" You requested my presence? "

He sat behind an old wooden desk facing her yet his eyes never left the pages of the report that he shuffled through his hands. Reya inclined her head as a gesture of respect, her emerald eyes downcast, not willing to meet Krelian’s impassive glance. She was not unfamiliar to this room but the sense of welcome she had always felt as a child had waned. She had become a stranger.

She felt the weight of his regard when Krelian finally looked at her after a long stretch, his silent disapproval clearly evident even though he had not spoken a single word. The warm and strength that she had drawn from Sigurd just moments before dissipated like fog before the light of dawn unable to shield Reya from a crushing sense of failure. There would be no excuses for the explosion. Before Krelian, Reya would not lie.

Could not lie.

" Explain. " The single word echoed in the vast chamber, the sound reverberating in the hollow emptiness.

" The AR system was integrated and tested without my knowledge and consent. One of the engineers went ahead and put the system through simulated combat without factoring in the cellular infusion. He attempted operating Imarla against the biotic identification failure, resulting in the system backlash that caused the explosion. "

Reya kept her voice flat and monotonous as she reported the whole incident. Krelian had placed the responsibility of building Imarla solely on her and Reya knew that regardless of who caused the explosion, she alone was answerable to him. She had never told him about the problems that she faced working with the Gazel Gear engineers. He would neither bother nor care.

She was a freak.

That was the name the Gazel children called her by and it was also the torch that lit the many fights that Igraine had got into because of her. Her habit of talking to Gears gave them the best excuse to pick on and create wicked stories about her.

Krelian must have fished her out of one of his test tubes… Her parents must have know she was a freak that’s why they dumped her at the Lab… She’s a loony, talking to Gears… She’s not human…

The fact that Reya showed exceptional intelligence in the common lessons that they shared only served to aggravate the dislike the Gazel children had always felt for her. In their eyes, she undermined their superiority by winning the approval that they sought for themselves and they made her paid the price with their vicious tricks.

From getting her hair pulled to having her beloved books burned before her eyes and beaten up and dumped in a ditch, Reya had endured everything in silence. The Gazel had their golden opportunity when Krelian sent her sister and brother away, leaving her to face their tender mercies. After a while, it had became almost a habit to limp her way back to her stark little room to tend her cuts and bruises.

Even though the years have gone by with their childhood ended but apparently the feelings still lingered on. They were among the Gazel engineers assigned to work with her and Reya could see it so clearly in their eyes- envy, spite, hostility, and resentment that was so palpable like a physical presence.

Two expectant faces looked at Jessiah and the air was charged with anxious anticipation. Hyuga and Kahr sounded almost like children in their eagerness to hear more about the development between their friend and sister. Igraine herself sat a little distance away, her face stormy with barely concealed disapproval.

The incorrigible man wiggled his eyebrows at the three of them and Igraine's hand itched with the desire to slap the insolent grin off his face. She was still fuming at the fact that Jessie had the nerve to spy on the very private meeting between Sigurd and her sister. Everybody was interested in knowing how the relationship between Reya and Sigurd was developing but Igraine felt that Jessie’s act had gone beyond limits.

" How could you be there and watched the whole thing! How would you feel if someone watched you being intimate with Raquel? How could you, Jessiah! " Her fists were clenched to her sides and all Igraine needed was a slight provocation to hit out at him.

Jessie, sensing her very real anger, put up his hands before him in easy capitulation. Igraine looked mad enough to do him permanent damage at the moment and he decided not to personally taste her wrath. He had the impression that the two women were close but Igraine’s almost violent reaction still took him by surprise. They are probably even closer than blood sisters are… Not surprising, given whom they spend their childhood with…After all, Krelian never stuck me as a man who could be a "father"…

Hyuga had abandoned his seat to stand beside Igraine, one hand placed comfortingly on her shoulder. She turned her light blue eyes to him, seeking consolation and he could see the glint of tears on her lashes. But before Hyuga could say or do anything, Igraine averted her head, hiding her face beneath the heavy curtain of her golden brown hair.

Hyuga headed for Igraine’s Tri-Element quarters, logic telling him that she would have gone there after running from the shokudo. It was much nearer than her Church lodgings and in her present state, Igraine would seek the nearest place to hide and pull herself together. Her sudden emotional outburst had surprised everyone in the aftermath of the joke that they had played on Sigurd and Reya.

Exiting from the lift that took him up to the fourth floor that was the Tri-Element level, Hyuga turned right and proceeded until he reached the third door. Punching in the access code that she had given to him, Hyuga entered.

