A flash of lightning lit up the pitch black sky as a shuttle broke through the stormy cloud cover. The wet grass lowered as the ship folded up its wings for a landing approach. Rain drummed incessantly against the metal outer wall.
The exit platform lowered to the ground, paving the way for a lieutenant and four armed Imperial soldiers to exit the ship and position themselves at the side of the hatch.
In two rows, 30 teenagers filed out of the passenger compartment. Their black uniforms adorned the mark of the Empire. Surrounded by the troops and led by the lieutenant, the uniformed men walked down a path brightly lit by spotlights to a huge gray building. Behind them drew the shadows of three more cutlasses moving through the rain. Even though the youths marched through the rain motionless and with professionally frozen expressions, the tension could be read in their eyes.
The gate opened and gave way to the main building. The roadside was adorned with a few meticulously trimmed bushes. In front of the building stood the majestic-looking stature of Grand Admiral Rae Solane. A few of the youths looked up in awe, but immediately lowered their heads. A large door was opened in front of theirs both the soldiers and the youth entered the Academy of Arkanis for the first time. Before the destruction of the Empire, the Academy had been one of the most important training grounds for soldiers and officers. However, a secret council under Rae Solane was already forming from the shards of the old Empire. After the New Republic defeated the last Shards on Jakku, Solane and her followers fled to the unknown regions and have since formed into a new force to bring order to the galaxy.
The bright light of the entrance hall dazzled the youths as they passed the door and were led further into the academy. They looked around in amazement. High ceilings and stone columns adorned the entrance hall. The floor was covered with dark marble. From a distance, they could hear the monotonous footsteps of other groups of soldiers.
The lieutenant leading the group saluted an oncoming officer. The corridors were lit by white light and the rain pattered against the large windows the group strode past. They stopped in front of a large door. The lieutenant turned to the youth. ,,Behind this door is your chance to become a significant part of the new order. The commander will now receive you." With a whoosh, the door opened. The lieutenant and the youths marched into a large gray hall. The walls were covered with slightly protruding metal squares. Above the hall was a control bridge. Below hung a large banner with an insignia that was new to many of the youth. Only now did they notice the many other soldiers standing together in troops spread throughout the hall. Below the insignia was a platform on which several high-ranking officers sat in dark chairs.
The lieutenant led the youths in front of the platform and bid them farewell with a salute. All at once a door behind the platform opened and an older man in the uniform of a commander stepped out. Immediately, everyone present in the hall saluted as the head of the academy mounted the platform in front of him so that everyone could see him. Slight whispering broke out among the young people.
"That's Brendol Hux..." "He served under the Jedi in the time of the Old Republic..."
The whispering was interupted, as Commander Hux now rose to speek:
"It gives me great pleasure to welcome the many new aspirants for a place in the most prestigious academy in our halls. Some of you, I am sure, have been working your entire lives toward one day assuming a position of prominence in the First Order. Never forget the privilege that comes with a degree from the Academy. Only diligence, talent, and skill will enable you to one day make a considerable contribution to restoring order to the galaxy.
You have already proven through your theoretical test a few weeks ago that you have the theoretical potential to enter the Academy. But do you also possess the practical? In order to be finally accepted into the academy, you must pass the test that now follows. If you fail today, you will lose your chance for a career with the First Order. Prove your ability!"
With these words, he stepped back and left the hall, followed by several of the high-ranking officers. With a quick nod to the squad leaders, he signaled for them to step down. From the side, an officer in a gray uniform entered the platform with a datapad.
"For the practical test, you will now be divided into several groups. For each of you there is a slightly more mobile clothing ready, you will also need it." He looked up briefly from his datapad. "I will now read out the group assignments."
He cleared his throat:" Group 1: Corren, Tillian, Throne, Grandal, Jyn. Group 2: Pryde, Dane, Lynn, Dexter, Hux." At the last name, several teens turned questioningly.
Chyler Dane also turned from the front row to the back. In the back row was a nondescript boy. He wore the same uniform as everyone else, single strands of red peeking out from under his black cap. When their eyes met, Hux quickly looked down at the floor. Officer Davids, meanwhile, had read out the rest of the group assignments. With quick steps, he led the young people to a nearby room where they could change separately.
Chyler smoothed out the gray top with her hand and ran her hand over her hair, which was tied up with great effort. In the reflection of a window, she could see her face. Behind the rigid facade of her expression, she saw mostly excitement and fear. Chyler lowered herself from the wall to the floor, breathed deeply in and out, and closed her eyes. The other girls had already gone ahead. For a few seconds, she let her mind wander to better focus. She had been working towards this day all her life. She had been going to the "School for Future Military Leaders" on Vardos since she was a child. It was important to her father that she receive the best education possible so that she could one day avenge the Empire. With a jerk, Chyler stood up and straightened her shoulders. With quick moves, she quickly fixed a curl that had fallen out of her head and hurried back to the hall.
The rest of the teens were standing around a large vent in the hall that had not been there before. Looking around further, Chyler noticed Commander Hux and the other officers on the control bridge, who were looking critically at what was happening in the shaft. Chyler joined the others at the edge and glanced down. The first group of youths was already standing in the shaft, looking around uncertainly. Chyler also recognized the metal squares on these side walls. While she feverishly pondered what the task of this test was, someone stepped up beside her.
"Well, are you afraid of heights? Chyler stumbled back a few steps in shock, but was just able to catch herself. The boy next to her laughed briefly and turned to her. "I didn't mean to scare you like that, but you were standing there tied up, I just couldn't help it." He held out a hand to her. Leonidas Pryde. And with whom do I have the pleasure?" Chyler raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms. "Pryde, interesting. Sort of like the General?" A mischievous grin formed on Leonidas' face, "Like the General, my father to be exact." He took a step closer to her and leaned down: "In the academy you need allies. Without them, you are screwed. So, how aboutˋs that?"
