Prologue

Kaela Kovalskia sat alone at a long table in a room with no windows in the heart of Yokosuka Naval Base. This wasn't the first time that she had sat there in that very same room - on that very same seat, even. That familiarity, however, offered her no comfort. Though the decorations of that room were ornate and handsome, and the lighting was bright and welcoming, shadows lingered over Kaela's red eyes.

As Kaela fretted about, Sergeant Sparrowhawk entered the room with a luncheon trolley.

"Sergeant." Kaela greeted her politely.

Sparrowhawk nodded and answered, "Madam."

They exchanged their pleasantries with little fanfare. Kaela watched Sparrowhawk place a cup and saucer before her. The sergeant then proceeded to place three more cups and saucers and poured coffee.

Kaela shifted in her seat, but before she could say anything, Sparrowhawk was already pouring the coffee into her cup.

Smooth black coffee sloshed into Kaela's up and her nose took in the aroma. Not one ounce of excitement filled Kaela's heart, however.

" This is gonna be cup number eight. " Kaela grumbled quietly.

She wanted to refuse the cup, but she just smiled and watched Sparrowhawk excuse herself.

" Hmm… " Kaela poked at her coffee. She looked at her own reflection in the rippling darkness and sighed, " Maybe I should start learning to say 'no' ."

The myriad of rings under her eyes told a story of an incredibly long day. She blinked often and felt herself drifting off where she sat, but the cup of coffee told her that her day was still far from over.

Right on cue, the doors of the room swung open. Kaela sipped her coffee and sat upright.

Anya Melfissa and Reine Pavolia, both wearing civilian clothes and IDSC lanyards, entered the room.

' Most people in KW1 would be overjoyed to have an audience with the beloved I.D.O.L. Frame pilots. It'd be a privilege and an opportunity of a lifetime for them. I've seen it with my own eyes. ' Kaela thought while she wore a practiced smile, " For me, though… I'm not looking forward to this meeting with them today. Not after everything that happened. "

Kaela stood up in attention and faced her 'guests' with a sharp salute.

"Good evening Miss Kovalskia." Reine spoke, returning the salute.

"Likewise." Anya saluted too.

The petite brunette lowered her hand and sauntered over to the center of the conference call table, fiddling with the computer there. That left Reine to gesture to Kaela, "Please, sit."

Kaela nodded awkwardly and did as she was told.

After a short while, the conference room's doors swung open again with much more force than before.

"Sorry I'm late!" Olivia Kureiji apologized, "The medical staff insisted on doing thorough check-ups on all the pilots. I only got out of mine now."

The third member of Strike Team ID2 appeared still wearing her IDSC terrestrial pilot kit. She had bandages on her face, on her arms and on her legs, but her expression remained confident and bright.

"Livia…?" Reine remarked with surprise, looking at the bandaged Olivia from head to toe, "Are you sure it's okay for you to be here?"

"We can handle the meeting for you if you need to rest up, Livia." Anya piped up too.

"Oh, phooey. I'm fine." Olivia grinned, "I already took some painkillers before coming here. I just hope I didn't miss anything."

Reine heaved a sigh and wore a smile.

"Stubborn as ever." Reine chuckled, "Anyways, you're just on time, Livia. Anya and I just got here."

Anya smirked smugly at Olivia and gave her a thumbs up. She then proceeded to return her attention to the conference room computer.

Reine gestured to Kaela, however, and added, "Miss Kovalskia's been here for a while, though."

"Is that so…?" Olivia hummed. She faced Kaela and smiled at her, "Thank you again for earlier. You saved our hides, Miss Kovalskia."

"I was just doing my job, Miss Kureiji." Kaela answered.

Her words, however, were nearly interrupted by a long, tired yawn. Kaela suppressed it as well as she could.

"Sorry to put you through this." Olivia apologized, "But what happened today is something that the IDSC doesn't want to happen again."

"I understand, ma'am." Kaela nodded, "I'm prepared to give a full report on the situation."

The tall blonde, however, stopped and faced Olivia once more.

