Prologue
Aboard the Orbital Zeppelin en route to the Space Elevator Yokosuka, Kobo Kanaeru and Zeta Vestia shouted at each other until their faces went red. Their voices bounced off the walls of the pressurized cabin and drowned out the din of the hundreds of other passengers and the cheerful elevator music playing onboard.
"HUH!? What the hell are you doing here!?" Kobo shrieked, her fountain-like locks of hair bristled furiously like crashing waves, "Go back to whatever stupid rich girl school you're going to or something!"
"Oh yeah!? You're the one who should go back!" Zeta shouted back, standing tiptoed to tower over Kobo and her hyperactive hair, "Aren't you running away from your poor-kid school? Do you know who I am!?"
"No! I don't! And I don't care!" Kobo hissed and stuck out her tongue.
"Why you…!"
This was the reality that Olivia Kureiji had to deal with.
The grounded, starfighter-less I.D.O.L. Frame pilot stood between Kobo and Zeta like a wall of frizzled red hair and worsening eye bags, furrowing her brow and wrinkling her nose in frustrated silence. Somehow, she managed to whisk the two bickering brats from the Skyport Banda Aceh onto their scheduled zeppelin flight, but it was taking its toll on her.
It took every ounce of her patience and calmness to stop Kobo and Zeta from starting the Third World War.
' If the screaming doesn't kill me and rupture my eardrums, then I'm gonna end up trending on Pink Rabbit's Twitter hashtag. ' Olivia rolled her eyes, ' I can already see the other passengers bringing out their cameras. Hooh boy. '
Eleven minutes into the word war between the two brats, Kobo and Zeta started running out of ammunition. Their bickering grew less and less coherent and more erratic, devolving into calling each other 'stupid' over and over and over again.
' They're scraping the barrel. Thank goodness… ' Olivia thought.
She heaved a sigh of relief.
Olivia watched the zeppelin slow down and dock with one of the bridges of the Space Elevator Yokosuka, tapping her feet impatiently. She was eager to put the nightmare of practically herding a cat and a water fountain behind her.
' The sooner I can drop these kids off at the Academy, the sooner I can… ' Olivia pondered, but her thoughts were interrupted.
Unfortunately for her, she misjudged just how much of the barrel the two brats still had left to scrape!
"Stupid cat didn't let me enjoy the space view on the zeppelin." Kobo grumbled on their way out, speaking just loud enough for Zeta to hear her.
"Dumb fountain just can't shut up and leave me in peace." Zeta answered too, baring her teeth viciously, "... and I'm not a cat!"
Kobo and Zeta butted heads.
Again.
Olivia's red eyes twitched.
Passengers all around them were bringing out their phones again. They didn't bother to put their phones on silent mode. It wasn't a matter of whether or not Olivia would be trending on orbital platform Twitter anymore. It was a matter of how high up the list she got.
Olivia's had enough.
"Hey. Kids." Olivia snapped, barely hiding her fury any longer, "Would the two of you mind behaving for a -freaking- second? You gals are pushing my buttons right now and I'm trying really, REALLY hard to keep it in check."
The two brats stopped and turned to Olivia. The off-duty pilot looked into their eyes and hissed, "Keep this up and I'm gonna give you gals NIGHTMARES that make the Ancient Ones seem nice. Do. You. Understand!?"
Adamant, still, Kobo chimed cheekily, "But the Worldless can't dream…"
Olivia craned her head to Kobo, casting her shadow over the girl.
"I can fix that." Olivia's nose flared, daring Kobo. Her red eyes burned with flames too, "Try me kiddo. Do it. See what happens."
Kobo shuddered under Olivia's gaze. Even Zeta fell quiet.
"I'm sorry Livia-neesan…" Kobo apologized, lowering her head, "I'll leave whatsherface alone…"
"Zeta Vestia." Olivia corrected sharply.
Kobo nodded sheepishly.
"I'm sorry, Zeta…" Kobo mumbled, but she furrowed her brow and turned away immediately.
