In the upcoming weeks, Eva trains intensively in The Well, jumping from platform to platform while they move high above the bottom of the pit. She puts all of her efforts into reaching the top three to win the match against the other squad, but Eva realises she is far too slow, and as she reaches the top of The Well, she sees she's second last, and again, Roslin is part of the top three. Eva curses silently under her breath as she climbs over the edge, realising that her performance is far from good. Although it is training and mistakes can be made, it makes Eva feel disappointed in herself.
As a week passes, Eva still struggles to finish The Well in the top three. Everyone else in her squad at least reached the top three once, but Eva not a single time. She never comes close to the winning three, and each time she finishes outside the top three, she curses under her breath out of rage. Not because she's enraged by the others, but because of herself.
One day, as Eva and her squad stand on the bottom with an E-10 blaster in her hands, the taskmaster introduces a new aspect to The Well. Previously it had just been jumping from platform to platform. Eva wonders what the E-10 will be used for, but she knows it will make The Well more challenging.
''Cadets,'' says the taskmaster loudly as he peeks over the edge at the girls at the bottom. ''To make The Well harder to complete, you'll be facing a new challenge. Shoot with your blaster at the platforms to activate them and get them to move. Shoot at the platforms while you make your way up, and with the blaster training you've had in the last week, that shouldn't be a problem.''
Eva takes a look at her E-10, still as clean as when she first picked it up weeks ago in the shooting range, and thanks to the blaster training, she improved her shooting abilities and now is the time to show it in The Well.
Feet a meter apart from each other, the blaster's stock braces in the hollow part below her collar bone, dominant eye at the gun sight, and…
''Eva.''
She turns around and sees Ashara approaching her.
''Good luck,'' she says and pats Eva on her shoulder.
''Thanks,'' says Eva. ''I really need it, I guess.''
''You haven't reached the top three yet, have you?''
''No, not yet.''
''I can go a bit slower if you want, I mean, I was in the top three twice.''
Eva nods. ''Yeah, that would really help. Thanks.''
''It's still up to you to reach it.''
''Got it.''
Eva feels happy that Ashara wants to help her in reaching the top three in this training match. As Roslin calls the two, Eva, Ashara and the rest of the squad come together, and they huddle.
''You all know the drill,'' says Roslin confidently. ''For the Empire.''
''For the Empire!'' chants Eva and the others.
Each chant she cries gives Eva the extra power to reach the top three, and she is determined to win. As she looks up at the taskmaster, waiting for the go sign, she stretches her arms and legs to prepare herself for the challenge as she recalls how to handle the E-10. Feet apart, stock below the collar bone, dominant eye on the gun sight, and fingers on the trigger. As she looks around, she sees square outlines imprinted on the walls of The Well, and Eva figures out that those are the platforms that are activated with a blaster shot. She locks her eyes on a nearby square outline that is low to the ground.
Then the taskmaster gives the go sign.
Eva runs to the nearby square outline and puts the stock on her shoulder and aims the blaster. She fires and hits the square, and then a platform comes out of it. She approaches it and climbs up, putting her hand on the platform and her feet on the railing at the bottom of it.
As she climbs onto the platform, she sees another square outline nearby and shoots and hits it. Another platform comes out, and Eva makes the jump towards it as it moves towards her. She knows she could have just waited as it moved towards her, but she knows there is no time to be wasted.
Eva jumps to the platform and catches the railing below it as her heart pounds nervously in her chest. She holds tightly onto it as she puts the blaster on the top and climbs up the platform. As she stands up, she sees a platform moving up towards her, activated by someone else. She jumps down and lands hard on it. She almost falls off but manages to stabilise herself.
As Eva looks around quickly as the platform goes up, she sees other cadets, some of the other squad and some of her own nearing the top, and she sees a cadet climbing over the edge and finishing first. Eva now only has a chance to finish second or third, and she's determined to take it.
As the platform stops moving up, Eva jumps to another platform moving sideways a bit higher, climbs up, and shoots with her blaster to activate another. The new platform comes out of the wall and moves sideways a bit higher than the platform she's standing on. As it moves towards her, Eva jumps and catches the railing below it with her hands and climbs up the platform. She looks up and sees she's nearly at the top, and her heart starts to pound with nervousness and excitement. She really has a chance to win for the first time, but she sees the second place has already been taken by someone else. Eva knows that time is running out. Now she only has a chance to take the third place.
Eva looks nervously around, and sees another platform moving sideways, this time closer to the top of The Well. That platform is her ticket to the top three. As her platform moves closer to it, Eva jumps over the gap towards the other, climbs up, and stands up as it moves towards the edge.
However, Eva sees it is slowing down and realizes it won't go all the way to the edge. She knows she has to jump to the last part. Eva walks to the back of the platform, runs forward, and jumps towards the edge of The Well. She lands with her arms on the edge and manages to hold onto it. Her heart pounds with excitement as she knows she finished third.
