Zephyr sat quietly on a metal stool, squeezing the last bit of fluid from the nutrient pack he brought into his mouth. Likewise, the Squire stood before him, its battered appearance silently watching over him. Most of the lights in the hangar were off, the only ones being in use were the ones beaming down on the mech.
'It's definitely seen better days.'
It seemed like Kenny had yet to dismantle the damaged armor from the machine, the scars of its last duel still present. From its outer condition, it was quite difficult to think that just recently it had triumphed over a mech an entire generation ahead of it. The fact that the Spectre got out of the duel less damaged was quite ironic even.
A moment later, the sound of the hangar's door swinging open rang through the otherwise quiet facility.
"We're here!" Christina beamed as she strode through the door Zephyr had left unlocked.
Nia followed closely behind, her head turning in several directions as she analyzed her surroundings.
They both held packaged meals from the mess hall.
Zephyr nodded as they approached.
Christina pulled out a nearby stool placing it beside him.
"Are you sure you didn't want us to grab you something from the mess hall?"
After sitting down, she opened her meal box, revealing a healthy serving of alfredo pasta with sausages and mushrooms. The rich smell of the creamy noodles filled the air, forcing Zephyr to turn in the opposite direction.
'Of course, even the meals here are extravagant,' he thought, a mix of annoyance and disbelief crossing his mind.
'A nutrient pack is faster, healthier, and doesn't require much time to consume.'
It was a waste of time as well as an unbalanced diet. The nutrient packs he ate were quick and provided all the right ratios of supplements needed. It was a superior solution that saved time and was healthier for the body. And these weren't excuses because he was jealous.
Definitely not!
Noticing his reaction, Christina slid her stool a little closer, a teasing smile playing on her lips.
"If you want, I can share some with you~," she offered, her tone playful.
Zephyr snorted, crinkling his now empty nutrient pack.
"I already ate, since you guys took so long at the mess hall."
The blonde girl raised a brow while adjusting her glasses.
"What is that?" she asked, curious.
"A nutrient pack."
Christina tilted her head slightly, intrigued. As someone from the Garland family, she'd never had to rely on such utilitarian food. Nutrient packs were something she associated with lower-ranking military personnel, not something she ever considered trying herself.
Nia, who had been silently observing their exchange, pulled over another stool and sat on Zephyr's other side.
"Is this why you never come to the mess hall?" she asked, her eyes flicking between him and the nutrient pack.
Zephyr stood up, making his way to the nearest trash bin. He tossed the empty pack in with a casual shrug. "What can I say? It's efficient."
Christina frowned as she twirled a forkful of pasta. "Even though it may be efficient, eating real food is important too," she insisted, her tone concerned.
"I'll keep that in mind," he lazily replied, stepping back towards the battered mech.
As he stood in front of the damaged mech, his gaze inadvertently drifted to Nia's meal, which she had just opened. The sight of her perfectly sliced steak, arranged like petals over snow-white rice, caught his attention. Slowly, she peeled open a packet of red sauce, squeezing it evenly over the pink meat. The rich, savory scent wafted through the air, making his mouth water despite himself.
Clicking his tongue internally, Zephyr forced his attention back to the mech, determined to ignore the tempting aroma.
"Nia."
She looked up from her meal, pausing mid-bite.
"Shouldn't you be explaining what your plans are for our team?" Zephyr asked, his tone more direct now.
Nia set down her fork and dabbed the corner of her mouth with a napkin before responding.
"Right," she said, her expression shifting to one of quiet focus. "Let's discuss that."
***
Zephyr and Christina now sat facing Nia, both leaning in slightly as the stoic girl prepared to speak.
"I guess I should start with my plans for the upcoming team activities," Nia began, making deliberate eye contact with each of them.
'That would be nice, yes.'
She continued:
"The first activity will be survival. Supposedly during planetary combat when a pilot ejects, oftentimes they are not immediately retrieved from battle. They need to have the ability to survive in urban and potentially undeveloped areas while simultaneously avoiding detection. This is one of the fundamental lessons taught in mech pilot training."
