Xiao tried all sorts of methods including counting sheep but sleep refused to come to her. It wasn’t everyday that she was given the offer of being a student of a former professional pilot so the young woman had asked Kristina to give her a few days to think about the offer. It was a big decision that could impact the rest of her career and she wanted to think carefully on the matter. When sleep continued to evade her, Xiao sat up to look at her tablet.

  Might as well use this chance to research more into Kristina.

  Thus far, the young woman did some simple research on the retired pro. Even a quick check online yielded many results, most of them positive about the woman’s successes in the professional scene. Now that she had the rest of the night available to her, Xiao chose to look deeper and hope to find the rival Kristina was referring to. She was flipping through the retired pro's bio when she came came across an article.

  That’s interesting! Maybe the rival is him.

  The article mentioned a tournament within the top league where Kristina was one of the favorites. Her biggest obstacle was a man by the name of Ieti Fawzi. Both Kristina and Ieti had risen through the ranks at similar pace with them achieving the top league only a single season apart. Kristina entered the top league first and had a slightly better overall record. However, Ieti had won more of the matches between the two. In this particular tournament, the match came down to the wire but Kristina managed to just edge out her opponent to win it all. During the post-match interview, she stated that Ieti was her biggest rival as the man brought out the best of her piloting abilities. After the woman said that, Xiao paused the video.

  I wonder if I’ll have any rivals. I know it’s still early given I haven’t made a name but it would be nice to have a rival who can make me even better.

  Xiao then thought about Kristina’s conversation regarding her rival’s student, wondering if they would automatically become rivals due to who their teachers were. At that thought, she browsed the web to see whether Ieti did indeed accept a student. It didn’t take her long to find a video where Ieti openly announced his transition from retired pro to a pilot instructor who would coach the most promising student he had found. The conference was enormous with tons of reporters asking questions.

  If I agree with Kristina, I don’t need to appear before such a big crowd, right?

  It was one thing to fight in front of a big crowd inside a mech. Xiao couldn’t imagine appearing before all the reporters where she had to actively answer questions. Then, there were also those watching the conference live and the people who would eventually watch the video. The thought made her shudder, making her note down the concern with Kristina. She doubted Kristina would avoid a conference when it could be a perfect stage for her to declare her intentions on her old rival.

  Should I start taking public speaking courses? Maybe Puhi knows people. After all, her family must deal with the media often.

  The young woman quickly wrote a message and scheduled it to be sent the following morning. She didn’t want to wake Puhi up for something unless it was urgent. She was almost certain that her squadmate would laugh once she learned of the reason for the request.

  Well, not all of us are born to be in the spotlight! She better understand!

  Once the message was complete, Xiao returned her attention to Ieti’s student, Evita Kurak. Evita came from a prestigious academy and was undefeated until she participated in her first relegation match to enter the lowest league. Her performance attracted the attention of many scouts once she made it into the league. She was so popular that it rare for her to not show up in shows for interviews. Eventually, it was Ieti who managed to convince her to be his student and join his mech organization. Since then, Evita's career only shot up even more as there were too many successes to list.

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Join his….mech organization….

  It didn’t cross Xiao’s mind that, by becoming Kristina’s student, she had to abandon Zavaso. The thought broke her because she felt she belonged to Zavaso. Never did she believe she had to make such a decision.

  But what is her mech organization?

  Xiao returned to Kristina’s bio but she found no mention of a mech organization she was associated with. To be certain, she check Ieti’s bio which showed his mech organization. After digging a bit deeper, she learned the Ieti, like Puhi, came from a family with many generations of pilots. He was basically born into the mech organization and, after his retirement, he took over ownership. Conversely, Kristina was born into a middle class family. Her potential was scouted during her childhood so she had the chance to attend an academy with all her expenses paid for. Kristina made full use of the opportunity as she used the resources to propel herself to the top league where she became one of the most dominant pilots in mech history.

  I hope that means I can stay in Zavaso…maybe I should speak with Vesna about this matter. Kristina never said I should keep it a secret from my mech organization.

  After checking her phone, Xiao wasn’t surprised to see Vesna was still online. She didn’t know how many hours the little girl needed to sleep but that was a mystery to be solved another day. She made a call and the girl answered immediately. Xiao gave a quick summary on the matter and her concerns. Once she was done, there was a long silence before Vesna responded.

  “Anthony said that this might happen if we find ourselves a star pilot.” Xiao received a message with contact information. “When you discuss with your future teacher, pass along the contact information. If she isn’t part of any mech organization, then I think this will interest her as it benefits both sides.”

  Curious how Anthony could have anticipated all of this, Xiao asked Vesna for clarification. The girl said that Anthony intended on making a big name for his mech organization. Therefore, he would recruit talents to fight and improve the brand of his organization. Eventually, they would get a talent that would catch the eyes of other scouts, some of which would get noticed by retired pros. With that in mind, the owner made plans to ensure that the pilot would remain in the mech organization while still possessing the chance to rise to the top league.

  “And how did anyone know I was a talent? I just applied for the position.”

  “Well, we all have to start somewhere. A new mech organization isn’t going to attract the top talents. We were willing to help develop you to prove what we can offer. As for your performance…., no one expected you to do so well. You have defied expectations.”

  “Be honest with me, Vesna. If I did average, what would have happened to me?”

  “If we find a better replacement, then you’ll be let go. Maybe we’ll find a good position within the organization where you can thrive. Honestly, I don’t like to talk about the what ifs at this point.”

  If there was one thing Xiao appreciated about Vesna, it was the girl’s bluntness. In the piloting organization, those who couldn’t cut it were simply let go. Some could eventually become instructors or find other opportunities. Most would have to pivot to something else with the majority stuck with the minimum wage jobs living paycheck to paycheck. Xiao knew that, had she not joined Zavaso, the minimum wage job might have been her only option. The idea made her shudder as she could no longer see her life without piloting mechs personally. Yet, that was a real possibility before she saw that fateful job posting.

  “If that’s everything, I need to get back to my research.”

  “Research?”

  “Yes, Wattan wants you to participate in some small tournaments. They are great events to get experience with unique prizes. Some of these unique prizes might be even better than the special subcomponents you gained so far.”

  With this new bit of info, Xiao realized that she underestimated the small tournaments. She previously had no interest, believing the small tournaments to be events where pilots of small or no mech organizations gathered due to the lower bar of entry. She couldn’t believe that these events could hold such prizes that would catch the head mechanic’s eyes. The young woman quickly made a note to look into these tournaments in more detail. She might actually gain more than just experience and rewards by participating in them. Her fighting ring experience had taught her that these simply opened doors.

  “Yes, that is everything! Hope your research goes well!”

  Shortly after hanging up, Xiao laid down on her bed and fell asleep.