In the time that they had shared together, Hyuga was acutely aware that he felt for Igraine very deeply. From the moment they had met during the revolt in Lower Etrenank, he had known that she would become a large part of his life. I felt a connection when we met, Hyuga Ricdeau…Those were her very words that he doubted he would ever forget in this lifetime or the next.

He found her huddled like a child on her bed, arms wrapped around her pillow, using it to muffle her sobs. The sound of her weeping twisted his gut like a knife. Unlike Sigurd, Hyuga did not possess any empathic powers yet he felt Igraine’s pain as keenly as though he was the one who had been hurt. Hyuga embraced her from behind, his arms folding around her and bending his body to hers even as he rocked her slowly. He called her name softly again and again, murmuring words of comfort against her hair. Hyuga closed his eyes, wishing he knew how to better soothe her.

She turned to him, her pillow forgotten as she put her arms around him instead. Leaning back, Igraine nestled herself against him, her head resting against his shoulder. Her tears were spent and her emotions were back in control but she held on to him still, needing his warmth. Hyuga gently wiped away the damp traces her tears had left on her face with one hand and stroked her hair.

" I must have shocked everyone just now, losing control like that. I’ll have to make a proper apology to Jessie. I should have known it was a joke and laughed if off rather than reacting so badly. " Igraine sighed softly, the sound lost in thick fabric of Hyuga’s uniform.

" It’s just that I’ve always desperately wanted Reya to be happy. She’s sacrificed a lot for both Kahr and me… so many times. She always the one, bearing his anger for our mistakes, suffering his punishments when it was my fault! " Igraine’s voice wavered as her tears threatened to spill again.

" It’s still the same even though we are now adults. That’s why I wanted to pull Sigurd and her together. I know that he has made her happy through the way she speaks about him. Kahr even told me that Sigurd made her laugh and that made me think up that joke we played. It seemed to be in real bad taste now… "

" No wonder you got so agitated. You were worried that Jessie might have ruin everything once Reya knew that he was spying on them. " Hyuga grasped her hands, lightly rubbing them to soothe her distress.

" Reya’s very sensitive though she never shows it… Sensitive enough to be hurt by something like this. I don’t want things to end between Sigurd and Reya before they could even begin. "

" If I am not wrong… All my years of friendship with Sig tells me that he may very well be serious about a woman the first time in his life. "

Igraine raised her head to face him; her eyes the color of the summer sky after the storm had blown over but Hyuga could still see the lingering traces of her sadness. Holding her hands to his face, Hyuga smiled down at her, gentle and reassuring. Gathering her even closer, he murmured against her fair hair.

Reya closed her blurring eyes beneath the visor, her whole being burning with exhaustion. She was so tired that it almost felt like pain. She had long lost track of time, being closeted in the special hangar area that Krelian had build into his own Lab especially for the construction of Imarla. The explosion had not done any substantial physical damage to the Gear and it had been a relatively easy task to repair. It was the damage to the AR system that Reya had to rectify all on her own.

And interfere they had not. Under Krelian’s express orders, no one was to work on the AR system except her. The engineers had left quickly after completing the minor repairs required and the whole hangar was void of any human presence besides her own. Closing her eyes, Reya gathered her faltering concentration and bend her mind to merge with Imarla’s AR system again. As she entered into the metaphysical realm that was hers alone, Reya could not help but muse.

After what felt like an eternity later, Reya pulled herself out of Imarla’s system, drained of strength both physically and mentally. Removing the visor that Krelian had built to enhance her extra sensory power with shaking hands, Reya slumped against the pilot seat and her breaths were short and labored. She tried opening her eyes and was hit by a sense of disorientation so great that it made her almost violently ill. Clutching tightly to the armrest with one hand with the other clamped over her mouth, Reya fought off the waves of nausea that rose against her throat. Her body convulsed uncontrollably as she went into a reaction spasm.

Reya had exceeded her limits, pushing herself too hard. She knew that the consequences were dangerous, learning that near fatal lesson when she was a child. After the discovery of her unique ability, Krelian had done tests on her and during one of them, he had drove her over the limit, almost killing her. It had taken her an entire month to fully recover from the reaction seizures that wrecked her body so violently that they had to strap her down. But there was no alternative; no other way that the AR system could be fixed fast enough to fit back into Krelian’s schedule.

Gradually, the convulsions faded in their intensity and stopped. Feeling as weak as a newborn baby, Reya hovered on the edge of consciousness. Her long dark hair was wet with her sweat and tangled with some strands plastered to her face and body. Reya did not have the energy to move and wished she could simply free her faltering hold on reality and escape into darkness but duty forced her back.

