At the end of the course, Nico has a very respectable 95 percent hit rate, and under 10 percent damage taken, a result on par with the elite results of all her previous examinations. Max, on the other hand scored absolutely perfectly. Perfect accuracy, no damage taken and nearly perfect efficiency and timing through the course, with minimal wasted movement.

Nico looks at the results with a melancholy smile, but still manages a cheerful sounding taunt for her friend. “Looks like my head start has been squandered. You got good while we were working on the repair training. Is this what they call the Male Advantage?”

That was an acknowledged thing within the Piloting Ranks. The system didn’t optimize all bodies the same way, and Female Pilots would cap out lower on strength and speed but higher on dexterity than their male counterparts. Max wasn’t sure exactly what level Nico was at now, but as he understood it, the differences started after 100 total bonus points and only got more and more evident among the elite ranks.

Because of that, not many elite female pilots existed, but with the right System Functions, there was no reason short of crippling injury that the Kepler Kingdom’s advanced medicine couldn’t repair that an Alpha Ranked Cadet like Nico wouldn’t qualify for and successfully complete the Special Forces training._.

The fact Max got a perfect run first was just a bittersweet reminder to her of all the ways she’d taunted him during martial arts training, where she had the natural advantage so far.

“Not bad Cadets. But watch your footing, the Corvette Class is much more agile than the Line Mecha, but the ground isn’t any more stable, so rapid maneuvers are prone to cause you to lose traction and send the whole mecha toppling to the ground. Especially you, Cadet Max. You prefer to lean your body to stabilize for a shooting position, but that puts a lot of pressure on one foot. In soft sand or mud that will be a hazard. Now, go again.”

The General only increases the difficulty every day, along with the increasing gravity in their training center, pushing both Cadets to the limits until finally Nico breaks. Not mentally, literally breaks her arm during martial arts training when her bone density can no longer keep up with the extreme stress of increased strength and gravity.

The System has optimized her as much as it can, or will, and her body has reached the peak of its adult state, at least until she reaches 150 bonus points and the System sees fit to upgrade her in some way again.

That upgrade isn’t always physical though. Sure, it’s often a bonus to a base stat or multiple base stats, but it is also a common point in their training for Kepler Kingdom pilots to gain one or more additional System Functions, often just before their University exams are due to be taken, should their progression follow the Curriculum expected rates.

While Nico recovers over the next few days, her healing accelerated by the Nanobots, Max has to train alone, except for the theory courses with Inquisitor Wolf. Nico is spending extra time in the theoretical classes now, due to her injury and likelihood of repeat injuries until the recovery is complete, while Max continues with piloting classes under General Tennant.

Max really didn’t realize how much he relied upon the competition and having something to prove, until he had to do it alone.

“Why the long face Cadet? Surely you still see each other more than enough during Commissar Training and after classes?” General Tennant jokes as they bring Max’s mecha back for daily maintenance.

“It’s not that, more like all this time, I really wanted to prove that I was just as good as the Cadet born with all the advantages. The loving family, noble heritage, Alpha Rank System, plus her amazing Innate Talent. But now, I guess I have, and I’m not sure what I should do now. Does that make any sense General?”

General Tennant nods sagely to the Cadet, lost in his own memories. “When I joined the Military, there was a Cadet just like you. He had the ability, and the drive, but that was it. I was the one born to a heritage of Mecha Pilots. He drove me every day to be a better Pilot, just to keep that one step ahead of him. Then one day he managed it, his unit held their assigned point while mine was pushed back and had to be reinforced.

But our Commander had a bit of advice for him when he was feeling like you are now. ‘You might be ahead, but life is never won until the day you die.’ The translation from his native dialect is a bit rough, but what he meant was, you are now in her position, the one being chased to defend the title as the best. If you slack for even a second, she will take it back from you, so you need to make yourself the absolute best Pilot and Commander you can be every single day, without fail.”

Max wasn’t expecting a profound life lesson from the usually silent General, so it takes him a while to digest that philosophy before he comes up with a question. “Where is that Pilot now?”

“Waiting for us to bring in one of his Academy’s prized Corvette Class Mecha. Now get a move on or the Colonel will chew us both out for being late.”

General Tennant was right, the moment that Cadet Nico was cleared to return to live fire training, it was like a fire was lit within her to take back her spot at the top, and prove to herself that she could keep up with the very best. Max started out with the handicap and had to play catch up, but Nico has just started to work though hers. That ability she has to interface directly with the Mecha’s systems can’t be underestimated though. She’s good, and getting better with practice. Max might have a perfectly optimized mecha, but he’s still got to work hard to keep his position.

The semester draws on peacefully as they master all the basics of Provisioning, discipline, repair and piloting, training to be well rounded Officer Cadets, but all is not calm in the Kepler Kingdom. External battles are a constant fact of life for the Kingdom, and both General Tennant and Inquisitor Wolf know that their time here is limited.

If they want to take these Cadets with them as the General’s presumptive successors when they’re inevitably forced to leave, they’ll have to work hard to find a way and have the Cadets prove themselves.

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