Prologue
…
WHIIRRRRR!
FWOOOOOOSH!
WHIIRRRRR!
In the dead of night, in a secluded hangar tucked away in the far edges of Yokosuka Naval Base, heavy machinery roared. Kaela Kovalskia, the chief technician of the Pemaloe Workshop, barked orders over the thrum of machines. Pemaloe Workshop technicians scurried to and fro, carrying materials, reading monitors or furiously typing up reports. Kaela and all of her technicians wore tinted goggles that reflected the bright welding lights and the sparks flying through the air.
However, those goggles couldn't hide the rings forming beneath their eyes. The rings under Kaela's eyes were especially dark - but she continued to work.
"Technicians! Double time! No… that's not enough. Triple time if you can!" Kaela cried out, waving her fists in the air like an agitated penguin, "We need to get a working prototype for the 2.0 out tonight!"
At her command, the technicians continued their work. Dozens of prototype HALO Modules were taken, disassembled, modified and re-assembled at a breakneck pace. Kaela watched it all, pacing back and forth with her hands behind her back.
Kaela's WristComm buzzed, drawing her glance. A notification from the IDSC popped up, followed by a message from the I.D.O.L. Frame Squadron Commander.
"... not now." Kaela waved away the notifications and joined her technicians in their work.
Before she knew it, the clock had struck twelve midnight, but the workshop's machines and its technicians kept on going. Not a single HALO 2.0 Module rolled off the production floor. But, by then, half a dozen new notifications from the IDSC buzzed her WristComm.
Kaela clicked her tongue.
"How much longer before we can get a freaking 2.0 prototype!?" Kaela yelled.
One of the senior technicians, a pink-haired girl with lavender-colored eyes, stood up from her workbench and shook her head. She faced Kaela and reported somberly.
"We won't be able to get them done tonight, Miss Kaela. Fabrication's almost done for a few units, but we haven't tested them or implemented the new changes. Three days is nowhere near enough time to get an entirely new iteration of the HALOs." The senior technician's shoulder drooped, "Not to mention - we've got new work that the IDSC is dumping onto us on the regular."
"Hah… that Gachikoi Barrier they deployed ate up a lot of our time." Kaela snorted.
Kaela clicked her tongue again and looked around the incredibly busy workshop. Sparks were flying all around her and beads of sweat formed on her brow. She wiped her brow with the back of her hand and folded her arms.
"What are our options for crashing the development? Any boost will do." Kaela asked the technician.
"We could use some more technicians, ma'am. Our workforce is already stretched thin as it is." The technician answered, gesturing to her colleagues already running around.
"I'd get more if I could, but the IDSC's scrutinizing everyone with a fine-tooth comb right now." Kaela grumbled. She covered her face in her palm and groaned, "I get that the IDSC's on the lookout for infiltrators, but they're tying our hands behind our back!" She shook her fist at the IDSC crest on the walls of the hangar, "They need to GET SOME HELP!"
The technician hung her head low, agreeing quietly. Kaela rubbed her chin and paced around the workshop again. Kaela walked by the production line and picked up an unfinished HALO module from the stack.
"What if I put one of these on and did some simulations?" Kaela proposed, thinking out loud. She laid the module over her head, just like the true HALO of an I.D.O.L. Frame would, "We can iron out a lot of the problems with a nice big test run, yeah?"
"M-ma'am…!" The technician squealed. She snatched the HALO module from Kaela and bowed apologetically over and over, "I-I'm really sorry, ma'am, but the modules simply aren't ready. If we test them on a person right now, we might get a similar incident to what happened on the Quay!"
"You mean I'd go berserk?" Kaela raised her brow.
"Maybe - who knows?" The technician shook her head.
"Now I'm curious what I'd be like when I'm berserk." Kaela tried to snatch the module back from the technician, "Maybe I'd take Zeta into a closet, and…"
"Ma'am, please! Be reasonable!" The technician urged, "If we lose you, Pemaloe Workshop will collapse!" She then blinked in disbelief, "J-just what were you planning to do with Miss Ves-"
Kaela cut her off.
"I know, I know." Kaela sighed. She stopped trying to snag the module and buried her hands in her dirty overall pockets, "But there must be something else we can do to speed things up."
The technician paused and pondered for a moment.
"More first-hand data would do us a world of good, ma'am." She finally answered Kaela. She brought up her WristComm and showed Kaela some graphs, "Primary data will bridge the gaps in our mental throughput. The more data we get, the better."
"Primary data." Kaela hummed, rubbing her chin, "Like, I.D.O.L. Frame pilots - and candidates - in action. Live combat data."
"That would be the ideal. But data from the IDSC Academy would have to suffice for now." The technician cautioned.
