Everything was finally in place… those who were chosen for the project have all finally assembled.

“It’s so good to have fresh cadets… especially those who hold have such great potential, wouldn’t you say so, Cedric?” spoke the long white haired and rather thin scientist with a smirk as he looked over the papers.

The other man, whose build was bulky and who looked rather stern in comparison simply shrugged. “My duty is simply to look after you as you are the XO here. I technically don’t have the right to voice my opinion.”

“How dull… I’d expect you to at least be a bit livelier in my presence.”

“Sir-“

“Just call me Lorenzo, that’s an order,” spoke the scientist as he looked over the ‘thing’ being forced to kneel before them.

“…Lorenzo, are you sure we can be casually discussing things in front of ‘it’?”

“Why not?” grinned Lorenzo as he stared at his prized possession, “I would like to see what it has to say about us. Wouldn’t you like to know that, too?”

“…”

The thing kneeling simply continues to hang its ‘head’ as wires and tubes are protruded from… or into its body. From anyone else’s point of view, one would assume that the being is simply dead, but from what was heard from the conversation between Cedric and Lorenzo, it is clear that isn’t the case. After bit of silence, Lorenzo simply laughs to himself.

“Nothing as usual… So this is what our little companion sees of us.”

“What do you mean…?” asks Cedric.

“Even like this, it still sees us as nothing more than insignificant nuisances.”

“You’re saying that this thing, despite its condition, still believes it can win?”

“No, it knows it can win.”

“What?!”

“We’ve probed it, interrogated it constantly, and done so many unethical things to it that even serial killers of old would be disgusted at… yet this thing hasn’t flinched or winched once in pain. Hell, we’ve wasted so many truth serums that this thing should be a drugged mess, however, you can see that it is perfectly fine, yes?”

“That’s true. It’s still fine… Why is that?”

“Hard to say, Cedric my friend… but this is the difference between them and us… We would break easily as human beings were we to be enslaved, they however… I believe they would never break if we were to capture them.”

“So… what’s the point in keeping it alive if we aren’t getting anything from it?”

“That’s where you are wrong! We are learning from it despite its reluctance to cooperate. They are the perfect soldiers, but their lack of emotions is something that holds them back. They don’t particularly seem to have much of anything that they’re fighting for from what I’ve noticed… they’re just fighting to kill us. We all have our reasons to fight and that gives us strength.”

“I never thought those words would come from your mouth, Sir.”

“I told you to call me Lorenzo.”

“Sorry… but still, what we learned from them isn’t much.”

“I suppose… but we have learned something interesting… and that is that they are capturing humans, and I’m sure that this particular Cruxi has all the answers. I also intend to get those answers out of it one way or another.”

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________



"Welcome Cadets, to Solaire," spoke the woman in a Framewerk suit in front of the group. "I am Lieutenant Ritsu and as of this moment, you are all officially government property and will be taking orders directly from both myself and-"

"Oho! So these are the Cadets!" blurted another voice as a tall white-haired man practically shoved her aside. "Sorry Ritsu, I didn't notice you were there! I was so excited to see the new Cadets that I could barely contain myself!"

"-a-and our XO Lorenzo," mumbled Ritsu as she tried desperately to regain her balance and giving a salute. "Attention! XO! Shouldn't you have more pressing matters than to welcome the new Cadets?"

"Not at all... It would be rude of me not to. Besides, I'm interested to see what they can do already."

"I see... Anyway, Cadets, this is our XO on the base Professor Lorenzo, most of his work is classified so don't bother asking about it. Just know that he'll be observing our progress periodically from time to time to see how well we do. Also, we will be holding a mock battle in an hour to determine who will be squad leader... so do perform admirably, that is all."

"Hoho, so soon?" grinned the XO as he looked at the Cadets. " Nonetheless do well and try to get along, introduce yourselves to each other why don't you, I'm interested to see how this'll go..."

With that... the two seniors left you all to yourselves. Only an hour to determine who will be Squad Leader so might as well get to know one another while you can.

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 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.

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.

...With that... the two seniors left you all to yourselves.

"Hey, don't walk off! I have questions for you!

The two seemed to completely ignore Antwon, keeping a steady pace out of the room. Ant followed after them with an angry pace.

"HEY, I know you two can hear me! HEEEY!"

And then, they were gone. Antwon, now standing farther ahead of his peers, eyed up the rest of the 'Cadets', as referred to by their superiors as if they were a homogenous pack of helpless lab rats. Then, much to Ant's surprise, one of the mousier looking girls spoke up.