"Heh." Zeta snorted, but Olivia turned to her too.
"The same goes for you, Miss Vestia." Olivia added, her tone still frigid, "Neither I nor the Academy will give you special treatment. You know what you signed up for, so please be on your best behavior."
Finally, Zeta paused too.
Begrudgingly, Zeta and Kobo apologized to each other under Olivia's watchful gaze. Then, Zeta darted off on her own into the Space Elevator, leaving Olivia with Kobo.
"What's her deal?" Kobo mused.
"You're gonna be classmates in the IDSC Academy, Kobo. Ask her yourself." Olivia answered. She patted Kobo's shoulder, "Come on. Let's get moving."
With that, Olivia carried on into the Space Elevator with the humbled Kobo in tow.
…
Blue Horizon
Canto of the Cadets
…
Ninth Scene - Trending Trio
Olivia and Kobo passed through the Space Elevator security and found seats in the grand concourse underneath a miniature dome looking out to space. The bickering of the two brats in the Skyport, in the Zeppelin and in the connecting bridge caused them to miss the lift down to the Earth.
' Looks like we're stuck here till' the next lift comes 'round. ' Olivia sighed, wincing at the transport screens. She turned to her ward and reported, "We've got an hour and a half before the next lift, Kobo… Kobo?"
Olivia saw her ward slumped back into her upholstered seat and had fallen fast asleep.
'She wasn't kidding about not getting any sleep last night, huh?' Olivia snorted, ' She's cute when she's not trying to start a war. '
The frustrated frown on Olivia's lips lightened up, replaced with a small smile. She took off her IDSC athletic jacket and draped it over Kobo like a blanket. Then, she sat down beside Kobo and looked around. From her perch, she checked on Zeta for a bit and found her in a corner of the concourse.
' Zeta was taking a lot of phone calls too when I recruited her back then…' Olivia recalled. She could hazard a guess who Zeta was talking to, but she held her tongue.
Instead, Olivia took a page from Zeta's book and took out her own smartphone as well.
She browsed through her Twitter feed and grumbled, "It's just as I thought. M-chan's gonna give me an earful when I get back to base."
Right on cue, a direct message group chat popped into her inbox with dings.
…
' Saw you and your kid trending on the Pink Rabbit hashtag, Livia! ' - ' PavolianaRei'
...
"This was not how I wanted to get popular, Reine." Olivia snickered, typing her answer.
...
' You're really getting the single parent experience!' - ' Kerisss'
...
"Why don't you come and help me then, Anya? Reine?" Olivia asked with a snort, typing again.
...
' We'd like to, but we're tied up in HQ. Miss A-chan's gonna make an announcement today on the news. ' - ' PavolianaRei'
...
"An announcement…" Olivia paused. She lowered her head and answered, "Oh. Right. We're finally declassifying all that stuff, huh?"
...
' Yep. We'll be in for a long day. ' - ' Kerisss'
...
"I should be there with you guys." Olivia answered, "We don't even have our I.D.O.L. Frames yet, but the IDSC's finding ways of working us to the bone…"
...
' Sheesh, yeah. No kidding. ' - ' Kerisss'
...
"That said…" Olivia tested, "Any news on the Frames?"
...
' None yet. Unless A-chan plans to say something in her announcement today. ' - ' PavolianaRei'
...
' Unlikely. ' - ' Kerisss'
...
"Tsk… that's a shame." Olivia sighed.
...
' We'll hold the fort here for you, Livia. Moona-simpai, Risu-simpai and Iofi-simpai are with us too. Don't worry! ' - ' PavolianaRei'
...
' You're doing what A-chan wants the IDSC to be doing. Recruiting. ' - ' Kerisss'
...
' Yeah. And we're gonna need those recruits. Pilots are much more valuable than the Frames. ' - ' PavolianaRei'
...
' Mhm. And only a select few make the cut. ' - ' Kerisss'
...
"I know that, but…" Olivia turned away from her phone and glanced at Kobo beside her and Zeta in her far corner, "I've only recruited two. And they're… a handful."