Again he extended his hand to Chyler, who took it after a moment's thought and shook it. "My name is Chyler Dane." His green eyes scrutinized her from top to bottom. "Dane? Like the politician?" Chyler nodded curtly. ,,I guess we're about to be in a group." She let go of his hand and looked around. ,,Who else is with us?" Leonidas pointed to the other side of the shaft. "The blond little one there, that's Lynn. Kind of a pushover if you ask me. And then there's Dexter, the black-haired one over there with Officer Davids. A suck-up. And...Hux." Chyler looked at him questioningly. With a nod of his head, he pointed to the side of the shaft. At one corner stood the skinny red-haired boy from a moment ago. He, too, eyed the shaft.
"I didn't know that Commander Hux had a son," she remarked. Neither did I," Leonidas muttered, his gaze drifting up to the control bridge. The wail of a siren made them both jump. The voice of Commander Hux sounded through several speakers. The task is very simple. Climb up from the shaft. Anyone who falls back to the bottom must leave the Academy." Another siren sounded and all the young people looked down with anticipation. Individual platforms suddenly extended from the side walls of the shaft. Driven by the other youths' cheering from above, the first group tried to reach the finish line by jumping onto the platforms.
Jyn was the first to reach the top edge of the shaft and pulled himself up with the help of Dexter's hand. The two clasped hands in jubilation. "They seem to have known each other for a while," Chyler remarked as she watched the two. Leonidas nodded silently, next to them someone pulled Tillian out of the ravine. The crowd applauded, but a scream sounded from the chasm. While Throne was already lying on the floor of the ravine, Corren toppled backwards from a platform, twitching, and crashed to the bottom of the shaft next to the youth. A murmur went through the crowd. "Electric shocks. Interesting," whispered Leonidas.
Grandal was the last to make it out of the shaft. As Chyler looked across to Lynn, she saw him shaking from a distance. A platform extended above the edge; with a hand gesture, Officer Davids ordered the second group to step onto the platform. Once at the bottom of the shaft, all of the group looked up. "We have to be careful. Somewhere on the walls are stun guns," Leonidas shouted, looking at the walls. "You won't find stun guns on the walls." Confused by the contradiction, Leonidas turned around. Hux looked at Leonidas piercingly. "The stun guns are built into the platforms. If you stand on a platform for more than ten seconds, they are triggered. It would be completely pointless to attach them to the walls..."
"Thank you very much for this interjection, but I trust in my knowledge about these kinds of tests. The stun guns can only be attached to the walls, how else would you manage to leave the platform in ten seconds," Leonidas grudgingly interrupted.
The loud signal sounded and the platforms began to move. Chyler took the first chance she got and climbed onto the nearest platform. Having already covered a good distance, she took a look at the walls. Sure enough, there were no stun guns there. Hux was right, the stun guns are in the platforms," she called down. Leonidas growled and jumped onto another platform where Hux was already standing. He grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him to him. "Don't get any ideas about that," he snorted. Hux's face twisted into a sour grin. "Don't worry, Pryde. But remember that even your name can't buy you knowledge and talent." Leonidas grabbed him even tighter. "How dare you!" With a jerk, Leonidas pushed Hux off the platform.
Chyler turned from her platform and saw that Hux was just barely holding on to a lower platform. For a brief moment she considered helping him, but she turned decisively, took a running leap onto the last platform just before it shot a powerful electric shock, and was the first to reach the edge of the shaft. Surrounded by applause, Leonidas climbed out of the shaft next to her. With her fist she poked him in the side. "Why did you throw him off the platform? He was right about the stun guns, wasn't he?" Leonidas rubbed his shoulder: "It's simple, whoever insults my name and one of the best generals doesn't deserve to be part of the new order," he snorted and left Chyler on the edge.
Dexter jumped out of the ravine and was met by his buddy Jyn. Chyler gasped for air, breathing quickly, when she caught sight of Hux struggling further up. His shoulder hung down slightly as he did so. Despite his injury, he just about reached the second-to-last platform. With a pike he jumped to the edge of the shaft, but only managed to hold on to the edge with his injured side. Hux bit his lip to suppress the stabbing pain in his shoulder. He looked up and his eyes met Chyler's. She broke eye contact and held out her hand to him. He grabbed it and reached the top platform.
,"Did you hurt yourself?" asked Chyler as she pulled Hux to a standing position. He shook his head. "No. But...thank you." With these words he stood up and disappeared behind a side door. Meanwhile, Quincy Lynn also reached the penultimate platform. Uncertain, he looked up to the edge where everyone else had gathered. "You have to jump, Lynn!" shouted the girl with the dark hair. She had just pulled Hux out of the shaft. Quincy closed his eyes and opened them again. "Jump! Or you'll get electrocuted!" the boy with brown hair yelled. Quincy ran and jumped off just before the edge of the platform. To his surprise, his hands didn't grab the hard edge of the shaft, but a pair of large hands.
With a jerk, Leonidas pulled out the much smaller Quincy. In shock, Quincy let go of Leonidas' hands and quickly straightened up. "I...Leonidas right? Thank you...well," he stammered. He avoided Leonidas' sharp gaze and the looks of the others as he stood with the others. After the last group had also passed the test, the commander's voice rang out again. "
Congratulations to all who have passed this exam. Your further way will be difficult and exhausting. But always have one goal in mind, to restore order. Long live the Empire!"
The youths saluted at these words.
Officer Davids approached the youths. "I will now guide you through the academy and take you to your rooms."
He pocketed the datapad and led the youths to the door over which the insignia of the new "First Order" hung.
Slowly, Officer Davids turned to them.
"Cadets, welcome to the Academy of Arkanis!"