Episode 2 continued...
As an officer, albeit a junior one, Jonah has gained the privilege of having his own private quarters at the Centurion Team’s residential dormitory at Garrison Noah. Although by no means an antisocial hermit or loner, Jonah does like his privacy, especially as it gives him peace and solitude.
The peace and solitude he needs to let his spirit flow forth from his heart into his hands, and from his hands to the tools that produce last images of beauty.
Sketchbook and pencil at hand, Jonah’s fingers lovingly create an image on the paper, an image of the subject that has occupied his heart and mind all day: Jolie Minh.
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Jonah's first sketch of Jolie
What is it about Jolie that fascinates Jonah? Certainly, Jolie is beautiful…the most beautiful girl that Jonah has ever encountered. But that alone would not have held Jonah’s interest for long. What Jonah finds compelling about Jolie is her boundless, vivacious enthusiasm for living – the joie de vivre that is a natural part of her character. Just being around Jolie makes Jonah feel more alive, more energetic somehow.
Jolie has been on Jonah’s mind and in his heart since he met her earlier in the day. Only eight hours have passed since their first encounter, but Jonah somehow feels like he has always known Jolie…or that he’s bided his first seventeen years in this world just waiting for her to appear in his life this day. Although he is separated from her only by a few walls and a few meters of corridor, and the time he will see her again is merely hours away, he feels anxious that the regulations of the military schedule and basic propriety will not permit him to see her any sooner than that.
In an hour’s time, the sketch is completed, a likeness of the beautiful young woman whose image fills Jonah’s imagination is rendered in graphite on paper.
His work done, Jonah sleeps, and his mind dreams of Jolie…
But dreams can turn to nightmares.
Jolie’s adorable, smiling image morphs into the form of a fierce burning phoenix. The phoenix lances out at Jonah, burning him to a cinder.
Jonah bolts awake, drenched in cold sweat, shaking in horror.
Reveille comes at 04:00. It’s just as well. Jonah wasn’t getting much sleep accomplished anyway. Caught between both positive and negative anxieties, his mind could not rest. But the thought that he would be seeing Jolie again in mere minutes lifts his spirits.
Jonah showers, grooms himself, and dresses in his Earth Federation Special Forces uniform in fewer than ten minutes (as much time as troops are allowed in the morning for their personal hygiene before morning inspection).
Jonah leaves his quarters at 04:09, anxious to see Jolie.
As it turns out, he doesn’t need to wait long.
As soon as he steps forward from the door, Jolie appears at his side and latches onto his arm, “Come with me!” she says excitedly.
Did she stand there all night? Jonah marvels.
“Where are…?” Jonah begins.
“I’m gonna take you to meet ‘Thena before morning inspections,” Jolie says, dragging Jonah along, “and remember what I told you yesterday: don’t flirt with ‘Thena. She’s already got a boyfriend, got it?”
Jonah grins. Whomever Athena turns out to be, she must be someone quite extraordinary for Jolie to feel threatened by the potential competition.
Fifteen minutes later, they are at the mobile suit dock of Garrison Noah, where Jonah had met Jolie the previous day. As always, teams of engineers and technicians are busy at work servicing the mobile suits of the Special Forces.
Two new mobile suits have arrived at Garrison Noah, newly shipped off the assembly line at Anaheim Enterprises’ mobile suit factory in Anman City on the moon. One is a Cour de Leon, and the other is a Centurion Gundam.
Standing at the gantry observing the arrival of the new mobile suits is an attractive young woman, around twenty years of age with slightly reddish blonde shoulder-length hair and delicate, refined European facial features. Her figure is similar to Jolie’s - lithe, shapely, and long-legged, but taller. There is something authoritative and sophisticated about her – an elegant bearing that Jonah recognizes from his own upbringing as unmistakably aristocratic. The manner in which she wears her uniform supports this image: her Federal Forces officer’s uniform, though cut similar to Jolie’s, is supplemented by a command overcoat she wears draped over her shoulders. An officer’s hat lends her an extra air of authority, and a gold pocketwatch on a chain in her uniform’s vest pocket attests to an uncommon sophistication for one so young. Whoever she is, this young woman must come from a privileged background.
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Major Athena Ibaz, Centurion Team commanding officer and Deputy Director of Earth Federation Special Forces
Most of all, however, Jonah notices the searing intelligence in the young woman’s beautiful brown eyes…seemingly capable of seeing into others' minds. Jonah finds him guarding his thoughts in her presence, averting her gaze out of fear that she might discover his most private thoughts.
“Jonah,” Jolie says, “This is Major Athena Ibaz. She’s the commanding officer of the Centurion Team and Deputy Director of the Earth Federation Special Forces.”
Athena smiles. Jonah finds her smile very pretty, and it softens the authoritative edge that Athena carries. Athena speaks, and it is the voice of a mature, confident young woman that he hears saying, “You must be Chief Warrant Officer Jonah Michaels, our new junior executive officer.”
Jonah salutes smartly, “Yes, ma’am, Major Ibaz. Chief Warrant Officer Jonah Michaels reporting for duty, ma’am.”
