At 1015, Cadet Corporal Mirage Sterling has an ethics class. She sits with the other gray-uniformed cadets in a classroom. She can feel a slight soreness in her arms and legs, as Tuesday mornings are devoted to physical training before breakfast. A bespectacled professor in a tweed jacket looks in front of the class.

"As you know from the very first day you set foot on this campus, we have an honor code," he says. "Repeat it for this class."

"A cadet shall not lie, cheat, steal, nor tolerate those among us who do," say Mirage and all of the cadets.

"It's hard enough to obey that," says the professor. "Even harder to understand,. But understand you must. Another cadet, a senior cadet, will inform you of her personal experience. Three years' enlisted experience in the Space Marines, three years' experience as a cadet in the United Earth Forces Academy, and star women's basketball player, with one MVP, I introduce to you, Cadet Major Ayanna Harden."

The cadet major walks in from of the class. Mirage recognizes her. She looks pretty much the same as she did last year, with tightly curled black hair and black skin, standing about five feet ten inches tall. She wears a button-down gray coat and a gray skirt.

The other cadets pay attention.

"That is right," she says. "I was an enlisted Space Marine before coming here. I went though the twelve-year boot camp and then seven weeks at mobile armor school. I made it to corporal, earned a Space Marine Commendation Medal during my enlisted service. I was one of the one hundred enlisted persons appointed by His Excellency the Secretary General of the United Nations to attend this Academy.

"The honor code. I was an enlisted Space Marine. I had to trust my superior officers with my life. I had to trust that they would make sure my training is safe. At the same time, though, they had to make sure I was not coddled or babied, so that I would be able stna dup for others and fight in case there were hostilities.

"And like all cadets, I had to study the history of the Robotech Wars. Seventy thousand people trying to survive on a crippled starship, unable to fold through hyperspace, under constant enemy attack. They needed to trust officers to be able to survive, to make it. Most of you here are grandchildren of the people who sought refuge on that vessel. We owe much to those officers who commanded that ship.

"When you become officers, you will have the lives of your subordinates in your hands. Your mistakes will be listed on a KIA list. Your subordinates will have to trust that when you put their lives on the line, when you order them to risk all, it will be for a good cause. By that I don't mean a medal, I don't mean a promotion, but to put humanity in a better position to deal with any foes that threaten those under the protection of the United Nations.

"Seventeen years. Humanity has had seventeen continuous years without interstellar war. I daresay that a trustworthy officer corps will guarantee seventeen times seventeen years of peace or more. But even if that peace fails, a trustworthy officer corps will see our fathers and mothers and brothers and sisters and our daughters and sons through whoever or whatever decides that human beings are the enemy.

"Thank you for your time."

"Thank you, Cadet Major Harden," says the professor.

The cadet major passes next to Mirage.

"See you at practice," she says.

Ooooooo

Cadet Privates Mirage Sterling and Ann Campbell arrived at the Academy gymnasium where basketball practice was usually held. The brick building was in fact one of rthe original buoldings when the campus was first operational before the second of the Robotech Wars. The two first-=year cadets walked in.

Their hearts raced. This was it.

They were playing varsity.

The two of them are there with three other cadets.

"My new recruits, said Melissa Karn, wearing a T-shirt and shorts. "Welcome tom your first practice session. Before we get you dressed up, we'd like for you to meet your new teammates."

The new recruits saw their teammates.

Mirage recognized Cadet Master Sergeant Harden.

"I didn't know you were on the team, ma'am," she said.

"I've trained this cadet a few times, coach," said Harden.

"It certainly was enough to push her over the top," said Karn.

"I'm glad we'll be playing together, ma'am," said Campbell.

"We'll be practicin', but not wearing that."

"Cadet Harden, take the new recruits to the back where they can get their gear," said the coach.

"Yes, ma'am."

ooooo

The gymnasium shelters the basketball players form the rain currently falling on the grounds of the Academy. The sound of the bouncing ball is heard.

