The following deaddrops were in equally innocuous areas intended for male students only. The second was left within a locker in the newly furbished male locker room. Past the rows of red lockers, they arrived at the second to last row, the fourth locker deep.

Using a combination that had been given before their boarding, Kaiser opened it to see a pair of gym shorts and shirts lying in a mess. Knight shriveled his nose instinctually, expecting them to be used. Using a stray pencil left to the side, Kaiser pushed the clothing back to reveal a plastic bag underneath. Opening it with the pencil, he retrieved the paper within, threw the pencil in, and shut the locker.

Spinning his finger in a circle, Kaiser signaled Knight to be on the lookout as he read the contents. A moment later he patted Knights shoulder and the two were on their way again. Their final destination was the boy's weights room.

Although physical health was a core tenant for St. Gloriana students, weight programs were unpopular and had few enrolees or so Knight had told. To further ensure the security of their dead drop, male and female Physical education classes were separated, an understandable practice.

Passing courtesies and respectful greetings to fellow students and teachers alike, the two maneuvered their way to the corner of the school where their target lay. A brief glance showed no one inside the lit room. Popping in, the two casually approached a corner of discarded forty-five pound plates. Moving a few aside revealed the hidden info.

Seeing there was no point in organizing the mess that had been there the two took their leave when suddenly a figure stopped them just past the doorway. Past the inconvenient bangs Kaiser had partially covering his eyes, he made out unruly pink hair, an aloof expression with dark green eyes, and a generous bust leaning forward in an attempt to see his face clearly.

Instinctively, Kaiser took a step back and retreated behind Knight, deferring to his junior to handle the interaction. Fumbling for a moment, awkwardly moving his hands before defaulting to a small wave, Knight mustered a small awkward smile. "H-how may we help you?"

The girl's aloof stare shifted from Kaiser to Knight as she eyed him from top to bottom and back, lingering on his blonde wig. As she stared for a pressing moment, Knight reiterated his question. "May we help you?"

The girl brought a finger up to her bottom lip as she stepped to the side and looked over Kaiser again. To the boy pretending to be an introvert, it took restraint for him not to state how the girl seemed to have a vacancy in her head based on her expression.

"What were you two doing in there?"

An obvious question, one that nonetheless still caught Knight off-guard. "Us? Oh, we, I was simply showing my friend the facility since he asked!"

Knight felt a pain in his lower back as Kaiser pinched him and twisted. A small punishment for failing to do his job and instead shoving attention at him. As Knight withered the stinging pain. Owning up to his acting skills, Kaiser shyly took a step forward and nodded. "I… I want to get stronger if possible. To help my confidence…"

The delivery was flawless yet the girl stepped forward, attempting to see his face again. "You seem pretty strong to me" she commented, lowering her finger down to her chin and squeezing his arm.

Stiffening at the unexpected contact, Kaiser twisted harder, forcing Knight to act. "W-what are you doing here?! If I may ask that is?"

The girl didn't seem to notice the duress Knight suffered and brought her finger up to her forehead as she fought to recall why she was there. "I got lost."

The stunning response left the two boys in awe yet as she calmly stood before them Knight managed to ask her where she was heading and provide her directions from memory. The girl turned and waved over her shoulder with a quick thanks to Knight as she left, leaving the two boys bewildered at the interaction.

"That? That passes for St. Gloriana's high standards around here?" asked Kaiser incredulously.

Knight chuckled lightly. "Believe it or not she commands a vehicle for the Senshado team as well." Kaiser's disbelief brought another short snicker from Knight. "Her name's 'Peach' and the ongoing belief about her is that she's an uncut gem."

"She's something alright but a 'gem' seems like a stretch. I couldn't get a read on her between that aloof expression and the observant stare she gave us."

Knight fiddled with the hairs of his wig once more, looking at the strands. "They do say she's unusually sharp… Darjeeling doesn't just appoint anyone as a commander after all."

