Sousuke found that, as long as he waited for Kaname to go under the spell of the Whispers first, he could lean in close enough to spot the tell-tale signs before she started screaming or tearing at her clothes or worse. Her lips moved the whole time, but when the first, tiny sound escaped and her eyes began to blink in triple time, he had just seconds to rouse her.

The most effective way to reach her was through skin-to-skin contact. He discovered it quite accidentally during the second time that he had watched over her. The intensity of her headaches dictated when she needed to find a quiet place to release the torrent of impossible knowledge, but they had been busy playing cards with Melissa and Kurz. Kaname's fierce competitive nature had kicked into high gear, and she insisted on playing hand after hand of poker until she won, ignoring the building pressure in her head. By the time she let herself walk away from the table, the Whispers had sucked her down so deep that he could never shout her name loud enough to reach her. He tried to shake her to no avail. The glass of water had no effect. Only when he so despaired to see her suffer that he dared to touch her cheek did she come to instantly.

Tessa said that it was just a phase. The young captain reassured both of them that she, too, went though similar periods from time to time. Of course, Tessa had learned to deal with the Whispers from a much younger age. She could bring herself out of the trance alone. Kaname fumed, her pride clearly wounded, and claimed that if Tessa could do it, then so could she. Sousuke did not try to argue with her. He learned in the two years with her that logic couldn't sway Kaname when she was in one of her moods. Instead of persuasion, he used the method that worked best in the past: dog her steps (no matter how much or how cruelly she railed against him) until she gave up and accepted his protection.

She did rage when she came back to consciousness and found herself in his arms with his calloused hand cupping her face and that look in his eyes. She called him the same old names and stomped off after using the halisen on his battle-weary head with particular gusto. She didn't like to be weak or dependent, so he understood her anger for what it was. She didn't fight him off the next time she needed to let her mind dump out its strange memories, however, and she blushed quite prettily when she woke up holding his hand. She seemed to accept his part in her odd ritual as long as it started with him across the room, feigning total indifference. Only when she was good and mesmerized could he get close enough to watch her mouth form the words it shouldn't know.

He heard her uttered a half syllable then, and his hand darted out and closed over hers. Her head snapped back, and for a second, her staring eyes were as empty as a doll's. It was such a long second for him.

"Kaname," he urged.

She drew a ragged breath, blinked, and returned to herself. She pushed the half-filled notepad away with a shudder.

"That wasn't fun," she said as she put her head down on the table.

Sousuke took his cue. She had asked him earlier to talk to her until her mind purged some of the nastier images that an encounter with the Whispers left burned into her mind.

"Right," he nodded and took a deep breath. He had an anecdote prepared. "You may remember that Sgt. Major Mao did not always snore as she does now. The medic said that it is a result of an accident with a crossbeam six months ago. The theory is that the impact to her head 'shook something loose'. While it is possible that the start of her snoring is little more than a coincidence, Mao was moved to a separate quarters until the proper treatment could be found. However, she has been avoiding her check-ups, and we think she is doing so to retain her single-room status. Kurz said-"

"Ugh. I don't want to know what came out of that guy's filthy imagination," Kaname groaned and then found a small smile for him. "That's one of your better stories. Good work."

"I am glad that it amused you," he responded. "Are you ready?"

She freed her hand from his grip with an exaggerated stretch and a yawn.

"Do you think Tessa will have coffee or just tea?" she asked absently. Both of them were due to meet Melissa, Kurz, Tessa, and a very reluctant Wraith for a brief breakfast before they took leave of the TDD-1. The submarine had docked at the island base some time in the night, and they were to report to the academy by late afternoon.

He gathered up their rucksacks before opening the door for her.

"Likely, the captain will serve only tea," he said as she brushed past him with her notepad tucked under one arm. The navy blue of the Command Academy uniforms suited her, he noted, even though the design was clearly intended for a male form and sized for him. She would get her own sets from the quartermaster on base, so the fit would improve a great deal soon. He tried to shake the thought of Kaname changing clothes and focus on walking while balancing the luggage.

"Hey, before it gets too crazy, I wanted to say thank you," she said.

"Neither of the bags is particularly heavy. It is not a problem," he returned.

"No, I mean for...you know...for watching out for me and for helping me get ready for Command. Really, thanks," Kaname said.

"You've made good progress on the new information in one week." Sousuke cleared his throat. The compliment had sounded more, well, complimentary in his head.

"Yeah, I owe all you guys big time. There's nothing like four personal tutors to whip a city girl into shape," she remarked while he organized his thoughts.

"I'm glad that we'll be classmates again," he tried.

It worked. She beamed at him. "Me, too."

He smiled back and pushed open the door to the captain's private rooms.

