23 M1 - Term: 1, Round: 1 (2/2)

He turned to face her, his face going red, ”who said this was a team effort? We all receive individual ranks. And in the end, they choose the best from all the houses to join the Academy event team. A squad is merely a way of grouping cadets and allowing one cadet to play at squad leader, just as you are now. The only squad project out of all the subjects is team arena combat. Everything else is individual, and while you assist one another, all you are doing is assisting your competition.”

Vannier sat, deflated. She could think of no strategy to turn such obstinate thinking around.

Barran started to speak, so did Axelzero and Picard all talking over one another casting dispersions at Gaumont.

Daedo raised his hand and said nothing. Slowly they all turned to look at the strange action and one after another they fell silent.

Daedo lowered his hand, ”I respect Gaumont's decision,” he said dramatically and paused.

”His analysis has merit,” he waited again for his words to sink in.

”He is correct there is only one activity which is team-based. Arena combat. No one here chose to be in this squad and to try and force him to cooperate is stupid. I would like to continue to work with everyone,” meaning everyone but Gaumont, ”and we will push all our scores up by working together. Far beyond …. if we worked individually. Gaumont can continue to progress as he sees fit, he will only need to follow squad commands during the arena combat match. Agreed Gaumont?”

Gaumont did not see this as support from Daedo, it was backhanded approval and a put down his thinking as poor strategy. ”Fuck you,” he said. He stood and walked back to his quarters.

As the door closed, Barran asked, ”what punishments is a squad leader allowed to dish out?”

Picard smiled enthusiastically, ”I will look it up right now.”

Vannier waited expectantly for a call from Master Nader which did not come. As time passed without the call, her distress did not lessen it increased. She was certain Master Nader was going to tear strips off her for failing so dismally.

Daedo came and put a hand on her shoulder for a change, ”it was only an hour ago you were lecturing me about being stressed at lack of progress on our exos and ordinance. You pointed out that this was the first week and we have three years to improve our exos before moving onto Mechs in U1. I would like to remind you, that this project of yours has a similar timeline. And you need not rush it. Hell, you could probably do nothing and let the jerk come to a decision himself.”

Vannier relaxed, and her eyes widened. ”Of course!” She exclaimed. ”It has to be his decision. There is no point talking him into cooperating.” She stood and hugged Daedo. She whispered in his ear, ”you are the right choice for squad leader.”

He pushed her back, ”don't forget your promise. You are going to handle all the shit jobs.”

They both knew what he meant and laughed.

Daedo wore Picard's weights that morning during the obstacle course and would wear them throughout the rest of the day before taking a rest on Tuesday. His time slowed due to the weights, but not by much, he was just over sixty minutes. He figured given that he was wearing ten kilos weights this was a good time.

Monday was the day they had piloting and gunnery classes, which were one of the few classes with a physical Chief present. Daedo, Vannier, Axelzero and Mace all stood out in their new exos. Supposedly refurbished, however, all they had used from the standard lights were a few components.

They received stares from the entire brigade of M1 cadets from house Thoth. The stares turned to whispers until even the Chief took note.

”Sir,” one cadet from squad six raised his hand, ”are they allowed to bring in exos from the outside?”

The Chief stared at the cadet ominously for half a minute before he started to squirm. ”Why are you asking me a question that is answered in the regulations. Which I remind you are easily accessible to you at all times? I am doubtful you got into the Academy without being able to read or at least a modicum of comprehension ability,” the Chief answered scathingly without answering directly.

Almost a hundred cadets from house Thoth began to furiously read the regs.

”What! It clearly does not say you can bring in an outside exo,” one cadet said very loudly.

Then a smarter cadet said, ”but it doesn't say you cannot. All it states are the specifications an exo must adhere to.”

Another protested, ”why were we not told we could modify or replace our exos?”

Squad zero ignored the banter and began the exercises set by the chief. They were clearly much faster than any other exo, and only a heavy was stronger. As most cadets occupied heavies, they seemed incredibly lethargic with their twenty percent drop in speed and mobility compared to the cadet's normal movement. Where the Daedo v1 exo mobility factor was quantified by one point six, which was a sixty percent increase from a cadets natural movement.

Barran was still in his old heavy and was incredibly jealous of his squaddies who got to pilot their new exos today. They not only moved a lot differently to the standard exos they looked sleek. The mesh which consisted of tiny tubes, or fibre, could be seen in patches where the moulded reflective plates did not cover. These patches of mesh were present at joints like the elbows, knees, shoulders and neck. Wherever range of movement was required.

Due to their current ranks and achievements, the exos were mostly black with small amounts of white denoting Thoth. On their backs were telltale signs of the umbilicals and cold fusion reactor, due to the vulnerability of these systems they were heavily armoured and encapsulated in mesh and plating. They were built out in such a fashion they looked like a large backpack extending from the shoulder blades down to the lower back.

There were various sockets which would sustain weapons and other systems with either power or hydraulics. The grappler and grenade launcher had inbuilt power and hydraulic conduits. A mesh tube could be seen extending laterally from the back to underneath the arm. It had enough slack to allow the full range of movement.

Lastly, their helmet was encased in a protective layer of ceramics and polymer which connected to the chest with a layer of mesh making them look like they had very thick necks.

Mace and Daedo skimmed across the arena at great speeds wielding variations of swords, lances and lance swords. Testing out the variants to see which they preferred while completing the exercises set out by the chief.

Axeleleven, Pascale's brother Jules came over to ask her about the exos.

”How fast are those things?” he asked his sister. The question every member of Thoth wanted to know.

”Oh, they are ok,” Axelzero replied, ”we still have a long way to go.”

”Is that what you were doing all weekend?” he asked wondering how far they would go if this was just the beginning.

”What else should we be doing?” she answered.

”Um, studying or…” he began.

”Or slacking off?” She finished for him laughing before leaving him to complete the next exercise.

There were two hundred and fifty-five cadets in House Thoth. After today's session, all thirty-two squads were motivated to improve their exos as much as possible. They were either in awe or extremely jealous and in most cases both, of squad zero.

Before they finished gunnery and piloting for the day, there was grudging respect from squad one members. ”There is a reason they are squad zero,” Xavier said to his squaddies, ”we would do well to follow their example.”

”Do you think they could win that bet with Horus?” Fafner asked.

Xavier scoffed, ”that is a tall order. But I give them a small chance now, yesterday I would have given them none.”