43 M1 - Term: 1, Round: 5 (2/2)

Mace added, ”I think this is just the beginning. We should consider getting help. A business manager or similar.”

A few nodded. Barran and Picard looked doubtful.

Daedo asked, ”what do you think Vannier?” Between Mace, Vannier and himself they could figure most things out. However, this problem was way out of his comfort zone. Daedo would prefer one of Chief Albert's or Chief Vincent's problems any day.

Authors Note: Chief Vincent is the physics Chief.

Vannier looked as lost as him, ”I don't know. If we had someone like Cisse or your Father. Someone we could trust. Then I would say yes. But this position is the riskiest to fill. If we choose the wrong person, we may as well give all our work away now.”

”That settles it,” Daedo answered. ”Until we find someone we can trust with our lives, who trust us with theirs, we do nothing. We run it ourselves and resist all attempts to purchase shares. We will just have to raise any bitcreds we need to continue ourselves.”

”What about taxes, licenses, tariffs, property related costs and other things I can't think of?” Gaumont asked.

”He is right, they could undo us as easily as a predatory company,” Barran added.

”Then we get three accountants to offer advice, show us what costs we need to allow and what we should do. We analyse that information for consistency and apply. If there is one thing we can handle, its math. We just need to know the rules we are dealing with.” Daedo said.

”Let's do that in the break between term one and two. We will have a couple of weeks to get everything in order,” Vannier added.

”I have a concern,” Axelzero raised. ”Why did Master Nader invite Barran-M to inspect and review our work? And now that she knows there is a conflict of interest there will she allow it to continue?”

Daedo replied, ”Master Nader often does things to test us. It's her way of forcing growth.” The squad just stared at him, some aghast.

”It's like,” he continued, ”the obstacle course. Most obstacles are there to increase your strength, stamina, balance or coordination. Master Nader places obstacles in our path that have no purpose other than to make us stronger.”

With that explanation, he received nods all round.

”Barran,” Vannier announced, ”let's go for a run together topside.”

He nodded and smiled weakly. It was obvious she was trying to cheer and calm him. If anything it made him feel guilty for showing weakness.

Picard stood as well. She looked to Mace, Daedo and Axelzero and said the magic words ”bo staffs?”

The trio stood without answering. That left Gaumont who looked between the two groups. Vannier smiled and waved encouragingly for him to join her and Barran.

Barran recovered some of himself and said to Gaumont, ”you're cramping my style kid.” To which he received four pairs of rolling eyes followed by relieved laughter from the entire squad.

.

.

Each of the cadets held a short bo staff in a single hand. Picard and Mace were able to switch and use either hand. Where Daedo and Axelzero still had a long way to go. Part of their training was to use each hand equally, but they did have one dominant.

Mace paired with Picard while Daedo paired with Axelzero. The training was aimed at improving their core strength, balance, coordination, stamina and to train their bodies to move without thinking. The hand to hand training they did on weekends was purely for self-defence. Where it was possible to transplant bo staff combat techniques to a swordlance used either with a mech or exo.

The reason they used single handed short bo staffs was for this reason.

”I hate being the worst of the group,” Axelzero said between breaths while sparring with Daedo.

”I was quite thankful when you decided to join. That used to be me,” Daedo said truthfully.

”What are you doing in the holidays?” Axelzero asked changing the topic.

”Oh,” Daedo looked thoughtful. ”I will probably stay at the workshop and work on new projects.” He didn't want to mention the reactor experiment with Cisse out loud. Especially considering the attention they were already drawing.

”What?” Axelzero said in concern. ”Surely you need a break. You've been working nearly every waking moment since our orientation day.”

”No I haven't,” he replied.

”Yes, you have,” Axelzero argued as they clashed bo staves.

”I've been playing melee combat in here, going for runs, hand to hand training on the weekend, going to the gunnery range and sleeping heaps!” He retorted.

”Those are training!” Axelzero stated.

”Yeah, but I have fun doing it. The only thing that's not fun is carrying extra weights through the obstacle course,” Daedo explained.

”Is Math fun?” Axelzero asked.

”When it works it is,” Daedo answered. He meant when he could form elegant or creative solutions. What wasn't fun was failing to come up with any workable answer with the complex variable in the cosmic constant problem.

”You are crazy,” Axelzero yelled as she attacked Daedo with a vicious onslaught of blows.

Barely able to fend all her attacks off Daedo began to consider whether should he do anything else on the break.

”What are you doing?” He asked Axelzero.

”Spending time with my parents. Probably some shopping, going to the beach and most important of all relaxing! You do know what that word is don't you?” Axelzero lectured.

”No idea,” Daedo said. ”Is it something like lazy?”

That remark earnt him a vicious swipe, which he predicted and countered with a three-move combo.

Daedo switched with Picard and asked Mace the same question in between earning bruises from the white-haired assassin.

”I'm up for spending time at the workshop. My parents will want to see me, but they are normally busy and travelling. They should come to Nanterre and visit us I think,” she seemed to be working through her plan to force her parents to come to Paris rather than go home. From what Daedo knew her parents travelled a lot between New York, Hong Kong, London and where they lived in southern France.

”We should go and see an Amateur Mech tournament if there is one on somewhere,” Axelzero offered.

”Oh that's a great idea,” Daedo replied.

”Depending on where it is,” Picard added. Picard thought that international travel would put the cost out of reach.

Daedo: Myrmidon are you looking them up?

Myrmidon: way ahead of you. There's one in Germany at the end of the first week. It goes from Friday to Sunday. It's in Munich.

”There's one in Munich!” Daedo announced.

”Oh we have to go,” Mace agreed.

”If we win the M1 tournament Daedalus will pay for everyone,” Daedo decided, trapping Picard.

Axelzero and Mace nodded agreement, they caught on to exactly what he was doing.

”I'll let everyone know,” Axelzero said excitedly.

”All we have to do now is win M1,” Daedo said as he traded blows with Mace. She began to take it easy on him since the conversation started.

Picard managed to fend off Axelzero and send a back kick in Daedo's direction.