Led by Taskmaster Grint, the cadets of squad LRC077 march into the Imperial Academy on Lothal. "Are you ready to become stormtroopers?" the waiting Commandant Aresko asks. "Sir, yes sir," they reply. Before the cadets begin their next exercise, Aresko issues an "at ease" command. The trainees take a moment to relax, and several remove their helmets, including...

...Ezra Bridger.

Ezra loses himself at the strange sight of his reflection in an Imperial helmet, and is brought back to reality by a fellow cadet named Jai Kell. "Dev Morgan, you in there?" he asks Ezra. The two kid each other over who will win the next test: the Well.

The cadets are lowered into an enclosure, where they will have to jump on moving platforms to reach the top. The winners will serve as aides at Imperial headquarters. As the assessment is about to begin, one cadet named Oleg tells Jai and Ezra that they're both "going down."

Ezra does exceptionally well, his connection with the Force enhancing his reflexes and ability to predict where the platforms will emerge -- gifts noted by Aresko. Almost at the top, Ezra senses a cadet about to push Jai from behind. Ezra grabs Jai and they evade the shove, which sends their rival plummeting back to the bottom.

Zare Leonis, Jai, and Kell stand triumphant atop the Well. "Rest assured your next trial will be a great challenge," Aresko says.

As the three cadets follow Aresko in the academy corridors, a strange, beat-up Imperial droid -- Chopper, disguised in a darker paint scheme -- approaches. Ezra signals the droid with subtle hand gestures, but Zare notices, and he follows Ezra as the group splinters. Back on the Ghost, Kanan and Hera debate the op: Ezra must steal an Imperial decoder.

Ezra heads for the office of Agent Kallus, though the Imperial emerges unexpectedly. Ezra gives Kallus his new data pad, and then sneaks back to the office, inputs a security code and enters.

Once inside, Ezra finds a portable terminal and secures the decoder. He stashes it in his helmet and starts to leave, but finds Zare waiting as he opens the door. "What do you think you're doing?" the cadet asks.

Zare grabs the decoder from Ezra's helmet, and tells him that the device has a sensor; if he walks out the door with the decoder, it will trigger alarms. "Wait, are you trying to help me?" Ezra asks. With that, Ezra puts the decoder back into Kallus' console. On the Ghost, Hera and Kanan agree to give Ezra one more day to complete his mission -- the decoder is the key to stopping a shipment that would give the Empire a kyber crystal.

Later that evening, Ezra and Zare sneak into a supply closet to talk. Ezra reveals why he's after the decoder, and Zare says he knew about the sensor because of his sister -- a former cadet named Dhara who disappeared under mysterious circumstances. They agree to work together to recover the decoder, but first, have to finish in the top three of tomorrow's assessment. Only then will they get back inside Imperial HQ.

Back in the Well, the cadets must shoot targets to activate the panels necessary to climb out. Ezra and Jai find themselves in the lead, with Zare a few platforms below.

"Sorry, Jai," Ezra says, before knocking his friend off their shared platform. This gives Zare the chance to finish second. Tomorrow's assessment promises to be the hardest yet, and the reward will be a training session aboard an Imperial walker.

Once again in Imperial HQ, Ezra climbs into an overhead duct. He makes his way to Kallus' office and waits...

...for Zare's diversion. While Zare speaks with Kallus, claiming to have a delivery of Podracer parts, Ezra levitates the decoder into his possession.

On his way back to his quarters, Ezra overhears Commandant Aresko speaking to the Inquisitor. "I believe we've identified two cadets," Aresko says, "Morgan and Kell, that meet your special criteria, Inquisitor." The Inquisitor says he will come to Lothal, test them himself, and take them into custody.

Chopper meets Zeb and Sabine at the rendezvous point and delivers the decoder...but Ezra is nowhere to be seen. Chopper plays a message from the Padawan, who says he's staying to help save Jai from the Inquisitor. And, if they're not too busy, Ezra asks them to attack the Imperial Academy tomorrow at noon. He needs a diversion for his escape.

At night, Ezra and Zare tell Jai that the Inquisitor is coming for him. Jai resists at first, but finally agrees to go along with their plan: to win tomorrow's challenge and get inside an Imperial walker.

Now in possession of the decoder, the Ghost team knows the coordinates of the Imperial kyber shipment. Kanan takes the Phantom, and reaching out through the Force, determines that the crystal is in the convoy's middle ship.

Meanwhile, the three cadets work together to win the final assessment -- but fail! Oleg blasts Ezra, sending him back down into the Well, and takes the third spot in the Imperial walker. Ezra will have to improvise.

Kanan heads for the convoy. He engages TIEs, and draws fire his way...giving Hera, still piloting the Ghost, an opening.

At the Imperial Academy, Zare and Jai stall for time in the walker. Finally, a booming explosion can be seen nearby -- courtesy of one grumpy astromech -- and Jai takes the opportunity to stun the Imperial combat driver and Oleg.

Zare takes control of the walker. As a result of the explosion, the base is on high alert; with the blast doors closing, Zare blasts a nearby walker and advances, though Imperial Troop Transports open fire on the cadets.

In space, Hera makes her move. The ace pilot evades heavy fire, makes her way to the Imperial transport carrying the kyber crystal, and pummels it with the Ghost's heavy blasters -- destroying the Empire's craft and cargo in a huge explosion.

The resulting green shockwave is enormous, swallowing starships as it expands. As it closes in on Hera, Kanan docks the Phantom back into the Ghost, and the ship escapes into hyperspace.

In the Imperial Academy, the blast doors continue to close. Ezra makes his way to the top of the AT-DP, hoping to get inside, but blasts from an Imperial Troop Transport send the walker crashing down. It lands in the door frame, keeping the entrance open, and Ezra tumbles safely to the ground. Zeb and Sabine clear the area of stormtroopers, giving the cadets time to get away.

But Zare changes his mind -- staying at the academy is the only way he'll find his sister. He grabs a blaster and fires at the escaping rebels, intentionally missing, as Aresko and Grint run to his side.

The Inquisitor is not happy. "This is a black mark, Commandant," he says, recognizing Ezra from their encounter on Stygeon Prime. Informed of Zare's heroic actions, he tells the cadet that he wants to know everything about his "former friends."

In the Lothal plains, the Ghost crew regroups. Hera tells Jai they'll take him to his mother, and help them hide from the Empire. Ezra and Kanan take a moment to reconnect; while Ezra is used to being on his own, he's happy to be back with his team.