Nervousness. That was the only emotion Elora could feel, stronger than anything else in the world. Her hands trembled as she kept them close to her chest, and she felt how her heart pounded like a hammer as she looked at her feet. She knew that this day would come, but she always hoped it would have come a bit later, so she could become strong enough to face what was coming. However, before she knew it, she was whisked from the familiarity of Meridia and into an entirely new and hostile atmosphere. She was now expected to work with others, and her anxiety only grew from that realization.

The people who gathered them there didn't seem that scary; in fact, Lieutenant Ritsu had a confidence to her that cast a calming aura around herself. Professor Lorenzo on the other hand seemed like someone who had his eyes linger on them a bit too long for her liking. Of course, she had no say about it, but she hoped that his behavior won't turn into harassment. 
For a moment she wanted to ask about the mock battle, but she knew that even if questions were allowed, she may have been too shy to even ask it. She thought about it, and something terrifying came to her mind: there is a possibility she could be picked as squad leader. It wasn't entirely impossible; after all, she specialized in a tactical role, providing other pilots with battlefield data and intelligence, so it would make sense for her to also be giving out orders since the two roles would have synergy. Her face started to turn red, and she felt like she wanted to cry.

[i]I can't do it. I'm not a leader-type at all! I would just mess everything up. Please let somebody else do it. Anybody else.[/i]

Elora lifted her head up, and took a quick look at the others. So far she has managed to avoid eye contact with the others, but she knew she was going to at some point. She was glad to see there was an even number of boys and girls in the group; at least she could try to get support from a girl if any of the boys decided to bully her. They were ordered to introduce themselves to each other, so she took a big gulp, and with a low voice, said:

"Umm, I-I-I'm, uhh..." She was starting to stutter, which she knew was horrible for first impressions. She mentally punched herself in the face, and continued, "... I'm Elora Liu'un. I pilot the F-Framewerk XJ9-RSU, or Rilus as I call it, the d-data collector. P-Pleased to meet you." She made a deep bow once she finished speaking.