...
' We were a handful for the IDSC - and for our simpais too! Remember? ' - ' Kerisss'
...
"Heh… you're right." Olivia smirked.
...
' Yeah. So think of it this way, Livia. You've got two high-energy girls who might one day pilot I.D.O.L. Frames. ' - ' PavolianaRei'
...
' And two more than either me or Reine. Heh. You've got this! ' - ' Kerisss'
...
"Thanks guys." Olivia smiled, typing back to them both, "I'll buy you guys something nice next time we meet!"
...
' Looking forward to it! See you on campus, and safe travels! ' - ' PavolianaRei'
...
' Yeah, yeah! See ya, Livia! ' - ' Kerisss'
…
The three ladies started barraging each other with emojis, filling their DM screen with color and warm lights. Then, once Olivia was satisfied, she put away her phone and sank into her seat beside Kobo. She yawned a little and felt envious of her ward sleeping beside her, so she tried to close her eyes to rest.
The only problem was… the Space Elevator lobby seemed quiet. Too quiet.
Olivia grunted and opened her eyes. Every television screen, formless or otherwise, all tuned in to OANA. All of the passengers of the Space Elevator, even the busy Zeta, stopped what they were doing and watched the grim face of Elio Peterson on the myriad of screens. Only the sleeping Kobo was spared from the tense air.
"So it begins." Olivia muttered beneath her breath.
The news anchor was giving his usual spiel, but his tone was much less light hearted than before. He didn't even use his usual lines and kept his preamble short. He cut the feed and sent it straight to a news conference happening outside the Cover Corporation headquarters. There, the head spokesperson and executive officer of Cover, A-chan, appeared before the cameras with a solemn expression on her face.
Olivia furrowed her brow and watched the broadcast.
…
CLICK!
…
" Good afternoon, everyone. On behalf of the Cover Corporation, I would like to sincerely apologize for withholding information about the KW8 mission and the recent attack of the Ancient Ones on KW1. Please allow me to make the Company's official statement on both matters known now. "
" It is with great sorrow that I must inform you that Cover has lost contact with our KW8 expedition team members Ennis Marie "Enma" Miyamoto and Jennifer "Jenma" Mathers. Despite our precautions and countermeasures, otherworldly interference cut off all interdimensional communications with KW8. All attempts to reestablish it this past month have been unfortunately unfruitful. Enma and Jenma are two of Cover's greatest managers . Their capabilities are beyond reproach. But as of right now, we cannot help them on their mission. We can only hope for the best. "
" As for the security of KW1, I would like to assure the public that the Cover Corporation has everything under control. We built the IDSC Galactic Fleet and the Jakarta-series Orbital Defense Platforms more than a decade ago to prepare for this threat. The Ancient Ones may attempt again to knock on our doors, but we will be ready for them. Everyone in KW1 saw the I.D.O.L. Frames in flight that day. We. Will. Be. Ready. "
" I will not be taking questions from the media at this time. Thank you. "
…
On the screen, Olivia watched as A-chan stepped away from the podium, ending her news conference as abruptly as it started. Reporters from the press pool started shouting out questions in rapid fire, drowning each other out. One reporter's voice, however, cut through the din.
" Miss A-chan! Mirae Laplace, London Observer. " She shouted, leaping over the other reporters to make herself seen, " You mentioned the I.D.O.L. Frames just now. The Galactic Fleet is spending more and more time deployed to other KW's, but there's rumors of I.D.O.L. Frame production delays. Strike Team ID2 supposedly has no starworthy Frames. Can the IDSC really defend us with just three Frames?"
Olivia blinked. Her jaw dropped as she watched the screen in the concourse. The exact same questions filled her head, but she didn't expect some no-name reporter from a British tabloid to ask them so directly.
She held her breath, waiting for A-chan to answer.