"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.

Antwon sighed audibly, but controlled himself. He could tell she was way out of her element, but had at least the courage to speak first despite a crippling social anxiety. "So polite. Hope you're less timid in your suit." Then, addressing the rest of the group, "My name is Antwon. And I don't know about the rest of you, but I think some explanations are in order."

Sigma sighed so slightly. Quirky at best. Idiots at worst. I am expected to do battle with the Cruxi with this people? She thought herself, all while the goofiness and interventions happened around her. She leaned against one of the walls, arms folded at chest height. Some people were having the typical nervous reactions. It was to expected, Cruxi didn't work with seasoned individuals. First, of all the pilots, one girl spoke up. It was a rather nervous intervention, and the pilot herself didn't seem the most confident of people.

Nice try, but you're probably going to cause more harm than good with that submissive attitude of yours. Still, the fact you have such a Framewerk makes for good potential. Now if you could only hold those nerves in check... Sigma thought about the first person, Elora. She was younger than Sigma, too.

And then a boy spoke up. Brash, with a lame attempt to make fun of Elora's awkwardness. Also, confusing and demanding. She then raised a hand slowly, and waited for her turn to speak. "My name is Sigma, pilot of Comet Sigma. I will be working with you people from now on. Pleased to make your acquaintance." The 15-year old monotonely droned, without even a hint of emotion or care in her words. Her sight rested on Elora, and then on the loud Antwon.

"Explanations should be on the operation manuals. I trust you have read upon then, pilot Antwon. We're pilots and soldiers, and when they tell us to do something, we simply obey. Does that explanation satisfy you?" The white-haired pilot said to Antwon.

Takeo's superiors departed, and he immediately dropped his salute and body together, falling back on a large dismantled pipe abandoned and forgotten at the back end of the maintenance bay they had assembled in. He wedged his elbow against his knee and propped his head on a gloved hand, smiling casually to the other cadets. He did not make any sound beyond the shifting of his bulky work coat - he simply watched, observing the interactions between his future teammates.

It was quite a mixed bag, as he would have noticed if he had attempted to discern their psychology. The only conclusion he actually made, however, was that they looked like a fun bunch, and in the very least he would never be bored in their presence. I wonder who I'll be calling Captain by the end of the day, he thought.

By this time, the chatter had mostly tapered off and several of the cadets looked at the silent boy sitting behind them.

"Matsuda Takeo," he said, his cheerful smile never waning. He raised his free hand to wave. "You can call me Matsuda, or Takeo, whatever you feel like depending on which planet you come from."

Antwon just stared at the monotone girl, unable to suppress a wry grin, soon accompanied by an involuntary tuh and the shaking of his head. Is this thing even human?, Ant thought.

"Ehmmm... no. No, not very much actually. Sorry Ms. Sigma-Alpha-599-0100, but some things can't be learned from a factory-printed manuscript." He looked around, hoping for some sentiment. Or maybe they really didn't mind beating each other senseless for the chance to lead... without even knowing why. Ant continues speaking as he marches past the group straight through the middle, heading off to a raised pillar in a nearby corner. "I, for one, would actually like to know their real intents before they send us off to die. I guess I shouldn't suspect anybody else finds any problems being tasked to risk our lives without any real answers?" Ant leaps up, and perches himself above, letting his legs dangle down the sides.

Ian was currently watching everybody attempt to have conversation, though it seemed to be building up to an arguement the way things were building up. Ian was more focused on the mock battle, though, as the thought of piloting Anubus 14 always made his heart race with excitement. Even now, he couldn't help but tap his foot rapidly against the floor, looking this way and that as he tried to work off a bit of his excess energy. While he did this, he though about both the other cadets and the two adults that seemed to be in charge of them. So we've got the hot captain, creepy lab guy that reminds me too much of this drug addict I used to know, cute shy girl, a outspoken guy, and a by the books soldier type. Hmmm, I've been with worse company, though I'm going keep an eye on the doctor guy, something about him don't smell quite right. After a couple minutes more of waiting, Ian decided to give his own introduction, as well as his own inconsequential two cents in the matter.