"Uhm… excuse me, ma'am." Kaela stood up from her chair and called, her voice trembling with anxiety.

"Yeah?" Olivia asked.

"What is Miss Vestia's condition?" Kaela spoke gingerly, but her red eyes shimmered with anticipation.

"Right." Olivia smiled again, "I checked in on her on my way here. You don't have to worry about her. She sustained some bad injuries, but her condition is stable."

"I see…" Kaela mused, but she promptly added, "But will Zeta…?"

"Zeta's injuries don't threaten her ability to continue the IDSC Academy program." Olivia answered, anticipating Kaela's question, "If she keeps up her excellent performance at the Academy, and if the results of her Resonance Risual are favorable, she is well on her way to piloting an I.D.O.L. Frame for Strike Team ID3." She paused and promptly added, "Given that she rests up, of course. She wanted to continue classes right away!"

"That sounds like her." Kaela heaved a sigh of relief, "Unapologetically stubborn, that girl."

Just as Kaela said this, the conference room computer switched on. The walls were populated with five digital, formless screens. Anya pressed on her WristComm device and those screens crackled with static and were patched through one by one to the rest of Kaela's audience that evening.

Moona Hoshinova, Risu Ayunda and Iofifteen Airani appeared first. The executive officer of the Cover Corporation, A-chan, followed next. Then, YAGOO himself appeared.

" Good evening everyone. " YAGOO spoke in heavily accented English.

Moona, Risu, Iofi and everyone in the conference room greeted him back. Kaela followed suit, albeit stiffly.

A-chan spoke up next, speaking in well-practiced English on behalf of YAGOO.

" The CEO and I are present here today because what happened today constitutes a planetary emergency. " A-chan adjusted her glasses in the screen and continued, " Media coverage of this incident has been suppressed - and no details about this conference will leave our secure channels. But we will need to prepare a formal statement soon. " The executive officer's eyes turned towards Kaela and she urged, " That said, Miss Kovalskia. Your report, please - if you would. "

Kaela nodded and sorted through her notes on her WristComm. Olivia, Reine and Anya, meanwhile, took their seats at the conference room table.

Once Kaela was ready, she downed her coffee - her eighth cup for the day - and began her presentation and began her presentation.


Blue Horizon

Kovalskia, Analysis


Twenty-Fifth Scene - Grounded Angels

At the other end of the building, in an auditorium-turned-clinic, Kobo Kanaeru also sat alone on a folding chair in a makeshift doctor's office. In Kobo's eyes, though, it was hardly an office. It didn't even have walls: just curtains hanging from clotheslines subdivided the large auditorium into rooms.

Kobo leaned back and sank weakly into her chair, slumping lethargically. Her lips were twisted and her brows were furrowed as her entire body ached.

The adrenaline that flowed through her during the battle on the quay had long since subsided, leaving Kobo to deal with strained muscles and all of the pain that her body had suppressed.

They all came to her like waves crashing into shore.

"... this sucks…" Kobo complained to no one.

The waves of pain bothered Kobo to no end, but she sucked it up. Out of the cadets of the Majestic 12, Kobo's injuries were among the lightest. Through the thin curtain walls of the makeshift clinic, she could hear the groans of her peers.

Sobbing, sniffling and weeping echoed from the rest of the auditorium. Kobo's peers were faring much worse than her, and Kobo knew that that wasn't the worst case scenario.

Every so often, Kobo saw some of her peers walking past the doctor's office through the curtain slits that formed the doors. The cadets would peer in through the slits in passing, but the moment their eyes met with Kobo's, they swiftly turned away.

It wasn't like the usual fare of the cadets snubbing her like they did at the Academy. Rather, the cadets turned away from Kobo with peculiar looks on their faces: shame and remorse.

Kobo was tempted to call them over, but her aching body anchored her to her chair.

That - and Kobo didn't know what she'd say to them if they ever came face to face. All Kobo knew was that that feeling of hesitation was mutual.

