Volume One | Chapter Three - Part One

The gentle rumbling of a motor vehicle rang through Hazer's ears, to be honest for him the change was a nice change of pace when he served in the Federation he was either in combat or restricted to leave the premises of the bases he was stationed at.

"I got a say, it's a pleasure to meet the Hazer Yamagi" the driver enthusiastically exclaimed, the patch on his arm indicating the rank of Sergeant.

"To be honest it's nothing to brag about" Hazer muttered back. He looked at the surrounding scenery of concrete built buildings and the blue but cloudy sky.

"What do you mean!" The Sergeant looked somewhat dejected "You're Hazer Yamagi, Second Lieutenant of the Federation Armed Forces! The followed your exploits during the Valkyrie War!"

Hazer seemed bored as if hearing this statement a million times already in his short life so far.

"I owe a lot to you Mr Hazer Yamagi if it wasn't for you my wife and baby daughter wouldn't be here!" The Sergeant was overjoyed.

"What do you mean?" Hazer asked.

The Sergeant at first seemed surprised, "You saved their lives when the Space Alliance Systems attack the Mars colony Trident"

The memories of Trident flowed back into Hazer's mind, "It was nothing really" he responded.

"No, it wasn't!" The Sergeant exclaimed, "I owe it you, a drink, meal...oh wait I know great strip club here an-"

Hazer put his hand, "That's fine Sergeant...a drink is good enough for me"

The Sergeant had a grin on his face, "Okay if you say so, but you're missing out"

Laughing the conversation between Hazer and the Sergeant soon died down. Hazer sitting in the back seat thought back to what the Federation told him after the Valkyrie War.

"You're a myth, a legend you don't exist as far as the general public are concerned" A Federation member on the Supreme Council told him.

And that was that everything Hazer did in the Valkyrie War was glorified, to give credit where it's due many of the things the Federation put out as propaganda actually did. But his whole existed was made to be a myth, the last thing the Federation wanted was information on their ace pilot.

Only a select few were entitled to have knowledge on Hazer. As for the Sergeant he was going to be Hazer's escort and bodyguard until ordered otherwise by the Supreme Council.

Hazer at many points after the war would see guys and girls discussing his exploits worshipping him as some gift from God, little did the know that most of the time a few metres from them they were talking about the actual person.

At first, it felt odd for him to witness such things, but it soon became the norm for him as he went about his daily life.

The roaring sound of thrusters going into afterburner rang throughout the sky as the Scarlet Valkyrie flew through an aerial course designed to test the Valkyries' agility in the air. The shining sunlight reflecting off the dark purple behemoth, as students watched many of them amazed at what they were witnessing.

To them, it was like watching a prodigy in the making.

However, for Akari, it was like going through a tedious test every week. All she wanted was to get out onto the battlefield and her skill at piloting a Valkyrie.

It wasn't long before the Scarlet Valkyrie completed the course and then prepared for a landing. Akari opened up the cockpit of her Scarlet Valkyrie without wasting time she hopped onto the rappel cable that allowed her to ascend and descend to the Scarlet Valkyries' cockpit.

"Nice moves out there Cadet Ito" the instructor shouted over.

Akari bowed slightly, "Thank you, sir!"

A few minutes had gone by, Akari had ventured off to get some alone time from the class. Sitting with her back against the other side of the wall where the water taps were located. In her hand, she had an energy drink to restore the energy she had lost from doing that aerial course.

It wasn't long before she was joined by two of her friends one of them being Ino.

"You did great out there as always!" Ino praised her best friend.

Akari blushed slightly from the unwarranted attention, "Oh please, it's not like I'm miles ahead of the rest of you"

"Uh...yes you are!" a boy interjected, his hair was short and charcoal black.

"That's because you're slow Beneson" Akari taps her head with a smug look on her face.

Getting Beneson agitated he just scoffed not bothering to retaliate. He knew that if he did he'd just lose against Akari it was something that always seemed to happen regardless of what he did. As for Akari and Ino, the two of them giggled upon seeing Benesons' reaction.

Suddenly a Federation vehicle pulled up outside the academy.

A Federation Sergeant stepped out swiftly going to the back door opening it. What followed was a boy roughly Akari's age may be a few years older.

At first, she couldn't quite see him but as the boy and Sergeant made their way beyond the academy gates, she soon recognised the unfamiliar face.

Wait a minute isn't that...Akari swallowing her drink down a wrong cough furiously. Both Ino and Beneson helped her trying to stop her from choking herself.

"You okay?" Ino asked perplexed.

Akari waved her hands, "Yeah, yeah I'm fine just swallowed the drink down the wrong way by accident!" she watches intensely as the duo enter the main building of the academy through the double doors.

As Hazer and the Sergeant entered the academy the former was relieved to find no one in the corridors. Hazer straightened the rucksack on his right shoulder before turning to the Sergeant.

"Okay Sergeant..." it had only come across Hazer's mind that he didn't even know the Sergeants' name.

"Gudjonsson, Sergeant Gudjonsson" Gudjonsson swiftly saluted Hazer.

Hazer sighing rubbed his forehead, "Okay first off don't salute me, you're supposed to be my superior officer"

"Oh right, yes sir understood" Gudjonsson replied.

Hazer was about to walk away when he stopped for a moment, and then turned about to Gudjonsson, "And on second thoughts don't call me sir"

Gudjonsson nodded, "But what do I call you?"

"Just call me Master or Master Hazer"

Gudjonsson once again nodded, "Of course Master Hazer"

Hazer shook his head as he and Gudjonsson continued down the corridor heading towards the superior officers' office within the academy. This is going to take some getting used to, was the only thing going through Hazers' mind at this moment in time.