Breaking Ranks

Ezra infiltrates the Lothal Imperial Academy as a cadet, aiming to find an Imperial decoder.

The episode initiates with a holographic communication from Ezra Bridger, who informs his rebel comrades of his successful completion of the initial assessment. He instructs them to adhere to his guidance before terminating the transmission. Ezra has infiltrated the Imperial Academy on Lothal, assuming the identity of an Imperial cadet named "Dev Morgan." His objective is to gain entry into Agent Kallus' office, which houses an Imperial decoder containing the coordinates of a powerful kyber crystal. Aware of the Empire's potential misuse of the crystal, Kanan Jarrus dispatched Bridger on this mission to the Academy, where he has remained for several weeks. While undercover, Bridger relays information via Chopper to Sabine Wren and Garazeb Orrelios, who are positioned on the outskirts of the academy.

Following Ezra's transmission, a sweeping aerial view of Lothal's Capital City and the Imperial headquarters is presented. The Imperial Taskmaster Myles Grint leads Ezra's squad, LRC077, into the assessment hall, featuring an advanced training facility known as the Well. Prior to the commencement of the training assessment, Commandant Cumberlayne Aresko delivers a concise address, informing the cadets that they entered the Academy as children and will graduate as stormtroopers within the coming weeks. Subsequent to Aresko's speech, Ezra, along with two fellow cadets, Zare Leonis and Jai Kell, remove their helmets.

As part of the training assessment, the Well undergoes a rapid transformation into a deep chasm, carrying the cadets downward. Under Commandant Aresko's command, the cadets are instructed to ascend from the Well, with the victors earning the privilege of serving as aides at Imperial headquarters. He further stipulates that the losers will be relegated to service under Taskmaster Grint. Throughout the exercise, the cadets must utilize floating repulsorlift platforms to ascend from the Well. To heighten the intensity, Commandant Aresko electrifies several platforms, resulting in Cadet Giles' fall. Despite opposition from a hostile cadet, Nazhros Oleg, Ezra, alongside Jai and Leonis, successfully prevail in the competition. Acknowledging Ezra's exceptional performance, Commandant Aresko commends the three cadets but cautions that the subsequent trial will present greater challenges. In the background, an agitated Oleg expresses his frustration.

As Aresko escorts the three cadets to their respective assignments, they pass a black astromech droid, which is revealed to be Chopper in disguise. Ezra manages to signal the droid covertly, but Leonis notices, suspecting something amiss with Dev. Later that night, Chopper rendezvous with Sabine and Zeb in the Imperial Academy's garage. Sabine informs the Ghost that Ezra has passed his test and infiltrated Imperial headquarters. Simultaneously, in space, Hera Syndulla and Kanan Jarrus receive Sabine's message and deliberate on their mission. Kanan expresses concern for Ezra's safety and emphasizes the necessity for the other rebels to be prepared to extract Ezra immediately upon his acquisition of the decoder. When Kanan expresses his desire to have infiltrated the Academy himself, Hera jokingly remarks that he would have "made quite a cadet."

Returning to the Imperial Academy, Ezra approaches Agent Kallus' office carrying two new datapads. As the ISB agent exits, Ezra announces that he has Kallus' new datapad and offers to leave it on his desk. However, the ISB agent insists on taking it with him. In Kallus' absence, Ezra enters his office and retrieves the decoder from Kallus' network terminal. Before he can depart with the stolen decoder, Ezra is intercepted by Leonis. Instead of reporting him, Leonis cautions Ezra against exiting Kallus' office with the decoder, as it would trigger the sensors and initiate a lockdown of the entire academy. The two cadets then discreetly exit into a corridor.

Elsewhere within the Academy, Sabine reports to the Ghost that the "kid" has not emerged with the decoder. Hera instructs Sabine to grant Ezra one more day. Aboard the Ghost, Kanan questions the significance of the decoder, prompting Hera to respond that it is crucial for halting the kyber crystal shipment.

Following the encounter in Kallus' office, the two cadets converse in an empty corridor. Ezra informs Zare that his allies require the decoder to intercept an Imperial shipment. Upon Ezra's inquiry regarding Zare's knowledge of the sensors, Leonis reveals that his sister, Dhara Leonis, a former star cadet at the academy, had informed him about them. He also recounts her disappearance. While the Empire claimed that Dhara had absconded, Leonis remains skeptical. Having established mutual trust, the two rogue cadets forge an agreement to secure a top-three finish in the following day's challenge to gain access to Imperial headquarters. During the exchange of names, Ezra maintains his alias, Dev Morgan.

The subsequent day, Ezra and the other cadets are tasked with ascending from the Well once more. However, this time, the cadets must utilize their E-11 medium blaster rifles to target panels containing the repulsorlift platforms. During the assessment, Oleg, heeding Taskmaster Grint's lesson, targets the other cadets. As Ezra, along with Zare and Jai, near the summit, Ezra is compelled to betray Jai to fulfill their mission. He shoves Jai, causing him to descend to a lower platform. Commandant Aresko seizes the opportunity to portray Ezra's actions as a lesson emphasizing that victory must be attained at any cost. When Jai expresses his anger at Ezra's betrayal, Ezra simply retorts, "I did what I had to do" before departing.

