((Collab between Letter and Crimmy))

“Henry Yatogami?”

Quiet footsteps would alert the teenaged pilot to the approach of one of the [i]Jannah[/i]’s crew members, a Caucasian brunette whose appearance suggested that she was somewhere in her late twenties. Her hair, however, was the most prominent feature, a large beehive that stood out amongst the crowds of mechanics and technicians milling around the hangar bay. She gazed at Henry with sparkling amber eyes, and a light smile had settled gently upon her face.

“Sorry to interrupt,” she said, an apologetic tone in her voice, “but the Captain wants you in Meeting Room 3.”

“Of course, Ma’am,” said the nineteen-year old boy. “I’ll head there right away.” He had been given a map of the ship on his transfer, and had taken the time to memorize it. So he was fairly certain he knew the way. So, he would begin walking in the direction of the room the very next second, although in his heart, he dreaded what was to come.

It would not take too long for Henry to reach the meeting rooms from the hangars. Upon taking an elevator up three levels and a ten metre walk down a hallway, the pilot found himself standing in front of the door to said room. However, upon entering, he would not find Captain Pajari present, but rather, Lumen Team’s leader, who had yet to remove his pilot suit.

“Yatogami,” greeted Bertrand as he stood up from the table, nodding at the younger male in acknowledgement. “Take a seat. The Captain will be here soon.”

Henry sat, not bothering to hide his apprehension.

Silence filled the room for several minutes, interrupted only by the creaking of the chairs whenever the two pilots shifted position even slightly. Bertrand was waiting patiently, posture almost ramrod straight in his chair, hands steepled together and resting upon the surface of the table. There was a sense of professionalism to him, as if he had gone through such situations more than hundreds of times.

In fact, it was likely that he had.

However, the invisible barrier that seemed to insulate him from Henry immediately broke the moment he turned to face the other pilot. His metallic blue eyes betrayed little emotion, but their gaze was intense, fixating upon the other man.

“Was this the first time you have been shot down?” asked the leader of Lumen Team, his powerful baritone cutting through the silence of the room.

“Yes, sir,” Henry said. “I was...used to an enemy that was smaller in numbers and had armor of paper.”
“Where were you last posted, Yatogami?”

“OSDT Gungnir, sir,” Henry answered. “I transferred to the OSDT Jannah just recently; last month or so.” And, here was the main issue: He had transferred to the Jannah because of reasons that were ultimately personal, and personal reasons were an impediment to the proper running of a military outfit. And, if [i]friends[/i] of the Gungnir's captain were in the Jannah, they would already have a bad impression of him, the pilot who still believed in Aliens.

“The [i]Gungnir[/i]’s patrols are quite close to Vesta Base,” noted Bertrand, his inflections having adopted a slightly more curious aspect. “Pirates in that region are known to be fond of Rook variants as well. Not machines you could describe as having armour of ‘paper’.”

“Rook variants with the numbers, bravery, and clandestine upgrades that there were in the recent fight?” spoke Henry. “Point is, I was overconfident, and I had not been in an environment that would expose my inadequacies to this extent.”

“Thus you now lack a HFV,” concluded the older pilot, crossing his arms. There was no pity or condescension in his words. They were simply a statement of fact. “What future do you seek now that the Yukine has been destroyed?”

“To be honest,” a tone of sadness entered Henry’s tone, “I expect to be thrown out of the OSDT entirely, or at least not be deployed in the open ever again.”

“Those cards are not currently on the table.”

The sudden interruption by the new voice was joined by the sound of the door to the room opening and closing. Captain Radomir Pajari, an aging white-haired man clearly having passed into the latter years of his life, had entered.

“Henry Yatogami,” he began, glancing towards the pilot. “You will remain a member of the [i]Jannah[/i]’s HFV squadron. However, I will be reassigning you to the Lumen Team.”

If the mild look of surprise on Francis Betrand’s face was any indication, it was clear that this was unexpected for him as well.

“You wish for him to join the squad?” asked the Polish-German pilot.

“Are there any issues with this decision?”

Bertrand nodded, before immediately transitioning into an explanation. “Yatogami’s inclusion into the Lumen Team, as it currently stands, is not one I can easily accept. I don’t know how he pilots, nor does he currently have a HFV right now.”

“Reasonable objections,” replied the captain. “However, your latter concern is currently being addressed, and it is my wish that you train him so that he will be able to function alongside your team.”

“Train him?”

“You are convening with Mr. Wang later for a battle report, are you not? Yatogami may learn something from the experience.”

The Rook pilot seemed to mull over his superior’s words for a minute, before he quietly nodded. It was clear that he was still in possession of some misgivings, but he would accept the captain’s demands without any reluctance.

“I…” said Henry, staring at the Captain. “Thank you for giving me the opportunity to redeem myself. Thank you very much,” he gave a deep bow. This...this wasn’t what he was expecting at all.

“Enjoy the opportunity,” was Pajari’s short reply as he began to turn away and exit the room. “I expect improvements the next time you pilot.”

Henry nodded.