Walking up to the group, he took the shy girl's hand without a word and gave it a kiss, looking back up at her with a mischievous smile on his face before he released it and turned to address the group as a whole. "Hello there, beautiful ladies and gentleman involved in this conversation, my name is Ian Blackwood, my Framewerk is Anubis 14, whose main asset is high damage output frontlining and impressive speed and agility, the main drawback being a lack of defensive capabilities." Ian gave a bright grin to all those present, as well as a wink to the ladies present for added measure before he continued speaking, turning towards the other boy first. "Antwon, right? While I see where you're coming from, as I'm sure most of us have similar questions, the beautifully stoic Sigma here has a point that as soldiers, we aren't supposed to question orders. . . Buuuuuuut, that will only make you a goid soldier, and that isn't good enough for who we're going up against in the future. A great soldier is one who thinks and questions just enough to out maneuver the enemy, but not so much so that he's constantly doubting his motives and actions."

Ian walked over to where Antwon was sitting above the rest of them, the smile never leaving his face. "Keep whatever questions you got, my friend, but save them until after the combat exercise. I'm sure they'll be more willing to answer your questions after you show them you're worth it. Oh, and don't judge Elora so quickly know, she's the most important member of the team. 'Any fight fought without information on the enemy will always be an uphill battle', a little quote my dad told me from time to time. Told me the thing about soldiers too." Ian stepped away fro, Antwon to stand in the center of the group, barely able to keep still with the amount of anticipation he was feeling, ge kept fidgeting with his hands as he begun to pace back and forth. "So, since we've got an hour to decide, do any of you have an idea on who should be our squad leader yet, cause I've yet to see any obvious choices myself. And who else is excited to get into their Framewerks, I mean, isn't it the best feeling in the world to pilot those things. My heart feels like it'll explode from the pure, adrenaline pumping, heart-stopping pleasure of it. Am I the only one who feels that way?"

@AtomicNut
@Dondude
@Tancuras
@Ariamis

Korie simply watched as both Ritsu and Lorenzo made their way out of the room and as the others started to begin arguing among one another. A sigh was all that could be produced from them as they promptly made their way to a nearby machine and flashed a card of some sort across it. Punching in a few numbers, the machine made a few unnatural noises before a plastic covered sandwich emerged from it; a vending machine. Taking out the sandwich and flashing their unique card again before punching in a few more numbers until two warm canisters that was labelled ‘coffee’ plopped out from where the sandwich came from. Not paying mind to the others Korie took a seat and immediately began unwrapping the sandwich before biting into it in a dignified manner.

“I’ll be sure to take that information and that arrogance of yours into account as I defeat you in the upcoming battle,” spoke Korie as they smiled a bit upon taking a sip from their coffee. “While it is true that we are all on the same team right now... we are all aiming for the goal of Squad Leader… something that I think neither you, Antwon, nor Elora here could handle based upon what I have just seen from your actions. We are fighting the Cruxi, an overwhelming race that has humanity backed into a corner and yet there are people here that are trying to get all the answers like they have earned them already.” It was clear that specific remark was directed at Antwon. Biting into their sandwich again and swallowing, Korie continued this time in a much softer voice, “Sorry for my rudeness, I didn’t mean to offend or interrupt anything, I was just talking aloud. Oh, I have forgotten to introduce myself; my name is Korie, Korie Ridley and I was born and raised for the most part on Earth until recently for the obvious reasons of working with you all.”

Giving off a warm smile, Korie drank some more coffee before tilting and looking off in some random direction. “I believe my Aester is still being tuned… You have all probably seen it as the White Framework on our way here as we passed the hangar, yes? Anyway, I’m looking forward to seeing how your Frameworks fare in comparison to it.” Confidence; for some reason that was what was coming from this person who was both calm and collected with no signs of shaking of having any of pumping adrenaline that Ian was having.

After a short moment, Korie looked to their side and gazed at Takeo, remembering why they got another coffee. "Almost forgot, here. Thirsty?" They handed Takeo the can of warm coffee, simply staring at them while munching on their sandwich.

Ian walked over to where Antwon was sitting above the rest of them, the smile never leaving his face. "Keep whatever questions you got, my friend, but save them until after the combat exercise. I'm sure they'll be more willing to answer your questions after you show them you're worth it. Oh, and don't judge Elora so quickly know, she's the most important member of the team. 'Any fight fought without information on the enemy will always be an uphill battle', a little quote my dad told me from time to time. Told me the thing about soldiers too."

Ant hung nonchalantly upside down, facing the opposite direction from the rest of the group. Antwon merely offered the chatter box an un-enthused, facetious 'thumbs up', but didn't turn for him, and proceeded to tune him out. The guy meant well, but there was only so much Ant could listen to. What Ant was more curious about was how they assumed he was actually trying to insult the little mouse; in his mind, it was a genuine source of concern. His ears did perk up, however, upon the new voice:

“While it is true that we are all on the same team right now... we are all aiming for the goal of Squad Leader… something that I think neither you, Antwon, nor Elora here could handle based upon what I have just seen from your actions. We are fighting the Cruxi, an overwhelming race that has humanity backed into a corner and yet there are people here that are trying to get all the answers like they have earned them already.”