Later at Imperial headquarters, Ezra and Zare await Minister Maketh Tua's departure from her office before executing their plan. While Zare diverts Agent Kallus with a fabricated order for podracer components, Ezra seizes the opportunity to ascend into the crawlspace between Tua's and Kallus' offices. With Kallus' back turned, Ezra employs the Force to levitate the decoder into his grasp. While returning to Tua's office, Ezra overhears a conversation between Commandant Aresko and the Grand Inquisitor. Aresko has identified him and Jai Kell as cadets meeting his "special criteria." The Inquisitor informs Aresko that he will arrive the following day to personally assess them. If the tests prove conclusive, he will take them into his custody.

Ezra transmits the decoder to Chopper, who then relays it to Sabine and Zeb. Utilizing Chopper's holoprojector, Ezra informs his fellow rebels about Jai's predicament and the Grand Inquisitor. When Zeb voices his apprehension about confronting the Inquisitor, Ezra expresses his gratitude to Zeb and Sabine for instilling in him the importance of standing up for others. Before concluding his communication, Ezra reveals that the decoder contains the deep-space coordinates of the Imperial convoy and requests that they attack the Academy at noon the following day. Above Lothal, Hera and Kanan utilize the decoder's coordinates to locate the convoy. While Kanan is displeased with Ezra's delayed departure, Hera urges him to concentrate on the mission to expedite their return to Lothal.

Back on Lothal, Ezra quietly awakens Jai from his bunk and instructs him to follow and trust him. He and Leonis then escort Jai to a nearby storeroom, where they inform him about the Inquisitor. Due to Ezra's earlier betrayal, Jai is initially hesitant to believe them, suspecting a plot to have him expelled from the Academy. When Jai suggests that the Inquisitor might assist him in ascending within the Empire's hierarchy, Leonis recounts the story of his sister's disappearance. Convinced by Zare's narrative, Jai reluctantly agrees to participate in their escape plan, which entails winning the following day's challenge.

Meanwhile, in deep space, the Ghost emerges from hyperspace in front of the Imperial convoy transporting the kyber crystal. The convoy comprises three Imperial Gozanti-class cruisers, protected by several escort TIE fighters. Employing the Force, Kanan senses that the kyber crystal resides within the central cruiser. Kanan detaches the Phantom from the Ghost and utilizes it to divert the TIE fighters away from the convoy. With the convoy undefended, Hera seizes the opportunity to assault the cruisers.

Returning to the Imperial Academy, Ezra and Zare's plan encounters another unforeseen complication when he fails to secure a top-three finish. While Zare and Jai prevail in the race, they are accompanied by the obstinate Oleg. As a reward, the three cadets are permitted to ride with an Imperial combat driver in one of the Academy's AT-DP walkers. When Jai expresses his dismay, Ezra instructs him to adhere to the plan while he devises a means of boarding the walker. Concurrently, Chopper plants an explosive device on the leg of another AT-DP walker.

Leonis, Jai, and Oleg examine the AT-DP walker's controls under the supervision of the driver. Outside, the explosive device on the other AT-DP walker detonates, causing the walker to collapse. The explosion is detected by Jai and Zare, who interpret it as their cue to initiate their escape plan. Jai employs a stolen blaster to incapacitate the driver. Oleg then questions his actions, prompting Jai to stun him as well. Leonis ascends into the walker's chair and proceeds toward the exit. However, Commandant Aresko and Taskmaster Grint promptly recognize that Leonis and Jai's walker has been commandeered and order the closure of the Academy's blast doors.

Concurrently, in deep space, the captain of the central Gozanti cruiser commands his ship to jump into hyperspace while the other ships provide cover for their escape. However, Hera manages to employ the Ghost's laser cannons to inflict several precise strikes on the cruiser's engines, triggering a massive explosion that obliterates all of the surrounding Imperial vessels. As a green explosion engulfs the cruisers and TIE fighters, Kanan successfully docks the Phantom with the Ghost. Hera and Kanan then jump into hyperspace and return to Lothal.

Back at the Academy, Leonis and Jai utilize their hijacked walker to disable a third AT-DP walker, causing it to obstruct the closing blast doors. However, their walker comes under attack from an Imperial Troop Transport. Employing his Force abilities, Ezra ascends aboard the hijacked AT-DP walker, leading Commandant Aresko to believe that Dev is attempting to apprehend the hijackers. Before Ezra can enter the walker, it is struck by the Troop Transport, causing it to topple forward.

The walker's head lands outside the blast doors, which are obstructed by the third disabled walker. Several stormtroopers approach the hijacked walker but are gunned down by Sabine. Accompanied by Sabine, Zeb, Chopper, Ezra, and Jai, they flee on a landspeeder. However, Leonis chooses to remain behind to locate his sister. To maintain his cover, Zare feigns shooting at the fleeing rebels and "traitors" in the presence of the approaching Aresko, Grint, and several stormtroopers.

Upon Bridger and Kell's return to the Ghost, the rebels agree to assist Kell and his mother in evading the Empire. While alone, Kanan and Ezra seize the opportunity to converse privately. When Kanan inquires about the mission's outcome, Ezra confides in his master that he had forgotten the feeling of isolation. Despite disliking Chopper's grumpiness and Zeb's odor, he acknowledges that he missed the Ghost during his time at the Imperial Academy. When Kanan jokingly remarks "at ease cadet," Ezra responds with a mock "Sir, Yes Sir." Back at the Academy, the Inquisitor learns of the escape, reveals that he recognized Bridger from the rebels' prior encounter with him, and informs Leonis that he desires to know everything Leonis knows about the rebels.

The events of this episode served as a primary source of adaptation for Part 3: Infiltration of Jason Fry's junior novel, Servants of the Empire: Rebel in the Ranks. The novel is told from the perspective of Zare Leonis, an Imperial cadet and rebel sympathizer.