in his tanned cheeks, and he scratched the back of his neck. "Ah, it was nothing ma'am. I was happy to help."

"I'm glad then. But no ma'am's. I'm just Ella. Nothing else."

He smiled. "Alright then. It was good to meet you, Ella. I hope to see you around more often."

"Same here," she replied, shaking his hand.

He was about to say goodbye, then shook his head. "Do you know how to get to the medbay?"

She shook her head. "No, but I can figure it out."

He groaned and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, towing her with him. "No you don't. You will get lost. I'll bring you. I need to head to the barracks anyway. I reek from drills earlier."

"I can't tell."

He rolled his eyes, "That's sweet."

She just laughed and followed him through the winding corridors.

This will be quite the adventure. I can't wait to start!