| Training at the Stormtrooper Academy on Carida, Elias proved himself to be a more than capable candidate, though he did face a number of obstacles over the course of his training - not least due to his size; a good several inches above the usual height that Stormtrooper armour was designed for. That proved to be both a blessing and a curse, forcing Elias into more specialist branches of the Corps, where uniformity of appearence wasn't as important. At first, Elias was trained as a Rocket Trooper - part of an initiative to allow squad-level support via an rocket launcher that could be quickly deployed to different locations on the battlefield, via a jet pack integrated into the suit. Elias proved to be quite adept at making the most of the limited advantage provided to him, and was promoted to Corporal in recognition.
At the time of his graduation from Carida, Elias' mother and sister had intended to visit him to watch the ceremony. While travelling from their home to the starport however, they were caught in a terrorist attack against the public transport network on Kuat by rebel dissidents. Both were declared killed, though their bodies were never found, presumed to have been too close to the origin of the explosion. Elias was crushed, but from the ordeal he drew a strengthened loyalty to the Empire, and a renewed hatred of the Rebel Alliance.
Assigned initially to a rather unremarkable Garrison on Eriadu - birthplace of the infamous Wilhuff Tarkin - Elias began what seemed to be an unfulfilling career. However, over the first few months of his posting on Eriadu he managed to find a number of opportunities to prove himself as a loyal soldier. However, he felt unfulfilled by his support role as a Rocket Trooper; after a matter of months he requested to return to Carida to retrain further. Because of his training on portable propulsion systems, the ease with which he handled being airborne, and of course his general combat skill, Elias was allowed to specialise as a Jump Trooper: another group of jet pack equipped Stormtroopers, this time trained to deploy from high altitude and make planetfall.
Elias served with the Jump Troopers for several years, but eventually found himself offered a more specialised role. Because he had proven his loyalty and dedication to the Empire - as well as his abilities as a soldier - time and time again, and had earned himself the opportunity to join the elite Zero-G Assault Troopers, better known as Spacetroopers. Trained initially in the Mark II Spacetrooper suit, Elias eventually specialised as a Light Spacetrooper, favouring the mobility of the lesser armed and armoured suit to the bulky, heavily-armed incarnations.
The destruction of the Death Star at the Battle of Yavin represented a major blow to Imperial personnel. Reaching an epiphany in his life, Penikett Akasha decided that he had made a mistake forcing his son to go through the same trials that he had faced, and using what influence he had left with the Imperial Fleet, managed to secure Elias a spot at the Imperial Academy for Pilot training. Initially, Elias was reluctant: most the attraction of piloting had always been being out in space, and becoming a Spacetrooper had allowed him to have an even more intimate relationship with the void, without a bulky starship in the way. However, his childhood desires eventually won out, and he accepted the appointment. Initially he graduated as a basic TIE Fighter pilot, but after achieving Ace status - no small feat in the shieldless TIE/ln - he was reassigned to a more advanced Interceptor Squadron.
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| His fighter career ended after the Battle of Endor. Thrown off-balance by the loss of Emperor Palpatine, the Imperial Security Bureau and Imperial Intelligence grew increasingly concerned that high-profile individuals might be targeted by the Rebellion to further destabalise the government. Elias was one of a number of highly trained and unflinchingly loyal candidates selected by those branches of the military for training as an Agent to bolster existing security measures across the Imperial government. During the first few months of his new appointment, Elias found himself on Doldur supervising the security of Moff Miranda Tarkin. He was present to assist the Inquisitoriate in thwarting an attempt on her life. (Signs and Portents: Mirror On the Wall)
While assisting with security measures for a diplomatic visit to Naboo, Akasha had a brief encounter with Zeke. (Good Ol' Fisticuffs)
Elias went on to continue his role as a core member of Tarkin's security detail. When Miranda Tarkin announced her ascension to Empress to the Regional Governors, Elias assisted in coordinating and monitoring security of the meeting, while the Inquisitorate served as bodyguards for Tarkin herself. (Daughter of the Empire: A Rise to Power)
Under orders from Empress Tarkin, Akasha was reassigned to the planet Serenno, as part of the personal staff of the new Ambassador there; despite his reservations. Akasha felt that the role was not significant enough to justify abandoning his duties to protect Tarkin; the Empress on the other hand insisted that she needed one of her most trusted and loyal guards to ensure that the mission to Serenno was successful. In his absense - which Tarkin assured him was only temporary - Akasha selected Aiden Tahmores to serve in his stead, with the assistance of Eerika Praji. (How Did It Come To This?, Proving Ground)
On Serenno, Akasha was forced to forge a professional relationship with the head of security for the Demici Family: Imogen Rhysode. At first the two clashed, their respective life experiences placing them at the extreme opposite sides of various moral and political issues. As Elias made efforts to overcome those distances in the interests of performing his duty to the Empress however, their relationship took an unexpected and awkward romantic turn. (Guardians of Change, An Exercise in Tolerance)
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