If Kobo had given the orders to bombard the quay with EMP, then those batchmates of hers could have had their minds scrambled. They could have had strokes, become vegetables… or their brains could have splattered all over the cockpits of the haywire MLW mechs.

At least, that was what she overheard the doctors and nurses talking about between their shifts.

Kobo shuddered at the thought, so she put up with her lingering pain. She sat still and let her solitude continue for a little while longer.

To pass the time, Kobo brought up her WristComm device and checked her Twitter feet. She scrolled through the formless screens projecting from her device, but not once did she see a mention of the battle that took place in Yokosuka Naval Base.

The only things trending were the usual suspects: local personalities and businesses advertising their gigs, fans of Kobo's favorite anonymous idol group theorycrafting and thirsting over the latest music video, people trying to predict when the famous Japanese cherry blossoms would bloom and the usual interplay of normie drama.

She even saw tweets from the rest of the IDSC Academy cadets saying that they were returning to classes up in the mountaintop mansion.

Basically, nothing was out of the ordinary - which couldn't be further from the truth.

"So that's how it is, huh?" Kobo sighed.

In the end, she just liked the anonymous idol group's music video for ' ID:entity Voice s', retweeted it, and closed her app.

While Kobo was lost in thought, a middle-aged military woman wearing a white coat over her IDSC camouflage fatigues, parted the curtains and entered the room.

This was Kobo's doctor: a tall blond lady with short hair and bright sky blue eyes.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, love. I had to take a humvee here from the Naval Hospital." The lady spoke with a posh, British accent, "We went from having zero patients to thirteen in a heartbeat, you see. Not the most ideal situation to be in, innit?"

Kobo shook her head and smiled to reassure her, "It's alright. I wasn't waiting long."

' I totally was. ' Kobo pouted, but she kept her thoughts to herself.

The doctor, not suspecting a thing, smiled back. She reached into her white coat and brought out a canister of pills and a written prescription.

"These are low-level painkillers designed for the Worldless. Fast-acting relief, but it won't disrupt your body chemistry." The doctor explained, talking like one of those ladies from the medical infomercials, "Take a tablet thrice a day for three days and it will help soothe the muscle strains."

Kobo accepted the canister and read the instructions again.

"Can I take one now?" Kobo asked, "My whole body's hurting."

"Please do." The doctor insisted. She offered Kobo a canteen of water too.

Kobo took her first pill and downed it. Before long, her aches and pains subsided ever so slightly. They didn't go away completely, but Kobo finally had the strength to sit upright.

"Ah, that hit the spot pretty fast!" Kobo cheered, "Thanks doc!"

"Glad I could help." The doctor smiled. She joined her hands together and added, "Before I let you go, I wanted you to know that you'll be staying here in the clinic for tonight and tomorrow."

"... huh?" Kobo's jaw dropped, "But I've got classes at the Academy!"

The doctor scratched the back of my head, "Wow. I've heard that excuse twice today…"

"Eh?" Kobo raised her brow.

The doctor shook her head. Instead, she posed a question to Kobo.

"Do you think you can climb up the stairs of the Hundred Thousand Miracles in your condition?"

"Absolutely!" Kobo insisted.

She squirmed in her seat and tried to stand up, but the lingering pain gripped her body and made its presence known. The doctor folded her arms and watched Kobo struggle for a little while longer.

Panting and grunting, Kobo finally gave up and slumped back into her seat.

"I'll take that as a 'no'." The doctor decided. She joined her hands together and shared her diagnosis, "Just think of it this way, Miss Kanaeru: the sooner you get back to 100%, the sooner you can get back to class. That'll make you a good teammate."

Kobo frowned and deflated into her chair, "Alright…"

While Kobo lounged, though, she saw the doctor from a different angle. That sight spurred memories of hers and moved Kobo to give the doctor's face a closer look.

The doctor tilted her head innocently.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Feeling sick?"

"Hmm… how do I put this?" Kobo rubbed her chin, "You remind me of someone I saw before. Have we, perhaps, met before?"

"I can't say that we have." The doctor shook her head and asked, "Who do I remind you of?"

