The rebel soldiers crashed through the foliage and into the open. They formed a tightly organized legion, with two mobile suits in front, scouting the way. "All clear," they sent back to the rest, having driving off the infantry guarding the camp base.

"Let's go," the first soldier said over the intercom.

"Roger." They moved in trained unison forward.

Suddenly to their right came a loud, piercing cry of help. And then it came again more urgently

"What's that?" said the second soldier. "Could it be a trap?"

"That sounded like a little girl," answered the first man. "We'll have to go investigate." He started off in his mobile suit towards the direction of the call.

The second suit moved to block the path of the first. "Didn't you hear me? What if it's a trap?"

The pilot of the first suit smiled. "I have a little girl at home too. I'd hope that if she called for help, someone would come running. Here, if you're so afraid of a trap, wait here." He moved off. Cursing, the other suit waited.

In a little clearing off the main base, the first pilot stopped the originator of the cry. It was indeed a little girl, crying. There was nobody else nearby. But he was a professional soldier, despite being soft hearted. He fired into the nearby foliage, causing the little girl to scream. But nobody was hiding there. Finally satisfied, he stepped into the clearing. The girl tried to crawl alway, but it appeared to be something wrong with her leg.

"It's all right," he boomed over the external speakers. "I'm not here to hurt you."

From the external cameras, he could see her nodding.

"You hurt your leg?"

Another nod. He lowered the hand of the suit. The little girl jumped slightly as the hand was held out in front of here. "Here, get on. This is a war zone, I'll try and get you out."

She nodded again and tried to lever herself up. But she couldn't quite make it.

"Hold on. I'll get out and help you up." The soldier disengaged the suit and opened up the hatch. He jumped out off the cockpit and ran to where the little girl was. A pretty little thing, with short cropped hair, much like his daughter at home. As he bent to help her up on the extended hand, suddenly the heel of her hand of transiently at his throat and he could feel his center of balance going as she pulled and he was flipped on his back, head against her knee. The force of the throw knocked him out.

The little girl stood there for a second, voices clamouring for her to finish him off. But already she felt sick. I can't do this, she thought. I'm sorry, father, I can't...

Noin clambered quickly to the seat of the MS and activated the system. It was exactly like the simulations they had been allowed to try so far. She piloted it out towards the direction where it originated.

The second pilot, sighting the MS, sent, "Well? What was it?"

Noin shot the other suit in the leg. Funny, she thought, I am very calm right now. Smoke coiled from the injured part

"What the hell--?"

She fired again, aiming for the sensors in head piece. The MS started to limp away, and she sent her suit after.

"Enemy attack! Help--!"

Noin let him limp away some more, almost to the main group of rebel MS, almost out of range. And then she shot him down. She smiled, and flipped openned the broadcast transmission. "This is Lucrezia Noin of the OZ 22th Cadet Divison. " Already the MS started to run toward towards her, hurried. She let them get to within firing distance and then turned, running towards the camp. Like in the simulation, she dodge the fire.

Sidestep, turn, fire, she thought dreamily. Almost like a dance...and I'm almost finished...

She sighted the middle of the camp. Suddenly she turned and stopped, disengaging the MS and climbing out of the side. The rebel MS stopped fired and approached her, surprised by this new turn of events, surprised by the pilot of the renegade MS. She smiled benignly at them all. "Goodbye."

In her hand was the self-detonate button.

In the next second, a shot rang out, severing the cord that connected the switch to the internal cockpit. Reflexively she pressed the button, but nothing happened. Noin felt the shot pierce her thigh and she lost her balance, falling off the ledge. She hit the ground, and blacked out.

Meanwhile, all the other MS sensors had blacked out as well. Jammed.

A figure ran out of the tent and to the figure of the fallen girl, picked her up and raced for the shelter of the trees.

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Noin walked to her quarters. She remembered her words: Students don't fall in love with their teachers. Well, it wasn't quite true. She did have a crush on Instructor Khrushenada once. Snicker, snicker. Defensively, Noin told that voice to shut up. Every girl did. Even some of the older secretaries...and maybe even some of the boys...and probably some of his instructors...She flushed. Don't think nasty things like that.

But then things abruptly changed. Which only goes to show how fickle I am...stop this immediately!

Annoyed at herself, she switched on the radio and flopped down on her bed. Hopefully, it will distract me...at the rate things are going I'm going to be unbearable to be around tonight.

"-- and here we have a request from Andy: Xiaohuar's Idol Talk, from the blockbuster movie Macross Plus that she starred in this summer!"

The sound of strange gurgly metallic objects and the interesting mix of noise started fading in. Despite her bad mood, it was one of her favorite songs. She even felt better enough at the end to sing along to the lyrics: "passe passe temp, con parte de passe non, un petit per--son---age..." She giggled at how ridiculous she sounded. Nothing like the original singer at all, although some of her students -- flattering the teacher, of course-- told her that she resembled the actoress. It's just probably the hair hanging over my face, she thought. A thousand other girls probably wear their hair like that. At least come up with a better flattery...

The song faded out and the annoying male dj came back on. "Wasn't that wonderful? To think Xiaohuar's actually going to be here in Lake Victoria City this evening! Yes, the delectable beauty in town for the OZ ball held here in Lake Victoria Base for the recent promotion of their leader, General Treize Khrushenada!"

Macross Plus. Despite the fact she could probably count the number of movies she watched in theater on one hand, she actually did go see that one. Or rather, let herself be dragged along. Noin smiled at the ceiling. One of her students, Jacque, had landed himself a job as the stunt pilot for what became famously known as the 'pterydactyl scene'. He had dragged everyone he knew to see it after it was released. Proud of his success, she had allowed herself to be talked into going. To her surprise, the music wasn't that bad. Some songs were quite haunting. Of course, that was to be expected--Xiaohuar was one of the most talented young singers around. But the Mobile Suits pilots in that show! Most unrealistic and very undisciplined! Not a good image of what a pilot should be. But Jacques was so entranced with making the scene perfect. She remembered practicing with him hour after hour in one of the older test planes, tracing the trails of smoke into a semi-bird like shape, yelling 'pull right!' or 'bank!' until her voice was hoarse. But it was fun.

Noin considered it good training. You really needed good spatial ability to do that, trace a bird in the sky. Of course, with a regular plane and regular smoke you needed to be fast as well, or else your picture would be wrecked by the wind. She used to love doing that. Or floating marshmallows from a bowl to her mouth and then eating them. She closed her eyes, grinning. Yes, flying is great. Noin flipped over onto her stomach, continuing to listen idly to the radio.

"You know, I think that women out there really have way more advantages than us males. Some of you are actually going to attend the OZ ball with your boyfriends in the base...you lucky pigs! Not only to be entertained by a beautiful songtress, but to actually have a chance to see General Khrushenada..."

Outside, the bell rang: six strokes for six o'clock. Abruptly, she flicked it off. Time to start preparing for the ball, which would start at seven.

Dragging herself off the bed, she complained, "I don't wanna go!!!" to thin air. Sighing, Noin opened the closet and began to change.