"We'll make do with our studies in the Academy. Though, honestly speaking… I'd love to be a passenger aboard an I.D.O.L. Frame if I get the chance." Kaela thought out loud once more, "Maybe I'll get Zeta to give me a ride when she gets hers."
"The IDSC wouldn't let a third-party workshop like ours go anywhere near a bona-fide I.D.O.L. Frame, ma'am." The technician warned.
Another blast of notifications flooded Kaela's WristComm. This time, she went through the headers of the messages and opened up a handful of them. Two of them were from Anya and from Iofi. Kaela turned away from the production floor and took off her tinted goggles, leaving a thin line of soot like tan lines left by sunglasses.
"Well now, looks like that's about to change pretty soon." Kaela corrected the technician, "What did you say your name was, by the way?"
"Ah. I'm Koyori Hakui. I replaced Miss Jenma when she got accepted for Cover's Manager Program, but I just got promoted to Senior Tech recently, ma'am! Y-you can scan my WristComm credentials if you want!"
"Koyori Hakui…" Kaela hummed, "Ah! You made the modifications to the Flight Simulators for the Strato-Hornets. You're Miss EDX."
"Ehehehe~ I personally like to call it HoloX, since most of the mods were holographic. But you liked EDX better so we went with it!" Koyori shrank under Kaela's gaze, "B-but, why do you need to know my name, ma'am?"
"Well, Koyori - it seems that Pemaloe Workshop is about to do the finishing touches of assembling an I.D.O.L. Frame."
Koyori's head of pink hair seemed to droop like cat ears.
"... seriously?" Koyori's jaw dropped.
"Yup. I'm going to be up the mountain in the Academy, so you'll be in charge of this joint while I'm gone." Kaela winked, "Don't mess up now, okay? This won't be the first time we've clocked in triple overtime. The fate of KW1 rests on that I.D.O.L. Frame getting built right!"
Kaela paced forward a bit, out of earshot from Koyori and whispered to herself, "After all, I still have to make Zeta's wish come true."
With that, Kaela put on her tinted goggles once more and got back to work.
…
Blue Horizon
Agile Development
…
Thirty-First Scene - Secretive Specialist
A little later, in Kaela's small, makeshift office in the hangar, the Chief Technician was slouched back on her swivel chair. Rays of sunlight peeked in through the blinds of her windows, illuminating the room somewhat. Her tired eyes were closed and a faint snore rocked her awake.
"... hughh…? It's already morning?" Kaela scrambled from her rude awakening, nearly tipping her swivel chair over. She felt the sunlight on her skin and saw the cramped walls of her hangar office. She yawned wearily, "Ah crap, I fell asleep didn't I?"
She rubbed her eyes and saw the myriad of formless screens from her WristComm floating all around her. All of the screens were in their nearly translucent dark-mode, but when Kaela stirred in earnest, the formless screens illuminated one by one. A handful of those screens showed encrypted data about the I.D.O.L. Frames of ID2 - in particular, the still unfinished Jollie Jollie.
"Looks like i'll be passing a lot of stuff onto that Koyori girl, huh." Kaela frowned, "Anya will be with her here, though. They'll be fine."
Just as Kaela said this, another deluge of notifications flooded her WristComm's widget feed.
"No rest for the weary." Kaela sat upright and browsed through her notifications.
One of the notifications caught her eye.
"An OANA news report…?" Kaela mumbled, "Oh, it's a video. Great."
Kaela brought up the OANA notification and played the video with a tap of her hand.
In that video snippet, Moona Hoshinova, Iofifteen Airani and Risu Ayunda were at the Terrestrial Station of the Yokosuka Space Elevator. What started out as a simple interview turned into a full-blown news conference. Crew members of the IDSC Garuda, along with their Garrison soldier complement, were standing by with them.
Moona had the OANA microphone and was answering questions of the various reporters at the scene. She told them what Anya and Iofi had already told her the night before: ID1 was boarding the IDSC Garuda fleet carrier with their I.D.O.L. Frames and they were headed to KW8. The typical concerned and probing questions were hurled at Moona, as usual, but Moona kept her cool and answered them as best as she could - all while withholding the key intelligence.
"She's good." Kaela mused, standing up from her seat as she watched, "Almost as good as A-chan."
But then, a reporter burst out from the media gaggle and forced her way through to the front. A small figure with long, white hair and a purple streak on her bangs burst out and shouted.
"Miss Hoshinova! I'm Mirae Laplace - from the London Observ-"
"It's you again…" Moona's eyes narrowed on the screen. Her mask of cool and calm collected demeanor warped somewhat, "The London Observer has been blacklisted for its intrusive methods and for harassing IDSC Personne-"
Mirae Laplace, however, interjected with reckless abandon.