"This blonde girl who was floating in space when I first woke up. She was much younger than you, I think." Kobo racked her brains as she tried to explain, "She's probably from the world that I came from… and the Ancient Ones… they took her and…"

Kobo shuddered.

"Well, I can assure you, love, that I have not been to space." The doctor spoke, "I'm just doctor Watson, an IDSC Garrison surgeon. I'm not as adventurous as I once was." She snorted, "If the IDSC existed twenty years ago, then maybe…"

The blond doctor sighed, "There are many parallel worlds out there beyond KW1. Maybe there's another me who sought out adventures - another me who found her 'opportunity of a lifetime', as the Cover Corporation says. Now? I'm just happy to be alive and do my part."

"I see…" Kobo hummed.

Listening to the doctor's account, though, Kobo started to wonder if there were other versions of herself in the other parallel worlds.

Dr. Watson smiled and reached into her coat once more. She brought out a lollipop.

"I can't offer you any wild adventure stories, but I can offer you this! Will that suffice, love?"

Kobo's eyes brightened up.

"Yes! Thank you, doc!"

"Anytime." Dr. Watson nodded, "Make sure to rest up, you hear?"

"Sure thing, doc!" Kobo conceded. She slowly got up from the folding chair, popped the lollipop in her mouth and left the makeshift doctor's office. After that, she hobbled out of the auditorium-turned-clinic altogether.

Outside of the auditorium, Kobo saw dock cranes loading the last of the Mechanized Labor Walkers onto flatbed trucks. IDSC Garrison troops were in full force as they moved the heavy machinery around and cleared the quay as best as they could.

The very last mech that the Garrison moved was the totaled mech that Zeta was piloting. A tarpaulin covered the hulking wreck of the robot, but Kobo could still see its battered arms and legs beneath the flapping tarp.

Kobo folded her arms and frowned.

"I wonder if Rich Girl's doing alright…" Kobo thought out loud, "I don't think I saw where they're keeping her."

She tossed away the stick of her spent lollipop and carried on her leisurely stroll.

Kobo turned away from the quay and wandered around the naval base grounds, basking in the sea breeze as she did. While she walked, she came across the main IDSC headquarters building beside the auditorium-tuned-clinic.

"Isn't that where Olivia-neesan said she was going after her checkup?" Kobo pondered.

Kobo approached the front entrance, but a large contingent of IDSC Military Police blocked her path. They didn't seem to be keen on letting in visitors, so Kobo turned and carried on into the alley between the headquarters and the auditorium.

When she did, she passed by the fenced-off backyard of the headquarters. There, she saw the tall blond Chief Technician of the Maintenance Group sitting on a bench by the fence.

' Kaela Kovalskia ', Kobo remembered her name.

Even from where Kobo stood, she saw the tired and sullen expression on Kaela's face. It was a scene that Kobo had seen in the movies many times: where someone having a bad day sits alone in a secluded place and whips out a cigarette.

Kobo saw Kaela reach into her Maintenance Group jacket, but instead of a pack of cigarettes, Kaela brought out a styrofoam cup of HoloMie instant noodles!

"... HoloMie!?" Kobo gasped.

Kaela turned towards Kobo from across the fence and mused, "Oh… Miss Kanaeru. I didn't notice you there. Taking a stroll?"

"Yeah. Sort of." Kobo answered honestly.

The technician's red eyes smiled and she asked deviously, "Are you hankering for HoloMie?"

"N-no…?" Kobo tried to deny it.

She turned away awkwardly, but her blue eyes were fixated on the cup noodles. Her traitorous stomach grumbled loudly too, begging for delicious mi-goreng sustenance!

Kaela laughed - or at least, she looked like she was laughing, but she didn't make a sound. Either way, Kaela reached into the other side of her jacket and brought out another styrofoam cup of HoloMie.

"Here, catch!" Kaela showed the second cup of noodles to Kobo and grinned.

"Eh…?" Kobo panicked, "Is it really alright?"

