“During the Clone Wars, I served in the Grand Army of the Republic,” Hux said. “I was a junior officer who communicated tactics and strategy as determined by our Jedi generals.”

The cadets sat in stony silence, disturbed by what they knew was a forbidden subject.

Hux chuckled.

“Come now, ladies and gentlemen,” he said. “The Empire has nothing to fear from the tattered remnants of an extinct cult. But I mention the Jedi because we can learn from them—as we must learn from all our enemies.”

Hux got up from his chair, gesturing impatiently for the cadets to remain seated. He began to pace, with DeeDee’s head carefully tracking her master’s progress.

“The Republic’s clones were effective soldiers because they weren’t just trained for battle but bred for it,” Hux said. “Their training began at birth, with newborns tested for eyesight and reflexes. You’ve all learned that. But what you may not know is that the Jedi were the same way—they searched the galaxy for babies and young children who shared their sorcerous gifts and trained them from the cradle. In both cases, the result was a cadre of superior, fanatically loyal warriors.”

Zare stared at Hux. Was that why the Inquisitor had taken Dhara? To turn her into a warrior loyal to some new philosophy? And did Hux’s talk of the Jedi mean he was involved in Project Harvester, as well?

“The clones’ nature posed a weakness, however,” Hux said. “Because they were genetically identical, they were vulnerable to the same biological agents and pathogens—and, indeed, Separatist scientists spent much of the war seeking to create bespoke viruses that would target the clone armies.

“Our Emperor was aware of this possibility and opened the ranks of the military to the entire galactic populace. By doing so, he avoided the clones’ genetic vulnerabilities and ensured that Imperial citizens knew their military was made up of their own families, rather than some lesser order of humanity. But there was a trade-off—with the clones trained from birth to be soldiers, no nonclone could ever equal their prowess in battle.”

The cadets turned in their chairs to watch the commandant’s relentless pacing.

“But what if there were a way to avoid that trade-off?” Hux asked. “What if you could train nonclone soldiers from birth? Isn’t that exactly what the Jedi did?”

The commandant stopped behind his chair and rested his hands on it, his brilliant blue eyes fixing on each cadet in turn.

“We can train stormtroopers from birth, as the clones and Jedi were,” he said. “Over generations, through careful observation and selection, we will create an army that has all the clones’ strengths but none of their weaknesses. Stormtroopers utterly loyal to the Empire who see it as their family—because that is what it will be.”

Hux smiled, smacking the back of his chair for emphasis.

“This has been a dream of mine for years,” he said. “I searched for officers who would understand what I proposed, and who could help me create these champions of our Empire. When I didn’t find those officers, I decided to follow my own advice—I would create them. You have been chosen to begin this great work alongside me—to execute my design. Together, my cadets, we shall oversee the creation of legions that ensure the Empire lives forever.”