Athena nods with approval, “I’ve read your profile. You’ll definitely fit in very well with the Centurion Team. That Centurion Gundam out there has been assigned for your use. It’s the second of only two units of its kind in the entire Federal Forces’ arsenal. 1Lt. Minh here was assigned the first one, and this second one was custom made for you.”
Jonah nods, “Yes, ma’am.”
Other pilots would be ecstatic to hear that they’ve been assigned to pilot a Gundam-series mobile suit, but to Jonah, it’s just another bitter reminder that he is a soldier now.
“1Lt. Minh,” Athena turns coolly to Jolie, “I trust that you’ve already briefed Chief Michaels on our daily operating procedures.”
“I…uh…” Jolie begins, thinking of how she “broke” Jonah into life in the Special Forces the previous evening.
Jonah stifles his laughter at the memory, but his amusement turns to concern when he wonders about the kind of discipline that Athena might deal Jolie.
“1Lt. Minh…” Athena says, raising her voice authoritatively.
Oh, boy… Jonah thinks helplessly, Jolie’s going to get it. Maybe I should say something…
Before Jonah can say anything, Jolie raises her arms, blocking her face from the view of the glaring Athena, “I took him dancing at the Andromeda. Don’t kill me, Athena, please!”
Athena can hold her serious expression no longer. The pretty smile returns, followed by a graceful laugh.
Jolie, also laughing, puts her arms down and reaches out to Athena. The two embrace like familiar friends.
“Jolie…” Athena says fondly, “…when are you ever going to learn?”
“Not until I get you discharged from the Federal Forces on a mental health furlough,” Jolie says with a grin.
Jonah smiles. Athena and Jolie are just like sisters. It’s clear that they are very fond of each other, and have great trust in one another.
“Wasn’t I right, though, Jonah?” Jolie says, “She can be a real b*tch sometimes, can’t she?”
“What lies have you been corrupting this boy with, Jolie?” Athena teases.
Jolie says, “Oh, not much. Other than telling him what a b*tch you are, I also told him you’re a slave driver, a workaholic, and a flirt to boot.”
Athena crosses her arms in mock disapproval, “If I could just seal your mouth shut with one of these welding tools here in the hangar, life would be perfect.”
Jolie slips around Athena and wraps her arms around her friend affectionately, “But, she’s also the sweetest, smartest, and bravest commanding officer in the Federal Forces, and the best friend anybody could ever have.”
Athena grins, “Flatterer…”
Jolie tells Jonah, “Jonah, go ahead of us to the training area where the rest of the team is waiting. Athena and I need to have a little girl talk, but we’ll be there in a minute.”
“Girl talk, eh?” Jonah smiles.
“Get going, Chief!” Jolie says, mimicking Athena’s no-nonsense military tone.
“Yes, ma’am,” Jonah salutes, leaving with an amused grin.
After Jonah is out of earshot, Athena asks Jolie, “So do you think you can handle him?”
“Of course I can!” Jolie replies confidently, “Which brings me to my point: I saw him first, OK? You keep your hands off him, understand?”
As she says this, Jolie waves a finger admonishingly at Athena’s face.
Athena can barely suppress her amusement, “Oh, come on, Jolie. What do you take me for: some kind of hussy who steals other girls’ boyfriends?”
“Well…yeah,” Jolie says, half-seriously.
That gets Jolie a mockingly reproving glare from Athena, “So much for sisterly trust…”
Jolie smiles, “So you promise…?”
“All right, all right,” Athena says with an exasperated sigh, “I promise.”
Jolie nods in satisfaction.
Not willing to let Jolie off the hook so easily, however, Athena adds with a sly smile, “He is pretty cute, though…”
“’Thena!” Jolie says, lightly punching her best friend on the arm.
“Ow!” Athena replies, exaggerating the pain for humorous effect, “All right…just kidding.”
After a moment of shared laughter, Athena turns more serious, “You’ve known him fewer than twenty-four hours. You’re sure he’s the one?”
Jolie responds, “I think so…I mean, I know so…I mean…”
“Maybe you ought to get to know each other better first,” Athena suggests tactfully.
“Well, we will. I just…have this feeling,” Jolie says, “He just feels ‘right’, somehow.”
Athena puts her hands affectionately on Jolie’s tiny shoulders, slipping into “Big Sister” mode, “Jolie, it’s like what I say to you before we go into battle: don’t rush things. Consider the situation from every angle. Consider the other side from every angle. Have an entry strategy and, just in case, an exit strategy.”
Jolie rolls her eyes, “Is everything a strategy or tactic to you?”
Athena smiles, “Things work out better when you have an organized plan, no matter what your endeavor is: penetrating an enemy fortress…or dating a boy.”
Jolie raises two fists into the air confidently, “Well, I’ve never lost a fight before.”
Athena concedes that, but adds, “You’ve never been in a situation like this either.”
“So are you gonna guide me?” Jolie asks.
Athena laughs, “Are you kidding? I’m still trying to figure it out myself.”
Patting Jolie on the back, Athena says, “Anyway, let’s go. Contrary to what you think, it’s not just Jonah who’s joining the Centurion Team today. We’ve got other new recruits to welcome and they’re waiting for us. Come on.”
The commanding and executive officers of the Centurion Team proceed to meet their new charges.
Episode 2 to be continued...