Mission 6: Teacher and Student

"Hee, so you decided to make a live simulation as the final test? You can be quite mean, you know that?"

"Ara, wasn't it you who taught me that there are people who do better when it came to the real thing?"

Mikumo and Kazumi shared a laugh in their shared house at the edge of Barrette city. The two of them talked about their day just like every other time and Mikumo's day is certainly quite exciting. She talked about how she proposed a live simulation to test the most promising participants, but Kazumi know that she only expected Freyja to succeed, and succeed that girl did.

They still tested the other hopeful candidates though but they failed. They were too scared to even think of singing when faced with Var, as expected. If they can't even gather their courage to face a single civilian Var, they can't hope to face Var-infected military personnel on the field where they also have to worry about fire, bullets, missiles, and debris. Although, the 'finalists' did provide him with some funny video. Their reaction are hilarious when it was revealed that they were in a live simulation.

"So both of us got our new recruit. What's your impression then?"

Kazumi asked as he flipped the egg he is cooking while Mikumo sat on the dining table, sipping on a tea Kazumi prepared earlier.

"Freyja has an impressive amount of fold receptor but she can't properly use them right now. It seems her fold receptor remains inactive unless she's under great duress like when she's in danger. We will need to work on that before she can make her debut. Otherwise, we found a diamond in the rough."

Kazumi nodded. He had seen Freyja's bio fold wave level and her action during the live simulation. She has nerves of steel and even through the video recording, he could feel her passion for singing. That girl is an unexpected find. She might not do as well during the audition but when push came to shove like on Al Shahal and the live simulation, she seems to pull through with her willpower. Though being unable to activate her fold receptor unless she's in danger is a problem, it's nothing they can't work on. Overall, the audition went unexpectedly well.

"And what about you, Kazumi? What is your impression of Hayate Immelmann?"

Mikumo asked. Kazumi is no longer smiling. He became a bit nervous as he remembered what happened earlier. After recruiting him, he asked Mirage to take Hayate up for a ride to get a feel of how the VF-31 fly. He would've took him up himself but since he has to work on his unit's maintenance and since his unit has more extensive customization that he has to personally calibrate, he had to ask for Mirage's help.

As he had asked, Mirage took the newbie up for a spin, as in literally spinning and looping in the air. The boy came down feeling sick and what happened next… well, Hayate will probably have to stay away from Mirage for a while until she can forgive him. Then again, it was Mirage's fault for flying like crazy with a little chick behind her. She probably thought that it would teach him a lesson or something. She does seem like she has something against the boy.

"…he'll be a handful, I just know it."

Kazumi sighs. He turn the stove off and brought the food to the table. Tonight they are having jellyfish omurice, Mikumo's favorite, to celebrate getting their new recruits. That and because there's a bargain sale on jellyfish at the market when they passed by. Kazumi simply couldn't stay his hand when he saw the price.

"So both of us got our own fledglings to take care of starting tomorrow. I hope you can handle being a mentor to your cute junior."

Kazumi teased. Mikumo smiled and calmly reply;

"You should worry about yourself, Kazumi. I know Freyja has her issues but she is eager to learn. The same cannot be said about your junior, right?"

The ace pilot is worried that he has no comeback to what Mikumo said.

-3 days later

Kazumi knew that when he was younger, he had not been a good student. He remembered ditching class to watch clouds with his friends and did stupid things in the flight simulator. He did not take his lessons as seriously as he should, putting only minimal efforts in studying and flight simulations. He was lucky that he was smart enough and skilled enough to pass his first year without getting kicked out, well mostly thanks to his senior that made sure he does his work.

It was only when he's in the field that he found some appreciation for what his teachers and senior taught him. Hell, if it wasn't for Alisa, he would've gotten himself killed in his first mission… or not. He'll make it out somehow. Since then, he had started appreciating what his teachers and senior taught him. He had thought about apologizing for being a problem child back in his academy days but he figured they had their share of such thing from time to time. Now he really want to come back and apologize with all the sincerity he can muster.

You will never truly understand how your teacher feel until you have a problematic student of your own. Kazumi felt that this is karma for all his bad behavior in the academy because he finally got one, a problem student. He had expected it from his attitude but… he was naïve for thinking that he can handle him.

"Oi, has anyone here seen Hayate Immelmann?!"