"Whatever" dismissed Kaiser glancing down the hallway and pulling out the page they had retrieved. A short read later they were moving again. The information was precise and direct. No more than a few sentences revealing targeted areas of interest and where their espionage would begin.

To even Kaiser's surprise, the plan was going far smoother than expected let alone hoped for. To gather information on Gloriana's tanks, the two headed for the mechanics department. Intending to scout the area first, Kaiser saw an opportunity.

A group of girls with a few males were transporting crates of what seemed to be repair equipment back and forth while also struggling to move some of the heavier engine parts laid about. As with any mechanic team, they seemed undermanned and short on time but most notable was the lack of hands.

Ushering Knight to follow him, Kaiser took the initiative to approach the mechanics working outdoors and offer a hand. Knight was confused at what he could only infer as a waste of time but remained quiet as Kaiser played his hand.

The group of students looked up at Kaiser with curiosity, perhaps because he was an unknown boy who had approached them. As he played upon his 'introvert persona' he feigned panic and tried to explain himself earning a polite giggle from the girl who seemed to be leading the mechanics. Soon their confusion switched to gratitude and acceptance of his offer.

Their smiles reminded him of Piper's own whenever he was dragged into helping back at Transcendence. Pushing the memory back, he asked what he could help with. Immediately he and Knight were put to work moving some of the heavier supplies so that the girls wouldn't have to waste time using heavier machinery moving it and could focus on their repairs.

Kaiser and Knight joined the two other boys who thanked them immediately, the reason clear as day from their sweat-soaked shirts. Getting to work, Kaiser and Knight removed their blue sweaters and white button-ups beneath. Garnering a few interested glances at their physiques. Thankfully the interest stopped there and no one pondered why these two unknown, seemingly shy boys were more fit than the average male student.

With their help, the boy's work was finished much quicker than expected freeing the boys to help the girls with repair work. As it turned out, the low male population aboard the ship left even the mechanic department mostly women. The few men were then left doing the heavy lifting as more 'refined' work was left to the senior females.

Dusting themselves off and ensuring there was no filth on their clothing, Kaiser and Knight cooled off before redressing. As they relaxed atop a couple of stacks of tires, the thankful mechanics came over with cold tea to thank them. Knight then realized Kaiser's intention. The seemingly good samaritan act was to befriend the mechanics and subtly probe for info amid idle chatter.

Thankfully it proved a good use of their time and energy as the group of twelve sat around speaking. The mechanics forewent any etiquette as one would expect due to the grease and oil on their clothing. Speaking frankly and comfortably with one another, Kaiser masterfully avoided personal questions as to his and Knights' enrollments on ship and why no one had recognized them before while also asking for relevant info.

Amidst the casual complaints and talk, there was a surprising amount revealed. Talk of which parts and new systems installed gave them headaches, emergency repairs, what students pushed their vehicles to the limits and even exceeded them by wearing them out. The sheer amount of info was large enough that both boys wished they could write it down. Unfortunately, they could only try to remember the most important bits for later.

The group soon began talking over bets for the upcoming match. Naturally, all were betting on their school winning as Kaiser and Knight prudently remained silent. As they began discussing smaller bets such as which vehicles would be disabled and which would perform exemplary, a female student with an armband approached and informed everyone that Tea Time was in five minutes.

The students began dusting themselves off and cleaning up as Kaiser glanced at Knight, the thought of a second consecutive break seeming utterly alien. Knight then explained what they had experienced was an informal break whereas lunch referred to as "Tea Time" drew near.

Having extracted as much use for their time as they could the boys excused themselves with waves and requests for them to meet again from the unaware mechanics. Students began filtering in and out of the school building as they went to the cafeteria and local shops for lunch as the two boys closed in on the next target.

Again luck seemed to have blessed them. In the tantalizing thoughts of lunch, it seemed someone had left the motor pool's rear door propped open. Lunch or "Tea Time" was an hour and they had already eaten into it awaiting an opportunity to insert themselves. With haste and lithe steps, the two began searching the building.

