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Fractal makes commander. Bella doesn't replace him as toon leader - she's only eight and her commander still doesn't know how to use her - but Fractal's replacement, a vet traded in from Platypus who goes by Brighteyes for some reason, does. He spends a chunk of Flame's practice sessions every day putting Bella properly through her paces, and in their battles, he uses her like she was meant to be used: a dancing wildcard, too fast to hit, torpedoing herself into formations with laser precision and shooting from glorious whirling motion with the steadiest arm in school. Bella likes Brighteyes, and he tells her that when he makes commander he'll swap for her if he has to give up six soldiers to do it.
There is an announcement of a rules change: you are not allowed to perform the victory ritual without freezing or disabling all of the enemy.
This rule change is generally attributed to the antics of a Thomas "Sue" Sanderson, who coordinated his toon across the room without commander authorization and won the game before more than four soldiers, total, had been taken out.
It's a month shy of Bella's ninth birthday when Flame and Meerkat once again meet in the battle room.
"Freeze their mutie," Flame's commander tells everyone. "Don't look at me like that, Aegis." (People have occasionally started calling her this; she always picks it as her username or her space station name or whatever she's allowed to christen, and it's started to stick.) "You're not that kind of mutie, but theirs is. He can't do his hivemind shit once he's froze or he'll get iced. That's everyone's priority, clear?"
"Yessir," says each toon leader in unison.
They form up in the corridor.
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autokinetic
"Because it makes them happy to be useful, and I like my toon."
autokinetic
"Huh." She starts flying, idly. (Idly she only looks like a regular soldier in top condition trying as hard as possible, not like magic.)
Sue floats, watching her. It makes him happy just to see her in her element. He smiles.
autokinetic
"Commander'll probably chew me out if he finds out I was talking to you," observes Aegis.
"Same," he says serenely. "I don't care, do you?"
autokinetic
"Might get me bumped down from toon second whatever Brighteyes says. If he's mad enough maybe he trades me to Rabbit instead of asking queen's ransom for it, though. Rabbit could probably use me as good as Brighteyes."
Sue grins. "Wanna let him know, then?"
autokinetic
"Dunno. Might get bumped and not traded. If that happens I just put in for my own transfer, I think. I wonder if he'll find out if I don't tell him."
"There's a dozen ways to make him find out without telling him," says Sue. "If you want."
autokinetic
"I don't think I want. Commander doesn't know what to do with me - except let Brighteyes have me - but he knows other armies want me, he'll cripple anyone who takes one of his trades even if he's mad, then we lose a lot and I lose my aura, you know."
"Okay," he says. "Big secret, then. Let's get back to the bird game. I'm building you a castle way downriver, did you see?"
autokinetic
"Ooh, a castle," she says, grinning. She pushes off and flips through the air till she's on his side of the room again.
He does a slow launch and hugs her in midair.
autokinetic
Hugs are nice.
They are in short supply in Battle School. That was one advantage of Earth, even though nearly everything else is better in the sky.
Hugs.
They are in short supply in Battle School. That was one advantage of Earth, even though nearly everything else is better in the sky.
Hugs.
Hugs are nice. And flying hugs are new and that makes them even nicer. And Aegis is his friend and that makes them even more nicer.
Yes. Hugs.
One of the room's gates opens. A teacher sticks his head in.
"I don't know where you two are supposed to be, but it's not here," he says.
Yes. Hugs.
One of the room's gates opens. A teacher sticks his head in.
"I don't know where you two are supposed to be, but it's not here," he says.
autokinetic
Aegis lets go.
"It's free play," she says. "This room was empty." (Talking to soldiers from other armies is only outright forbidden by the commanders; it's merely discouraged by the teachers.)
"It's free play," she says. "This room was empty." (Talking to soldiers from other armies is only outright forbidden by the commanders; it's merely discouraged by the teachers.)
He peers at her.
"Aren't you Swan?" he says. "Come with me. You," he waves at Sue, "do whatever you want."
Sue takes a midair bow and holds out his hands to Aegis for a pushoff.
"Aren't you Swan?" he says. "Come with me. You," he waves at Sue, "do whatever you want."
Sue takes a midair bow and holds out his hands to Aegis for a pushoff.
autokinetic
"I'm Swan, yes, sir." She sends Sue spinning and lands neatly on the edge of the door and spins into the corridor. "What is it, sir?" she asks. She doesn't know this teacher, he might be for a more advanced class or a track she's not in...
"I don't know, I just know Beri wants you," the teacher shrugs.
autokinetic
"Is there a path color or are you escorting me, sir?" She punctuates all her sentences to teachers with sir. It placates them and means nothing except you seem to be the sort of person who expects to be sirred.
He keys in the path at the next junction: grey grey grey.
autokinetic
"Yessir," says Aegis, and she walks where it leads.
She doesn't shiver. (She never shivers except on purpose. These muscles belong to her, except that there's no contact points on her face and her teeth will chatter if she's chilly enough.) But she thinks she'd shiver if she'd gotten this news in the shower.
She doesn't shiver. (She never shivers except on purpose. These muscles belong to her, except that there's no contact points on her face and her teeth will chatter if she's chilly enough.) But she thinks she'd shiver if she'd gotten this news in the shower.
The mysterious 'Beri' has an office in a part of the ring Aegis has never been to before. The path leads her right to his door.