Blue Horizon: Sequel of Eleven

Imperfect But Indomitable

Prologue

Kobo and the rest of the Majestic 12 cadets descended down the steps of the Hundred Thousand Miracles in the dead of night. Every single one of them carried full combat gear that an IDSC Garrison soldier would carry into battle: heavy boots, rucksacks filled with ammunition and gear, ceramic plate armor vests and ballistic helmets. They even had Japanese Howa Type 20 assault rifles slung over their shoulders.

All of that gear rattled and clanked with every step the encumbered cadets took, masked by their huffing and puffing that filled their ears.

The voices of their instructor Reine Pavolia, however, cut through the din.

"Let's get a move on, girls!" Reine called out to the cadets, lugging her own loaded rucksack and rifle, "The I.D.O.L. Frames are.... hah... incredibly powerful weapons. So... hah... we have to try to be strong ourselves!"

Anya followed beside Reine. She was more quiet than her taller peafowl companion, but she muscled through the descent without complaining for even a moment.

' I.D.O.L. Frame pilots really are something else... ' Kobo thought. She furrowed her brow and pushed herself even harder, ' I'm not gonna give up! '

Kobo moved her encumbered body as quickly as her feet could take her. She trailed behind Reine and Anya just a few dozen paces but couldn't quite close the distance. Her body ached and begged her to stop, but she kept on going.

She counted the steps of the Hundred Thousand Miracles to keep her mind off the pain - timing her counts to the clattering and rattling of her gear and her gasps for air.

When Kobo's boots hit the Yokosuka Naval Base landing, she counted exactly one thousand and eighty six steps.

It wasn't quite the hundred thousand steps that it was supposed to be honoring, but the heavy loads they carried sure made it feel like a hundred thousand steps!

And boy, did it feel like an eternity.

Still, Kobo's stamina held. Her body endured the agony and she placed in third - just behind her instructors Reine and Anya.

Kobo took off her helmet, put away her rifle and set down her loaded rucksack. The sweat on her brow and on her IDSC shirt glistened in the moonlight. Then, she turned around and saw her fellow cadets still descending the staircases a few dozen paces away.

She beat every single one of them, she thought. It brought a smug smirk to her lips and she nodded with satisfaction.

Suddenly, Kobo felt a hand on her shoulder.

It was Reine's. Her peafowl instructor was still wearing her full load of gear. The instructor brought out a face towel for Kobo and handed it to her with a smile.

"Good work, Kanaeru. You actually kept up with us. That's some incredible stamina." Reine praised.

Despite her tiredness, Kobo couldn't help but smile back and melt a little on the inside.

"PE was my favorite subject in school." Kobo grinned. She wiped her brow with the face towel, "My school wanted me to compete in all the sports teams, but I didn't really feel like it." She then paused and looked up to the night sky, spotting the twinkling lights of the Jakarta orbital platforms above passing placidly by the moon, "Then, the AO's attacked the only home I knew. And now I'm here."

"We're glad to have you." Reine nodded.

"Ehe~ it's always been a dream of mine to go down to the Earth - even before I wanted to be an I.D.O.L. Frame pilot." Kobo admitted, "Now that dream is fulfilled and I'm gonna keep doing my best!"