Again they were left with surprise and slight worry. Beneath the multiple tarps across the bay area, lay an impressive retinue of vehicles all awaiting a new paint job for their upcoming match. There were more than the twenty-five tanks that Gloriana would take into their match but just in case, the two wrote down the make, model, anything they could make of the vehicles from under the tarps in their hurry.

The latch of a front door caught their attention as they lifted on the tarp of one of the last few vehicles. Three voices could be heard laughing as they approached from the front door, continuing their chats from lunch. Kaiser and Knight looked left and right, with nowhere to hide between the two covered vehicles.

The voices encroached closer as Kaiser pulled up the tarp and pointed inside. Knight caught on but was still hoisted under and up by Kaiser as he quietly rustled the tarp over them. Standing atop the tracks and hugging their bodies as closely as they could to the cold steel hull, They held their breaths, hoping they weren't noticeable at a glance and the voices stopped nearby.

"Hey!" shouted one of the girls. Kaiser and Knight stared at each other with hitched breaths. The former prepared for a breakout as Knight seemed inclined to surrender.

"Someone left the back door open!" continued the shouting girl.

"Ugh, I bet it was Williams again! Come on, she frequents the same cafe, let's remind her again" groaned the supposed head student.

The sound of the back door being slammed shut was followed by the front doors slowly clicking. Silence ensued for a few seconds as the boys slithered out from their hiding spot. Carefully, Kaiser climbed the tarped vehicle and peered out over the bay area. It was clear.

Not willing to wait for any more early returnees, The two quietly exited out the rear door, ensuring it was closed. Shaking off the nerves from another close encounter, Knight seemed unaware of what they had been hiding on. It was a centurion tank, with a white Boko bear decal on the turret. While it was best his junior didn't lament on that fact, it was clear St. Gloriana was sparing no expense to coddle their young and new favorite transfer.

The next step required a bit more finesse rather than personality. With lunch over, it was safe to assume that Darjeeling and her entourage may be returning to their office. With Knight's assistance, the two headed for the room situated directly above their enemy's office.

According to Knight, the top floor of the school's right wing was designated as storage for extra supplies. The first hurdle came as a locked door at the stairwell's entrance. Once again Knight was left on watch as the two hid and Kaiser pulled out a small metallic instrument.

"Since when did you know how to lockpick?" whispered Knight as he peered around the corner.

"Since last night when I asked Divs to give me a lesson," responded Kaiser, clicking his tongue as he missed a pin.

Although Knight had not known of O'Diveley's skill, the fact didn't seem all too surprising either. Finally, Kaiser called him over in a hush. At Knights's direction, they arrived at the room where Kaiser fought the lock with less pressure and revealed the stuffy interior. Stale air wafted out as the two curiously gazed around.

At first glance, it seemed to be a hoarder's paradise despite the organization. With a closer look, it was clear why so much material had been retained by the school, it was all madly expensive even if outdated.

Without further ado, Kaiser dusted a clean spot on the old wooden floor below and the two knelt, unpacking the second bag. With their parabolic microphones ready, they listened in.

With a bit of tuning, Darjeeling's voice came through clear. A brief excitement was exchanged as the two glanced at each other before focusing on the conversation. Unfortunately, it became clear quickly that they were practicing their manners and sharing dull conversations.

The topics changed and even became personal, pushing a flustered Knight to remove his headphones and instead stretch his legs silently to not alert those below. Kaiser, indifferent to anything unrelated to what he wanted to hear, suffered through for nearly an hour when he was ready to call it off. After all, it was a bit optimistic to think, that in their narrow window, they would find a golden egg of info. It was a shame, especially with all their effort taken into account.

"Rosehip, have you completed the reviews on the training records?" asked a prim voice he had recognized as Assam.

A static of nervous laughter came about. "Ha ha, kind of?"

A short sigh came about, the ever-formal speech still present. "I requested and lent those records to you for your benefit. Did you at least get something out of it?"