"The I.D.O.L. Frames will be ready when they're ready." A-chan spoke curtly, still continuing to walk off the stage, "Please wait for an announcement from the I.D.O.L. Frame Squadron's Commander, M-chan when that time comes. Aside from that, I have no further comment."
"What about the agent in KW11?" The reporter continued her barrage, "What's their status? Are they still alive? Are they still in contact with Cover Corp?"
A-chan stopped for a moment and glared at the London Observer reporter. But A-chan said nothing more and stormed out of the conference room.
"What in the world was that?" Olivia blinked.
OANA continued the program, focusing now on the questions left unanswered by A-chan. One of those questions in particular, however, made Olivia frown.
' The Frames will be ready when they're ready, huh…? ' Olivia grumbled, fidgeting with her fingers. She glanced down at her phone and sighed, ' What's really going on here, Reine? Anya? '
Her thoughts, however, were cut short by a different announcement on the PA system of the concourse. The earthbound lift was arriving.
…
…
…
Tenth Scene - Downlifting
Kobo awakened just as the earthbound lift arrived.
She opened her blue eyes narrowly and yawned, just as the concourse PA systems chimed with announcements. Kobo rubbed her eyes and got her bearings. When she did, she saw the throngs of people already lining up for the gate to the earthbound lift. There were so many of them that Kobo was startled.
'Holy crap!' thought Kobo, ' My morning commute never got this bad! ' She blinked and wondered, ' Is this really how many folks go down to Earth? '
Kobo looked all around her, trying to see how far the line for the lift went. This was the first time she had seen that many people moving so frantically, so her curiosity started to brew yet again. She turned to Olivia beside her, hoping to ask her about the lift, but she stopped halfway.
She found Olivia gazing at the screens of the concourse and the OANA broadcasts. Olivia's gaze seemed somewhat distant and troubled. That, and for someone who wasn't a fan of OANA, Olivia watched the screen rather intently.
Kobo decided not to disturb her.
At least, that was the plan.
The IDSC jacket slid down from Kobo's shoulders and spilled down to the floor, drawing Olivia's attention. Olivia snapped out of her rut and caught the falling jacket mid-air.
"Oh, safe!" Olivia sighed, clutching her jacket in her hand. She gave the jacket back to Kobo and grinned, "So you're finally awake."
"I am, yeah…" Kobo answered groggily. But then, she remembered what she wanted to say and piped up, "Right! The lift's here, Olivia-neesan. We've gotta line up! The line's really long already!"
Despite this warning, though, Olivia didn't panic. She just faced Kobo with a kindly smile.
"They're lining up for the general boarding. That won't happen for a little while longer." Olivia explained calmly. She brought up her WristComm device and flashed a hologram of her IDSC ID, "You, me and Miss Vestia get priority boarding. The two of you are incoming cadets already after all. Check your device."
Kobo brought up her own WristComm and browsed through its contents. She found her own identification card and saw her occupation.
'IDSC Academy Cadet, Junior Class.'
"Whoa…" Kobo awed.
Olivia continued happily, "Well then. Did you get a good rest?"
"Good rest?" Kobo started. Then, she felt the fabric of Olivia's jacket draped over her. The jacket slid down a little and Kobo's cheeks flushed red.
Olivia tilted her head, humming expectantly, asking, "Well…?"
Kobo nodded meekly, "Mm…" She looked up to Olivia, "But what about you?"
"I'll rest when I get back to base after I drop you and Miss Vestia off at the Academy." Olivia winked, "But now that you've rested up, Kobo, can I expect you to not be so cranky anymore?"
Kobo paused. She recalled her skirmishes with Zeta from earlier. It made Kobo lower her head in shame.
"I'll try…" Kobo croaked.
Chimes sounded in the concourse again, followed by an announcement.
' Terrestrial Lift passengers seated in Zone 2 are now invited to board. '
"That's our cue." Olivia nodded, finally standing up from her seat. She switched off her WristComm projector and craned her head towards the gate, "Let's go."
Kobo stood up as well, following suit, but Olivia's jacket slid further down her shoulders when she moved.
