Yanibar Tales/Spectre interview

''This interview is for my Current Events class with Teacher Sowsren. I'm interviewing my uncle, Spectre Kraen, because he's someone who influences life in a big way for a lot of people.'' - Akleyn Kraen.


 * Akleyn: Uncle Spectre, are you ready? I'm turning on the holorecorder now.
 * Spectre: Go ahead.
 * Akleyn: First off, what is your current job on Yanibar?
 * Spectre: I'm the Commander in Chief of the Yanibar Guard Army, ranked as a general.
 * Akleyn: What do you do for that job?
 * Spectre: Mostly, I handle paperwork and go to meetings. *chuckles.* Other than that, I'm in charge for making sure that the YGA is doing what it takes to keep the refuge here safe.
 * Akleyn: What type of training did you have to prepare you for this?"
 * Spectre: Well, I spent my childhood and early years learning about tactics and infantry combat. The next three years after that were spent roaming the galaxy, fighting in one of the biggest wars the galaxy has ever seen and hopefully will ever see: the Clone Wars. I had plenty of experience by the time I got here.
 * Akleyn: How many battles did you fight in the Clone Wars?
 * Spectre: I've lost count. Somewhere in the Imperial data records, there's a complete service record, buried under layers of bureaucracy and secrecy. It's between twenty and thirty.
 * Akleyn: So, were you a clone trooper?
 * Spectre: You could say that&hellip;I was an Advanced Reconnaissance Commando, Alpha-28. We were better, more independent, more skilled than regular clone troopers.
 * Akleyn: Alpha-28? Was that like your callsign?
 * Spectre: No. That was my designation&mdash;clones didn't have names at first. It wasn't considered necessary. Later, many of us took on names in order to show our individuality.
 * Akleyn: Is that where they first started calling you 'Spectre'?
 * Spectre: Yes.
 * Akleyn: Why that name?
 * Spectre: I got it on Muunilinst during an urban operation. At one point, I volunteered to take out a tank that was in our way. My buddies distracted it while I got in close, popped the hatch, and took it out. I did similar operations several times times en route to our objective and the droids never once saw me coming. Our squad leader said I was like a spectre, stealthy and deadly, so the name fit.
 * Akleyn: Wow. That's incredible. What was your favorite weapon?
 * Spectre: The one that just saved my life. We were trained to use all sorts of weapons and use them well.
 * Akleyn: But what about your favorite? Was it a blaster? Was it a vibroblade?
 * Spectre: My favorite weapon was probably a DC-17 hand blaster with a silencer on it. All the punch, none of the noise. I still have that gun, and it's never failed me.
 * Akleyn: Do you miss being a commando?
 * Spectre: Every once in a while, maybe. I still get a chance to hit the training range every now and again, but I can't say I would want to return to doing it all the time. Commando units are for young, fit soldiers, and I'm not as young as I used to be. I don't need the adrenaline rush like some of the young guys do. Also, it's risky, dangerous work and lot of good people don't come home in the commandos. I could never have a family and still be an ARC, so no, I don't miss it. My family is more important to me.
 * Akleyn: Which is better, the YGA, or the Republic Army?
 * Spectre: That's a hard question to answer. YGA does what it needs to with the resources it has. The Republic Army did the same, but they're two very different organizations with different compositions and objectives.
 * Akleyn: Okay, but how about the average soldier? How does a YGA infantryman compare to a clone trooper?
 * Spectre: There is no finer infantryman than a clone trooper. He is bred to fight, trained from childhood to be the best, and has utter loyalty. He is tactically savvy and does not flinch under fire. That said, your dad has come up with some pretty neat toys at Kraechar Arms that give the YGA a technological edge.
 * Akleyn: Do you care to talk about those?
 * Spectre: No. It's enough to know that it makes you and everyone else here safer.
 * Akleyn: Okay . . . uh . . caf or tea?
 * Spectre: What? Is that an interview question?
 * Akleyn: Sure, while I try and figure out my next real question.
 * Spectre: Caf, then. Hot enough to burn your tongue, strong enough to melt durasteel. No sweetener.
 * Akleyn: What do you think of the way the Yanibar refuge is set up?
 * Spectre: That's more of a question for a politician. I think it's a safe place for Force users to hide from the Empire. It has its quirks, but I've never known as many people that care about me anywhere else. My job is to make sure that it stays that way.
 * Akleyn: If you could change anything about Yanibar, what would it be?
 * Spectre: To be honest, there's nothing major. I have my disagreements and differences of opinion with others, but nothing that demands a change. Except one thing, come to think of it.
 * Akleyn: Oh?
 * Spectre: The last interservice grav-ball game between YGA and YGF. We should have beaten those fleet babies so badly.
 * Akleyn: I see. Well, I have just one last question. Why do you do what you do? What keeps you motivated to keep Yanibar safe?
 * Spectre: The people of this refuge entrusted me with this responsibility nearly twenty years ago. I do it because the safety of this refuge is important to me. My friends live here, my family lives here. If I ever any doubts about what I do, all I have to do is look at the holo of my wife and our children to remind myself that they're worth any difficulties in my job.
 * Akleyn: Okay. Thanks for the interview. May the Force be with you, Uncle.
 * Spectre: And with you.

Interview ends.