A persistent beeping sounded, the sound amplified a thousand times in her current state. Reya clenched her teeth as she struggled to bring her own body back under control. Pushing herself up into a sitting position with effort, she opened her eyes, blinking rapidly to clear her vision. Her wrist PDA unit flashed accompanied by the high-pitched beep that she had always found irritating. Reya brushed her hair away from her face, a groan escaping her lips as she read the reminder that she had keyed into her PDA the day before. She had clean forgotten that there was a live surface exercise to be conducted.

Taking a glance at the time as displayed by her PDA, Reya realized that she had spent the entire night restoring Imarla’s AR system. Punching a few keys in quick succession, she retrieved the planned exercise program and scrolled through swiftly. 0900…Launch. It’s now 0845… I still have 15 minutes to get ready… Reya swung to her feet and almost fell as her legs bucked, refusing to support her weight. A wave of vertigo hit her and she reached out desperately, clutching the pilot seat to keep from collapsing.

Her legs trembled, an after effect of the seizures but Reya stubbornly forced herself to stand. With each step she took, pain shot through her whole being from the sole of her foot to her brain. She wanted to cry out but years of habit prevented it and in a way she was grateful for the pain, it helped her to focus her thoughts on the pending exercise. There was no way she was going to let Kahr and Sigurd see her in her present state. They would make definitely bundled her into the nearest bed and call off the training to take care of her. No, duty must always come first before anything else even herself. Her mentor had trained her too well for anything else. Gritting her teeth, Reya stumbled out of Imarla’s cockpit and wobble her way unsteadily to the hangar exit.

Sigurd adjusted his safety belt, trying to wriggle into a more comfortable position. He had always found the belts on the Gears a trifle too tight, making it unpleasant for a certain sensitive part of his anatomy. Well, at least I’m not the only one who feels this way. I’m glad to know that most male and female cadets feel the same. Man, really makes me wonder who designed the safety features… Sigurd sighed as he shifted within his seat, hoping that the carrier would take off and clear them for launching soon before he becomes permanently celibate. That was something definitely not in his cards now that Reya had come into his life.

Closing his eyes, he recalled the night in the Church grounds clearly. He had no idea whether he was the seducer or the seduced in that encounter. As always, his request for a kiss had been a dare. A challenge that he had prayed that she would not back down from and she had not disappointed him. Her kiss was something that Sigurd had never tasted before. Despite all his previous experience, he was ill prepared for Reya. It had been a simple chaste kiss, her lips meeting his yet it had stirred the parts of his soul that he had thought were long dead. There was no mating of tongues in a dance of passion yet as she pressed her lips to his, Sigurd felt as if she had imprinted her very being into him. His pounding heart had taken a long time to calm even after she was gone.

Sigurd was a little disappointed, he had hoped to see her this morning after being told by Miang that Reya had duties at the Lab the night before. He wanted to know more about the relationship between Krelian and her but he knew that even if he asked her, she would not give him a satisfactory answer. Reya was not his lover but there was something between them that went beyond the relationship of teacher and student. His senses could also always detect the undercurrent of melancholy she carried and hid so well from the others.

He felt the brief shudder as the carrier’s thrusters were lit. They would be deactivating a portion of the shield for the ship to launch… I must find a way to take care of the shield problem when it’s time to run…I must return to the surface, no matter what is takes! His body jerked backwards as the launch momentum hurled the carrier out of Solaris. Closing his eyes, Sigurd returned to a transient contemplation.

The bay lights flashed, casting saffron shadows across the enclosed area as the mobile hangar doors slowly opened with a sharp metallic whine. Sigurd opened his eyes and shook his head to clear the cobwebs in his mind. Powering up his Gear, he watched as the first wave of his squadron blast off into the blue horizon. While his specialty was more on weaponry and defense systems, Sigurd was by no means a weak Gear pilot. His forte was the medium and heavy Gears but his personal preference was the medium class for both its high offensive capability and mobility. He had chosen to fly his favorite class for the training exercise.

One by one, the Blue squadron Gears cleared the launching ramps and soon it was Sigurd’s turn. Engaging his thrusters, he shot off from the ramp into a clear cloudless sky. As he soared, his heart was filled with a nameless sense of longing and anger. This is the world they took me from… A world that I belonged to…Sigurd fought the wild desire to be free, knowing how futile his chances would be if he tried to escape. All the training Gears were equipped with a self-destruction mechanism that will activate once the Gear strays out of the training terrain programmed. If the two warning signals were ignored and no attempt was made to turn the Gear back to the stipulated terrain, it would explode.