Kazumi asked as he entered the dining hall, looking a bit tired and annoyed. Skipping judo lesson with captain Johnson, dozing off during his explanations about their job and technical things he need to know, using the simulators as he please and not when he was told to, Hayate Immelmann is starting to get on his nerves. Next thing he knew, the boy might even take one of the Valkyrie on a joyride for no reason. He knew it's only a matter of time. He himself had done that back in the academy.

"…nevermind, I have an idea where he is."

Kazumi left the dining hall, getting an inkling on where Hayate is. His next destination is the flight deck. As a former unruly student himself, he knew what kind of place slackers like Hayate would be in. The flight deck is a good place to relax and simply feel the wind. A good place to nap or just looking at the scenery. There's no doubt that the boy is there.

He had thought about dumping him on Mirage but Hayate is his responsibility, unfortunately. Recruiting the boy was his idea and he did personally recruit him so training him became his responsibility. That and pairing that problem child with miss goody two shoes is a recipe for disaster. How the hell did Alisa manage to handle him all those years ago is something he wish he could ask her right now. He sorely needs her guidance on how to handle a problem child.

When Kazumi arrived on the flight deck, he breath out a sigh of relief. The two VF-1EX that Chaos use for training are still there, both of them. That means the problematic boy hadn't taken it for a joyride. At least he has some restrain, no matter how small it is. He'll take what he get.

"I know I said that we can take things easy but this is almost ridiculous."

Kazumi sighs. It was at that time that Hayate finally noticed him. Hayate jumped down from the deck above and walk up to him eagerly as he pointed up to the air while grinning.

"Shall we get started?"

At least he's enthusiastic about flying. Kazumi climb up into the red Valkyrie while Hayate got into the blue one. The VF-1 Valkyrie, the first ever space fighter produced by the then UN that saw extensive use during the Space War which earned it its reputation. The old model is still in production even to this day due to its simplicity and is mainly used as training units these days.

The two pilots took off from Aether. Kazumi smoothly control his Valkyrie with trained ease as he let himself flew beside Hayate. The younger pilot though appears to be having problem as his flying looks rather unsteady. That didn't happen in the simulator. Then again, flying a real fighter is different from flying in a simulator as simulators can't really replicate wind resistance, gravity pull, as well as other natural elements. At least it helped the boy in learning the functions in a valkyrie's cockpit.

"Try to steady yourself, Hayate."

Kazumi told him. It took Hayate a while but he finally managed to fly straight, though there's still slight wobbling that Kazumi's sharp eyes managed to catch. That's acceptable for now. This is his first real flight test. For today, he'll go easy on him and just have him fly through a course so he can get himself acclimated to flying a real fighter.

"Alright Hayate, I have prepared something easy for you today. You're going to fly through a course I've set until you get the hang of how to properly fly."

Kazumi send Hayate the course data that contains a route he had set before. It's a leisurely route that will also let Hayate see some good sceneries around Ragna. It's actually the route he would take when he went on a leisurely flight trip to help him relax. Sometimes he even brought Mikumo with him.

"Ehh? A predetermined route? Can't I just fly however I like?"

The young pilot whined. It disturbs Kazumi that he could remember sounding just like that when he was in the academy. The ace pilot sighs. Hayate is lucky that he is his instructor. Talking back and whining like that is not tolerated in a real military academy and the instructors there can be harsh as well as demanding.

"You need to learn how to properly fly first before doing whatever you want. Besides, the course I gave you have some nice view of Ragna. Just think of it as a scheduled tour and you'll be fine. Get a feel of how a real valk works and take things easy. You already know what is what from your simulations so now it's time to see how you handle the real deal. I'll help you if there is any problem."

"If you say so."

Hayate began flying on the route Kazumi set. At least the boy has moments when he actually listened for once. Kazumi remember that back in the academy, especially during his early year, he would ignore his instructor's order and fly around all he like, doing stupid stunts just to show off. Hayate is a bit different though.

The boy is not as much of a troublemaker as he is a free spirit. That makes all the difference between the old him and Hayate. He is not here to show off or feel like he has to impress someone. He is here simply to be free and fly. His actions simply show his true nature. His free spirit is beloved by the wind. He is far from being able to truly be one with the wind but, the boy will definitely one day reach it.

