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One fine day, someone posts a general video message on the Unity Group network.
"Hello! This is Ranger Yancy Beckett, on loan with his brother from the Pan Pacific Defense Corps."
He smiles. "I've been impressed by everyone I've met here, and I'm looking forward to defending the Earth with you all!"
His smile fades. "That being said, there's something that I've been meaning to ask folks, something that's been bugging me for a bit." He fidgets, then blurts out:
"Why are there so many kids here?"
"Hello! This is Ranger Yancy Beckett, on loan with his brother from the Pan Pacific Defense Corps."
He smiles. "I've been impressed by everyone I've met here, and I'm looking forward to defending the Earth with you all!"
His smile fades. "That being said, there's something that I've been meaning to ask folks, something that's been bugging me for a bit." He fidgets, then blurts out:
"Why are there so many kids here?"
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Glad someone else was bothered enough to ask the question. I know Stella's been working with Kei and Leos but hormonal high school drama with elite world saving strikes me like something from those bad Japanese cartoons they used to make.
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[Ataru's grin is a combination of sass and cockiness.]
Just messing with ya. There's still a pretty decent number of grown ups around, its just... you've got a few exceptions here or there, and then the entire MJP project involved genetically engineering us for the job.
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I do wonder about some of the others, though.
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And I can do more good helping fight, using the AGE-1, then I would if I was just on the sidelines.
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Sometimes the adults are too stubborn in their ways to get the job done.
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"That's right...Kid."
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He suddenly gets a grave look on his face. "Honestly, though, what worries me more than their age...is whether they actually made an informed choice to become pilots. There's a reason sick would-be warlords like to use child soldiers, after all."
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[Izuru starts to gesticulate.]
I am sixteen, my stories had heroes already fight at this age. Besides, Tamaki is even younger...
...
I'm not helping am I?
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He rests his chin on his hand. "But what does that mean, exactly? How did this affect your life and upbringing and whatnot?"
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He frowns. "But what kind of training did you and Team Rabbit receive? For that matter, how did you join MJP?"
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He coughs. "But how many of these kids actually chose to become mecha pilots? And how many were shanghaied into it? That's what I'm worried about."
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"I thought we were fighting the good fight, keeping the monsters at our doors at bay so kids would never get caught up in this...this terror and pain and death!"
The Jaeger pilot suddenly looks weary. "Does this make us evil, Ms. Heterephares? Or just failures?"
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He meets Flit's eyes. "But are you sure you want to do this? Every time you sortie in your mecha, you risk getting killed–shot down cleanly in an instant, or dying painfully as your cockpit slowly caves in around you, or you choke on toxic fumes. If you fight at less than your peak ability–hell, if you get unlucky–you could lose your comrades and friends, with only memories and dust to show they were even there."
He nods slightly–a nod of respect. "You're already shouldering a big burden, kid, and doing it admirably. But there's no telling how much heavier it'll get.
Knowing all that, do you still want to fight? Risk death so people can live, feel fear so they won't?"
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His smiles fades into something serious and pensive. "But–and I apologize if this sounds patronizing–we chose to try and become heroes. Did you get the chance to do that?"
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[She paused for a bit.]
And I don't want to talk about why we joined. I'm sorry.
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There is also one thing to consider: these kids are not used as cheap, badly-equipped and barely trained recruits. They pilot experimental, powerful mecha, much better machines than ordinary soldiers use. In spite of their lack of real experience, they are elites.
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Shrug.]
I dunno. I mean, I can't remember most of it. Memory was wiped after fifteen so I wouldn't have any existing regrets or ties to society after the foster family had done its job and raised me. But hey, guess I had to get my exquisite taste from somewhere, right?
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But, hmm...
[Izuru actually thinks for a second.]
The way you put it mr Yancy, I didn't really have a choice, did I? From the start, I was in the academy with expectation that I'd pilot an AHSMB.
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Yancy holds up a hand.
"Memories Wiped?"
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