"Ah, Livia-neesan. Your jacket…" Kobo said, trying to return it to Olivia.
"Keep it for now." Olivia insisted cheerfully, "You seemed like you were cold." Then, she chuckled, "You can imagine yourself as an I.D.O.L. Frame pilot with that - sort of."
"Oh, right!" Kobo's blue eyes brightened up.
Kobo took the jacket off her shoulders and wore it over her school uniform.
' It fits well. ' Kobo thought, feeling the jacket wrap around her snugly, ' And it's warm… '
That was the first time that Kobo had worn anything 'new' in a long, long while. Ever since she had been settled on the Jakarta-series platforms, she had been wearing the same clothes over and over, cycling between them as much as she could to save on cash. So, the texture of unfamiliar fabric made her skin tingle with delight.
The colors around her in the concourse grew vivid. Everything seemed brighter - from the technicolor signs scattered around the concourse to Olivia's warm smile.
"You like it?" Olivia asked, watching her ward.
Kobo nodded and smiled back at her guardian.
On that bright note, Olivia and Kobo took their luggage, crossed through the concourse and boarded the grand earthbound lift.
…
With her half-filled trolley luggage in tow, Kobo took in the sights and sounds of the earthbound lift. She looked at every nook and cranny that she passed along the way, taking mental notes of every detail.
' I didn't get the chance to do this in the zeppelin because of… that girl… so I'll make up for it here! ' Kobo rationalized.
She meandered through the aisles and peeked behind curtains doors any chance she could like a tourist or an orbital platform bumpkin - at least until Olivia the Space Elevator staff ushered her to the right path.
Still, Kobo read every sign, sticker, label and screen. English, Japanese, Indonesian, Kobo read them all! Tempted as she was to start pushing buttons, though, Kobo did, at least keep her hands to herself.
For Olivia's sake.
Eventually, they reached their destination: a small but well-furnished priority seating cabin. It looked like the train cabins that Kobo had seen in movies from the Earth that she'd streamed once in a blue moon, sporting two cushioned benches across from each other, coat hangers and a space to stow luggage. The only differences were that the view from outside the window was that of outer space - and that their vehicle was going to move vertically.
Kobo and Olivia put away their luggage and claimed their seats. The new cadet and her legal guardian sat across from each other and smiled at each other. Kobo was just about to cross her legs and lie down on her bench sideways when their cabin door opened once again.
Zeta Vestia poked her head in through the threshold, much to her - and Kobo's - displeasure.
"I should have figured…" Zeta frowned.
"Geh…!" Kobo grumbled.
Huuuuu…
This time around, Kobo was able to hold her tongue and hide her disgust just enough to avoid Olivia's wrath. Zeta stowed away her things and sat beside Kobo before Olivia, but the two young ladies still kept their distance from each other.
"Good enough." Olivia sighed, folding her arms as she addressed her wards, "The two of you are putting aside your lives on the Jakarta-series platforms for the IDSC Academy, so I want you two to understand that we're all on the same team. Together with the Galactic Fleet, we're the ones standing in between KW1 and the Ancient Ones."
Kobo and Zeta glared at each other for a moment, but neither of them lashed out. Olivia took that as her cue to continue.
"That said, I do want to make sure the both of you know what you're getting into." Olivia joined her hands together, "How much of the new cadet manual have you two read?"
"I've read it twice already." Zeta ran her hand through her hair and snorted, "I've made notes about every chapter too, and I looked at the supplementary material from the IDSC's public library network."
Kobo blinked. She didn't expect Zeta to be that diligent.
"That's good." Oliva nodded. She turned to Kobo, "And what about you…?"
Kobo hummed and turned to Olivia, "Strange. I read it twice too." She scratched the back of her head and revealed, "I tried to read it and the other stuff it told me to look at to fall asleep, but I ended up going through all the materials instead. Aha, ahaha~"
For once, Kobo and Zeta briefly glanced at each other without too much annoyance. Rather, their glances were filled with curiosity before they turned away again.