This was one safeguard Solaris employed to prevent any escape attempt by the brainwashed Lambs sent into Jugend just in case any managed to break free of the indoctrination. There had been a few attempts, all resulting in failure. Sigurd had seen the broken smithereens of charred metal from the exploded Gears that were collected back to serve as a warning against any foolish enough to try. Looking at the degree of destruction, there was no way that anybody could survive. He had wanted to give up then, abandon this futile quest but the thought of someone waiting down there for him gave Sigurd the courage to carry on and bide his time.

There was no easy solution to the dilemma on his hand. Using a training Gear would avoid the problem of getting pass Solaris’ shield but there was still the problem of the self-destruction mechanism to think off. The main carrier also closely monitored activities of all trainees on the field and any abnormal behavior was quickly investigated and dealt with. There seemed to be countless obstacles to escape but Sigurd swore he would not rest until he succeeded.

" Commander! All units are in place. Ready for deployment, sir! " His wingman, a promising young Jugend cadet reported in.

" Good! Alpha and Beta Company break formation and head towards Nav 1 and 2. Sweep the two areas and maintain guard wing. Sigma Company is to proceed to Nav 3. This is just a normal patrol so just follow what you’ve been doing on the simulator and we’re home free! "

The Blue squadron divided itself into three wings and streaked towards their designated points. As usual, the exercise was designed to test the cadets’ ability in dealing with situations unprepared for and as the commander, only Sigurd knew the mission objective of the Greens that were lead by Reya. While his was a "normal" patrol, she would be staging an invasion attempt into the three Nav points that his squadron will be guarding. In terms of Gear firepower, both squadrons were closely matched, the Blue comprising of more medium class Gears while the Green deployed more light Gears together with heavy Gears as well.

Reya would be piloting one of the light assault Gears that was as agile as the scout class but equipped with slightly better armor and stronger weapons. When their students knew that their first live exercise pitted the Blues against the Greens, they had called for an impromptu contest between the two commanders. After repeated urgings, Reya had reluctantly agreed. She’s the best, Sig. No one has ever beaten her in a Gear yet. Kahr had shaken his head and said that Sigurd due for a trashing but he remained optimistic.

His three wings reached their respective Nav points without any problems and proceed to patrol the areas. Keeping communications channels open, Sigurd carefully monitored the activities of the cadets under his command. Through their sessions using the simulator, Sigurd knew Reya to be a brilliant strategist. Her attack when she strikes would be swift and very deadly.

Reports flew in fast and furious as Reya’s two wings broke cover and launched independent attacks. Her units were made up of a good balance of all three Gear classes and she deployed them in various combinations that made the full use of their strengths. Light Gears are used for lightning attacks to confuse the enemy while her heavier Gears support with their stronger defense shields and offense artillery. Believing that experience is the best teacher, Reya issued minimum commands, preferring to let her cadets make their own decisions to the situations as they saw fit and guide them with suggestions and comments.

Her whole wing was heading towards Nav 3, fanning out along the perimeter to enter the area. With reports of Nav 1 and 2 breached, there would be a high concentration of defense as the element of surprise was already lost. It was their turn to walk into ambush. With no reason for stealth, she gave orders for a full out strike.

Even as she tried to maintain the façade that everything was fine, her wavering control was slipping by the minute. Reya tightened her hold on the throttle, her hands and body covered with cold sweat. Her concentration was fading fast and double images clouded her vision. The bright flares of exchange fire exploded before her eyes like brilliant fireworks. She dare not return fire not trusting her eyes. She stumbled blind into the thick of battle with even her instincts failing her.

A green Gear pushed her aside, taking a direct hit that had been aimed at her. The impact jolted her but her limbs felt like lead, making her movements slow and sluggish. Reya could not think, her mind seemed to have totally shut down not even registering the concern in her wingman’s voice. He was trying his best to shield her but the enemy surrounded them.

She knew she had to make a run but everything seemed to be in slow motion. The odds were unfavorable to her in her current condition. Reya was not piloting her own aligned Caliginus that she could even control in a semi-conscious state. The Gear that she piloted now relied on purely physical responses. A blue Gear loomed in front of her and Reya barely managed to veer aside at the last minute but she could not avoid the shots fired at her from point blank range. The impact threw her backwards as her thin shields gave way.

Even though, Sigurd’s company was the ambushing party, there was barely any advantage to speak of. Striking swiftly as expected, the Greens worked in deadly quartets of two light Gears paired with a medium and heavy Gear. Sigurd silently acknowledged Reya resourceful way of utilizing her Gears. Smart move… using her heavy Gears as shields as the lighter and mobile Gears move in for the kill but they need more lessons in cooperation yet! As the battle waged on, her teams began to disintegrate as the light Gears started to abandoned the protection of their slower partners giving Sigurd’s forces the opportunity to turn the tide.

