The origin of a Stormtrooper
The creation of an Imperial Stormtrooper. A cloned man is one of a group of genetically identical humans, an assembly-line product. He is a thinking man, but he serves a specific purpose and no other. A clone has no mother; only his trainers, and he accepts his fate because he believes it is inevitable. A clone is, physically and emotionally, a normal man. He simply has no human rights and no name. He is the property of the Emperor. Soldiers fully formed in the growth tanks quickly proved impractical. Scientists found themselves the befuddled fathers of 80 kg. blubbering idiots. A fetus is now removed from the hatchery after a gestation period of 60 weeks and is delivered immediately into the hands of its trainers.
TRAINING
As kids, Stormtroopers live like hardened cell block inmates only barely under control. Hundreds of nasty little orphans with only one thing on their minds: the sheer unparalleled joy of a good raid. These boys know that they are special and they strut with a proud arrogance. Their military education is picked up as naturally as an infant learns to talk, and any purpose other than their preordained future as commandos is inconceivable. By the time they are actually contracted into service, each Trooper is anxious to fulfill his common lifelong ambition; to wear the Imperial armor, and to be carried away with the Star Fleet into incredible adventure and battle. Trainees are generally devoid of imagination, but after years of rough talk and stories of conflicts lost and won, individual temperaments emerge.
The Ultimate in Anti-Laser Armour
An introduction of the armored spacesuit: a white eggshell worn like a second skin and made of super lightweight Impervium. Many Troopers become so attached and dependent on the suits that they fear to remove them. A black, two piece body temperature control glove is worn under the armor and is adjustable for comfort. Eighteen pieces of armor, which include the battery box and control devices, snap together to form an effective anti-laser cocoon. Indirect hits are reflected off the surface of the armor, though it provides little protection against a well-aimed piercing blast. During the off-duty hours, only the body glove is worn. Each Trooper is issued two body gloves, one set of armor and spare parts. His helmet features automatic polarized lenses and voice-activated transceiver. Belts include specialized survival equipment concentrated ration, emergency batteries, and a Comlink. Additional equipment is issued for desert and arctic use. Impervium resist decay so effectively that early models of the spacesuit can still be found near century-old battle sites. They bring high prices as souvenirs and privateers rebuild them for another fifty years of good use.
PROMOTION
Promotion to Squad Leader comes with battle experience and long months of straight duty. Just staying alive long enough helps, most old Troopers are Squad Leaders . Real promotion, however, is a step up to the Imperial Guards. Each guard is assigned to an Executive of the Imperium. Governor Moff Tarkin's personal guard ... 40 men. Lord Darth Vader's personal guard ... 12 men. Snappy uniforms and light duty. A guard travels with his assignment, usually to the plushest environments. There are hazards. The personal ambitions of the leader one is assigned to protect may give rise to little-publicized but very lethal feuds. The size of a titled officer's private army is a factor in realizing his political goals, and Imperial Guards often find themselves in the role of hit men. It is a satisfying position.
Toughest Troopers in the Galaxy?
A Guard never feels he is playing the traitor by assassinating rival Imperial Officers. Troopers have always been taught that the enemy are worthless insects to be stomped out; but a guard who has successfully overcome or defended against other Imperial Guards feels that he has defeated an opponent worthy of the effort. A healthy spirit of competition exists in their ranks. No one is exactly sure what qualities make a clone worthy of promotion - a special alertness perhaps - but they are much envied. Imperial Guards are allowed liquor and women.
RETIREMENT
Only a small percentage of Troopers survive to retirement age. As they get older, they are assigned to light duties; training, communications and stores. Eventually they are sent to the Troopers' Rest camp on the holiday planet of Sochi. There are tales of Troopers who, captured by enemies or wounded and abandoned by their companions, now live and breathe outside the influence of the Empire. They have names. Without their armor, they are almost indistinguishable from the general population. Of course, such cases are rare. Officially they do not exist. For the most part however, Imperial Stormtroopers remain loyal 'lifers' dedicated to the preposition that the only good alien is a dead one.