"Of course!" The sound of a chair screeching back came as the girl's voice pierced his ear with its sudden volume. "I'm nowhere near the fastest in our school's history! Can you believe that?!"

As the sound adjusted to the more tame responses, Kaiser could hear the tail end of their responses, polite laughter, and a short rebuke from Orange Pekoe to Rosehip.

Again Assam's voice seemed to wear at Rosehips exuberance. "Be sure to return the records on time today. Miss Darjeeling, Pekoe, and I have an appointment with the culinary class regarding their wishes to make cakes based on our vehicles for the finals. Do not cause me trouble by forgetting."

"Gotcha Ma'am! I'll do it right now!" the sound of a teacup slamming against its platter followed by rapid footsteps came as Assam shouted after her.

"Do you even remember the code to enter the door?!"

A silence emerged before Assam Continued. "It's 0917"

"Oh! Miss Darjeeling's birthday!"

The sound of a door slamming was followed "She's as excitable as-" Kaiser ripped the headset off, startling Knight. In a hushed tone, Kaiser turned to Knight. "Pack it up, we've got a hot lead."

Within moments, the two were packed and carefully made their way back to the stairwell where they barely caught a glimpse of Redhair running down the hall. The two followed the quick girl, fussing over the possibility of losing her.

"You were on their team and don't know where they stored their training records?!" complained Kaiser.

"No one but Darjeelings clique does!" whimpered Knight. "They don't tell anyone outside of commanders let alone a driver they ousted!"

Despite Kaiser's adamant fitness and Knight's lithe body, the two struggled to keep Rosehip in sight. Thankfully they caught a break when a teacher snagged Rosehip up and gave a stern warning "Ladies do not run in the halls." It was clearly not her first warning as the boys saw the teacher's irate expressions as they passed. They were simply thankful she upheld the title of teacher and let them catch their breath.

At the end of their pursuit, they caught the exuberant girl entering an unassuming door in a deserted hallway. Keeping to one end, the boys watched for a moment until Rosehip emerged and left in a hurry.

Glancing down both corridors, Kaiser and Knight prepared to make their move. The first step was blocking the lone camera watching the hallway. The school's security was certainly not lacking but the remoteness of this area and its low traffic led them to believe it was exclusively for the Senshado team's use.

The two boys snuck beneath the camera where Kaiser knelt, placed his open palms atop his knee, and when Knight stepped atop, boosted him up. Propelled up, Knight took a spare shirt from their bags and wrapped it around the camera. It wasn't a certainty but if the camera was even slightly monitored, they would only have a few minutes before someone came to investigate.

The boys then ran as quietly as can be and punched in the passcode, entering a dark room. With a flick of the light, they saw rows and rows of filing cabinets and waterproof storage containers.

The two separated and began filtering through the cabinets. It was obvious just how immaculate Gloriana's data storage was. Dating back decades they had original maps, training logs, reports, you name it. All signed, protected, and stored with a laminated copy and a small certificate that there was a digital copy uploaded to their servers.

Kaiser was thoroughly impressed yet their immaculate filing methods led him and Knight to the info they were looking for within a matter of minutes. Pulling out files from the last few months and the summer, they splayed out whatever seemed essential or held the name of someone of notable importance.

Pulling out two small digital cameras, they started snapping pictures for later review. The incessant hum of the LED lights above and a short chastisement from Kaiser at Knight for not taking proper photos were the only sound as they began to sweat the longer they stood. Any moment someone could enter and there would be no amount of sweet talking that could emancipate them.

As they worked, Kaiser could see the veritable treasure trove they were securing. Crew proficiency, angling methods, preferred tactics, and competencies, vehicle performances post maintenance, average performances within the season matches, and even indepth personal info on their team members. The details reminded him of his cadet's own records and was also a staunch reminder to improve his security upon returning.

Each signature from the enemy commanders was like a little bow that they would never know they had presented him. Then again what if it was all a setup? His ever-pessimistic mind raced as they performed the mundane task. Snap a picture, flip a page, repeat.