"If ID1 is leaving KW1, who's going to defend it when the Ancient Ones attack? The Jakarta Platforms can barely hold off one Galactic Orca - what if the AO's send two? Or three? Or more!? Is Ankimo Battlegroup in trouble in KW8? How bad are the casualties? Has the Galactic Fleet lost any vessels?"
Moona took a deep breath and sighed, "KW1 will be safe from any and every attack attempted by the Ancient Ones. The IDSC is more than prepared to meet their challenge. That's all I'm willing to say on the matter."
"But what about Ankimo Battlegroup? And the heavy cruiser Nousagi? You haven't answered my question. You're acquainted with Captain Usada, yes? Aren't you concerned?"
Moona furrowed her brow and snapped at Mirae, "Don't mention Shachou's name like you're familiar with her! Step out of line again and I will have the Garrison escort you out, Miss Laplace. Don't make me do something that you'll regret. This interview is over."
With that, Moona forced the microphone onto the nearest OANA reporter and stormed off the venue. The video ended there, leaving Kaela speechless. She scratched the back of her head and wondered, "What the hell is wrong with that London Observer gal?"
Kaela waved her hand through the air and dissolved all of the formless screens from her WristComm. She opened the blinds of her office and looked up to the sun rising in the horizon. Standing by the windowsill, she started stretching a little bit.
It was at this time that there was a knock at her office door.
"Come in." Kaela said.
The door opened as Kaela was stretching and a pair of familiar figures entered the room: Olivia Kureiji and Anya Melfissa.
"Good morning Miss Kovalskia." Olivia greeted, observing the Chief Technician, "Great posture by the way. Isometric exercise is good for the body."
"Thanks." Kaela answered with a small smile, "We meet again, Miss Kureiji."
"Indeed. And we'll be seeing a lot more of each other soon enough." Olivia nodded, "I have a humvee and a chauffeur waiting for us outside. Are you prepared to go up to the Academy?"
"I am. I've already packed up my equipment." Kaela replied. She turned to Anya and noted, "You'll be our 'Specialist' in the Workshop while I'm gone, huh? You're… really going to assemble an I.D.O.L. Frame here in this hangar?"
Anya nodded, "That's right. Iofi-simpai already taught me everything I need to know for assembly."
"Everything you need to know?" Kaela's red eyes trembled. She gulped and dared to ask, "So. You've seen beyond the veil. Will Pemaloe Workshop really be able to help you with I.D.O.L. Frames?"
Anya gave a prickly smile and urged, "Don't worry about the I.D.O.L. Frame assembly. Please just focus on gathering the data you need at the Academy, Miss Kovalskia. Everything else is classified."
Olivia shrugged, "She hasn't even told me all of it. There are mysteries in this world that aren't for us to solve - but we do have our own mysteries to solve." She extended her hand to Kaela and grinned, "So then, let's get to work, shall we?"
Kaela nodded and shook Olivia's hand.
…
Thirty-Second Scene - Skin In The Game
It didn't take long for Kaela and Olivia to arrive at the mountaintop manor of the IDSC Academy. So, after the two of them - and their chauffeur Sparrowhawk - unloaded all of Kaela's equipment from out of the humvee's trunk and into Kaela's room in the faculty wing, Olivia put away the last of Kaela's equipment cases and wiped her brow. Sparrowhawk, meanwhile, gave the two ladies a bow and excused herself.
"See ya, Spawk!" Olivia bid farewell to the sergeant, "Make sure that Anya and Pemaloe Workshop are safe, okay?"
"Of course, ma'am!" Sparrowhawk saluted Olivia. She did the same for Kaela.
"Ah… right." Kaela returned the gesture awkwardly.
Once Sparrowhawk left Kaela's quarters, Olivia looked around at all of the things that they unloaded and hummed.
"That's a lot of equipment you brought with you, Miss Kovalskia."
"I'll need all of it to get as much primary data as I can for the HALO modules." Kaela insisted, "I will be observing the classes that you and Miss Reine Pavolia conduct and study any exercises that you do. So, please continue the I.D.O.L. Frame pilot program as you have planned."
"Hmm…" Olivia folded her arms, "Will you be physically present when you make your observations, Miss Kovalskia?"
"Naturally. Science sprouts from observation, after all." Kaela smiled, "You know what they say: 'Theory can only take us so far'."
"Oppenheimer." Olivia recognized the quote, "... right?"
"Correct." Kaela nodded.
Suddenly, Olivia laughed uncomfortably, "I… didn't quite get the whole movie. Science isn't exactly my strong suit."
"You do know that Oppenheimer was a real person, right?" Kaela raised her brow.