"Ehh, instructor? Kazumi-san?! A little help here! Ehh… ehh!"

"…well, that one day is definitely far in the future. Oi Hayate! Keep your controls steady and learn how to keep your craft stable first! Don't put too much thrust and… well there he goes.

Kazumi sighs as he watched Hayate starting to lose control of his unit and flying all over the place. The boy is struggling to keep his plane stable but is having a hard time, especially since the control always try to make him move his hands in a certain way contrary to how he wanted to move. Now he's falling towards the sea.

"Straighten your controls and pull up!"

Kazumi commanded. Hayate in his panic had let go of the controls and the AI work to straighten his craft so he would not crash. His Valkyrie stabilizes itself as he flew over the water with Kazumi close behind.

"Try not to turn in one direction too much. Flying a valk is not like driving a car or riding a bike. First off, you need to learn precise control. Change of plan. Get behind me and we'll go round the course while you try to get a handle of your valk."

Kazumi said. Hayate pull up so he could get behind Kazumi, making the ace raise an eyebrow. That was not how he wanted Hayate to get behind him. Immediately, the Valkyrie lose stability and spin all over the place like before.

"Hayate, what are you doing?"

Kazumi asked in an exasperated tone.

"Ugh, the AI keeps getting in the way of how I want to fly!"

The boy complained. Kazumi sighed. This will be a very long day. He just hoped that Mikumo is having an easier time with her own rookie compared to him.

In another part of Aether looking through the windows of an observation deck is Mikumo. She smiled slightly as she watched Kazumi chasing after his student whose plane is currently having trouble moving in a straight line. She could imagine that her guardian is feeling quite frustrated at the moment. The boy is lucky that Kazumi is quite patient. If he were to be trained by Mirage, the Zentran girl would've blown up several times over by now.

The boy will be fine and Mikumo is sure that Kazumi will whip him up to shape. Despite his rather lax attitude when training, Kazumi is a good instructor who help his student step by step until he is sure they can do things by themselves. That was how Kazumi trained her in battlefield evasion as well as martial arts and espionage. He made sure that she mastered each step of their training before they went to the next level.

Now, if only she could emulate Kazumi's success with her training on Freyja then it would be great.

Mikumo sighs as she heads back to the training room. Inside is the rest of the Walkure along with their newest addition who is panting heavily and look very tired. She won't blame her for being tired. Walkure's training can be harsh, especially because she's getting the crash course version. Physical conditioning everyday during the morning, singing and dancing practice at noon, it's actually amazing she can keep up with them, especially on the physical conditioning part. Freyja doesn't look like someone athletic after all.

Mikumo still remember her own physical conditioning with Kazumi. Three days in and she could feel her whole body aching from simple light exercises. Though that's just because her body had never experienced any physical strain at all until that day due to the circumstances of her birth. She does enjoy Kazumi's concerned look and his pampering after that. The man can be rather soft sometimes.

But, even if she can keep up physically, it will be of no use if she can't produce biological fold wave.

"Is it still the same?"

Mikumo asked Makina who is measuring Freyja's receptor value. The pink haired mechanic shook her head. That means that Freyja's value is still zero, inactive. But she managed to reach a value just as high as hers when she's on the battlefield or when her life is in danger. Fold receptor generate fold wave in sync with the mind. The more feeling the singer put into their song, the stronger the wave becomes.

"She's not putting her feeling into it."

"She's the type to pull through only when the stakes are high."

Kaname added. Mikumo watch as Freyja continue to sing. She can see it from her movement and she can hear it from her voice. Their newbie is still feeling nervous and there is doubt in her, a feeling of doubt that makes her unable to sing with all she has. Even if it is just practice, she needs to be able to activate her receptor at will. That means she has to clear her mind out of any emotion that can hamper her performance. To be able to put her everything into her song no matter the time.

She's capable but she's not ready yet. A diamond in the rough that they have to polish. The problem now is how can they polish her?

Thoughts about Freyja still occupied Mikumo's mind when she came back home. The young Windermerean is lacking the right emotion to trigger her fold receptor in normal situation and it bothers her. She needed something to help Freyja. But what is it?