Then that excitement vanishes as she sees a pair of shoes standing next to her. Eva looks up and sees Roslin has taken third place. She lost again, and this time it feels more painful. Eva had a good chance of reaching the top three, but now it's been taken away by Roslin, her own team leader.
Out of rage, Eva slams the floor with her fist viciously as she still hangs over the edge of The Well, breathing heavily from the challenge. She can't believe her chance of winning slipped through her hands. She knows the fourth place isn't bad, but Eva feels enraged that she didn't make it to the winning three.
''Let me help you get up,'' says Roslin as she reaches out with her hand.
Eva doesn't want to take Roslin's hand and rather climbs up on her own, but she still takes it and gets pulled up by her as she climbs up.
''You almost won the match,'' says Roslin, her jaws chewing gum as she helps Eva get up. ''Fourth place isn't bad though.''
Eva taps on the side of her helmet to open the front part to look at Roslin directly with her eyes as the others of the squad climb over the edge.
''You could've allowed me to finish as third,'' says Eva, trying to cover her rage.
''I could have,'' replies Roslin, ''but it's up to you to do it.''
Eva wants to say something back, but she's stopped by the taskmaster.
''Cadets. It doesn't matter how much effort you put into the exercise,'' he says. ''The Well is all about reaching victory at all costs, not how much effort you put into it. Tomorrow we're going to do the same, and soon enough The Well becomes harder, so get rested. Squads dismissed.''
As the others chat with each other, Eva remains silent. Her rage about Roslin taking her spot and her own performance occupies her mind, and as they walk back to their dorm to rest, Eva can't think of anything other than the match in The Well.
''What's up with you?'' asks Ashara as she walks past Eva, sitting on her bed.
Eva sighs. She doesn't want to answer as the rage still occupies her mind.
''You're angry about not winning?'' ask Ashara as she sits down next to her.
Eva looks at her and slowly nods.
''Don't take your anger too far,'' says Ashara, her golden facial tattoos shimmering. ''You can fail.''
''Not here,'' replies Eva. ''I want to be the best I can, but it's people like her who don't want to give me a chance,'' and she gestures nearly unnoticeable to Roslin taking off her training suit.
''She just wants to win,'' whispers Ashara, trying to not be heard by Roslin. ''Just accept it. It just means you have a lot to learn.''
Eva sighs. ''I'm not angry about the fact that I have a lot to learn. It's just that I'm not given the chance to feel happy about myself. I want to win just one, single, time.''
Ashara nods, feeling bad for Eva, and she gives her a hug. ''Don't worry, Eva. You'll win soon.''
Eva enfolds her arms around Ashara. ''Depends on what you mean with soon,'' she whispers.
''Soon enough,'' replies Ashara.
Eva nods and keeps her arms around Ashara tightly. Ashara's hug comforts Eva, and it makes her anger disappear a bit, and she feels her mind clearing up from the rage that previously occupied it.
Then she hears the door opening and loud footsteps entering the dorm. Eva lets go of Ashara to see who it is and sees Peyton gasping for air as she enters the room.
''Something happened,'' says Peyton, her voice shaking as she pants.
''What happened?'' asks Roslin, worried, her jaws chewing gum.
''There's been a Rebel attack,'' says Peyton. ''Come to the canteen, they're displaying the news on the TV.''
Eva and Ashara stand up and follow Peyton out of the dorm with Roslin and Ecklund in front of them. They run through the corridors and enter the canteen. Eva is met with a crowd of officers and other cadets as they all look in silence at the large television on the wall. Eva sees the television displaying one of the news broadcasts she always watched at home while the news anchor talks about the dire situation.
''-number of casualties is still being assessed by emergency responders, but their hopes are low as the operator behind the LNG plant, the AxonCore Mining Solutions, deployed hundreds of employees at the site,'' says the news anchor.
As the news broadcast plays out, Eva sees from far away the footage of the Rebel fighters bombing the LNG plant, and her heart sinks in her chest as she recognizes them to be X-Wings. The same fighters that raided the Capital that killed her parents and injured Eline are back, and they killed more parents at the LNG plant. It makes Eva feel enraged that the Rebel Alliance attacked them again.
''How did Air Command not see them?'' asks Ashara, worried.
Peyton sighs. ''I don't know, but it was a fast attack.''
''Maybe too fast,'' says Eva, turning her head to her. ''It's as if they knew where all the anti-air turrets were.''
Peyton nods. ''Yeah. They definitely got help from somebody on the ground.''
Eva nods in agreement. Then she recalls the memory of the Rebel insurgent she encountered at the BlasTech facility. The black armour, the black helmet, shrouding its face in darkness. Something in the back of her mind tells her that this person must be found. This Rebel insurgent, shrouded in dark armour, was at the BlasTech facility too, days before the Rebels laid it in ashes.
The Rebel bombing on the LNG plant puts more pressure on Eva to succeed at the Academy, and as she and her squad go back to their dorm, she feels anxiety build up in her. It is obvious that the Rebel Alliance is not done yet, and they will return, but the attack also builds up hatred in her. The Rebels must be stopped. They can't kill more Imperial citizens, and Eva feels the extra power building up in her to push herself further beyond her limits, to do better than she already planned.