Olivia shrugged again, avoiding the question. However, the thinly-veiled look of astonishment on Olivia's face told Kaela everything that she needed to know.
"Anyways…!" Olivia started, changing the subject in a hurry, "I was asking about you being physically present because… well… the cadets haven't exactly quite gotten over what happened at the Quay. Just about all the cadets in the Academy are wary of anyone from the Pemaloe Workshop waltzing around."
Kaela lowered her head and sighed, "I don't blame them."
"Some of them have even backed out of the program altogether." Olivia added, the frown on her lips growing wider, "They'd rather serve in the Garrison rather than become guinea pigs, they told me." She stood upright and finally managed a small smile, "But a handful of folks have had their resolve grow stronger."
"Really?" Kaela tilted her head.
"Yup!" Olivia nodded, snorting with amusement, "Two of the most resolute cadets are here right now, actually - listening in from the threshold."
Kaela turned towards the door and found the curious figures of Kobo Kanaeru and Zeta Vestia peeking in through the small gap in the door - with Kobo piggybacking on top of Zeta to get a better view.
When Kaela's and Olivia's gazes met with theirs, however, the two cadets started to panic. Olivia snorted again and pointed to them both, "Don't try to run, you two. You're already not supposed to be in the faculty quarters so you won't be able to talk your way out of a demerit."
Under Olivia's triumphant gaze, Kobo hopped off of Zeta's back and the two of them entered Kaela's quarters together. Kobo hung her head low in shame, but Zeta marched in confidently. She glanced briefly at Kaela and nodded.
Kaela returned the gesture.
"Either way, it's useful that the two of you happened by." Olivia explained cheerfully, "Kaela here needs to get primary data for her projects with the Pemaloe Workshop, but most of the students are going to be on edge. Since the two of you are already acquainted with Kaela, then would it be possible to ask the two of you to participate closely in her observations?"
Kobo started to fidget.
"W-what kind of observations? And what would participating closely mean, exactly?" She asked.
Olivia's smirk grew wider, "Long story short - I'll be giving you two a heavier workload than the rest. Think of this as an… accelerator program, of sorts! Reine will give you harder tests. I'll give you harder exercises. And Kaela will record it all in her thingimijigs!"
"Guhh…" Kobo groaned.
Zeta, on the other hand, folded her arms and thought for a moment.
"I have no objections - but let me ask something." Zeta explained, "How important is this 'primary data' of yours, Kaela?"
"It's absolutely crucial." Kaela answered wholeheartedly.
"In that case, I have a condition." Zeta continued, "Kaela will have to participate in those harder tests and exercises too - as an honorary member of the Maj12."
"... eh?" Kaela blinked, but she still couldn't process what she had just heard, "Me? Joining the I.D.O.L. Frame program's elite group? Even as a guest?"
"Hmm… if you're joining us for the tests and exercises, the other cadets might not be as closed off to you, Kaela." Kobo pondered out loud.
"And not just that…!" Zeta added cheerfully. She turned to Kaela and smiled, "Primary data is one thing, Kaela - but wouldn't experiencing it directly give you a better insight? What's that thing you like to say again…?"
"Theory can only get us so far." Kaela repeated the movie line. She turned towards Olivia and asked, "Is this allowed?"
"It is now." Olivia grinned, "I'm in charge of the program curriculum, after all! If I give A-chan a call, she'll sign off on this in a jiffy."
Kaela plopped down onto a chair and groaned. She covered her face and thought in silence for a moment.
"I guess… I guess participating directly will help me when I do test out the new HALO modules when they're done." Kaela rationalized. She nodded, finally convinced by herself, "Okay. I'll go with this crazy plan of yours. But no combat for me please. I don't think I'll be able to handle that."
Kobo's eyes brightened up. Zeta, meanwhile, smiled warmly.
"Heh. Alright." Olivia reassured her, "It's settled then. Welcome to the IDSC's I.D.O.L. Frame pilot program, Miss Kovalskia. It will be a trial period of sorts, but let's hope your time here at the Academy will help KW1 defend itself - when the time comes."
Suddenly, the strange questions of the London Observer reporter to Moona from earlier resurfaced in Kaela's mind. Kaela nodded and faced Olivia earnestly, "I hope so too."
…
Later that afternoon, after a long, tedious lesson from Reine about the IDSC, the Cover Corporation and their many branches, Olivia took the Majestic 12 and their newest guest - Kaela - to the garden courtyard of the mountaintop mansion. There, under the gentle light of the sun and the tempered breeze blowing in from the sea, they gathered in the green, manicured lawn and sat down in a circle.