"That's not exactly the best reason to read it." Olivia tilted her head, "But it's good you're both enthusiastic about it. You sure as hell are gonna need it. Going into the Academy, your heart's gotta be in the right place"
"Livia-neesan…?" Kobo tilted her head.
She remembered the sullen expression that Olivia had in the Space Elevator concourse earlier. Olivia, meanwhile, continued her lecture.
"Joining the IDSC is no joke, Kobo. Miss Vestia. The Academy is there for all branches of the IDSC: from the Garrison to the Galactic Fleet to the I.D.O.L. Frame squadron." Olivia crossed her legs the other way now and sighed, "After that battle over the Jakarta-series platform, you can guess which branch everyone in the Academy's gunning for."
Beads of sweat formed on Kobo's brow. A part of her knew that becoming an I.D.O.L. Frame pilot wasn't going to be a walk in the park, but hearing that straight from Olivia sent chills up her spine.
Beside her, Zeta leaned forward and started tapping the floor with her feet in an anxious tempo too. She avoided Kobo's glance but…
' That startled her too, huh?' Kobo thought.
Olivia watched her two wards again and folded her arms.
"I've enrolled the two of you in the pilot preparation program, but it'll be up to you to stay there. It'll be up to you to claim the privilege of piloting an I.D.O.L. Frame." Olivia spoke sternly, "Many in the program will support the Squadron in some way, shape or form - but only three brave, fortunate souls will be chosen as pilots." Then, she grinned, "You gals ready to take your shot?"
"Yes, ma'am." Kobo and Zeta both answered firmly.
"Fighting words." Olivia smiled and nodded at the two cheerfully, "Don't say I didn't warn you gals."
As she did, the lift started to descend down to the Earth.
Eleventh Scene - Terrestrial Triple
The earthbound lift continued its gradual descent down to Yokosuka, Japan. Kobo sat by the window of the cabin, watching as the familiarly vast expanse of outer space gave way to the terrestrial atmosphere of the Earth.
"So this is Earth…" Kobo mused, pressing her nose against the window glass.
"That's right." Olivia nodded. Across the aisle, she also looked out the window and watched the looming atmosphere, "This is the home of the people who sheltered us Worldless - the Cover Corporation."
"It's pretty!" Kobo cheered. Her blue eyes shimmered with delight, "And oh so blue…"
Not even the most detailed simulations on the Jakarta platforms prepared her for such a sight - for the real deal.
Olivia chuckled, watched on with Kobo and urged, "Wait till we get down even lower."
"Heehee~ I can't wait!" Kobo beamed.
Zeta, meanwhile, looked at the two earth-gazers and snorted. She didn't give the azure atmosphere of Earth, or the growing outline of the Japanese city skylines a second glance. Instead, she busied herself with ordering a can of expensive Earth-brand milk tea.
"What's so special about it?" Zeta raised her brow.
An attendant came by the cabin with a refreshment trolley and gave Zeta her milk tea. Zeta took it and opened it with a crisp hiss.
Just like that, the Space Elevator's lift continued its descent. The silence in the cabin was broken only by the occasional hum of the lift's machinery and notification dings from Zeta's smartphone.
Zeta switched her phone to silent mode and sipped on her tea impatiently.
…
THUUUUMPH !
The lift touched down gently onto Yokosuka, Japan and its passengers disembarked. Kobo, Olivia and Zeta joined them with their luggage in tow.
Kobo walked down the gangway, breathing in the unusually salty air. Powerful winds unlike anything she'd experienced on the Jakartas blew by her, combing her locks of blue hair and rustling her IDSC jacket.
' Is this the sea breeze? ' Kobo pondered, savoring the worldly sensation.
She stepped forward and set foot on the ground. Then she looked up to the vast cloudless skies, bearing witness to the blue horizon.
Tears started forming at the sides of Kobo's eyes. Even though her memories were gone, something about that view seemed awfully familiar.
Then, for a moment, she thought she saw a familiar face in the corner of her eye. She thought she heard a familiar voice in the din. When Kobo turned around, though, it was only Olivia waiting for her.
"Did you forget something in the lift?" Olivia asked.
Kobo paused, but she promptly shook her head. She tugged on her half-filled luggage trolley and mused, "Everything I've got's right here."
"Righto. Let's get a move on, then!" Olivia grinned.
She shepherded Kobo and Zeta out of the Space Elevator grounds. Kobo stole one last glance of the now-spacebound lift, then to the faint outline of the Jakarta-series platforms.
She bid them, and her old life farewell.
"Bye bye." Kobo whispered. Her voice was carried by the wind.
…
Olivia brought Kobo and Zeta through the Space Elevator's turnstiles and ushered them to its oceanside parking lot. A small fleet of electric buses were assembled there, crewed by a handful of IDSC Garrison soldiers and officers. Dozens if not hundreds of people were lining up there too, waiting for the Garrison to clear them for boarding.
"This is where we'll be parting ways." Olivia said, glancing at her two wards, "You two will be taking a bus to the IDSC Academy right here in Yokosuka." She then pointed to herself, "I'll be catching a bus to Cover Corp HQ in Tokyo. So, try to be on your best behavior, okay?"
Kobo and Zeta glared at each other again, but neither of them said a word. That was as close to 'affirmative' as Olivia knew she was going to get, so she accepted it.
Just then, one of the Garrison officers approached the three and saluted Olivia.
"Ma'am Kureiji." The officer spoke dutifully, "Commander Udin informed me that you'd be arriving."
"Thank you, officer." Olivia returned the salute with a small smile. She laid her hands on Kobo's and Zeta's shoulders and nudged them forward, "These are my two wards: Miss Kanaeru and Miss Vestia. Make sure they're sorted out and ready to go."
"Yes ma'am." The officer nodded.
Kobo and Zeta stepped forward and let the officer scan their WristComm devices. Olivia, on the other hand, excused herself and turned around to look for a Tokyo-bound IDSC bus.
"Uhm, excuse me, ma'am." The officer suddenly called.
"Yeah?" Olivia stopped in her tracks, "What's up?"
"You're scheduled to go to the IDSC Academy in Yokosuka, ma'am." The officer explained.
Olivia blinked, "... excuse me? I'm supposed to go to Tokyo."
"... eh?" Kobo piped up, "You're going with us, Livia-neesan?"
"I…" Olivia was dumbfounded. She scratched her head and asked the officer, "Who authorized that…?"
Before Olivia could finish her sentence, another voice answered on the guard's behalf, "M-chan did, Livia. Anya and I endorsed it too, though."
The voice came from one of the Academy-bound buses. Olivia turned to the voice and saw two ladies step out from that bus. The first one was a short brunette with exceptionally long hair for her height, large and mischievous purple eyes and a smug smirk painted on her lips. The other was a much taller lady with long, ash-gray hair adorned with braids, a side ponytail and blue feather ornaments.
Olivia's jaw dropped. Her eyes started to shimmer in the sunlight with joyful tears.
"Anya! Reine!" Olivia cheered.
"Yo." Anya, the short brunette, answered flatly, putting on a pair of sunglasses.
"Hello, Livia." Reine, the taller, ash-haired lady smiled.
Without warning, Olivia let go of her luggage and hugged the two ladies.
"Anya! Reine!" Olivia repeated, embracing them tightly.
"O-oy…!" Anya chastised, adjusting her now displaced sunglasses, "I just bought these!"
Reine, on the other hand, hugged Olivia back until the redhead pilot let go.
"W-what happened?" Olivia then asked, "I thought the two of you were holding the fort in Tokyo?"
"We were." Anya confirmed, adjusting her sunglasses again, "But there's been a change of plans. The three of us have been on standby waiting for our Frames for a while now, so M-chan made a proposal."
Reine nodded and continued, "The three of us - Strike Team ID2 - will be guest instructors in the IDSC Academy!"
