Chapter 8: Front 4.5; Class is Out – Part 2/2

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Their hadn't been much noise in the canteen but what there was seemed to warp, some sounds seeming louder, while those others who were talking in the large room seemed to grow more distant. Una's head felt light, as though she were swimming -  Which might have struck her as strange considering the canteen was one of the few places on the warship with greater levels of artificial gravity - And yet her whole self seemed to spin feverously.

'What sort of a thing is that to say!? "All that's left", what sort of joke is that to make? But Miss.Hoki never jokes around...
 She must be wrong, there were 20 of us in my year alone!
 I was the worst, worst test results every-time - I've been called way worse then 'Rookie' for it too. What the heck does she mean.
 I-i can't....i can't be....'

"--Una? Una perhaps we should talk about this elsewhere, you've had quite the first day - What with the simulator and settling into a new place. Even soldiers are allowed to be overwhelmed at times, no shame in it."
 Hoki said glancing concernedly around herself.

".....Tell me... please." Una muttered.
 Hoki hesitated, clearly trying to gauge just how out of the loop Una actually was;
 "Things... things haven't been going overly well Una, you know that right?
The Union outnumbers our forces ten fold, IAFS doesn't even have an official country to call home and organisation wise -   Well no one expected a war to break out so soon.
 Alot of ships and pilots just weren't expectin--".

"Weren't expecting them to drop nation-satellites out of the sky to shell our bases? To sacrifice millions just to stop some rebels?" Una replied, a cold detachedness coming over her voice.

"...yes that certainly was unexpected among other things." Hoki replied softly.
 She breathed-in deeply; "I truly apologise Una, I shouldn't of presumed you were privy to such news considering your 'unique' circumstance. Very well, I'd rather you heard it from me then."

Again she concernedly steadied her breathing, looking over steepled fingers at Una intently;
 "When your class graduated there was 20 of you yes?
 Of that Cadet core Unit A of 5 members, led by Petty Officer Shasha Niju were posted to the flagship Tradech, for their outstanding test scores - You'll remember that Shasha had the highest theory score and second highest practical score of your whole year, making her the number one student?
 With only Sabban beating her for the top place in the practical?"

Una nodded, she indeed remembered Shasha well. A bright young woman who held a long childhood rivalry with Sabban, the same stone-faced man she now called a comrade - Although back then he'd been so very different, she had always though him an older-brother-type back in those days....'
 Back in those days? It was only a few months ago.'

Neither of them drank from their cups any longer,
 "Well 3 days after arriving aboard the Tradech, 2nd Crewman Mili Sanju became the first casualty of your fellow classmates. Three days later - During a battle against 2 enemy fortress types - Unit A was reduced to just one member, that being Sabban, who had by this time been demoted when he lost composure over his fallen comrades."

"I wish that were the end of the story but it isn't. Unit C were running escort duty aboard a destroyer class ship for a supply convoy, when it was ambushed and destroyed. There were no survivors."

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"As for your Unit D, you already know that you 5 were stationed aboard the Bhailien Moon base, well after you got... misplaced during all that commotions around the station 5 attack - The ship the base force retreated on got caught in the fighting and before they could even launch their own machines-- ...Una look, I really think we should have this discussion in my quarters."
 Hoki finished.

"That's why" - Una said sullenly, her voice chocking slightly;
 "That's why no one ever tried to contact me, I just thought they didn't care or they really believed the rumour that I was a TSU spy or some of the other crap I got accused of being - Or maybe that, that the mean old barrack's commander was keeping any messages for me to himself, to spite me maybe?
 ....That's why everyone at the barracks always used to look at me like that isn't it?
Why... why didn't they say anything?...."
 Una's voice broke into a laugh multiple times, as though some great weight had been lifted but a whole new, far heavier one added.

"...What about Miss.Hikari, she was the 2nd placed in the whole class, she can't be too?..." - Una thought back to that kind older girl who had always been willing to help her with her studies and practise, despite belonging to another cadet-core.

"I'm sorry Una, I really am. Core B was stationed aboard a cruiser doing patrols for Nation-Satellite 2.4 when they were attacked. Hikari acted incredibly bravely and when the ship's senior pilots and two of her Core died, she took charge and managed to drag her two remaining, damaged comrades back home alive.
 After they returned to the moon for repairs to their ship and to get new pilots for the 4 they had lost during the fighting. They... The board of directors awarded Hikari's actions a medal for her extreme bravery and she was even promoted to be the ship's new squadron leader, but those other two - The ones she helped get back alive - Well they ran away, scared I should think after what they saw.
 Just kids really, you all were."

Hoki swallowed hard, her posture now visibly tenser than it had been even before;
 "The two are listed 'Missing in Action' but in all likelihood they got captured by TSU-s operatives - Who we know had been snooping around the port were they were last seen. Their faith may be worse than having just simply died.
 I- i... think Hikari probably knew that too, she couldn't take all the pressure. Asking her to be a leader after her whole squad abandoned her or died in battle was... It wasn't right."

Pain seemed to sweep across Hoki like a wave, fists clenched in a most un-ladylike fashion she finally finished her harrowing report;
 "Hikari took her own life the day before she was officially to meet her new subordinates.
They gave her another promotion in death, as some sort of 'compensation' and that was the end of Core B."
 Hoki had spat the last few words but now her tale done she glanced back up, aware once more of her company.

Una for her part had stood up now and hung steadily, her body swaying gently as thought a flag in the breeze.
 "Una you really hadn't heard any of it?" Hoki broached in a calm hushed tone.

"I knew something must of gone wrong, for Sabban to be here alone and the way he is now, but..." Una half-muttered to herself.

"You should come with me, I have more blends in my room. We can talk properly about it-" Hoki offered in a motherly tone of voice, however Una simply shook her head;
 "I think I'll return to my own room now."
Without further comment she closed her eyes and bowed her head slightly forwards for a few seconds before briskly making her way out of the canteen.

Hoki was slightly taken aback by the traditional greeting of her people being displayed before her, the closed eyes and out-stretched head was a sign of respect and thrust in the one you addressed.
 Then she remembering that along with herself, Una had also been taught by another x-pilot from Eastern Bhaile - Although all thoughts on traditional greetings & signs of respect now seemed of little import - As she watched her former student seemingly hover her way out of the room, shoulders slumped and posture timid.

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