The friends enjoyed a quick visit over a breakfast of Tessa's tea and scones, although Sousuke noticed Kurz sneak coffee into Kaname's cup from a hip flask. When he saw them share a secret smile, Sousuke's fists clenched involuntarily, causing him to spill some of the hot black tea on his lap. Tessa was delighted to refill his cup for him, and when he caught Kaname shooting them both dead with a look, he finally understood a little more of why she might consider the captain's innocent helpfulness as hostile behavior.

Since the TDD-1 was scheduled back at base in two weeks, there was no need for heart-felt farewells. Kaname hugged everyone, including Wraith, who had been persuaded to join the party on the promise of getting some time out of the sick bay. The operative rolled his eyes but looked full into Kaname's face as she pulled away.

"Chidori. Don't let the bastards grind you down," he told her.

Everyone tried not to notice when Tessa gasped and dropped the cup she was carrying, and it shattered on the floor. Her clumsiness was a sore point for the young woman. She muttered an apology, but Sousuke noted that she let her braid hide her face when she bent to pick up the pieces.

Kaname didn't miss a beat. "Thanks, Wraith. See you around then."

"You won't," Wraith said in that flat voice, but something akin to amusement played across his stoic features.

Kaname took up her own bag, and together, they headed through the exit hall to disembark in the cloudless morning.

Without speaking first, they both stopped halfway across the gangplank to relish the refreshing scent of salty, fresh air. The subtropical breeze combed through Kaname's long hair, and she held out her hands to feel the press of the clean air.

"Don't tell Tessa," she sighed contentedly as the wind caressed her, "but that submarine kind of smells inside after awhile."

"Long dives are difficult for the air scrubbers," he explained, noting how something as simple as wind could bring both of them joy. Most of the time, Sousuke had no idea how to please her, but then there were moments like this one when he knew, instinctively and exactly, how she felt.

"I don't know how you all can live on that thing." She paused as the sweet wind played across her face. "Hey Sousuke, about what Wraith said. What did it mean?"

Sousuke thought for a moment. "The captain's behavior would make it seem like he said something of importance, but that particular expression has been in the military since WWII. Beyond the obvious interpretation of the saying, I am not sure what he meant."

"Guess we'll find out," she shrugged, and they crossed onto the island in comfortable silence.

The rest of the day passed in a maze of offices and appointments. First, they filled out the paperwork to transfer both of them to the base- semi-permanently for Sousuke since the TDD-1 retained the right to recall him for key operations and permanently for her. Then, Kaname needed to get the rest of her gear, which took much longer than it should have since the strong-willed girl made some rather demanding requests.

"Honestly, you can't wonder why there are so few women in Mithril. They tried to assign me boxer briefs!" she explained to Sousuke while he sweated profusely despite the cool weather, and the quartermaster chuckled and scrounged up some non-masculine underthings.

After that, both of them checked in with the doctor on-call. Sousuke needed to log in a regularly-scheduled physical, and Kaname needed a full exam for admittance. When the doctor asked her to disrobe, she kicked Sousuke out of the examination room without letting him get out a word of protest. He had to ask a nurse to deliver the letter that Tessa wrote for Kaname's medical file about the headaches and fits caused by the Whispers. Kaname emerged nearly two hours later, pricked, prodded, and in a terrible mood, but otherwise unscathed. The doctor followed Tessa's advice and made a formal recommendation to permit Sousuke to accompany Kaname any time she needed to clear her head, and Sousuke tucked two copies of the decree- one for the Academy and one for his personal use- into his front pocket.

They didn't have time to check into the barracks before the first scheduled meeting for Command Academy, which everyone on base referred to as MCA, so they were forced to report in with their rucksacks and empty, growling stomachs at 1600.

A friendly clerk assigned them each a stack of forms and ushered them into a lecture-style classroom. It took nearly an hour to go through the forms, most of which were variations on oaths to maintain the code of secrecy surrounding MCA and background logs for new clearance codes.

He only tripped up on one question and passed it to Kaname for guidance. She gave him an incredulous look but filled it out anyway. When she passed it back to him, he noted that she had filled in the blank next to "Number of Intimate Relationships in the Past Five (5) Years" with a zero.

Finally, a woman dressed in a crisp navy suit that looked like the dress version of their functional uniforms appeared at the front of the room.

"Good evening," she began and then waited for the group to give her their full attention. "I am Colonel Tricia Avant, but you may call me Auntie."

Some of the group chucked, and the woman smiled like a Cheshire cat.

