Star Wars Rebels: The Academy (UNDER MAJOR EDITING)

Chapter 2 (EDITED)

(Ezra POV)

Wearing my new cadet uniform supplied by "Fulcrum", I take my drafting tests, being as careful as possible not to show any Force powers while taking them. The tests are to show which squadron I will be placed into, and are of both mental and physical nature. Apparently Fulcrum was not quite as thorough as he or she had thought they were, because I'm definitely not in a certain squad yet. An Imperial officer watches and grades me, nodding approvingly when he gives me my final and overall scores, which are quite high, if I do say so myself. Especially considering the fact that I haven't been to school in eight years. My scores are all nineties. Except for the ones in bioscience and mathematics. Those ones are only seventies.

I never was good at equations and planetary ecosystems.

"Most impressive, Cadet Renn. You scored very high in most of your tests, placing you in the advanced group. You can go to your room now. The number and code are listed on your datapad."

"Sir yes sir!" I salute him, then taking my datapad and tucking my helmet under my arm, make my way to my room. I open the door with the code listed and see a group of boys my age gathered around one girl. Some wear helmets, some don't. But all are in Cadet uniforms, like me, and doing a quick headcount, I realize there are only about a dozen of us in the group. The girl isn't wearing a helmet, and she has long blonde hair and shining brown eyes.

She's pretty. The thought flashes through my head before I can stop myself.

Shut up, inner voice. I have a job to do.

"A girl? How'd you make it into advanced, blondie?" One boy asks, who has a shock of red hair.

I expect the girl to cringe from his comment, but all she does is calmly reply.

"Simple. Unlike most of you, I can actually hit a target." she shoots back. The boys glance at each other in surprise at her sudden comeback, and back away to their bunks, breaking into their own small knots of conversation.

The girls turns her eyes on me as I approach the only empty bunk–the one beside hers. "Hi."

"Hi." I reply. "These guys that bad at shooting? You'd expect more from the advanced team." I carefully toss the datapad I'm carrying onto the empty bed, but continue holding the helmet as I turn back to the girl.

"Uh huh. I honestly don't know how most of them got into advanced. Probably have Senators for parents." She smiles.

"Probably. I'm Renn," I say, grinning back.

"Crystal Kae." She holds out her hand. I shake it, a slight heat flooding through me until I let go. Then the name hits me.

That's her!

Awesome; I get to rescue a pretty girl from the Empire.

Focus, Ezra.

I open my mouth to speak again, but before I can, an announcement comes on over a hidden speaker in the room. "Attention Cadets. You have one last test before you can be allowed into advanced training. Please follow Agent Kallus to the testing."

Kallus! What's he doing here? I think. No time to wonder. Sabine may have coloured my hair brown and given me normal brown eyes with contact lenses, but that wouldn't be enough to keep Kallus from recognizing me. I slide on my Cadet helmet just as Kallus opens the door to our room.

"Cadets. Follow me," he says.

We all lineup as he leads us out of the room, and everyone is all orderly and silent, including me, and our boots all march to a beat without seeming to realize it. The rhythm pounds on the floor, no music necessary. Thump. Thump. Thump. It's like hearing stormtroopers in the marketplace.... Oh right. These are stormtroopers in training, after all. Children, expected to fight and kill in only a few years.

I already hate this place. There's just something plain wrong with what the Imperials are trying to do with these kids. Maybe when I bust out of here, I can do some damage in the process to hinder the stormtrooper training.

Agent Kallus leads us down corridors and hallways until we reach a giant hanger bay. And by giant, I mean GIANT. There's enough AT-STs and TIE Fighters in there to fill a Star Destroyer.

Kallus orders us to lineup inside a black painted square on the grey, metal floor in military position. Beside me is Crystal, holding a green-marked helmet.  My own helmet is marked with red, same as the last time I was here; I quickly and carefully nudge her with the Force, prompting her to glance my way unknowingly. I raise my eyebrows at her, indicating it's me beside her; she bites back a smile at my half-hidden expression.

"You will be tested altogether," he states, pacing slowly in front of us, outside the square. "We expect your full cooperation."

"Sir, what is the nature of the test?" I dare to ask, being careful to dramatically lower my voice. I can't have him recognize me.

"That is on a need-to-know basis," he responds crisply. "And you don't need to know."

Great.

A stormtrooper comes up to him and hands him a datapad and after clicking some buttons, he looks up and speaks again.

"Well, Cadet, your question is about to be answered after all. Cadets, you will be descending into the Well." 

As he speaks, the floor beneath us begins to sink, and we all raise our heads to look at the Agent above as some Cadets struggle to keep their footing with the sudden jolt. I've already been through this exercise, the last time I was here; it should be a piece of cake.

But everything always goes according to plan, doesn't it?

"Your task is simple: Get to the top. Do whatever you must, as some Cadets will receive a special prize for being quick."

A murmur goes through the group at this declaration.

"But be warned, being first to the top does not guarantee you a prize."

Huh? Doesn't it always?

"We are testing for something specific, that not all of you have the ability to even comprehend." Kallus continues. Well, that's awfully suspicious. I'm not liking the sound of this.

We reach the bottom of the Well, and the impact topples a few of the Cadets. Crystal stumbles, and I reach out to grab her arm to prevent her from falling, but she quickly regains her footing without needing my help.

"And to help us with this test, we have a special guest, who will be delivering your prize, should you receive one."

I feel him before I see him. His Force-signature isn't easy to forget, or to ignore. Dread courses through me before I can stop it.

"I'd like to introduce the Inquisitor."