There, various pieces of equipment of the Pemaloe Workshop were already set up: various cameras and sensors of different types, placed at different angles. Kaela, now clad in IDSC athletic gear that she had borrowed from Reine, brought up her WristComm and connected remotely with all of the devices. Together, they formed a rough circle around Kaela, the students and their instructor.
Every so often, the cadets of the Majestic 12 would steal skeptical glances at Kaela, but Kobo and Zeta sat beside her. The fact that she was there in an IDSC tracksuit instead of a lab coat or a workshop overall made her blend in somewhat better - but her height did make her stand out, literally, from everyone else there.
Flanked by Kobo and Zeta now, Kaela focused on the formless screens projected by her WristComm and prepared herself to take notes.
Olivia walked to the center of the rough circle of scientific instruments and addressed her students.
"I understand that most of you are still shaken by what happened at the Quay a few days ago. I know I am." She parted the bangs of her red hair and showed off a shallow scar and pointed to it for all to see, "All of us here are preparing for battle. Scars like these will be our reality, one way or another - especially when you pilot an I.D.O.L. Frame in Combat Walker mode."
Olivia clenched her fists and started to shadowbox in front of everyone - fighting an imaginary enemy. She threw punches and kicks in quick succession but kept an immaculate form with her strikes. Each time, she kept herself protected too - dodging and weaving imaginary counterattacks. It was an impressive display of martial skill - but what was most impressive was how Olivia didn't even seem to break a sweat.
Astonished gasps broke out from the Majestic 12 students. Kobo and Zeta, in particular, watched Olivia's moves with quiet reverence.
'What incredible stamina…'
And then, Kaela's WristComm buzzed.
'Oh right. Primary data.'
Kaela's instruments started picking up on Olivia's movements. Data started to fill Kaela's charts on formless screens of her WristComm. It was just a drop in the bucket of what she and her team at Pemaloe Workshop needed, but every drop of data helped. So, Kaela got to work - refining, collecting and discarding data with her scrutinizing eyes.
Olivia spoke as she put on a show for her students.
"Your bodies have to be ready to take punishment and dish it out tenfold." She declared, unleashing a high-kick that stopped short of hitting one of Kaela's instruments, "That's the only way that an I.D.O.L. Frame will be able to squash the AO's and their Horrors when you're fighting planetside. So, I think it's high time that we get started on practical self defense."
Kobo, Zeta and the other Majestic 12 cadets began brimming with excitement. Kaela, on the other hand, glanced at Olivia for a moment from behind her formless screens filled with data. The redhead I.D.O.L. Frame pilot gave Kaela a thumbs up and Kaela heaved a sigh of relief.
'I'm off the hook. Thank goodness. It's not like I can gather useful data when I'm getting my ass handed to me, after all.' Kaela thought. Then a small chuckle escaped her lips, 'And I'm not opposed to seeing cute little Jeta struggle a little bit. I'll tease her all about it the next time we 'meet'.'
On that note, Olivia started pairing up the Majestic 12 cadets. IDSC staff carted out protective equipment for martial arts: reinforced foam helmets, arm and knee guards and chest plates. When everyone got kitted out, they began their sparring under Olivia's watchful eye - following her instructions carefully.
"Strike hard and fast - but don't leave yourself open!" Olivia urged, clapping to spur her students on, "Be unpredictable and throw your enemy off balance. Then, once you get your chance - take it without hesitation!"
One by one, the Majestic 12 cadets fell down - one way or another - onto the grassy lawn. Kaela observed all twelve of them at once and got data from them.
When each pair produced a winner, Olivia took the winners aside and paired them up next, repeating the process.
'Hmm… their readings aren't as dramatic as Olivia's. And they're definitely getting tired much more quickly. Is that the difference between us normal folk from I.D.O.L. Frame pilots?'
Kaela scrolled through the data she got from each of the students and reached the pages of Kobo and Zeta.
'The two of them have potential, but they're not quite there yet… But this is why Zeta took that punishment and stayed standing - and why Miss Kanaeru held her ground as long as she did. I'll have to make notes.'
Both Kobo and Zeta cleared the second round of sparring, leaving the last three of the Majestic 12 cadets standing.
"Alright. Looking good!" Olivia cheered on the victors, patting their shoulders, "Let's take a quick five and finish up the sparring when you've caught your breaths."
Kobo suddenly raised up her hand, "Miss Olivia!"
"Yes, Ko- I mean, Kanaeru."
"I can keep going!" Kobo volunteered, "I want to smash the rich girl's face in right now."
"HUH!?" Zeta growled back violently, "You barbarous freaking fountain-head! I'm not the strongest, but I'll make you regret that!"
"No, no - everyone takes a break." Olivia insisted with a grin, "Plus Miss Vestia won't be sparring against Miss Kanaeru. It won't be a fair fight."