"Guest instructors…!?" Olivia was alarmed, turning from Reine to Anya and back, "The two of you, I'd understand… but me? An instructor?"
"You'll never know until you try." Reine reassured, smiling at Olivia.
"And besides, both M-chan and A-chan have signed off on this already." Anya added matter-of-factly, "Think of it as a way to keep our skills sharp 'till our Frames are finally ready." She then grumbled, "That reporter from the London Observer tabloid put A-chan on edge with her questions, it seems. She wants to boost our combat readiness as much as possible."
"I guess that's true…" Olivia sighed. Then, she joined her hands together, "Well, I feel a little better that they're not making me do this alone!"
"You've got two wingmen for this mission, Livia." Reine winked, "We're in this together."
"Yeah, I guess I'll have to support you two in the Academy." Anya shrugged. She pretended to be nonchalant, but the faintest hints of a blush painted her cheeks when she said this.
"Thank you." Olivia smiled at her teammates.
Kobo and Zeta watched the exchange quietly - until both Anya and Reine turned their way.
"So these two must be your wards, Livia." Reine remarked, eyeing them from head to toe. She rubbed her chin and chuckled, "The two of them look pretty cute. Good eye."
Anya folded her arms, but she seemed to nod her head in agreement.
Olivia cleared her throat and gestured to her wards.
"Anya. Reine. I'd like you to meet Kobo Kanaeru and Zeta Vestia." Olivia spoke proudly, "Starting today, they're going to be junior-class cadets in the IDSC Academy. They're both enrolled in the I.D.O.L. Frame program too. They wanna be pilots for ID3 too!"
Kobo and Zeta came forward stiffly and nodded, introducing themselves too.
"I-I'm… uh, uhm… I'm Kobo! Kobo Kanaeru!" Kobo stumbled and stammered through her introduction with brute force, "I was just a student up in the Jakarta-series platforms. I hope… I hope I can become an I.D.O.L. Frame pilot like Olivia-neesan and Miss Moona!"
Zeta ran her hand through her hair and answered with more muted enthusiasm.
"My name's Zeta Vestia. I'm from the Makassar-series platforms." She bowed her head with ceremonious reverence and continued, "I hope to learn much from the three of you."
On that note, Olivia then gestured to Anya and Reine.
"Kobo. Miss Vestia, these are my teammates in Strike Team ID2: Anya Melfissa and Reine Pavolia." Olivia introduced, beaming brightly, "They… ahem… I mean, we will be some of your instructors in the I.D.O.L. Frame program in the Academy."
Anya and Reine approached the two young ladies this time.
The short brunette took off her sunglasses and spoke politely, "Anya Melfissa. Callsign DKZ . I'll be your guest instructor for I.D.O.L. Frame Maintenance and Equipment."
The taller, ashen lady smiled and joined her hands behind her back confidently, "I'm Reine Pavolia. My callsign's Illusion Night . I've been asked to teach your class about Starfighter Flight and Maneuver."
Finally, Olivia laid her hand over her heart and introduced herself again, "And I'm Olivia Kureiji. Callsign Jollie Jollie . Looks like you won't be getting rid of me that easily! I'll be in charge of…" She paused and turned to her teammates and asked, "H-hey. What am I gonna be in charge of?"
"CWO." Anya promptly answered, speaking in abbreviations.
"Oh! Really?" Olivia's red eyes shimmered.
"Yes! Now introduce yourself!" Anya pouted.
Reine, meanwhile, snickered at her teammates.
Still, Olivia grinned and obliged.
She faced Kobo and Zeta again and continued, "I'll be in charge of Combat Walker Operations. My favorite class! We look forward to showing you guys the ropes!" Then, her grin mellowed into a warm smile, "And I hope to see the day that the two of you call us ' simpai' ."
Standing before her three instructors, the three pilots of Strike Team ID2, Kobo smiled from ear to ear. Clutching onto the fabric of her IDSC jacket, Kobo knew in her heart of hearts that the feeling was mutual.
To Be Continued