Kaela nodded without hesitation. Then, she tossed the sealed HoloMie cup over the fence. Kobo caught it and smiled too.

"Thank you!" Kobo spoke graciously.

"Don't mention it!" Kaela grinned, "I should be the one thanking you, Miss Kanaeru. If it weren't for what you and Miss Kureiji did, the incident today would have been much, much worse."

Kobo's expression brightened up. She basked in Kaela's praise for a brief moment, but snapped out of it and returned the favor.

"We couldn't have done it without you, though." Kobo countered, holding the HoloMie cup close to her heart, "You went out there to a freaking mech fight in a humvee!"

"I had no choice." Kaela replied, "Plus, it wasn't me driving that humvee back there. It was Sparrowhawk."

"Sparrowhawk?" Kobo's face soured, "The stern, absolutely no-fun killjoy of a drill sergeant?"

"Yeah. The very same!" Kaela confirmed. She snorted and mused, "You should have seen how panicked she looked when she was dodging the feet of those MLWs though! She was as white as a ghost!"

"Gosh, I wish I could have seen that!" Kobo burst out into laughter.

When she did, though, the lingering aches of her body gripped her and reminded her of her condition.

"Ack…" Kobo grumbled.

"Oy… something wrong?" Kaela panicked. She clutched onto the fence that stood between them and asked, "Do you need me to get help?"

"N-nah… I'm fine." Kobo reassured, "I only recently got discharged. My doctor's giving me a light touch with the meds."

"Better for things to take their natural course…" Kaela mused, concurring with the doctor's decision, "Better than rushing things that aren't finished…"

"Did you say something?" Kobo asked.

Kaela paused. Then, she shook her head and smiled.

"I'm just looking forward to getting some hot water for my HoloMie." Kaela changed the subject quickly.

"Same." Kobo agreed happily, already feeling better.

While the two were talking, the back door of the office opened. Olivia Kureiji poked her head out the threshold and called, "Miss Kovalskia? Everyone's waiting for you."

"Coming." Kaela answered.

Olivia stepped out of the door and saw Kobo - and the styrofoam cup of HoloMie instant noodles in her hand. She also saw the HoloMie cup in Kaela's hand and added two and two together.

"Hold on a second…" Olivia frowned at the two in a rare display of parent-like displeasure, "Did Doctor Watson clear you to eat that stuff?"

"Did she have to?" Kobo asked defiantly, clutching onto the HoloMie cup protectively.

"Let her have it, Miss Kurejij." Kaela insisted with a relaxed tone, "Clinics are supposed to heal the body and raise the spirits, right? Miss Kanaeru perked up the moment she saw the HoloMie."

"Eh… but…" Olivia's resolve faltered, but she stubbornly resisted with a frown.

"How about I make it worth your while?" Kaela proposed. She reached into her coat pocket again and brought out a THIRD cup of HoloMie, "This is the good stuff - produced in the Jakarta platforms. It's the original recipe spice mix too!" She looked into Olivia's eyes and whispered, "It probably reminded her of her old home up there."

Olivia turned to Kobo and her pleading eyes as she held her HoloMie cup like it was precious gold. She heaved a sigh and took the third HoloMie cup from Kaela's hand. She then turned to Kobo one more time.

"Just don't let it spoil your dinner, okay?" Olivia advised.

"Sure thing!" Kobo beamed, "You're the best, Olivia- neesan !"

"You only say that since you're being spoiled." Olivia laughed heartily. Then, she too lurched forward in pain - just like Kobo did, "Ack…!"

"Whoa now…" Kaela gasped.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." Olivia quickly reassured.

Kaela heaved a sigh and whispered beneath her breath, "Like guardian, like daughter, huh? Pushing yourselves to the limit…"

Olivia raised her brow, but Kaela didn't elaborate.

With that, Olivia took Kaela back into the IDSC headquarters building. Kobo bid farewell to them both. Then, made a beeline for the nearest hot water dispenser for her HoloMie, grabbed a pair of chopsticks and ate her noodles while looking out to Tokyo Bay.