"Hah!" Kobo raised her head up high, taunting Zeta, "I'd demolish you!"
Zeta gnashed her teeth in response.
Olivia turned towards Kaela, "Your data supports this, right, Miss Kovalskia?"
Kaela snapped out of her silent spell and stood up to answer.
"Y-yes. I agree with Miss Kureiji." Kaela brought up Kobo's and Zeta's files for everyone to see, "Let me show you the data I got from their sparring."
The formless screens of data joined together, just like the match-up cards of boxers before a match. Summarized statistics and charts were paired with the official IDSC portraits of Kobo and Zeta too.
"E-ehh…!?" Zeta suddenly clammed up and protested, "Why are you showing everyone my stats!?"
Kaela didn't listen and kept on speaking.
"Miss Kanaeru has overwhelming strength in the matchup, and she has the stamina to keep on fighting long after Ze- I mean, Miss Vestia would have given up."
"Ack…!" Zeta cringed.
"Hehe~!" Kobo scoffed proudly, pointing her nose up to the afternoon sun.
"But Miss Vestia has better spatial awareness - and her ability to evade strikes is definitely her strongest suit." Kaela quickly added, "That said - Miss Kanaeru would very likely be attuned to - as in, have the highest synchronization rates with - some variant of a Brawler model Frame, just like Miss Kureiji. Miss Vestia - she'd work best with a Precision or Maneuver model."
Olivia's jaw dropped.
"You're… able to assess synchronization with I.D.O.L. Frames?" Olivia asked.
"Theoretically. I could do the same for all of the Majestic 12 students, if you wish." Kaela interjected, "And only based on the paper values of IDSC I.D.O.L. Frame standard models. There will be deviations, of course - and I'll need even more data to make proper calls - but I'm confident in my assessments. 66% certain, thereabouts!" Kaela grinned proudly and gave a thumbs up, "Maximizing synchronization is the specialty of Pemaloe Workshop, after all!"
"Is that so…?" Olivia hummed. She whispered beneath her breath, 'So, the Jollie Jollie will be a Brawler model, huh? Now I'm excited!'
"In that case, since Miss Kanaeru and I are both Brawler models…!" Olivia cracked her knuckles and stretched her neck.
"Potentially…!" Kaela interjected.
"Potentially Brawler models…" Olivia corrected herself and continued, "I want to see how long you'd last against me, Miss Kanaeru. The two of us should spar for this round."
"... really!?" Kobo's expression grew brighter than the sun.
"Mhm!" Olivia nodded eagerly. She stretched her arms and took a warrior's pose before Kobo, "I'll try to hold back."
"Oho, you don't have to hold back with me, Olivia-neesama." Kobo mimicked Olivia's pose and faced her gamely, "I'll take everything you throw at me and pay you back tenfold!"
Zeta and the other Majestic 12 cadets started buzzing. Kobo and Olivia squared off against each other. Olivia gave Kaela a sidelong glance and grinned, "Make sure to get as much data as you can out of this one, Miss Kovalskia."
"Yes, ma'am." Kaela nodded. She turned to Zeta and asked, "Would you do the honors, Zeta?"
"The honors…?" Zeta hummed at first, "O-oh! Right!"
Zeta raised up her hand and started counting down.
"Three…! Two…! One…! Fight!"
…
Thirty-Third Scene - Lightning Fast
Kaela watched the sparring match between Kobo and Olivia with keen interest. Her red eyes fluttered between the readings of her instruments and the fight itself. Recordings of brain activity from the two fighters ebbed and flowed intensely - many times more than they did in the other sparring matches that came before.
Fast strikes, counter punches and kicks and dodges came and went to the beat of a drum that Kaela and everyone else couldn't hear. And yet, Kobo and Olivia were in sync. Even though Kobo's technique was much, much rougher, Kaela recognized the styles they were both using.
"Indonesian silat." Kaela mumbled.
Actions and reactions came fluidly and - for a while - it seemed like Kobo was keeping up with the veteran Olivia.
This did not last long.
After another stalemate between them, Olivia put some distance between herself and Kobo and took a deep breath. As soon as she did, Kaela's instruments started to pick up something unusual coming from Olivia.
'Oh? What's this?' Kaela tried to assess, but she was at a loss for words.
The energy readings from Olivia's brain started to flow outwards to the rest of her body like waves crashing into a shore. Slowly but surely, it became a rising tide of power that seemed to manifest from Olivia's very mind.
A wry smile formed on Olivia's lips. Then, she charged towards Kobo at breakneck speed.
"What the…!?" Kobo gasped.
The rough cadet barely managed to put up her dukes and defend herself. Olivia's 'tempo' got faster. Her strikes hit harder. And, no matter what Kobo did, she couldn't keep up.