"I am not here to make you feel better, and I will not hold your hand," she went on. "That said, it is my job to turn you into fine officers, so I will, at times, serve as your advocate. As you are aware, the curriculum in MCA is highly customized to the specific needs and talents of its students. After the initial two-week evaluation period, any person remaining in the program will begin the official training, and we'll get to know each other rather well. Any questions before I go over the basic guidelines of MCA? Yes?"

A lanky West African man rose from his seat. "Ma'am. Are the rumors about the retention rate of students accurate?"

Auntie leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. "That depends on what you've heard. Some years, as many as 95 percent of the candidates drop out of the program. Most leave or are asked to leave within the first two weeks. However, the average graduation rate is closer to 20 percent. I would like to take this opportunity to remind those of you who did not fully read the induction packet in front of you that the standard duration of obligation to Mithril service after graduation is five years, but any one who lasts beyond the first two weeks will be required to serve a pro-rated term. Any more questions? No?"

She glanced around the room to wait for takers before continuing.

"Very well. MCA has only three simple rules. You are not in basic training and I am not your mommy, so what you do and when you do it is not my responsibility. There are no official meal times, lights out, or required study sessions. However, you must report to any and all classes and drills unless you have official medical leave. Failure to comply means you're out. That's rule one.

Rule two: all MCA students must meet and maintain a minimum level of proficiency on all assignments. Failure to meet this standard at all times means you're out.

Rule three: improvement is expected and tracked closely. Failure to meet benchmarks for improvement is grounds for immediate dismissal."

A twenty-something woman, the only other female candidate besides Kaname, raised her hand. She rose from her seat when Auntie acknowledged her with a nod.

"Ma'am. Are we to understand that dismissal from MCA occurs on first offense?"

"Unequivocally and emphatically, yes," Auntie replied. "We don't believe in second chances."

The door opened, and two members of the support team started carrying in various platters of food. Auntie stood up and raked the room with her stern gaze. "I have taken the liberty of bringing your dinner here. Get to know each other. You have one hour."

The group stood as she left the room, but as soon as they were alone, the chatter began.

"Did she just order us to make friends?" Kaname asked Sousuke in a low voice.

"It sounded more like a suggestion, but likely, yes." He surveyed the room. The entirety of the candidates accounted for no more than fifteen people, who were rapidly splitting into two groups: those hovering around the steaming trays and those watching each other as if sizing up the situation.

After a moment, the tall, dark-skinned man stood up and cleared his throat. Sousuke took the opportunity to study him more closely. The man was easily the oldest of the students, likely nearing 40. He looked to be in prime physical shape with ropey, long limbs and bright eyes. His deep voice carried a natural air of command, and the group respected his desire to speak without reticence.

"Excuse me," he said in beautifully lilting English. "I would very much like to learn your names before we eat. I have heard a great number of rumors about this program, and it is possible that this is a test of some kind."

"I've heard those rumors, too," agreed a stocky Spaniard with striking blue-grey eyes. Several heads nodded around the room.

"Then we are agreed. I am Birame Soondi, but my friends call me Bear," the tall man continued with a grin full of dazzling white teeth.

One by one, the students introduced themselves. Sousuke wasn't the only person in the room who wrote down the names on the back of one of the forms for future reference, but after the first round, he could only remember a few name of the top of his head. Cordelia Delgado, who asked to go by Del, was easy to recall because she and Kaname were the only women. Bear was unforgettable, and Sousuke marveled at his innate ability to command respect as a leader. The Spaniard made a joke about the length of his full name, so it was easy to remember the single surname he finally gave, Castillo. Sousuke did not recall the real name of the youngest member of the group, a wisp of a boy who looked thirteen at most, because the room immediately nicknamed the poor kid Cricket for his squeaky voice, buggy eyes, and tendency to bounce in his seat. He doubted that anyone remembered his own name after the initial go-around. He used to rest of the hour to listen in on the small, side conversations to gather more information while everyone ate.

Kaname took a different approach. She went around and properly introduced herself to every person in the room. Each interaction lasted only a few minutes, but she seemed to draw on her skills as a class rep and her gregarious nature to make fast friends of the lot of them.

As if on cue, Auntie reappeared after exactly sixty minutes. She stilled them with her hard look.

"Please write down the names of everyone on this room and rank them in order of your preference as a partner for the drills tomorrow. You have three minutes to meet me in the hall with your lists," she commanded and then smiled that slick grin of hers. "And one more thing, any form of communication during this task is forbidden."

With that, she turned on her heel and exited the room.

Sousuke used his notes and made quick work of the assignment. Kaname joined him shortly after in the hallway, and thanks in part to Bear's leadership, no one missed the three minute deadline.

"Interesting," Auntie observed as the last person turned in his assignment in just under 2 minutes, 30 seconds.

Sousuke wondered how a simple word could sound so much like a threat.