My eyeballs darted uncontrollably. I could hear my heart beating in my ears. I could see my hands shaking. I was scared almost beyond movement that Headcaptain Lenwick would waltz in at any second and I'd be busted. But at the same time, I was having the most fun I'd had in quite a while. It was thrilling, being scared stiff. And picturing everyone waiting back in their rooms, silently rooting me on...I loved that.

My Senior classmates had been unable to wait another week until the graduation ceremony to find out who'd graduated and who hadn't. I was also impatient to find out if I'd graduated number one. I privately thought I would, and I knew that everyone expected me to. I'd been taking the Senior class for all three of my years of Mission Training. I was one of the youngest in the class. It was really funny my first year, when I was a fifteen-year-old Baby in with the twenty and twenty-one-year-old Seniors. Now I was in my third year where most students took five, but my instructor, Captain Gillocki, had decided I'd learned all I could and to graduate me. Since I had the most experience and was the farthest ahead, my classmates had nominated me to sneak into Headcaptain Lenwick's private office and find out who'd graduated.

I'd used a technique that Captain Gill had taught me for silently unlocking doors with a small pin. Never letting my guard down, I'd slipped inside and relocked the door. Then, sweating and breathing heavily, I'd opened and shut Lenwick's cabinets and drawers until I found the leaf with the words "Graduation Speech" printed importantly at the top. This would do nicely.

I scanned the lengthy speech for the list of graduates Lenwick would announce. When I found it, I took out the leaf and marker I'd brought in my pocket and prepared to write faster than ever before.

I'm great at accomplishing my mission. I'd found the list, and hadn't been caught. But my memory is lousy. I've worked to improve it, but I don't pretend it's better than it is. The best warriors don't overestimate or underestimate themselves. My goal, like everyone's at Mission Training, was to be the best soldier I could be.

And that certainly included secret intelligence missions deep in enemy territory. Or in this case, the Headcaptain's office. I figured it was good practice, at least.

My marker furiously scribbled names down on the leaf. I didn't even pay attention to whose they were, except for those of my closest friends. I smiled and continued my rapid writing as I scrawled Randa Macpherson's name. Randa was my roommate and best friend, and she'd been terribly worried that she'd fail to graduate. But she'd passed.

I actually stopped writing, though, when I came to Cougar Sellman's name. I read back over the list. "Rudolfs, Sabret, Sellman..." the list read. Maybe I was grad-1, and that was why my name wasn't on the list with the others. I skimmed the entire speech, but my name wasn't mentioned anywhere, and I wasn't the top graduate.

Not dwelling on this new puzzle, I copied the rest of the list. When I was ready to leave, much of my adrenaline had drained and the thrill I'd felt was gone. I checked to make sure I'd left no trace of my intrusion, but it was work, not fun. By the time I'd trudged through the building's halls and back to the room that Randa and I shared, I'd exhausted all possible explanations except for one: I hadn't graduated. But why? The question burned inside me as I pushed open our door.

"Oh no!" Randa moaned as soon as I'd entered and she'd seen my gloomy face. She put her hands on her head, running her delicate fingers through her short, red-blond hair.

"No, it's good news," I said, forcing a smile. "You made it."

Randa collapsed on her back onto her bed and shouted, "YES!" She raised her fists into the air in triumph. She lay there for about five seconds. Then she popped back up and asked, "So what's the bad news?"

I stared at her, completely confused. "I didn't."

"You didn't what?" she asked blankly.

I took a deep breath. "I didn't graduate."

"What?" Randa asked. "Of course you graduated. You're the best in the class!"

"Nope." I shook my head. "I'm not grad-1. I'm not on the list at all. I guess Captain Gill's holding me here again."

"No," Randa said firmly. "Bryt, if he told you this was your last year, it's your last year. Gill's been your teacher for three years. He wouldn't lie to you now."

"I'm not graduating!" I argued, though I couldn't believe Captain Gill would lie, either. "It must be because I'm so young. He's decided you can't graduate in three years."

"No way." Randa's shiny hair bounced as she shook her head. "It's a mistake."

"Well, whatever it is," I said, fed up with discussing my failure, "I've got a list to show to the entire Senior class." I stood up. Randa grinned, though her blue eyes still gleamed with determination. "Even if you're not good enough to graduate, you're good enough at what you do to evade Lenwick and give us all information we're not allowed to have."

That thought amused me, too, though I didn't smile. Still, I hurriedly showed my classmates the list, not giving them time to see that I was being held back again. As I rushed the list from room to room, tuning out the shouts of joy and moans of despair, I tried to put puzzle pieces together and figure out why I wasn't passing. By the time I was done I had a pretty good idea of the reason for my failure. And finding out I'd failed wasn't going to help my cause.

I went back to my room and told Randa what I thought. "I don't know..." she said, doubtfully twirling her hair. "You haven't exactly been a model student this year, but everything you've done has been out of boredom..."

"But if they caught me, I obviously didn't do it well enough," I pointed out. "I'm not perfect or anything, you know."

"Any ideas as to when you got caught?"

I frowned in deep thought. "Maybe the time we put the snowman in Lenwick's desk chair. Our footprints were left in the snow."

"But that was funny!" Randa exclaimed. "That's not a reason to fail somebody!"

"It did make a huge mess when it melted," I reminded her. "Or maybe it was the sick love notes to Captain Roen. Captain Gill could have recognized my writing."

"You didn't use your own handwriting!" Randa cried. "You didn't...did you?"

"Of course not, Randa! But he could have seen through that. After all, Captain Gill's taught me everything I know."

Randa didn't say anything, but her blue eyes were once again fiery and rebellious.

"There's no other explanation," I said helplessly. "I got caught playing some stupid practical joke. Now I'm not graduating. I'm stuck here for another year..."

"No." Randa's eyes narrowed. "Talk to Captain Gill �"

"Yeah. Great. The guy who failed me," I muttered bitterly.

"Brytani!"

I sighed. I was getting frustrated with talking about my failure again. And I knew Randa was right. Captain Gill had been my teacher for three years. I was his special student. And he was my friend. I knew he would tell me why I'd failed if I asked him. But if I did, he'd know I'd snooped. I smiled sardonically. Wouldn't it be funny if Captain Gill had figured me out and was now playing a joke on me? A little too far-fetched to believe, but...

"Talk to Captain Gill, Bryt," Randa ordered me.

I smiled and pushed my short brown hair behind my ears. "I will," I promised her. "Just not right now."

* * *

I did talk to Captain Gill � the next day, after a morning climbing race. Our last week of training is traditionally mainly fun and games. My heart wasn't in the racing that morning � it just didn't mean anything when I knew I'd be repeating it. I finished somewhere in the middle of the crowd, where I usually come in in the top few. Maybe that's why Captain Gillocki asked me to stay and talk to him when everyone had left.

"So how do you feel about graduating next week?" he asked me, grinning cockily.

I glared at him. I couldn't help it. I know he's my great friend and all, but the man had promised me I would graduate, failed me, and was now grinning as he prepared to drop the bombshell. Didn't he realize that this meant something to me? I was ready to go on missions, to get out and fight. Not stay here for another year or two. I started to give him a chipper, positive response to his question, but of course it was already too late. So I just blurted it out.

"Captain Gill, why aren't I graduating?"

My teacher looked puzzled, and smiled as if I were a child. I was only two years younger than the graduating Seniors. "But you are, Brytani, you are," he told me.

"No, I'm not," I argued stubbornly. "I saw the list. I know my name's not on it. Don't lie to me, Captain. Why isn't my name on that list?" I said this in an accusatory tone that no student should ever use with a War Captain. But I didn't care. It felt good to stand up for myself, after being the baby for so long.

Captain Gill looked shocked, and I was afraid I'd gone too far. But then he actually laughed out loud, and ruffled my straight, red-brown locks. I smoothed my hair indignantly, though I never care if it looks messy. Captain Gill smiled fondly at me.

"One step ahead of us again, eh Bryt?" he asked, amused, "But this time I think you'll find you've outsmarted yourself."

"This time?" I asked innocently, not admitting to anything. So I was right, I thought, he did catch me at something. Probably the snowman. I tried to remember if anyone else who'd participated in that prank had graduated. But my memory's not so hot...

Captain Gill was laughing again. "I have trained you well, Bryt; I have definitely trained you well!"

I smiled at the compliment, still doing my best to look puzzled. "You still haven't told me why I'm not graduating," I pointed out.

"I did tell you, Brytani � you are graduating. Don't you remember?"

"Cap-tain!" I wailed. He was teasing me now � I knew it. It was a good sign...but it was annoying!

My teacher was still laughing at me. "You've certainly grown up," he said proudly, and before I could complain, he continued. "You are graduating, Brytani. Your name is not on the list. The reason your name is not on the list is because you are not going to attend the graduation." He paused.

"Well, why not?" I demanded, now completely confused and wanting nothing but more information.

"Because you have been assigned to a mission."

I froze, stunned. I took a moment to make sure I'd heard what I thought I'd heard. Captain Gill had just told me I'd been assigned to a mission. I was going to battle! I was graduating and I was going on a mission!

I fell into my teacher's arms and gave him the biggest hug I'd ever given anyone.

"I'm so proud of you, Brytani! I'm so proud!" he laughed. "You know you're like a child to me..."

Abruptly I pulled away. "That's not the reason I'm the one going, is it?"

"Of course not! You should know me better than that!" Captain Gill seemed almost hurt. Then he smiled pacifically. "Besides, it's the Headcaptain who decides these matters. They asked for our best student. The best students are always assigned first."

I felt a broad grin sweep across my excited face. "So I did graduate number one!"

The Captain nodded. "It wasn't even close," he agreed.

Suddenly I frowned again. "Is this the reason why I am graduating in just three years?" I asked. "Just so I can go on this mission?"

"Yes," the Captain admitted easily.

I sighed. So I wasn't supposed to graduate after all. After all that.

"When they start raiding training centers for students, it means the barracks have been emptied," he pointed out, "so it'll help the war effort to graduate as many as possible. They need the best people for the job, Bryt, and you're it, even if you are a little young for a graduate. I'll just have to put up with losing my favorite student."

"I think this is the best day of my life," I said happily.

"Enjoy it," Captain Gill instructed me. "Tomorrow your new Captain is coming here to whisk you away on your mission. You're under Captain Shahan Quent. I don't know him. Some young hot shot. Anyway, you're under him with two others. Your mission is to locate some mine or cave deep in Baron ground. Captain Quent will get into it tomorrow."

Tomorrow, I thought excitedly as I gave Captain Gill one last hug and ran off to tell Randa my great news. My dream was finally coming true!