The noodles were just as delicious as she thought they would be.


Twenty-Sixth Scene - Moonlit Meeting

Not long after the sun finally set over Yokosuka, Kobo returned to the auditorium-turned-clinic and settled in for the night. Dr. Watson showed her to her 'room' - another curtain-walled subdivision of the large space. It was furnished with a bare-bones cot that wouldn't be out of place in a field hospital in some warzone somewhere. She got a tray of food for her dinner and even got a window with a luxurious view of Tokyo Bay.

Once Kobo finished her dinner and took her night-time dose of painkillers, Dr. Watson's staff cleared out her tray and then called for lights-out in the clinic. That was the cue for Kobo, and the rest of the injured Majestic 12 cadets to go to bed.

Kobo tried to follow the order and laid down on her bed to try and sleep. However, sleep proved especially elusive for her that evening.

Between the lingering, albeit suppressed, pain that Kobo felt, the surprising stiffness of the cot and her uneasiness with getting used to yet another unfamiliar bed on her second night on Earth, Kobo's mind was racing. Her active mind trumped her tired body and kept her awake for hours on end.

Even as Kobo heard the snores of the other cadets, she remained wide awake.

Lying down on her back, Kobo looked out her window to the moon and the stars and the constellation of orbital platforms sailing in pleasant orbit up above. Kobo reached out to the orbital platforms and thought back to the three years she spent up there, sailing between the Earth and the stars.

"Heh… I can't really remember much of what I did up there…" Kobo lamented. She clenched her fists, "I didn't really do much, did I?"

Kobo had started her journey to turn her life around and discover who she was before the Hundred Thousand Miracles - and yet here she was again, lying down on her back and forced to do nothing.

She shook her head, shifted around on her bed and tried to think of other things.

Her mind wandered to the things that happened on the quay that afternoon. All the pain that she felt was proof of that fierce battle and the malfunctioning IDSC equipment, but nobody outside Yokosuka Naval Base seemed to know it even happened.

Kobo then wondered about Olivia and Kaela and the closed-door meeting that they were having in the IDSC headquarters.

Before coming down to Earth from the orbital platforms, Kobo thought that the path to becoming an I.D.O.L. Frame pilot was going to be challenging but straightforward. It would have just been like the Hollywood war movies that she had seen on streaming services many times over. She, the protagonist, would sweep in and she would rise up to the top like the cream of the crop and the credits would roll for a mega blockbuster movie hit.

But here she was wrapped around in web after web of secrets and a labyrinthine maze of protocols. The more Kobo thought about it, the less inclined she was to sleep.

"Hah… this isn't working." Kobo grumbled with frustration.

Kobo sat upright on her cot and stood up slowly, taking care not to make any noise. She quietly put on a pair of flip flops and snuck out of her curtain-walled 'room'. Keeping to the shadows, she crept through the halls between the curtain rooms and charted a path towards the exit.

She passed by the makeshift doctor's office and spotted Dr. Watson who was busy typing up reports through her WristComm. So, Kobo kept her head low - as low as her tired body could manage, at least - and carried on.

Her goal that evening was to slip outside, take in the sea breeze and see Tokyo Bay once more. After all, whenever she sat by the sea and looked up to the heavens, she felt calm.

Eventually, Kobo got past the auditorium's curtain rooms and found a path to the rear exit.

However, on her way out, she passed by one peculiar room in the auditorium complex: one that had its own concrete walls and an actual door. Kobo wouldn't have paid the room any heed, but she noticed that the door was ever so slightly ajar.

"... what the hell?" Kobo whispered to herself.

Curiosity tempted Kobo, but she held firm and thought of the sea and the stars that awaited her outside the auditorium.

But then, she heard a familiar voice.

The voice of Zeta Vestia, asking, "What are you doing here?"

"Eep…!" Kobo froze where she stood and held her breath.

She scrambled to the walls and pressed her back against it, searching for the aristocratic girl in the halls. There was no Zeta to be found.