Olivia hopped back and threw a roundhouse kick at Kobo that whistled and cut through the air. Kobo raised up her arms and blocked like she often did - and yet….!
WHAM!
"GAH!" Kobo yelped.
Even through the thick foam armguards, Kobo felt the intense blow.
Kaela's jaw dropped.
"I've seen this before… It's like… it's like a HALO module at full sync! Is this… what an I.D.O.L. Frame pilot is capable of?"
Kobo shook her head and gritted her teeth. She roared and tried to pay Olivia back for the hard strike. She clenched her fist and threw the hardest haymaker that she could.
Or, at least, she tried to.
Olivia caught Kobo's wound-back fist in her hand and held it in place. Then, in the blink of an eye, Olivia held her own fist close to Kobo's throat. Olivia's knuckles dug into Kobo's neck.
"Yield, Kobo." Olivia urged.
Kobo, absolutely dumbfounded, raised up her hands and croaked, "I… I yield."
Kaela finally managed to breathe.
"Holy cow…" Kaela shook her head and wiped the sweat from her brow, "This data's gonna be hella useful."
She brought out her formless screens once more to study all of the primary data that she gathered. It was at that time, however, that Kaela saw the faintest of spikes in brain activity from Kobo's readings. It was miniscule and lasted for half a heartbeat, but Kaela's instruments picked it up.
"Is that a fluke…?" Kaela tilted her head.
But then…
BRA-BAM!
Thunder rumbled in the distance over Tokyo Bay. The beginnings of rain clouds started to form rapidly on the once cloudless sky. Kaela looked up to the strange weather.
"That… wasn't in the forecast. Was it?" Kaela thought out loud.
Either way, as the clouds cast their shadows over the IDSC Academy, Olivia ended the self-defense session and brought her class inside.
…
Kaela Kovalskia would have to endure one excruciatingly long lesson about I.D.O.L. Frames from Reine and a session in the Academy gym with Olivia before her duties for the day finally ended. Sweaty from the rigorous exercise regimen - one more rigorous than the sedentary technician had subjected herself to ever since she arrived in KW1 - Kaela retired to her room.
She slipped out of her sweaty IDSC tracksuit and hopped into her suite's shower. As she bathed, she heard the rumble of thunder and the pitter patter of an exceptionally strong Springtime rain. As Kaela washed off her body and scrubbed herself diligently with soap, her mind wandered again to the sparring match between Olivia and Kobo.
That minute spike in Kobo's readings lingered in Kaela's mind.
"What a coincidence, huh? I'll have to get that data to the Workshop. And Miss Anya too." Kaela mused. She looked at her warped reflection on the window glass and furrowed her brow, "I.D.O.L. Frame pilots truly are something else. Hah. I've got my work cut out for me here, it seems. And so does Zeta."
Kaela chuckled and turned off her shower. Droplets of water dripped down her long locks of golden hair.
"I guess it makes sense. It takes exceptional people to pilot exceptional machines. But why are they exceptional? It's just one mystery after another with them." She bit her lip and closed her eyes, "Now I'm curious."
…
Epilogue
Far away from the IDSC Academy, in the warped space of KW1's Hyperlane to KW8, the Fleet Carrier IDSC Garuda zipped through at faster-than-light speed. But even though the spacecraft moved at speeds theoretically impossible, the interior of the vessel was stable - almost like a large luxury cruise liner sailing through gentle waters.
At the core of the Garuda, tucked away between the warship's many belts of armor plates, Moona Hoshinova, clad in a purple space suit with the powder blue triangular insignia of the Cover Corporation, stood in a booth of a firing range. She had a Glock pistol in her hand, plastic plugs in her ears, lilac-tinted shooting goggles over her eyes and boxes of ammunition on the counter of her booth.
Downrange, virtual holographic targets appeared before Moona. Every single one of them were strange, ichorous beings that were - barely - humanoid, and they shambled towards Moona's booth like zombies.
Moona cocked her pistol and started shooting.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
Moona's shots flew true and struck the shambling beasts in the head, killing them in quick succession. Many more holographic ichorous beasts appeared and tried to swarm Moona, but she held them back with just her pistol.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! -CLICK!
As soon as Moona's gun went empty, she reloaded swiftly without missing a beat. Not once did she lose her cool.
KA-CHAK!
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
The last of the holographic beasts fell and disappeared from the range. Moona set down her smoking gun and lowered her head.
"It's still not enough…" Moona lamented beneath her breath, speaking to herself, "Am I going to be able to protect Shachou like this?"
However, somebody answered.
"You shoot plenty fast, Moona. I'm sure Pekora-simpai's relieved that you're there watching her now."