Zephyr nodded thoughtfully, placing a hand on his chin. Ejecting on a foreign battlefield was risky. Even if a pilot managed to survive the initial ejection, they would likely find themselves stranded in enemy territory, with no quick or easy way out. Being taught how to survive in such circumstances was actually quite a practical lesson.
Now that they were discussing activities that actually mattered, the weight of being enrolled in an academy that trained soldiers started to hit Zephyr with full force.
"But wouldn't that make having an additional member on our team even more important?" Zephyr pointed out, his tone more serious now. "We'd have an extra pair of hands to gather resources and potentially scout out more areas safely."
Christina nodded eagerly in agreement. A larger team meant more flexibility and better odds in a survival scenario. Nia, however, seemed unfazed by the suggestion.
She met both of their gazes, her expression remaining aloof.
"While that's true, having a smaller team has its own advantages. Fewer people means less chance of detection as well as fewer resources needed to sustain the group. We'll also be able to move at a more agile pace."
Zephyr raised an eyebrow, not entirely convinced by her reasoning.
"One additional person shouldn't increase our burden all that much. The extra utility an extra member provides far outweighs the disadvantages in my opinion."
Nia took another bite of her steak before giving him a long look.
A few moments later, she asked:
"Do you have any specific goals during your time here?"
It was an unexpected question, but Zephyr decided to answer honestly.
"Of course. Preferably, I'd like to graduate with good scores in both academics and practicals. That's my immediate goal, anyway."
As long as he graduated from the Sentinel War Academy with strong marks, his future prospects would be much brighter. Aside from the mandatory military service, there was no downside to doing well in both areas—which is why he couldn't quite understand why Nia was so against having an additional team member.
Nia sighed, as if she'd expected his answer. She then turned to Christina, asking the same question.
"What about you, Christy?"
The petite girl looked up thoughtfully before hesitantly replying, "I guess the same as Zephyr? I'm not aiming to score that highly in practicals, though. In the future, I don't exactly plan on piloting mechs."
An awkward silence passed between them briefly before Nia finally nodded.
"Let me ask you this. In an actual battlefield, would it be more realistic for more or less mech pilots to coincidentally meet up after ejection?"
Zephyr quickly saw what she was getting at.
"Less," he answered immediately. "Definitely less."
The girl across from him wasn't merely aiming to achieve something as temporary as good grades. She already had larger ambitions in mind.
Nia smiled lightly at his response.
"Exactly. In a situation where you're stranded, it would be lucky to even be able to form pairs of two, much less four. It would be better for us to train as if we were in a more realistic setting."
Christina who had mostly been silent finally interjected:
"But in that case, you would want more capable members for the team right? I can understand why Zephyr was asked to join, but I'm not capable compared to the other students on practical tests."
Zephyr sat up straighter. Come to think of it, he didn't see Christina's name anywhere on the top 50 for the physical assessment today.
Nia pursed her lips before turning towards Christina.
"You just stated it yourself. You aren't as capable on practical tests–however your academics rank only below mine."
She paused, letting the words sink in before continuing.
"While it's true you're not the fastest, strongest, or most skilled pilot in our year, you have something equally important: knowledge. You're cautious, analytical, and the only other person whose opinion I can take seriously."
Zephyr blinked in surprise at the unexpected praise. 'So she can give a compliment when she wants to…'
Christina looked taken aback by Nia's words, her usual demeanor faltering for a moment. She opened her mouth to respond, but Nia continued before she could.
"I didn't choose you because I needed another fighter," Nia clarified, casting a glance at Zephyr. "The role of the meat shield is already filled."
Zephyr froze, processing what she just said.
'Meat shield? Who? Me?'
Before he could retort, Nia abruptly stood up and walked over to Christina, her expression softening slightly.
"We need you. Have some confidence in yourself," she said in a firm yet encouraging voice. "Strength isn't the only thing that matters in survival."
It took a while for Nia's words to resonate with the blonde girl, but the moment it did, Christina's face gave way to a small tentative smile. It was quite obvious that what Nia said struck a chord with her.
As for Zephyr, he was left sitting there, half amused, half annoyed, as the two girls seemed to have their moment.
'So we're just going to ignore the fact that she called me a meat shield?'