As Knight continued, a single file caught Kaiser's attention. A series of purchases and notes residing within. A hefty list of vehicle purchases, replacement parts and handwritten notes addressed to Darjeeling were wishing her a successful season, that they were pulling out all the stops to take the championship.

Kaiser grinned at the tantalizing possibility of dashing their hopes. Then he felt a vibration in his pocket. Checking his device he saw a message from O'Diveley.

"Drone is down, time to go"

Attached to the message was the last sight the drone in question saw. Below the tree top that the device was hovering above were a few Gloriana students. All stood in strange red uniforms with one pointing directly at the drone as one raised a sporting shotgun. It seemed Gloriana's clay pigeon shooting team had seen it and would surely be reporting it.

Turning his camera to video and flipping through the report, Kaiser turned to Knight. "Start wrapping up, we have to go now." The implication had Knight tense immediately as he treated the reports with care and returned them to their proper places.

They had seen all they needed and began making their way off school grounds. Rather than taking a straightforward route, Kaiser insisted upon a more indirect path in case there were any pursuers or folk suspicious of them.

O'Diveley sent a text saying he was already below deck and heading to their exfil as he and Knight entered the front courtyard. A concerning sight lay before them. At the school's front gate were a handful of students. Some with armbands, Gloriana's student council, and others in the school's red Senshado uniform. The boys watched from a window as the group split in a hurry, assumably to cover more ground.

"How many other ways out are there?" asked Kaiser with grit teeth as they began retracing their steps.

"Aside from the front, there is a rear exit that sees less foot traffic. An exit via the track field connected to the school, oh! And lastly, a driveway and loading area reserved for trucks transporting food for the cafeteria."

As they took a brisk pace, Kaiser considered his options. The track field would be out due to the fact physical education classes would still be ongoing. The rear exit would be the obvious go-to and perhaps where that second group was heading as they spoke. Yet wouldn't it be even more obvious if they went for the loading area?

"What's the situation with the loading area?"

"Students aren't allowed to leave through it, although I've seen some more liberal students use it if the gate is left open."

"Left open?"

"If they're expecting another truck for the day. The girls here go through tea and confectionaries quickly."

"And you know this why?"

"..." While not essential, Knight caved to Kaiser's questioning glance. "I wasn't… very popular here… I made friends with the lunch ladies."

Kaiser turned his head and increased his pace.

Knight kept up with an incredulous look. "Did you just laugh?"

Kaiser waved away the question. "Focus, we're going to the loading area and hop the fence if need be."

"You did, didn't you?!"

As Kaiser was pestered by Knight, he ignored the questions while suppressing his smirk. The boys arrived at the loading area seeing two trucks back up to the high platform and a handful of adults offloading supplies. It seemed luck was on their side. Past the neatly groomed bushes and trees, the large steel gate was left open. Approaching as regular students, they found themselves aided by the presence of another trio of girls leaving t through the gate. Seeing the adults were indifferent, they felt safe already as they followed.

Then a sharp voice shouted, "After them!"

"Aye aye Ma'am!" responded a jubilant voice as a red-haired girl took a running start then jumped off the platform and sprinted after the girls already off the premises and on their way.

"Don't let them escape without a proper explanation!" ordered the voice as Rosehip shouted over her shoulder and shockingly increased in speed.

"Yes Ma'am! Oi! Stop in the name of the law!" she shouted with a laugh as she pursued the girls who began running at the sight of their pursuer.

Kaiser and Knight hugged the side of the truck that hid them from the commanding girl. Her voice was all too recognizable, it was Assam. The thought of waiting till she passed arose until it was cruelly dashed by her sharp tone. "You there! Why are you hiding?"

Kaiser looked up to see Knights' head barely sticking out past the front of the delivery truck, having given them away. Instinctively the two ducked, earning a harsher tone from Assam.

"Come out now! Students aren't supposed to be here regardless of the reason. Show yourself!"