Moona turned around and saw a cheerful brunette in a pink space suit sauntering towards her. A bushy brown squirrel's tail popped up behind her and swished happily behind her.
"Risu…" Moona greeted the newcomer.
"Hewro~!" Risu Ayunda, her colleague, greeted her with a bright smile.
"Iofi's not with you this time?" Moona asked.
"Nah. Poor girl's tuckered out. She's out like a light in her cabin room." Risu explained casually, "Seems she taught her protege - that Anya girl - quite a bit. I haven't seen her that tired since… well, ever."
Moona paused for a moment. She looked like she was going to say something, but she shook her head and held her tongue. Risu put her hands on her hips and frowned.
"So, chief. Are you doing target practice to pass the time?" Risu asked. She checked her WristComm and mused, "We should still have about ten system hours of FTL before we reach KW8."
"We're stopping an AO planetary invasion. We're going to be using Combat Walker mode a lot for this tour." Moona explained, reloading her pistol briskly again, "We won't have ground support from the Garrison. We are gonna be Cover Corp's boots on the ground, so we have to be ready for anything."
"Yeah. CWO missions tend to be pretty tough." Risu heaved a sigh, "We barely made it out of KW8's moon alive - and that was a defensive action!"
"And this is the first time we're going on a full-scale offensive in both modes too." Moona added, "We've defended KW1 before but we can't rest on our laurels. The moment we do… the AO's will get us."
Risu sauntered towards Moona's booth and stood beside her. She folded her arms and looked at the fallen holograms scattered downrange.
"So these are what we're up against, huh?" Risu assessed, "Ugly bastards. Eugh, I hate that tag…"
"Risu…" Moona's eyes narrowed.
Risu stuck out her tongue. Then, she turned back to the fallen foes, "What the hell are these?"
"These are simulations of the intel that Manager Omega sent us from KW11. They're nascent AO ground forces that Omega's labeling as 'Type A' Horrors."
"Type A… Horrors." Risu repeated the term, frowning, "Yeah. The name fits. As expected of Omega. You got this from the Top-Tier Classified Intel?"
Moona nodded.
"Shachou relayed her findings to the Garuda before we entered the hyperlane. According to Manager Omega, the Type A's are the results of the AO's ichor taking over a human host." Moona recounted the intel to Risu, "They're transformed from inside out in an apparently painful process. The longer the AO's manipulate the host, the more grotesque they get - and they may transform, somehow, into other Types of Horrors."
Moona cocked her pistol and pointed it downrange, "Practically speaking - take out the host's brain, and the 'Horror' dies with it. We're deploying now to put those bastards out of their misery."
"Put them out of their misery, huh?" Risu tested, swishing her tail about, "Why are you just using pistols then? You're not planning to go down there with just a sidearm, are you?"
"We have to be prepared for the worst, Risu." Moona argued.
"But we also have to make use of what we have." Risu grinned. She turned her head up to the ceiling and shouted, "OPHELIA! Get me and Moona here some proper guns! A Class-1 assault package, please."
A digital voice answered Risu from the speakers.
"Understood, Pilot Ayunda. Delivering Class-1 Assault Packages now."
Machinery whirred in the Garuda's shooting range. And then, an automated trolley on four wheels rolled towards Moona and Risu with gun cases stowed atop it. Risu picked up the gun cases and set them down on Moona's booth - opening them both.
Inside each case sat heavily modified FAMAS bullpup assault rifles along with boxes of their ammunition.
"The Garrison won't be escorting us in KW8, but we're going to be using their Combat Walker equipment." Risu picked up a FAMAS rifle, loaded it and cocked it eagerly, "And these babies are the closest design-wise to the standard CW rifle. We might as well get used to them, huh?"
Moona picked up a FAMAS rifle too and snorted.
"You just want to shoot a full-auto weapon right now, don't you, Risu?" Moona raised her brow.
Risu stuck out her tongue in response and brought out her own pair of ear plugs.
"Maybe it's because I want to cheer you up." Risu said nonchalantly, "You always go down to the range when you're nervous, Moona."
"Risu…"
"But don't let that get you down now, chief! C'mon, let's get shooting!" Risu urged. She took the booth next to Moona's. Then, she turned to the speakers again and ordered, "OPHELIA! Repeat Moona's simulation - but with a 2.5 multiplier."
The Garuda's computer answered her.
"Understood, Pilot Ayunda. Repeating Simulation with 2.5 multiplier."
"Yeah, yeah." Moona cocked her FAMAS and pointed it downrange. She glanced at Risu beside her and smiled, "Thanks Risu."
"Anytime, chief." Risu grinned back, "Now, let's show these Horrors what we're made of!"
…
To Be Continued
