"Do you have any idea what's going on in Hathea?" Maxim asked Rina as he was lying down on his bed, his communicator sitting on a desk close to his bed.
"Not that I'm aware of...why?"
"It seems our class has been selected to be heading to Hathea for some sort of 'field study' or something like that. They took inspiration from during the time of the invasion when they sent–"
"Ah I see...so that's the new part of the curriculum that I was told about."
"Wait, you were told about this?"
"Well...yes and no. I was told that there was going to be some major changes from how the academy usually does their classes with you guys, but I wasn't told exactly what it would be. So they're sending you to Hathea, huh?"
"Yeah, they are. What can you tell me about it?"
"Well it was a founding member of the Republic. It originally was a lot like Earth but now it's mainly cities, but there are quite a few national forests and nature preserves to prevent the planet from becoming completely urbanized, against the will of some property developers who crave what they can't have. After the invasions, Hathea was considered to be among the most stable planets left in the Republic and was crucial in helping the rebuilding efforts in several planets, sending experts in construction and city planning to help other planets rebuild their cities. Some of the Republic's most famous modern architecture is also there. It's plenty popular with tourists because of that."
"I see...and there really isn't anything you know of that's going on there?"
"Nope, not at all. Whatever reason they're sending you there for your field study, it's unknown to us. I'll keep an ear open though for any information that might come my way."
"Thank you, I appreciate it."
"Is that only reason that you called me?"
"Yeah, it is. I've already given my report just two days ago and that's not enough time for anything meaningful to really happen."
"I see, and here I was getting my hopes up?"
"'Hopes up?'"
"I was thinking that maybe you had fallen for some beautiful classmate of yours and that you needed some advice from me about how to proceed."
Maxim sighed. "Oh come on...really?"
"You can't blame me for thinking that! After all, you are at that age where you should be searching for love."
"I'm only eighteen and at a military academy. Not exactly the place where romance blossoms."
"Oh shush, you should know better. But the offer is still there for your dear ol' Rina to listen to any romantic woes you may have."
"Can't you take anything seriously?!"
"There's no fun in that, and I'll have you know I've been taking my role very seriously. It's not exactly easy keeping track of all the moving parts."
"You've got me there. I'm not sure I'd be able to keep track of everything and be the liaison with the government to boot."
"Just a testament of my skills."
"As humble as ever I see. Anyways, that's all I wanted to ask you. Give me a call if you find anything interesting."
"Will do. Also, please do me a favor and keep an ear out for me as well when you're at Hathea."
"What do you want me to listen for?"
"Any information involving 'them.' Hathea is an important planet so they'll probably make Hathea a target sooner or later. I want to know if there's any signs that it's sooner rather than later."
"I'll definitely keep an eye out. And don't worry, I'm going to stick to my objectives and leave everything else to you guys."
"Good. Don't try to do too much though. Focus on your academy work first and foremost and my request as a secondary objective."
"Will do. Anyways, I'm gonna hang up now. I'll call you either with the information you want or for my next report. Whichever comes first."
"Sounds good. I'll talk to you later then."
"Later." Maxim ended the call and stared at the ceiling. It was still only four in the afternoon, way too soon to try to grab dinner. "Maybe I should do some more training. At least make sure I review the basics."
Grabbing his pistol and his saber, Maxim walked over to the training facility and was surprised that only he and Amanda were at the facility. Amanda was focusing on her sniping targets, trying to hit a small dot from the opposite end of the arena. She fired the weapon and hit it with ease. She moved her head away from her scope and towards Maxim. "I see you're also unable to just relax."
Maxim nodded and took out his saber. "Pretty much. This whole 'field study' thing is causing a strong desire for me to make sure I review the basics before we're shipped out."
"'Not only do you need a strong foundation, you need to maintain that foundation. Failure to do so will result in your death.'"
Maxim looked at Amanda. "Who told you that?"
"A close friend of mine, or rather was a close friend. We worked together for a few years before he was killed. He taught me how to use a rifle and how to become an excellent sniper, accounting for the wind, temperature, barometric pressure, humidity. Things like that."
"You need to account for humidity?"
"Sure do. Millenia ago, when they used metal bullets, the bullets would fall quicker in denser, more humid air. As a result, a sniper would need to add more elevation to his shot to make sure it hit the intended target. That's also not to mention all the mental training required, having to stay absolutely still for long periods of time was the hardest part for me to master."
"I had no idea that training to become a sniper took so much effort."
"I'm not surprised. Most people just hear that a sniper took out someone from thousands of feet away and don't think about what it took to achieve that result."
"I see. Makes sense actually, since it's the same with training to wield a saber."
"How so?"
"People would join the saber school hoping to learn all the impressive techniques they've seen from films. They come in thinking that in just two weeks, they'll be flying around the room, swinging the saber just like they imagined they could. They're often quite disappointed to learn that the first step to learning how to wield a saber is first the footwork, followed by strengthening your core muscles. Once you've become at the very least familiar with your footwork and have strengthened your core, only then are you allowed to begin learning the basic techniques and forms. That could range from weeks to months. Most don't last a week before dropping out, thinking they've been scammed or ripped off."
"Makes sense. Most people want instant results...like certain classmates of ours."
"Are you talking about Kolten and Freya?"
"More Kolten than Freya, but yeah, I was referring to both. Freya doesn't really train much but expects similar results as the rest of us. Kolten, however, hasn't exactly hidden his desire for Freya to instantly change who she is and start training religiously. He thinks that a few snide comments here and there will change her mind."
Maxim chuckled. "Yeah, unfortunately that's true. Well I guess we'd better take the patient route and just let them be for now. Kolten needs to learn how to get along with those whose work ethic doesn't exactly match with his, and Freya needs to learn on her own that in order to get better and achieve results, she needs to do more than the bare minimum."
Amanda nodded. "I'm actually impressed she's been getting the results she has, considering the circumstances."
"I am too. She always seems to know the answer in class after being called upon, despite having slept through almost the entire lecture."
"Not to mention that she's naturally gifted when it comes to combat. If she applies herself...she could be the best fighter here."
"That she could."
Maxim closed his eyes and began to focus on his footwork, retraining his muscles to remember that form as if it were as natural as breathing. Only have two days before we're sent. Have to make sure my foundation is as maintained as possible...just in case.
233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZgAenlUWVO
