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Description
When Blair finally awoke to the blaring beeping of her alarm clock, she groaned and reached out with her arm, slapping her hand on the device to shut it up. As the room fell silent again, she sighed and rolled on her back, staring at the ceiling as she put her hands behind her head. The bed sheets caressed the contours of her naked body, lying softly as she breathed below them. The sheets rested on her chest just below her breasts, leaving everything above exposed to the morning air. Her red hair was rustled and messy, no longer in the usual ponytail. She didn't bother to retrieve her glasses or turn on the lights. Instead, she turned her head to the person beside her, still sleeping soundly. Roxanne was fully nude as well, cuddled up underneath the sheets to keep warm.

Originally, she had her back to Blair, but after hearing the alarm clock, she stirred and rolled on her other side towards her. Blair smiled at the sight of Roxanne's exposed upper body, gazing upon her girlfriend's gorgeous chest. Roxanne's breasts were much larger than Blair's, but it didn't bother her one bit; her breasts were about just over an A-Cup whereas Roxanne's were a delightful D-Cup. As much as Blair didn't want to disturb the tranquil sight of her love sleeping beside her, they had somewhere to be. She scooted closer to the bare woman, feeling the warmth radiating from her body against her skin.

After exhaling on the back of Roxanne's neck, she whispered into her ear. "Time to wake up, love." Roxanne stirred a bit, but groaned, remaining bundled up underneath the sheets.

Blair frowned, but stayed persistent. She moved closer, climbing on top of her as she continued to whisper into her ear. "Roxy… it's time to get out of bed. Don't make me…" She giggled, placing a hand on Roxanne's belly underneath the sheets. "…tickle you…"

Somewhat conscious, Roxanne was able to hear Blair's threat, but she was still not awake enough to fully comprehend it. Not really caring, she gave a grunt and took her chances by remaining still.

Having given Roxanne her last opportunity, Blair decided it was time to get physical. "Okay. I warned ya…" she said, sitting upright beside her. She smirked and pulled off the covers in one swift motion. As soon as she did, Roxanne curled up in a ball, shivering a bit as her body was left exposed. Blair snickered as she pushed her on her back and straddled her, looming over her lover with devious intentions.

As she lay there, still not unresponsive, Blair began her attack. She struck first at Roxanne's vulnerable belly, using both hands to tickle her awake. She danced her army of fingers delicately all over her belly, hitting the sides as well. As soon as it began, Roxanne bit her lip as her toes crunched up, suppressing the urge to laugh out loud. She gripped the bed as her heart rate shot up, her body twitching every now and then. Blair noticed it but didn't let up. Instead, she started creeping up higher, heading towards under her arms. By then, Roxanne was fully awake with her eyes still closed, struggling hard to resist the urge to laugh. To hurry things along, Blair decided to go for the kill and hit home, tickling under her arms.

Unable to contain herself, Roxanne burst out laughing as she raised her arms up to stop the tickling. "Okay. Okay! I'm awake! Please- please stop!"

Blair ceased the assault, looking smug as she leaned back a bit, still on top of her. She raised an eyebrow and placed her hands on hips. "Awake now?"

Roxanne caught her breath as she smiled, looking up at Blair. She gave a nod, laying her hands on Blair's thighs as she rubbed them gently. "Yeah…"

"Good. Now let's get ready. Time's a wastin'," said Blair as she leaned in, giving her a kiss.

The two of them got out of bed and headed into their bathroom, washing up and getting dressed. When the four of them bought the apartment, Roxanne and Blair took the master bedroom to themselves, complete with a spacious walk-in closet and master bathroom. Miharu and Shizune each took one of the smaller bedrooms, having to use the communal bathroom to freshen up.

Upon exiting the bedroom, Blair continued buttoning up her blouse while Roxanne finished up in the bathroom. She looked to the kitchen and saw Miharu sitting at the counter, drinking coffee with a gloomy demeanor.

"Did you make enough for the rest of us?" asked Blair as she came around into the kitchen.

Miharu just frowned at her, a sullen look in her eyes. She took a sip of her coffee and grumbled something that Blair couldn't make out. Seeing the coffee pot still full, Blair proceeded to fix herself and Roxanne a cup as well. She put a generous amount of sugar and Irish Crème-flavored creamer into her mug, filling it three-fourths of the way up with coffee. She then went to the fridge and filled the rest of the mug with milk, using a spoon to mix it all together. Once hers was done, she got Roxanne's cup of coffee ready, adding only a tad bit of sugar and crème, but using half milk and half coffee for her.

Blair took the two mugs and sat next to Miharu, waiting for Roxanne and Shizune to join them. "How'd you sleep last night? I'm surprised you and your sister didn't just collapse in your rooms after dinner," she said, sampling her coffee with satisfaction.

After sipping her coffee as well, she let out a tired sigh. "I slept well. I was just looking forward to sleeping in today, that's all," she said before yawning.

"I hear ya, but whatever Coach and Sarah have in store for us, I'm sure it's worth it," said Blair, setting her mug down.

Miharu swished her coffee around in her cup then turned to Blair. "How about you? Based on your cheery disposition this early on a weekend, I'd have to say… you got laid?"

Blair smirked, glancing down at her drink. "Yeah… we did it. And it was quite nice too."

Rolling her eyes, Miharu just shrugged and turned back to her own mug. "At least you two weren't THAT loud. We could hear you both when we were still watching TV, but once we turned in for the night, it wasn't as annoying. I'm surprised you had enough energy left to do it. I was too tuckered out to even do my evening regiment."

Blair blushed slightly at the fact that they were heard outside their bedroom, but this wasn't new; they had been noisy before, perhaps even louder. But at least Miharu wasn't pissed off about it as usual. "Sorry about that. We were just really in the mood."

"Uh huh," said Miharu before taking a long gulp of her coffee. "It's cool. No harm done."

While they chatted, Roxanne and Shizune finally joined them by the kitchen. Roxanne gave Blair a hug from behind while Shizune and her sister exchanged sleepy expressions.

"Oh, you made me coffee. How sweet," said Roxanne as she stood by Blair, taking a sip of her drink.

"Actually, Miharu made the coffee. I just got your cup ready," said Blair.

"Well, thanks anyway. And you too, Miharu," said Roxanne.

Miharu mumbled a reply while Shizune went to get herself some coffee, finishing off the rest in the pot. "Any news from the higher ups?" asked Shizune, mixing her mug's contents with a spoon.

Blair shook her head. "Nothing. No emails or texts. Whatever they have planned, I guess they want it to be a surprise."

Everyone sighed and sat around for a few more minutes, finishing their morning caffeine boost. After getting their jackets and shoes on, they headed down below to the parking garage. Miharu and Shizune took their own car while the other two decided to take Roxanne's car. It was a more modest vehicle compared to Blair's lavish Dodge Viper. She drove a custom black BMW 750Li sedan complete with a V-12 engine. It came with state-of-the art electronics and other personalization options to both the interior and exterior. Roxanne got into the driver's seat while Blair got buckled in on the passenger side. After leaving her parking space, Roxanne led the way out of the garage followed by the Anko Twins, both cars heading to the IGPX practice track where Lucia and Sarah were waiting.

When they arrived, they were greeted by Sarah after parking their cars and heading into the Team Balisong hanger. Blair yawned and waved to her. "Mornin', Colonel. So why did you two drag us here on this fine Saturday morning?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips with a quizzical look.

Sarah smiled and looked the team over, expecting them to be in a far worse condition and late. Fortunately for her, the team was early and looking ready to go, though, some more so than others. "Come and see for yourself. Lucia is waiting in the spectator's stands," she said, turning to take the team there.

Blair and Roxanne exchanged confused looks and followed after her, as did the others. The five of them walked through the complex, not seeing many others around. It was the weekend, so the track remained rather vacant and it was still early in the morning, though not as early as the day before. They made it to the outdoor seating area that overlooked the starting portion of the track. Blair shivered as they found themselves back outside, rubbing her arms to keep warm. Roxanne looked over at her and smiled, placing an arm around her as they shared body heat. In the middle of the section, Lucia sat waiting along with Maggie, who was dosing off behind her.

Sarah and the pilots approached her and sat down beside her. "Here they are, ma'am," she said, taking a seat next to Maggie. She nudged her awake and gave her a slight smile as she twitched in her spot.

Blair and the pilots kept their attention on Lucia, wondering what was going on. "So what's up, Coach?" she asked.

Lucia sat tranquilly in her wheelchair, a heavy blanket covering her legs as she kept her hands nestled on top of her lap. Her gaze was fixated on the starting grid as she began to address the team. "Good morning. You're just in time."

"Just in time? In time for what?" asked Miharu before yawning loudly.

"Well, see for yourself," said Lucia, gesturing to the track with a slight nod of her head. They all turned to where she was looking and saw three familiar bots on the starting grid. The ground crew there was making adjustments using various sensors and equipment. "Velshtein is about to do another lap," she said with a hint of expectation in her voice.

Blair squinted to better see the bots, but as soon as Lucia said what team they were, her eyes widened with surprise. "Wait. Velshtein? As in… the IG-1 Team Velshtein?"

Lucia nodded. "Indeed. While I was still a pilot, I happened to run into them a lot and kept track of their usual practice hours. I'm still surprised that Hamgra is still making them practice on the weekends like this," she said, crossing her arms.

"It makes sense, I guess. He doesn't want other teams snooping in on them during their practice, and hardly anyone ever shows up this early, especially on a weekend," said Blair. "But why did you drag us out here just to see them? I've seen them race tons of times, a few of them in person too."

Lucia chuckled, turning her attention towards the amateur IG-1 pilot. "Well, Blair, if you had the opportunity to learn all that you can about your opponent, wouldn't you take it?"

Blair remained silent, glancing away as she held her tongue.

Her silence was all the affirmation Lucia needed as she looked back towards the starting grid. "You may have seen them race, but how they practice is a totally different story. For instance, take note of how they take to the starting grid. Notice their posture and position, poised and ready to dash off. Once they start, I want you all to keep watch of how they move, how they react. I'll be conducting drills similar to theirs, so this is a preview of what is to come."

Blair and the others got comfortable and prepared to watch Team Velshtein practice. For the next couple hours, Team Balisong sat in the stands, observing their rivals in the IG-1. During the practice, Lucia gave an in-depth commentary about Team Velshtein, telling them everything she knew about the team and shedding light on some topics that they weren't even aware of.

As she watched the bots on the big screen, Blair grew more eager and wanted to get on the track to show them what she was made of. Her knee bobbed up and down in an impatient rhythm, her enthusiasm growing with each passing moment. "Man, just look at them go. I bet I can shadow them and keep up no problem," she said to Roxanne.

She looked to Blair with a smile, placing a hand on her twitchy leg. "I'm sure you could, hun. But let's not show off anything until we race them for real, okay? We don't want to reveal anything and give them an edge over us."

Blair looked to Roxanne then back to the screens, resting her head on her hands with a slight pout. "Yeah… I guess so."

After the practice was over, Lucia dismissed the team and gave them the rest of the weekend off. She and Sarah stayed behind to take care of some last minute things while the pilots headed back towards the garage. Along the way, Blair and the others stumbled upon the Team Velshtein pilots, but it was Cunningham who initiated the encounter.

Seeing Blair and her teammates walking passed their hanger, Cunningham jumped down from his mech and hurried over. "Hey, Blair, do you have a minute?" he asked out loud.

Hearing her name being called out, Blair stopped and turned to Cunningham as he jogged over to them. "Cunningham? What do you want?" she asked, standing before him with her team at her back.

Cunningham smiled in his usual manner, off putting any negative vibes that might have lingered between the two teams. "All I ask is a few moments of your time to chat with a fellow IGPX pilot, that's all. You know, captain to captain." He stood there confidently, giving off a certain air of prestige, and the team could feel it too. He looked to the others and cleared his throat. "…alone, preferably."

Blair remained firm as she tried to not look nervous before the seasoned IG-1 pilot. She turned to the others and motioned them to continue on without her. "It's all right, guys. I'll catch up with you later."

"I'll bring the car around and wait for you there," said Roxanne before leaving with Miharu and Shizune.

Blair gave her a smile as she left then turned back to Cunningham. "All right. Shoot. What's on your mind?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest as she shifted her weight.

He shrugged, placing a hand on his hip and his other outstretched for a handshake. "Nothing really. Just wanted to say hello to my new colleague and rival."

Blair raised an eyebrow, still remaining somewhat defensive as she shook his hand. "Is that so? Well hello then."

Cunningham returned the shake in kind, firmly grasping her hand as he kept eye contact. "It's a pleasure to meet you, a former U.S. Air Force captain, and a fighter-pilot at that. You must have a load of stories to tell from your fightin' days, huh?"

"Yeah… though I'm sure you're not here to talk about that now, are ya?" asked Blair, her tone a bit straightforward.

He looked at her and gave a slight nod. "Straight to the point I see. Well, the real reason I wanted to talk to you is to tell you this…" His demeanor changed as he became more rigid, eyeing her with a serious expression. "Know your place."

Blair sneered, not sure if she heard him correctly. "What? Excuse me?" she asked, leaning forward towards him, her voice harsh.

"You heard me. The only reason you got into the IG-1 is because another team flunked out on a technicality. If you want to be considered a fellow IG-1 pilot, you're going to have to earn your place amongst us."

Not believing what she was hearing, Blair shook her head, scoffing as a haughty smile appeared on her face. "Well excuse me, Mr. Wannabe! I didn't know I was standing in front of the epitome of hypocrisy!" she said.

Cunningham raised his brow, surprised at her accusations. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

Blair wiped the proverbial tear away from her eye as she calmed herself down. "Don't give me that crap. We all see how Sir Hamgra and your team conduct yourselves, acting all high and mighty with your military shtick. I bet you wouldn't even last a day in the field, in the real life of a grunt. Your futile attempts at standing at attention, at 'yes, sir!'. It's infuriating! How mere civees like yourselves think you're fit to embrace the most sacred traditions of the armed services…" She was at a loss of words as she shook her head, collecting herself and getting her feelings under control. "Now tell me who's pretending and who's not."

He stood there before her, unsure of how to respond. His perky demeanor was suppressed by her words and he remained silent for a bit, brooding over his thoughts. Finally, he stirred and looked her in the eye, an unyielding expression on his face. "I think you should leave."

Blair continued to smile, almost mockingly. "Is that so? What? Did I strike a nerve there, fancy-pants?" She remained standing there in front of him, still contemptuous with every word and gesture.

Cunningham continued to glare, pointing towards the exit while maintaining eye contact with her. She narrowed her eyes at him and got the message, turning to head for the exit. After taking a few steps with her back to him, he spoke. "You may be renowned in the military world, Captain, but here, in the IGPX, I am king. Don't forget that."

Blair stopped momentarily to listen then continued on, not looking back; she had neither the patience nor the drive to continue the fight. She sneered at his statement as she left Team Velshtein's hanger, making her way back to the garage where Roxanne was waiting for her. When she arrived, Roxanne was listening to her music while parked in front; by the sound of the song, it must've been another one of her classical tracks Blair thought. She exhaled loudly, trying to forget what just happened as she got into the passenger seat.

Seeing her get in the car, Roxanne gave her a warm smile and turned down the volume. "So, what did Cunningham want?" she asked, switching into drive and taking the car out of the garage.

"Oh just the usual. Gloating about how his shit don't stink and such," she said after sighing again, glancing out the window.

Roxanne could feel the tension in her voice as she continued to drive. "Huh. Is that so? Did something… happen? You don't look like you had a fun time talking with him," she said, still looking to the road.

"Like I said, it was just him being his usual self. Who would be happy after talking to a guy like that."

Sensing that Blair just wanted to be left alone, Roxanne gave a nod and continued driving. "Okay then."

As she sat in the passenger seat, Blair rested her head on her arm, staring cheerlessly out the window as her thoughts turned to the glory days of her military career.

Description
When Blair finally awoke to the blaring beeping of her alarm clock, she groaned and reached out with her arm, slapping her hand on the device to shut it up. As the room fell silent again, she sighed and rolled on her back, staring at the ceiling as she put her hands behind her head. The bed sheets caressed the contours of her naked body, lying softly as she breathed below them. The sheets rested on her chest just below her breasts, leaving everything above exposed to the morning air. Her red hair was rustled and messy, no longer in the usual ponytail. She didn't bother to retrieve her glasses or turn on the lights. Instead, she turned her head to the person beside her, still sleeping soundly. Roxanne was fully nude as well, cuddled up underneath the sheets to keep warm.

Originally, she had her back to Blair, but after hearing the alarm clock, she stirred and rolled on her other side towards her. Blair smiled at the sight of Roxanne's exposed upper body, gazing upon her girlfriend's gorgeous chest. Roxanne's breasts were much larger than Blair's, but it didn't bother her one bit; her breasts were about just over an A-Cup whereas Roxanne's were a delightful D-Cup. As much as Blair didn't want to disturb the tranquil sight of her love sleeping beside her, they had somewhere to be. She scooted closer to the bare woman, feeling the warmth radiating from her body against her skin.

After exhaling on the back of Roxanne's neck, she whispered into her ear. "Time to wake up, love." Roxanne stirred a bit, but groaned, remaining bundled up underneath the sheets.

Blair frowned, but stayed persistent. She moved closer, climbing on top of her as she continued to whisper into her ear. "Roxy… it's time to get out of bed. Don't make me…" She giggled, placing a hand on Roxanne's belly underneath the sheets. "…tickle you…"

Somewhat conscious, Roxanne was able to hear Blair's threat, but she was still not awake enough to fully comprehend it. Not really caring, she gave a grunt and took her chances by remaining still.

Having given Roxanne her last opportunity, Blair decided it was time to get physical. "Okay. I warned ya…" she said, sitting upright beside her. She smirked and pulled off the covers in one swift motion. As soon as she did, Roxanne curled up in a ball, shivering a bit as her body was left exposed. Blair snickered as she pushed her on her back and straddled her, looming over her lover with devious intentions.

As she lay there, still not unresponsive, Blair began her attack. She struck first at Roxanne's vulnerable belly, using both hands to tickle her awake. She danced her army of fingers delicately all over her belly, hitting the sides as well. As soon as it began, Roxanne bit her lip as her toes crunched up, suppressing the urge to laugh out loud. She gripped the bed as her heart rate shot up, her body twitching every now and then. Blair noticed it but didn't let up. Instead, she started creeping up higher, heading towards under her arms. By then, Roxanne was fully awake with her eyes still closed, struggling hard to resist the urge to laugh. To hurry things along, Blair decided to go for the kill and hit home, tickling under her arms.

Unable to contain herself, Roxanne burst out laughing as she raised her arms up to stop the tickling. "Okay. Okay! I'm awake! Please- please stop!"

Blair ceased the assault, looking smug as she leaned back a bit, still on top of her. She raised an eyebrow and placed her hands on hips. "Awake now?"

Roxanne caught her breath as she smiled, looking up at Blair. She gave a nod, laying her hands on Blair's thighs as she rubbed them gently. "Yeah…"

"Good. Now let's get ready. Time's a wastin'," said Blair as she leaned in, giving her a kiss.

The two of them got out of bed and headed into their bathroom, washing up and getting dressed. When the four of them bought the apartment, Roxanne and Blair took the master bedroom to themselves, complete with a spacious walk-in closet and master bathroom. Miharu and Shizune each took one of the smaller bedrooms, having to use the communal bathroom to freshen up.

Upon exiting the bedroom, Blair continued buttoning up her blouse while Roxanne finished up in the bathroom. She looked to the kitchen and saw Miharu sitting at the counter, drinking coffee with a gloomy demeanor.

"Did you make enough for the rest of us?" asked Blair as she came around into the kitchen.

Miharu just frowned at her, a sullen look in her eyes. She took a sip of her coffee and grumbled something that Blair couldn't make out. Seeing the coffee pot still full, Blair proceeded to fix herself and Roxanne a cup as well. She put a generous amount of sugar and Irish Crème-flavored creamer into her mug, filling it three-fourths of the way up with coffee. She then went to the fridge and filled the rest of the mug with milk, using a spoon to mix it all together. Once hers was done, she got Roxanne's cup of coffee ready, adding only a tad bit of sugar and crème, but using half milk and half coffee for her.

Blair took the two mugs and sat next to Miharu, waiting for Roxanne and Shizune to join them. "How'd you sleep last night? I'm surprised you and your sister didn't just collapse in your rooms after dinner," she said, sampling her coffee with satisfaction.

After sipping her coffee as well, she let out a tired sigh. "I slept well. I was just looking forward to sleeping in today, that's all," she said before yawning.

"I hear ya, but whatever Coach and Sarah have in store for us, I'm sure it's worth it," said Blair, setting her mug down.

Miharu swished her coffee around in her cup then turned to Blair. "How about you? Based on your cheery disposition this early on a weekend, I'd have to say… you got laid?"

Blair smirked, glancing down at her drink. "Yeah… we did it. And it was quite nice too."

Rolling her eyes, Miharu just shrugged and turned back to her own mug. "At least you two weren't THAT loud. We could hear you both when we were still watching TV, but once we turned in for the night, it wasn't as annoying. I'm surprised you had enough energy left to do it. I was too tuckered out to even do my evening regiment."

Blair blushed slightly at the fact that they were heard outside their bedroom, but this wasn't new; they had been noisy before, perhaps even louder. But at least Miharu wasn't pissed off about it as usual. "Sorry about that. We were just really in the mood."

"Uh huh," said Miharu before taking a long gulp of her coffee. "It's cool. No harm done."

While they chatted, Roxanne and Shizune finally joined them by the kitchen. Roxanne gave Blair a hug from behind while Shizune and her sister exchanged sleepy expressions.

"Oh, you made me coffee. How sweet," said Roxanne as she stood by Blair, taking a sip of her drink.

"Actually, Miharu made the coffee. I just got your cup ready," said Blair.

"Well, thanks anyway. And you too, Miharu," said Roxanne.

Miharu mumbled a reply while Shizune went to get herself some coffee, finishing off the rest in the pot. "Any news from the higher ups?" asked Shizune, mixing her mug's contents with a spoon.

Blair shook her head. "Nothing. No emails or texts. Whatever they have planned, I guess they want it to be a surprise."

Everyone sighed and sat around for a few more minutes, finishing their morning caffeine boost. After getting their jackets and shoes on, they headed down below to the parking garage. Miharu and Shizune took their own car while the other two decided to take Roxanne's car. It was a more modest vehicle compared to Blair's lavish Dodge Viper. She drove a custom black BMW 750Li sedan complete with a V-12 engine. It came with state-of-the art electronics and other personalization options to both the interior and exterior. Roxanne got into the driver's seat while Blair got buckled in on the passenger side. After leaving her parking space, Roxanne led the way out of the garage followed by the Anko Twins, both cars heading to the IGPX practice track where Lucia and Sarah were waiting.

When they arrived, they were greeted by Sarah after parking their cars and heading into the Team Balisong hanger. Blair yawned and waved to her. "Mornin', Colonel. So why did you two drag us here on this fine Saturday morning?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips with a quizzical look.

Sarah smiled and looked the team over, expecting them to be in a far worse condition and late. Fortunately for her, the team was early and looking ready to go, though, some more so than others. "Come and see for yourself. Lucia is waiting in the spectator's stands," she said, turning to take the team there.

Blair and Roxanne exchanged confused looks and followed after her, as did the others. The five of them walked through the complex, not seeing many others around. It was the weekend, so the track remained rather vacant and it was still early in the morning, though not as early as the day before. They made it to the outdoor seating area that overlooked the starting portion of the track. Blair shivered as they found themselves back outside, rubbing her arms to keep warm. Roxanne looked over at her and smiled, placing an arm around her as they shared body heat. In the middle of the section, Lucia sat waiting along with Maggie, who was dosing off behind her.

Sarah and the pilots approached her and sat down beside her. "Here they are, ma'am," she said, taking a seat next to Maggie. She nudged her awake and gave her a slight smile as she twitched in her spot.

Blair and the pilots kept their attention on Lucia, wondering what was going on. "So what's up, Coach?" she asked.

Lucia sat tranquilly in her wheelchair, a heavy blanket covering her legs as she kept her hands nestled on top of her lap. Her gaze was fixated on the starting grid as she began to address the team. "Good morning. You're just in time."

"Just in time? In time for what?" asked Miharu before yawning loudly.

"Well, see for yourself," said Lucia, gesturing to the track with a slight nod of her head. They all turned to where she was looking and saw three familiar bots on the starting grid. The ground crew there was making adjustments using various sensors and equipment. "Velshtein is about to do another lap," she said with a hint of expectation in her voice.

Blair squinted to better see the bots, but as soon as Lucia said what team they were, her eyes widened with surprise. "Wait. Velshtein? As in… the IG-1 Team Velshtein?"

Lucia nodded. "Indeed. While I was still a pilot, I happened to run into them a lot and kept track of their usual practice hours. I'm still surprised that Hamgra is still making them practice on the weekends like this," she said, crossing her arms.

"It makes sense, I guess. He doesn't want other teams snooping in on them during their practice, and hardly anyone ever shows up this early, especially on a weekend," said Blair. "But why did you drag us out here just to see them? I've seen them race tons of times, a few of them in person too."

Lucia chuckled, turning her attention towards the amateur IG-1 pilot. "Well, Blair, if you had the opportunity to learn all that you can about your opponent, wouldn't you take it?"

Blair remained silent, glancing away as she held her tongue.

Her silence was all the affirmation Lucia needed as she looked back towards the starting grid. "You may have seen them race, but how they practice is a totally different story. For instance, take note of how they take to the starting grid. Notice their posture and position, poised and ready to dash off. Once they start, I want you all to keep watch of how they move, how they react. I'll be conducting drills similar to theirs, so this is a preview of what is to come."

Blair and the others got comfortable and prepared to watch Team Velshtein practice. For the next couple hours, Team Balisong sat in the stands, observing their rivals in the IG-1. During the practice, Lucia gave an in-depth commentary about Team Velshtein, telling them everything she knew about the team and shedding light on some topics that they weren't even aware of.

As she watched the bots on the big screen, Blair grew more eager and wanted to get on the track to show them what she was made of. Her knee bobbed up and down in an impatient rhythm, her enthusiasm growing with each passing moment. "Man, just look at them go. I bet I can shadow them and keep up no problem," she said to Roxanne.

She looked to Blair with a smile, placing a hand on her twitchy leg. "I'm sure you could, hun. But let's not show off anything until we race them for real, okay? We don't want to reveal anything and give them an edge over us."

Blair looked to Roxanne then back to the screens, resting her head on her hands with a slight pout. "Yeah… I guess so."

After the practice was over, Lucia dismissed the team and gave them the rest of the weekend off. She and Sarah stayed behind to take care of some last minute things while the pilots headed back towards the garage. Along the way, Blair and the others stumbled upon the Team Velshtein pilots, but it was Cunningham who initiated the encounter.

Seeing Blair and her teammates walking passed their hanger, Cunningham jumped down from his mech and hurried over. "Hey, Blair, do you have a minute?" he asked out loud.

Hearing her name being called out, Blair stopped and turned to Cunningham as he jogged over to them. "Cunningham? What do you want?" she asked, standing before him with her team at her back.

Cunningham smiled in his usual manner, off putting any negative vibes that might have lingered between the two teams. "All I ask is a few moments of your time to chat with a fellow IGPX pilot, that's all. You know, captain to captain." He stood there confidently, giving off a certain air of prestige, and the team could feel it too. He looked to the others and cleared his throat. "…alone, preferably."

Blair remained firm as she tried to not look nervous before the seasoned IG-1 pilot. She turned to the others and motioned them to continue on without her. "It's all right, guys. I'll catch up with you later."

