Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens Lost Stars by Claudia Gray, Phil Noto

mood of the populace, even the official information channels had begun spitting venom about a small group of terrorists who plotted evil and called themselves rebels.
    Thane had nothing but contempt for terrorists, but he also understood that such dissident factions rarely came out of nowhere. They were a reaction to the Empire’s increasing
control—an overreaction, definitely,but proof that not everybody accepted the Emperor’s rule.
    Despite his disenchantment, Thane had no plans to leave Imperial service. How else would he get to fly the greatest ships in the galaxy? Smaller employers could also be corrupt, and the work
would be less certain. With the Imperial fleet, Thane was guaranteed decent pay, access to top-of-the-line ships, and regular promotions. Bestof all, he’d never have to live on Jelucan
again.
    So it was without envy that he saw Ciena Ree assigned to command track. His own track—elite flight—suited him far better. He even welcomed the fact that he and Ciena shared fewer
classes after they divided into tracks. Thane felt relieved that he didn’t have to see her every day any longer. Sometimes even looking at her hurt—
    No. Itirritated him. Angered him. It didn’t
hurt
.
    Or so he told himself. All Thane knew was that since their rift over the fake sabotage incident more than two years prior, he and Ciena had never been able to patch things up completely. The
humiliation he’d felt when she brought up his father—that she would suggest
anything
he did came from his father—it still stung every time he saw Jude Edivon.(Jude had
always been extra nice to him since that day, which only made things worse.) Ciena had stopped confiding in him, which felt cold and strange; he wondered if she’d become so fanatical about
her Imperial duty that she took his distrust of the academy’s methods as a personal insult. How stupid would that be? Nor could he forget that she’d refused to challenge their superior
officers,leaving his class rank severely damaged.
    It wasn’t as if he hated Ciena or anything, and he didn’t think she hated him, either. But neither of them cheered for the other in races any longer, or offered congratulations after
a tournament win. They didn’t hang out during the scant free time academy rigor allowed.
    But occasionally—at the least convenient moments—the enduring connectionbetween them would make itself known. Ashes would become embers.
    One day, only a few months before graduation, Thane headed back to the uniform dispensary, a trip he’d made at least once each term. He’d finally stopped growing, which was a relief,
because he topped out as the third-tallest member of their class, only a hair beneath Nash. But his body was now adding muscle to bone, broadeninghis chest and shoulders, which meant new uniform
jackets. He was only thinking how tight and uncomfortable his current jacket was when he turned the corner and saw Ciena standing farther down the corridor, still in her loose black shorts and gray
tank from E&A class. Instead of her usual proud bearing, she leaned against the wall and held one hand to her face. Even without glimpsing her expression,Thane knew she was upset.
    In that instant, he suddenly remembered something he hadn’t thought of in years—the day he’d met Ciena so long before. When the other boys had mocked her as she stood in the
hangar in her plain brown dress, Thane had thought of her as an autumn leaf, fallen and fragile.
    He’d learned Ciena Ree was anything but fragile. Yet he thought of the autumn leaf now.

    “Hey,” he said. After a moment’s hesitation, he stepped toward her. “Are you all right?”
    Ciena startled, straightening up as she tried to compose herself. She hadn’t been weeping, but Thane could see the glimmer of unshed tears in her eyes. “I’m fine,” she
said hoarsely. “Thanks.”
    You checked on her. She’s good. Duty done. Get out of here.
Thane hesitated, on the verge of turningto go,