The lead singer of Walkure sighs. She'll have to think about it tomorrow. She opened the front door to her home and immediately noticed that the lights are on. That means Kazumi is already back. Though she didn't smell anything cooking so that means Kazumi had not prepared dinner yet, which is a bit odd since it's nearly eight and Kazumi would've already started cooking by now.

Mikumo entered the living room and noticed a foot dangling from the edge of the sofa in front of their TV. Kazumi is sleeping there still in his uniform minus the jacket. It's rare to see him doze off like that but he has been quite stressed in the past few days due to training Hayate.

"Kazumi, wake up."

Mikumo poked him on his cheek. His eyes slowly opened and he got up. It's not hard to wake the man up. Any slight stimulation and he would wake up in an instant.

"Mikumo. You're home. Must've dozed off for a while there."

The ace pilot got up and look at the clock. It's almost eight. He had slept for two hours after he came back. With him up, Mikumo head back to her room to change clothes while Kazumi prepare dinner. When Mikumo came down, the dinner has been served. Tonight's dinner is marinated jellyfish and salad. An unusually odd combination for something made by Kazumi, which means he is bothered by something. While she ate, Mikumo noticed that Kazumi is eating much more slowly than usual and he has a tablet in his hand.

"Is there something bothering you, Kazumi?"

Mikumo ask out of concern for her partner. The unusual dinner already clued her that he has something in his mind that distract him but if he has a tablet in hand during dinner, that means he is stuck in something, usually an investigation but to her knowledge, Kazumi has no investigation he's doing at the moment after he submitted a report about the fighters they encountered in Al Shahal. Hearing his name being called, Kazumi turn his attention to Mikumo.

"It's nothing much. I was just sending a message to Carol. I need to ask her something."

A familiar name came up. Carol, as in Carol Madison, is Kazumi's old friend from before he joined Chaos. They were together in a squadron once but parted ways after most of their friends were killed during the Vajra War at the final battle. If he messaged Carol, it means he is asking something mechanical as Carol worked in the R&D department after she quit being a pilot. Carol is always the person he goes to when he has personal mechanical problem.

"Is there something wrong with your unit?"

Kazumi shake his head.

"No, it's not that. It's about Hayate."

So it is about the boy. Looks like the both of them do have troublesome students.

"So it is the boy. But if you're messaging Carol, that means you're asking about something related to machines. Is there something wrong with the training unit that Makina cannot fix? Or is it about the unit that attacked us in Al Shahal?"

Mikumo asked. To her knowledge, every equipment in Chaos is well maintained, especially the Valkyries which is maintained by their mechanic team and Makina and Makina is a very gifted engineer. But if it is not about the training unit itself, that can only mean that Kazumi needed a mechanical expert for a black ops work.

"No, it's not about any of those things but… okay, here's the thing. When I asked Hayate what's wrong, he said that the AI wouldn't let him fly however he wanted and it caused him to go out of control a few times."

So that's what happened when Hayate flew all over the place. And Mikumo thought that the boy is a bad pilot with how badly he flew earlier and his performance in Al Shahal was a fluke. Good thing that she's wrong.

"So, what will you do about it?"

Mikumo asked.

"I'm not exactly sure. The AI is there to help pilots control their units but it ran counter to how Hayate like to fly. It's there for his safety but if this goes on, he'll be fighting with the AI forever instead of learning how to fly. That's why I'm asking Carol for her opinion."

It seems that Kazumi is a bit stuck in Hayate's training, just like her with Freyja.

"It looks like we're both having problem without respective student, Kazumi."

"So you're having problem with Freyja Wion huh?"

Mikumo nodded and proceed to explain about their problem, which is getting Freyja to be able to activate her fold receptor outside of dangerous situation. Freyja has been proven to be capable of producing a powerful bio fold wave when she's under duress but that is not efficient.

"She is lacking something, a trigger to be able to activate her fold receptor whenever she needed to."

She finished. The two of them then sighed. They both sat in silence with their food left untouched from the moment they started their conversation. They need a plan on how to handle their respective pupil. At least they know what they have to deal with.

Took a while to work on this. Well, here is Kazumi and Mikumo working on their respective student. I'm already going off canon by now with all the difference. Mikumo is a bit more focused and involved due to her experience with Kazumi and I hope I showed it right and Kazumi's approach is different from Mirage's. Next chapter will be the conclusion of the crash course episode and it will be different from canon.