"I'll bring the car around and wait for you there," said Roxanne before leaving with Miharu and Shizune.

Blair gave her a smile as she left then turned back to Cunningham. "All right. Shoot. What's on your mind?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest as she shifted her weight.

He shrugged, placing a hand on his hip and his other outstretched for a handshake. "Nothing really. Just wanted to say hello to my new colleague and rival."

Blair raised an eyebrow, still remaining somewhat defensive as she shook his hand. "Is that so? Well hello then."

Cunningham returned the shake in kind, firmly grasping her hand as he kept eye contact. "It's a pleasure to meet you, a former U.S. Air Force captain, and a fighter-pilot at that. You must have a load of stories to tell from your fightin' days, huh?"

"Yeah… though I'm sure you're not here to talk about that now, are ya?" asked Blair, her tone a bit straightforward.

He looked at her and gave a slight nod. "Straight to the point I see. Well, the real reason I wanted to talk to you is to tell you this…" His demeanor changed as he became more rigid, eyeing her with a serious expression. "Know your place."

Blair sneered, not sure if she heard him correctly. "What? Excuse me?" she asked, leaning forward towards him, her voice harsh.

"You heard me. The only reason you got into the IG-1 is because another team flunked out on a technicality. If you want to be considered a fellow IG-1 pilot, you're going to have to earn your place amongst us."

Not believing what she was hearing, Blair shook her head, scoffing as a haughty smile appeared on her face. "Well excuse me, Mr. Wannabe! I didn't know I was standing in front of the epitome of hypocrisy!" she said.

Cunningham raised his brow, surprised at her accusations. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

Blair wiped the proverbial tear away from her eye as she calmed herself down. "Don't give me that crap. We all see how Sir Hamgra and your team conduct yourselves, acting all high and mighty with your military shtick. I bet you wouldn't even last a day in the field, in the real life of a grunt. Your futile attempts at standing at attention, at 'yes, sir!'. It's infuriating! How mere civees like yourselves think you're fit to embrace the most sacred traditions of the armed services…" She was at a loss of words as she shook her head, collecting herself and getting her feelings under control. "Now tell me who's pretending and who's not."

He stood there before her, unsure of how to respond. His perky demeanor was suppressed by her words and he remained silent for a bit, brooding over his thoughts. Finally, he stirred and looked her in the eye, an unyielding expression on his face. "I think you should leave."

Blair continued to smile, almost mockingly. "Is that so? What? Did I strike a nerve there, fancy-pants?" She remained standing there in front of him, still contemptuous with every word and gesture.

Cunningham continued to glare, pointing towards the exit while maintaining eye contact with her. She narrowed her eyes at him and got the message, turning to head for the exit. After taking a few steps with her back to him, he spoke. "You may be renowned in the military world, Captain, but here, in the IGPX, I am king. Don't forget that."

Blair stopped momentarily to listen then continued on, not looking back; she had neither the patience nor the drive to continue the fight. She sneered at his statement as she left Team Velshtein's hanger, making her way back to the garage where Roxanne was waiting for her. When she arrived, Roxanne was listening to her music while parked in front; by the sound of the song, it must've been another one of her classical tracks Blair thought. She exhaled loudly, trying to forget what just happened as she got into the passenger seat.

Seeing her get in the car, Roxanne gave her a warm smile and turned down the volume. "So, what did Cunningham want?" she asked, switching into drive and taking the car out of the garage.

"Oh just the usual. Gloating about how his shit don't stink and such," she said after sighing again, glancing out the window.

Roxanne could feel the tension in her voice as she continued to drive. "Huh. Is that so? Did something… happen? You don't look like you had a fun time talking with him," she said, still looking to the road.

"Like I said, it was just him being his usual self. Who would be happy after talking to a guy like that."

Sensing that Blair just wanted to be left alone, Roxanne gave a nod and continued driving. "Okay then."

As she sat in the passenger seat, Blair rested her head on her arm, staring cheerlessly out the window as her thoughts turned to the glory days of her military career.