It was a while before he managed to spot her position in the pandemonium. Giving orders to his wingman to cover him, Sigurd started in to engage her. She was still behind the shelter provided by her wingman as if waiting for him to make the first move. Her weapon was not even drawn when her wingman came under attack. Caught up in the heat of battle, Sigurd failed to notice her odd behavior. Her wingman fell quickly to the concentrated barrage, blowing her cover. With her shield gone, he carried the offensive to her. Fully expecting her to pull a quick draw on him, Sigurd was shocked when his weapon connected with her Gear’s torso, sending the whole Gear flying.

Belatedly, Sigurd realized that something was wrong as Reya lay where she fell, unmoving. Rushing to her, he threw his weapon aside. Unable to see her condition, Sigurd tore fanatically at the straps that bound him in his seat, cursing in his long unused native tongue in his agitation as the safety catch refused to release. Finally freeing himself with a frustrated snarl, Sigurd roared into his intercom unit even as his hand slammed on the emergency release to open his Gear hatch.

Not bothering to answer, Sigurd leaped out of his Gear, his feet had barely touched the earth before he took off at a break neck pace. Heedless of the strife still raging around him, he ran to her even as he shouted her name over and over again.

" Reya! Reya! Reeeeyyyaaaaaa!!! " Clambering up to the hatch, Sigurd jerked open the hidden external hatch release and hastily punched in the unlocking sequence.

A wide crack splintered the glass of her cockpit, distorting her image into myriad reflections. Cautiously lest he sent pieces of broken glass showering on Reya, Sigurd pushed back the hatch slowly. A quick glance showed that she was unhurt but as he climbed into the narrow confines of the Gear’s cockpit, Sigurd realized what was amiss. Reya’s jade green eyes stared right through him, wide and unfocused. Her face was ashen with a sickly green cast and for a moment, Sigurd imaged that what he saw was not her body but her departed soul. Banishing the ghastly thought, he reached out and touched her.

No evidence of any visible injuries only made Sigurd more worried but he dared not move her for the fear that he may accidentally aggravate some internal injury that she may have. Sigurd held her face between his hands, trying to rub some warmth into her cool and clammy skin. Calling her name over and over again like a litany, Sigurd willed Reya to response.

" Reya! Answer me, please! Reya! " The tumult of the fight surrounded him but all Sigurd heard was the boom of his own voice.

It was barely a whisper and Sigurd felt it rather than heard it. He watched as awareness slowly start to gather in her smoky green eyes, and Sigurd released a sigh of relieve he was not aware that he had been holding. He caressed her face, tracing her features with his fingers, assuring himself that she was alive. The desire to clasp her into his arms was strong but Sigurd fought it down. It was more important to know whether Reya had been wounded.

" N…n..no. J…u..ust… …we..ak… "

Her hands were trembling like the wings of a frightened bird. Enveloping them within one hand, Sigurd freed her from the safety harness. Bereft of the support of the harness, Reya’s limp body slumped and she would have slid off her seat had he not caught her. She felt so insubstantial in his arms that he could not help but hugged her closer. His action expressing the emotions that he had no words to describe. For the second time in his life, Sigurd experienced the fear of losing someone dear.

Though cloistered in his embrace, Reya shivered from a chill that spread from within her. His arms clutched instinctively about her when he felt the slight tremors of her shudder. She wanted so much to just rest against him and take refuge in the shelter of his strength but it was a luxury that she could not afford.

" Reya! Are you all right? I’m calling off the exercise! " Kahr’s voice crackled from the still functioning communication system of her downed Gear.

" Si..gurd, don’t.…..don’t stop…the…exercise…" Reya was too weak to talk or explain further and could only beg him with a mute appeal in her eyes.

" Reya… " Sigurd’s response was to nestle her more securely against him as he answered.

" No, continue the exercise, Kahr. Reya is fine, just a little rankled at the fact that I managed to beat her by pure blind luck. I’ll need to clear the field to do a little placating. "

" Oh… I see. Mmm..errrr…Take your time. I’ll take care of things here. "

Reya could have imaged Kahr blushing at Sigurd’s implicative remark if she did not feel worn out to the bone. She had no doubts that if Sigurd was to let go she would simply fall into a heap right at his feet. Against her will, her consciousness was starting to slip and her head slump against the support of his shoulder. As her eyelids droop under an invisible weight, the last thing Reya was aware of was the light caress of his breath on her face.