Instead, when Kobo peeked into the ajar door of the room, she saw a bedridden Zeta Vestia sitting upright on a full, comfortable-looking hospital bed. Zeta's room even had a much better view of Tokyo Bay than what Kobo had!

' So this is Rich Girl's room… I should have expected something like this. ' Kobo thought, annoyed at first. Her expression mellowed, however, before long, ' She did take a beating from that mech, though… so I guess she deserves this. Probably. '

Kobo took a deep breath and peered closer into Zeta's private room. The aristocrat's blue eyes were narrowed and her lips were pouted with annoyance, but that annoyance didn't seem to be aimed at Kobo.

' I don't think she knows I'm here… ' Kobo deduced, ' So, then. Who's she talking to? '

Kobo shifted to another side of the door and then found a sliver of a familiar figure standing across from Zeta's bed.

Kaela Kovalskia.

"I wanted to see you, that's why." Kaela answered Zeta without hesitation.

" Oya oya, what's this? " Kobo wondered.

Even with her limited scope of vision, Kobo could see Zeta's cheeks turn red and light up like a Christmas tree. The aristocrat puffed up her cheeks and turned away from Kaela.

"Well, visiting hours are over, Kaela - and I doubt you have clearance to be in here." Zeta hissed at her visitor, "This is an intensive care unit, after all."

"This place? An intensive care unit?" Kaela challenged, "HQ scrambled to put this place together, threw some medical equipment in and diverted some staff and called it a day." She pointed out to Zeta's window and added, "There's a perfectly good Naval Hospital two quays over, but they didn't want you guys to be brought there."

"Seriously?" Zeta's jaw dropped.

"They're keeping you and the Majestic 12 gals here for 'security purposes'." Kaela explained, "This whole incident is being kept under wraps." She clenched her fists and spoke with rare passion, "All the news stations and social media sites are censoring it like it never happened - even though you nearly died!"

"Kaela…" Zeta muttered with concern.

Kobo too, from her perch, felt her heart ache. Still, she held firm and continued to peer inside.

Kaela opened her mouth, almost as if she wanted to vent out more frustrations, but she stopped herself and lowered her voice once more.

"Anyways, I'm here because I wanted to see you, Zeta." Kaela said again, "Even though you may not want to see me again." She hesitated and dared to ask, "You're not… still mad at me, are you?"

Zeta heaved a sigh, turned away from Kaela and hugged one of her pillows.

"Why wouldn't I be mad at you?" Zeta snorted, "You suddenly disappeared from the Oribital Platforms without a trace and never said a word!" She held her pillow more tightly and frowned, "I came here thinking that I'd never see you again. I was getting ready to make peace with that truth, but then here you are - working for the IDSC's Maintenance Group. You've been here all this time - where I wanted to go - and you never told me!"

This time, Kaela turned away from Zeta and started to fidget.

"It's a long story, Zeta. The IDSC absorbed Pemaloe Workshop and had us work on top secret technologies." Kaela tried to explain.

"Just like the mass-produced HALO module?" Zeta asked.

"... yes. Among other things." Kaela admitted, "Which is why I feel responsible for what happened today. If I had reacted just a little later - or if Miss Kureiji and Miss Kanaeru weren't able to hold back the tide… then I'd…"

Tense silence filled the room. Zeta faced Kaela once more and broke that silence.

"Well. I'm still here, aren't I?" Zeta noted with a lighter tone.

"Yes. Yes, you are." Kaela managed a small smile.

Under the moonlight, Zeta and Kaela basked in tender silence.

Then, Zeta spoke.

"What happened today happened for a number of reasons. I'm not a stranger to deploying new tech in the Defense industry." Zeta set aside her pillow and leaned back into the headboard of her bed, "Teething pains and mishaps happen. Maybe not on the scale of what happened at the quay today, but they do happen."

"So you understand me, then." Kaela sounded relieved.

"Almost." Zeta's tone became sharp once more, "You have to come clean to me on one thing, though, Kaela."

"I'll answer it if I can." Kaela promised.