But with the extra push to do even better also comes anxiety and nervousness. A new Rebel attack could be on its way, and what if they attack the Academy? What if they carry out an invasion on Vaulent 6? What if they manage to get the Imperial forces on the moon to surrender? They are anxious questions with answers too big to think of. When Vaulent 6 truly falls to the Rebels, there are so many possible outcomes.
As she lies in bed, trying to gather some rest for the next day, Eva can't get herself to fall asleep. The threat of the Rebel Alliance remains in her mind, and she can't shake it off. Eva knows the Rebels will return, and it keeps her awake.
As Kirbley stands on the landing pad just outside the Academy in the pitch-black night sky, a faint light in the far distance comes closer, as its engines roar. As it comes closer, the Academy's searchlights focus on the light dot, revealing it to be a Lambda shuttle, reflecting the light off of its sleek, shiny hull. As the shuttle hovers down and Kirbley feels the jet blast blowing gusts of winds, he hears engines of nearly invisible TIE Fighters shrieking through the black sky. As the landing gear hits the metal flooring of the landing pad, the engines go silent and the ramp below the cockpit goes down.
''Greetings, son,'' says the man as he walks down the ramp.
''Good night, father,'' greets Kirbley as his father walks towards him with his thick jacket. ''Welcome to Vaulent 6 I suppose.''
''Thank you, son,'' says his father with a smile as they walk off the landing pad towards the Academy. As they walk off the pad, Kirbley doesn't feel very fond of having his father around here. He was the one who lured him into working for Night Force with deception, but he hasn't found the power and the time to confront his father about that.
''Tell me, how is Night Force going?'' asks his father.
''The pre-recruitment phase went well,'' replies Kirbley. ''Currently, the cadets are still following the normal, but slightly tweaked Academy training. Soon we'll start the training required for Night Force.''
''That's good to hear.''
''One of the few good things you'll hear. We're under threat by the Rebel Alliance. Today they bombed the LNG plant western from the city.''
''Yeah, I was informed about that during the flight. Is it the first Rebel attack since the major air strike of a month ago?''
''Yes, Father. I'm thinking they're attempting to destabilise Vaulent's economy or it's psychological warfare.
''Is the disruption a big concern?''
''The Luminex Power Station will have to import half of their fuel from Ryloth, so not anymore.''
''Ryloth? That's a bit too far away, don't you think?''
''It was the deal I could close the fastest. If Ryloth wasn't available we would have gone dark by next month.''
''Alright then.''
Kirbley and his father enter the Academy and walk through the corridors.
''Have you heard anything from Fondor yet?'' asks Kirbley.
''Yes I have,'' replies his father. ''The Eagleclaw is halfway through its upgrade. The shipyard estimates it to be finished by the start of next month.''
''I hope so. We really need it. The presence of a Star Destroyer could really help to defend Vaulent 6. For now, I ramped up the amount of Stormtroopers in the city, and I managed to get Imperial Intelligence personnel to work at the listening station at Vaulent Air Command.''
The Imperial Intelligence (MI) is the Empire's force of espionage, monitoring Rebel activity, gathering valuable intel, analyzing them for the military's benefit, and conducting counterintelligence operations. Without Imperial Intelligence, the military would fight blindly as the Empire's war effort relies on sensitive information gathered through espionage.
''Did Intelligence find something?''
''Yes, they did. They found a Rebel outpost in the middle of the Capital, sending encrypted messages on a Rebel com channel. Right now, they've put the outpost under survey.''
His father nods. ''They have quite the balls to put an outpost in the middle of the city. Inform me when Intelligence comes with more detailed information.''
''Yeah, will do, father,'' says Kirbley.
His father nods.
''Still stuck with the Army deal?'' he then asks.
''In my mind?'' asks Kirbley. ''Sort of. Our cadets still have to use those E-10s we never asked for. They're too unreliable for the project in which we need as much reliability as possible.''
''I understand your frustration, son,'' says his father. ''But it is what it is.''
Kirbley nods, understanding that it is what it is. A bad deal is still a deal, and without it, Night Force wouldn't have gotten off the ground. Even then, the deal keeps getting stuck in his mind.
After Kirbley leads his father to his personal quarters within the Academy to rest, he lives him behind and walks to his own sleeping quarters. As he sits at the window in his office room, staring at the dark, night sky with the skyline of the Capital illuminating the area, the nervousness starts to build up in his chest. The Rebel Alliance keeps growing into a bigger threat, and he thinks back to the big reason why he agreed to work for Night Force. It was the fear of the Rebel Alliance hunting down his highly-ranked father, and then being targeted himself after his father takes his own life according to Imperial protocols. It is the fear of getting tortured for answers when the Rebel Alliance hunts him down, and that fear is amplified here on Vaulent 6, knowing that the Rebels are possibly watching him and his father.
But no matter the emotions, Kirbley is determined to go on, to keep the trainwreck driving.