S1.01: Commencement, 01 of 03

Izana's thoughts of their performance were interrupted as they were leaving the bigender changing room and heard talking outside in the corridor. Spotting three of the Honoka sisters and Yamano Eiko walking towards them and talking, Izana paused to gauge what the other cadets were talking about.

"So is he dead or something?" En, the "eldest" of the Honoka sisters asked. Being clones born in batches of eleven, the Honoka sisters typically decided who was the oldest and youngest of each batch. It made things easier.

Ren, the sister with the most fighting spirit, answered her. "No, he survived. They arrested him, then sent him to the hospital."

"He slammed into a poke, flew ten meters, and he's still alive?" Hou, the "youngest" of the sisters, asked.

"He broke into the rice factory, didn't he?" Ren added. "That's scary."

Intrigued by the mystery, Izana couldn't keep quiet any longer and walked quickly to catch up to the group. "Hold on, what are you talking about?"

"About the underdweller," Ren answered, with a smile of welcome.

"Underdweller?" Izana repeated with a hint of wonder.

"Yeah right," Yamano said, taking on airs of superiority as always. She was a year above the other cadets but still. "That's just a stupid urban legend."

"It's been a thousand years since the city was founded," Izana mused out loud. As the group talked, they left the changing areas and were making their way towards the outside of the Garde Pilot Cadet Academy; plastic and steel walls replaced by worn concrete. "They say the tunnels under the base are so confusing that if you get lost in them, you'll never get out."

Yamano sniffed and rolled her eyes. "That's what we call an urban legend."

"Then let's go see if it's true or not." En suggested with an adventurous smile.

"What?" Everyone but Yamano replied in unison.

"You know which hospital he's in, right Ren?"

"Yes," Ren said, beginning to feel the excitement of it.

Yamano stopped about half-way across the causeway before the Tsugumori in its place of honor as the first garde unit to kill a gauna. She turned to face them, her superior look in full force. "Well, I'm going to pass this time. I have my test soon."

Stung by Yamano's superior airs, Izana muttered, "Yamano always has to be the diligent student."

Stung in return, Yamano yells out, "We're in the middle of a war! You all know it's our duty as cadets to become pilots as soon as possible so that we're fully prepared to defend Sidonia when called upon! And just look at you!" The four other cadets' look of shock made Yamano pause for a moment, before she spun on her heel with a sound of disgust. "Ugh."