~*~
She loved it. The power and freedom she felt inside the MS. When the training commander called a halt to the practice session, she was disappointed. She couldn't wait for the next time she would be able to pilot the MS. Jumped down from her cockpit and looked up, smiling. She knew that the mobile suit would be truly one of her closest companions. Strom turned, she felt like someone was watching her. Her eyes scanned the training platform. She thought she saw Sextant. Almost called his name, but then she wasn't sure he had been there. She sighed and hurried to catch up with the other soldiers of her group.
~*~
He had been watching the other soldiers' train for sometime. She was doing so much better than the others. She caught on quickly. She controlled the mobile suit as if it was part of her, not some separate entity. He flashed a quick grin. She was almost as good as he was.
It had been two months since the soldiers of barrack 13 had received their mobile suits. He was proud of her. She had taken to the life of a soldier. She was repeatedly the top of her class by more than 30%. She was considered 'leader'. Untouchable, unlovable by them. The only drawback was it made her sad. She wanted to be accepted, not set apart.
"Soon," He whispered "you won't have to worry about that. I'll make you smile."
~*~
The next day
Sextant stared after Leera. When he was alone, she was Leera, not cold Storm. She was his friend, a fire that pushed the cold of loneliness away, to the corners of his heart. When he was with her, even though it was a short time, he felt normal. Not an army machine, not the new MS's, but human. That feeling was important to him.
She didn't know that he had access to her mobile suit. In fact he had access to all the mobile suits. Not authority cleared access, of course, but it was access nether less. Sextant let himself be pulled up into her mobile suit. It was made to be fast and even though it gave up some power for the speed. Moonlighter, was still one of the better mobile suits. It was lighter in weight than Dark Dragon, his own MS. Sitting in her control seat, he felt the first pangs of sorrow. The sorrow of being alone for too many years of his life, then being denied the only comfort that he'd found.
"All right." He thought "That's it, I'm tired of doing this alone."
He took a deep breath and exhaled he could smell her scent still. It clung to the cockpit of her MS. He smiled and climbed out of the cockpit and stood on the platform. Sextant grabbed the cable and the machine let him down.
~*~
"General Matarner, I don't think that it is necessary for me to learn separate from the other mobile suit pilots. A good commander needs to be respected by his troops."
"I know."
What?! Sextant thought. He was instantly suspicious. What was this. They usually replied, in their condescending manner, that he was going to be barrack 13's commander and couldn't show his weaknesses to them, but the general hadn't said that. He had agreed with him.
"I feel that you shouldn't shoulder the command alone, not that you couldn't, but what would happen to your team if you died? So you will now be learning with your sub commander, Leera Storm."
At that moment one of the doors to the general's office swung open and Storm walked in.
"You wanted to talk to me, sir?"
"Yes, Storm you will now be learning with Sextant."
The breath caught in her throat. She would be with Sextant? Storm could hardly believe it. She wanted to look at Sextant, but kept her head forward. Finally she gave in and glanced at him. He was expressionless, which probably meant that he was angry. Storm wondered why.
"Sextant, Storm will be moved to the room next to yours. Show her where it is. She will have the same classes so she will be following you around. From 1300 hrs to 1800 hrs you will meet the rest of the soldiers on the training platform. There you will be training and going through combat maneuvers. That's all, you are dismissed."
Sextant walked to the door and opened it. Storm quickly moved through the doorway. Sextant sighed softly and looked at her. She had a small smile on her face, and stretched out a hand to him. Sextant took her hand and used it to pull her into an embrace.
"I don't know why they're doing this, but I'm... glad that we'll be working together." Sextant whispered and pulled away.
"Follow me." Sextant turned and strode away leaving Storm to catch up.