"Very good, Wilson," says Coach Melissa Karn.

"Yes, ma'am," replies Cadet Staff Sergeant Tawny Wilson, one of the players.

"Now, we'll try shooting the hoops again. But this time, someone will get in your way. Harden, if you will."

"Yes, ma'am," she replies. She walks over to the basket and faces the players, with the basket at her back.

"Sterling will go first," says Karn, handing Mirage the ball. "You have ten seconds."

"Okay, Mirage,:" says Ayanna.

Mirage dribbles the ball as Ayanna does her best to stay in front of her. Mirage keeps moving, but the senior cadet keeps denying her an opening.

With her heartbeat, Mirage can measure time, and it is running out.

She makes her move.

And collides with Ayanna, crashing to the floor, with the basketball bouncing away to the side.

"I'm sorry!" exclaims Mirage.

"It is a contact sport, Sterling," says Karn. "I've seen you crash into other players on the court more than once."

"And it hurt."

"No kidding," says Ayanna, standing up. "ready for the next player."

"Very well," says the coach. "Padgett!"

oooooo

The rain is even heavier in the early evening. The few people outside hold umbrellas or wear raincoats. Just right outside the cadet dorms, over two dozen cadets are doing push-ups and squats even as the rain wests their raincoats.

"You have fallen short of the standards we demand of cadets," says Cadet Staff Sergeant Wilson. "If you fall short, you must get up and stand tall. And by doing this, out here in the pouring rain, you will stand tall."

Mirage stands next to Tawny, watching the first-year cadets do pushups and squat thrusts. She had been given the privilege of shadowing Tawny as she drills the cadets.

"That's enough," says Tawny. "Back to your dorms, dry yourselves off, and catch up on your reading before you go to sleep."

"Ma'am, yes, ma'am," snap all the cadets.

Mirage and Tawny walk together.

"What did you think?"

"Interesting. I remember being on the receiving end."

"So do I."

"I noticed that Carli- Cadet Padgett- was among them."

"It'll help her perform better in basketball as well as military training. It certainly did so for me."

The two of them walk under an overhang directly above an entrance to one of the dormitory buildings.

"I was thinking of that whole ethics training," says Tawny.

"Well, we need honest officers," says Mirage.

"Yes, the honor code. Ayanna gave that speech in your class earlier today."

"The tough part was the part of not tolerating others who do lie, cheat, and steal. There was this time last year. I suspected a cadet stole something. I mean, I didn't know if I was right about what I thought I saw. What if I got the cadet expelled? It was two days before I informed the Corps leadership about it."

"What happened?" asks Mirage.

"The cadet's still here, and still advanced to the next year. If an Honor Board was convened, I wasn't called to testify."

"Maybe you were mistaken about what you saw. Maybe some lesser punishment than expulsion was lesson enough."

"Anyway," says Tawny, "I have to catch up on my studies and you do too. You are dismissed, Cadet Corporal."

"Ma'am, yes, ma'am," snaps Mirage, saluting.

Ooooo

In the outskirts of a city in the Sovereign County of Transylvania, there is a stadium. The stadium is insulated from the bitter cold that happens during the winter season in this region of this planet called Earth. The stadium is often used for filming and concerts.

And it is used for basketball, both professional and collegiate.

Mirage Sterling walks up to the court. She had practiced and trained for these events, just like her other teammates. She glances at the pale-skinned woman with blond hair reaching to her shoulders, who answers to the name of Ann Campbell.

So much is going on in the second-year cadet's mind. She had not traveled to this part of the Earth before; she believes there are five Transylvanian cadets attending the Academy; she does not know them, and none of them were on the women's basketball team.

And she recalls some study sessions. Final exams for the first half of her second year start just a little over two weeks from now. She can sense that the senior cadets on the team are feeling the stress.

Ayanna Harden, their MVP, is at the center circle, facing her counterpart from the host university.

Mirage pays very much attention.

A horn sounds, and the opposing team gets the ball.

It is time to play defense.