Hiding

Breaking Ranks

Ok. So I'm backtracking. I never said they would be in order, but hopefully it will make sense.
(Season 1: episode 6)

"And halt!" As the group of cadets come to a stop, they turn towards the two men, their commanders. "Squad LRC-077 for your inspection, sir!" Taskmaster Grint says to Commandant Aresko.
"Cadets, you entered this facility as children. And in a few short weeks, you will leave as soldiers. By the time you complete your training, you will be prepared to serve your Emperor. Today, we will test your strength and resolve. Are you ready to become stormtroopers?"
"Sir, yes sir!" All of the cadets say in unison.
"At ease."
As some of the cadets, like Jai Kell, with blue on his helmet, and Zare Leonis, with yellow on his, remove their helmets, Ezra removes his too, which has red on it. They are part of the top four. Well, he can't exactly say his name is Ezra, now. As he looks at his helmet, flashbacks of his previous time in the academy come back to him. He hears a faint whisper of his new name.
"-v. Dev. Hey Dev. Dev Morgan, you in there." He feels a hand on his shoulder. He looks up to see Jai.
"What. Yeah, oh yeah. Dev Morgan's in here Alright. Th-That's me..." He rotates his helmet nervously.
"Wow. You must really be feeling the pressure."
"Sorry, Jai. Who's under pressure?" He playfully elbows the boy. "Not the guy who's won every assessment." Jai starts to playfully fight back.
"Yeah, but today I can taste victory."
"You said that yesterday and went hungry." As they start to laugh, they feel the floor move.
"Woah!" The cadets are caught off-gaurd as some of them loose their footing.mAresko starts to speak.
"Cadets, you are descending into the Well... and must climb out with all deliberate speed." The Well has stopped moving and is at least twenty feet below from where it was previously. "For the top three winners, you will be given the honor of serving as aides in Imperial headquarters. Those who lose will be serving Taskmaster Grint... and wished they'd stayed at the bottom of that well."
"I'm taking that prize," Jai says, pointing towards himself. One of the cadets with green on his helmet shoves him. Ezra catches him before he could fall.
"Not today, Kell."
"Back off, Oleg." Ezra blocks a grab from him with his arm. He was the fourth person part of the top four.
"You too, Morgan. You're both going down."
"Actually," He says, shaking off Oleg's hand, "We're going up." As they begin to fight, Taskmaster Grint starts to count down.
"The assessment begins in four, three, two..." The cadets quickly put on their helmets and get ready.
"How exactly are we going up?" Jai says.
"One!"The squares in the Well begin to move and float, creating moving pathways so they can climb up.
"There's your answer, Jai." Ezra runs to the nearest platform, jumping on it. He jumps from platform to platform, working his way up. "See you at the top!"
"Yes, you will!" Jai says, beginning to work his way up. "From below!"As the other cadets start to follow what Ezra and Jai were doing, Ezra quickly jumps from platform to platform, sensing the quickest way up. A risky move, but he has to be in the top three.
"Failure is not acceptable. This Empire has no use for weakness." Commandant Aresko says. One of the cadets looks up at him but yells as the platform shocks him, sending him to a lower part of the well. Ezra jumps to platforms that haven't even come out of the wall, the pathway like a staircase. The platforms give out waves of electricity, but don't shock him because he is already on the next platform. After about four, he can stand on one that won't shock him.
"Morgan, how do you do it?"Jai says, making sure he doesn't stay on one for too long. "It's like you know the platforms coming before they're there!"
"What can I say?" He says, jumping one up before it comes out before he falls and two more up. The platforms had barley moved before he did. "It's a gift!"
"Morgan's impressive. Perhaps too impressive. Make note of that." Aresko says to Grint quietly, making sure none of the cadets hear him. Ezra helps Jai up onto a platform. He senses Oleg advancing behind them and takes Jai's arm.
"You lose, Morgan."
"Jai, look out!" He pulls Jai with him to an oncoming platform, making Oleg miss them. He falls to the lowest platform. Ezra opens his mask, smiling at Oleg. He gives him a salut mockingly and jumps to the top. Once he reaches the main level, he helps Jai up. They are both breathing hard.
"First again!"
"Yeah. Well, I'll get you tomorrow."
"You said that yesterday too." Ezra smiles. He hears a slow clap from in front of him and loses his smile.
"Quite a finish, cadets. It seems this trial was too easy. Morgan, Kell, you both set course records." Ezra looks at Jai from the corner of his eye. He is helping up the third place cadet.
"And, um... is it... Leonis."
The cadet straightens up and takes off his helmet. "Sir, yes sir!"
"Congratulations, you three are today's winners. But rest assured, your trial will be a great challenge. Follow." Aresko starts to walk off, leading the three to Imperial HQ. Ezra turns towards Jai, but looks down towards Oleg, giving him a pity nod, then follows Jai and Zare.