"When Pemaloe Workshop was absorbed into the IDSC… was my father, Lord Bazo, involved?" Zeta asked.

' Lord Bazo… ?' Kobo rubbed her chin from her perch, recalling her conversation with Zeta just last night, ' That's her overprotective dad, right? '

Another pause ensued in the private room.

Kaela exhaled and admitted, "Yes. Lord Bazo facilitated the transaction. A small workshop like ours wouldn't have had any hope of working this closely with the IDSC without his support."

Zeta gritted her teeth and hissed, "I knew it…"

"Zeta, I…" Kaela tried to interject, but Zeta cut her off.

"What did you give him in exchange?" Zeta demanded, "You're here to keep tabs on me, aren't you? You're probably also being asked to convince me to go back to the Orbital Platforms."

"Lord Bazo did ask me to do those things." Kaela revealed, "It's just as you have guessed."

"Hah! That sly old man…" Zeta furrowed her brow.

"Hold on… please. Let me finish." Kaela pleaded to Zeta, "Lord Bazo did ask me to do those things, but I know the deal that you and Miss Kureiji struck with him. If you can become an I.D.O.L. Frame pilot, then Lord Bazo cannot force you to return." She laid her hand over her heart and insisted, "I know you want to become a pilot more than anything. Your father doesn't understand this, but I do. I wouldn't even think of telling you to stop chasing that dream."

"... Kaela." Zeta croaked, moved by her words.

"Ever since you suddenly asked me to install that flight simulator rig in your house, I saw your burning passion for this." Kaela continued confidently, "I've seen you playing that sim for so long - you talked about it so much." She exhaled and looked out Zeta's window once more, "If ever Lord Bazo somehow manages to get you back up to the Orbital Platforms, I know your heart and your mind will continue to yearn for the chance to fly a real I.D.O.L. Frame. I'm not here to kill your dream - but to support it."

Kobo, the eavesdropper, felt her heart beating. Even just a little, she started to understand why Zeta was so stubborn - and why she chased her dreams so vigorously. Without the haughty expressions, the sharp words and the secretive actions, Zeta Vestia was a true maiden at heart.

A maiden dedicated to her aspirations.

A maiden whose blue eyes started to well with tears.

"You should have told me this sooner." Zeta sniffled.

"I wish I could have… but until today, my hands were tied." Kaela spoke firmly. She then marched forward towards, "So, from this point on, I'll do my best to wipe your tears."

Kaela brought out a handkerchief and gently wiped off Zeta's tears. Under the moonlight, Zeta's eyes shimmered radiantly.

And then, the aristocrat wrapped her arms around Kaela, pulled her towards her bed and kissed her.

' Holy crap…! ' Kobo quietly panicked at the doorway, ' This is like one of my Hollywood movies! '

She tried to turn away, but she couldn't take her eyes off of the surreal scene of Kaela and Zeta making out in the private clinic room.

' They're really going at it. Damn!' Kobo's imagination went wild - but the passionate kisses of the lovers left little to the imagination.

All of a sudden, Zeta broke off the kiss and looked deep into Kaela's eyes. She embraced the tall blonde, brought her close and whispered softly - but loud enough for Kobo to hear.

"Say… I know a way you can make up for this, Kaela." Zeta cooed lovingly.

"Oh yeah?" Kaela answered gamely.

"You know what I want, big girl." Zeta teased. She purred lovingly then whispered in a breathy, sultry voice, "Give. It. To. Me. Ka-e-la~"

The lover's quarrel that Kobo bore witness to was quickly turning into a midnight tryst!

Kobo couldn't turn away!

"Oh, I would. Believe me." Kaela answered Zeta. She then turned to the open door and glanced at Kobo, "However… I don't like performing for an audience."

"An audience…?" Zeta turned towards the ajar door too.

Her tender gaze quickly became sharp and her blushing cheeks became a face of fury.

"Ah shit…" Kobo braced herself for the coming storm.

Zeta then screamed, "FOUNTAIN GIRL!?"

To Be Continued