Knight began to tremble, the realization of being caught and the repercussions it would have on his ego to be caught, berated, and lauded around. Perhaps his mind was stretching the possibilities but he remained frozen nonetheless.

Hearing the thin girls loafers hit the gravel below the platform, Kaiser thought quickly and snatched the blonde wig off of Knight's head. With each soft crunch, she stepped closer as she rounded the front of the vehicle to suddenly be surprised by a boy popping before her.

The sudden appearance caught her off guard as she took a step back to observe him. Taller than her and with a strong physique he wore their school's usual blue sweater and slacks. She furrowed her brows as she observed him closer. She didn't recognize him outright. Blonde hair that seemed messy, a nervous expression, panicked eyes, and unsteady breath. He struck her as nothing but suspicious.

Kaiser had succeeded in initially confusing her with his sudden appearance but under her piercing lavender eyes, he knew that he would be discovered shortly. Discerning he had to act quickly, he acted perhaps a little rashly.

Suddenly he bowed his head a fraction, just enough for her to not see his face and he raised his voice. His tone wavered as he spoke his next words. "I- I like you, Miss Assam! If you would, please consider getting to know each other! I understand this is sudden and if you don't want to though!"

Without checking her reaction, Kaiser took the moment to glance at Knight as he took off in a dash for the gate. Knight followed after without hesitation. The lack of shouts and footsteps left the two believing that the feint had worked in distracting the girl long enough.

Knight struggled to stay at Kaiser's pace, barely able to give his thoughts. "I-I'm surprised" he couched between breaths. "I see- what Virtanen. What he meant by- by you- doing- anything necessary to win." As Knight fought to keep up with ragged breath, expecting to hear Assam give chase any moment as her image of an 'iron woman' left him expecting her to recover quickly, he was unable to see Kaiser's embarrassment let alone the fact he felt ill at the underhanded play.

Back at the loading area, a baffled Assam watched as the strange boy and his friend ran off in embarrassment. The sudden confession did more than throw her off, it left her essentially paralyzed as she tried to comprehend what had just happened. Her mind drew to the brief look she had gotten of the boy. He was strikingly handsome from what she briefly recalled… then she played his words again in her mind, temporarily taking her breath away again.

"What a shy boy," said a woman to the side. Assam turned to see the adults having taken a break from their work and watching her with grins.

"He 's not that shy if he confessed in front of us" joked another man.

"Don't mind us young lady! Pretend we're not here like he did" laughed another.

"I remember what it was like being young" recalled a much older woman with a hand on her cheek. "You be sure to enjoy it" she jeered to Assam who retreated into the school with a fresh blush on her cheeks.

In the boy's haste they quickly arrived below deck and without any more disturbances, they returned to their entry point to see O'Diveley already in his wetsuit and smug. As Kaiser and Knight changed, he recounted his successes.

"Not only did I achieve your objectives butI even left a lil' surprise. Wanna take a guess?" Receiving no response did little to dampen his mood as he continued. "I had myself a little tea party. Dumped straight into their fountain some of their finest leaves, even left a lil calling card in the form of my personal favorite brand of whiskey."

"How are they suppose to infer thats from you?" asked Knight, ziping up his suit.

"Its the principle of the matter, standards and what not" shrugged O'Diveley. "I even snagged some for us" he said showing a small box.

"They're going to loathe you if they ever find out who you are.

"Wouldn't be the first girls or organization to hate my guts" he snickered. "So whats bit his ass?" O'Diveley pointed at Kaiser who immediatly slid down the rope to the water level and began starting their escape vessel.

Wisely, Knight inferred that he felt embittered about his underhanded tactic and decided to keep quiet about their desperate little breakout. "I'm not sure but lets get down ther before he decides to leave without us.

Knight slid down the rope and joined Kaiser as O'Diveley undid the rope. Seeing the submersible freed and floating, he jumped overboard and swam to them. Once the rope was stored, they sailed to meet their pickup at the approximate rendezvous. A long and taxing day finally coming to a close as they saw the research ship sail into sight.

-Chapter End-