On the day of the aptitude test, I wake up early. I dress and est quickly, and find myself stressed about the test, even though it isn't like I'm being tested on any knowledge. I'm just going in, filling out how I'd best respond to the situation, then waiting until they tell me what I'll be best at in the Rebellion.

We meet in a smaller meeting room, where Senator Organa waits patiently until everyone arrives. I'm not the last this time. Linami is, and she doesn't seem all that happy about it either.

The senator claps his hands together and then rubs them. "Now. There are two parts to the test. One is written, the other is a baseline test for marksmanship, piloting, and tactics."

One of the prisoners, a Mon Calamari man, raises a hand and speaks when Organa nods. "Are you going to send us up in a ship?"

He laughs. "No, of course not. We have a few simulators for training for various attacks and new pilots. One of our pilots will teach you how to use it, then we'll analyze the information we gather to determine where you'll best fit. Any more questions?"

Silence.

"Right then. We'll begin."

He passes out data pads and instructs us to turn them on and begin the aptitude test.

It's a lot easier than I expected.

It asks me what I've done before, what sorts of rebellious acts, if any, I've committed against the Empire, and asks us to list anywhere I've lived before and how old I was.

I finish the aptitude test first, making me wonder if I did something wrong, so I go back over it all and make sure everything is filled out, then bring it back to Senator Organa.

He smiles and directs me down the hall and last door on the right.  I nod, whisper a brief thank you and pass the rest rather awkwardly.

"Last door on the right," I repeat to myself as I shuffle down the hallway.

I find the door and press the button next to it, expecting it to open.

Nothing.

I press it again.

Still nothing.

I hear footsteps behind me and turn to see an older man with light hair jogging down the hall.

"Sorry!" he says, plugging a code into the box by the door. As it opens, he turns around and extends a hand. "Captain Antilles."

"Cassian Andor."  I shake the proffered hand.

"I didn't expect you to finish so quickly."  He steps inside.

"Sorry," I apologize, following him into the room.

"No, no, my own fault. Make yourself comfortable. I have to make sure everything's set up before we begin."

There's a bench along the wall, by the door, and I sit. Looking around the room, I see a row of boxes on hydraulic lifts that light up as Captain Antilles walks to each one and inputs a code, syncing them all to his data pad as he goes.

Finally, he reaches the last one. Nobody else seems to have finished.

Captain Antilles shrugs. "Well. Why don't we get started?"

I stand and follow his lead towards one of the boxes, which I assume is a simulator.

"Climb up," he directs, standing on the stool next to the simulator as I buckle the strap around my waist.  "Alright.  These are the controls to turn right, left, accelerate, and decelerate.  They're exactly as you'd expect."

"And that is..."

Antilles chuckles.  "Right for right, left for left, forward to accelerate -- that's to go faster -- and then back to decelerate--"

"Which is to go slower.  Thank you."

He grins.  "Great!  Now, when the door is closed, press that button there to begin.  I'll take it slow at first, since the motion could get you sick, and then I'll give you the rains and you'll control yourself."  Captain Antilles checks his data pad briefly and taps on it.  "I'll start you with the Dantooine simulation, since the atmosphere is the easiest."

"Thank you."

He steps down and the door closes behind him.  I press the button.

The screen lights up with a view of the landing pad.  Ships take off and land all around me, the majority with two wings that split to make four, in an X pattern.

"Alright, Andor?"

"Yeah?"

"You're in an X-Wing, okay?  I'll show you one later.  In fact, you may have already seen some."

"Yeah, yeah.  I did."

"Great.  Now I'm going to walk you through liftoff.  This beginning simulator is simplified, just to see if you can handle spur-of-the-moment decisions.  Just push the controls forward, like you're accelerating."

I do, and the angle changes.  I appear to be flying up.

"Now bank right, gently."

I think I may be getting the hang of it.  I execute his commands as perfectly as one can with thirty minutes of training.  Then he says, "I'm going to let you fly on your own now."

And then it all goes down.  Literally.

As soon as the button beeps and flashes in the corner of my vision, I lose concentration and dive bomb into a group of farmers.

The lights come up and the door opens.  I slam my hands against the control panel in frustration.

Captain Antilles steps up onto the stool.  "Nice work kid, for a first time."

I sigh.  "Can I get out?"

"Sure."

I step down and see the whole wall filled with my fellow freed prisoners.

I duck my head and walk past them quickly, going straight to my room.  I don't leave until Gaspard comes for me.

"Come on.  They need us in the shooting range."