Antwon laughed loudly, nonchalantly swaying a free hand away in the... its, direction, as if swatting away a fly; he didn't even bother to look over for this clear insult. This thing is so deluded in its own self-worth... does it really think I actually want to lead this ragtag group of meatbags?, the thought entertained Ant, and he couldn't help but laugh out loud once again.

Ian said nothing as the newcomer joined in the conversation, he simple walked over to them with an unnatural steady pace, all the energy from before seeming to have disappeared. He had bern keeping a close eye on this one, something about them making it impossible for him to ignore the person. When he finally reached where the individual was sitting, he simoly acted on his first impulse. His hand reached out to grab Korie's chin, bring it around to face Ian's, then he kissed them. A full on, passionate and experienced french kiss as well, and he held them there for some time, before finaly separating from them,,taking a low breathe, before he walked over to the vending machine.

He then took out the card that he had fliched from Korie while he had kissed thm, and used it the same way they had done to get himself a sandwich and a coffee cup. He then walked back over to Korie, tossed over the guard, giving them a wink as he did so, before walking onward to a solitary spot on the wall nit to far away from the rest. He opened his sandwich, took a few bites, washed them down with some coffee, gave out a refreshed sigh, than he finally responded.

"I honestly don't care about the leadership position, or that I've told you about my Framewerk because, to be frank, you're not the enemy. You're just a cadet, just like me, and whatever happens in that battle doesn't really mean anything when you think about it. It isn't each other we should be worrying about, it should be the 'overwhelming race that pushed humanity into,a corner', as you put it. Like it or not, we're going to need to rely on each other to survive any battle we enter, so isn't it better to be cordial and friendly on our first day together." Ian raised his sandwuch inself toast before he continued to munch away at his sandwich. "By the way, I'm straight so if you're a guy, speak up now if you don't want me to kiss you again, or condemn yourself to that fate . . . and brush your teeth while you're at it, your breath was a bit rank."

@Gnar The Missing Link

Standing up, Korie promptly walked towards Ian without even a trace of embarrassment across their face. Approaching Ian, Korie took their card back and immediately spat on the floor. “Forgive the reek breath, I thought you would have been accustomed to it considering you grew up in the slums like an orphaned rat after your family died,” spoke Korie as they stared directly into Ian’s eyes with a smile. With that statement alone, it was clear Korie knew Ian’s upbringing. “Knowledge is power and you’d do best to remember that.”

“Another thing, my gender is unimportant since we are all humans... and if you’re truly aiming to only get your carnal urges satiated look elsewhere, for I am uninterested and never will be. I’d also like it if you’d refrain from touching me again in such a manner, since once I become Squad Leader and if I see that you’re continuing to make trouble, I will kill you myself if I deem you a hindrance to the squad.”

“Oh, and Antwon,” Korie looked towards the one who casually ‘swatted’ them aside, “Do change that attitude and do at least try to at least put up a fight… so that you can at least be able to protect someone this time instead of leaving them to die,” they said with a clear indication of Antwon’s own past. Without another word Korie returned to their spot and put take out a container from their pocket. Opening it up, Korie took out one of the many small tubes with liquids in it, most likely mouthwash and rinsed their mouth before spitting into a nearby waste bin. It seems that this hasn’t been the first time that they’ve been kissed randomly by someone in order to get a response. Putting the tube back and closing the container, Korie sat back down and returned to their meal next to Takeo. “Your drink is going to get cold by the way,” murmured Korie as if the incident before was perfectly normal and had not even happened.

"Welcome Cadets, to Solaire," said a woman wearing a Framewerk suit that standing in front of the group. "I am Lieutenant Ritsu"

As soon as the woman introduced herself as a superior officer, Zan's military training at boot camp kicked in. "Attention!", said the tall guy dressed in military fatigues, quite loudly as he quickly stood up at attention and saluted Lieutenant Ritsu.

"and as of this moment, you are all officially government property and will be taking orders directly from both myself and-" said Lieutenant Ritsu before getting interrupted by a taller man with white hair, who shoved her out of the way.

"Oho! So these are the Cadets!" the white-haired man blurted out. "Sorry Ritsu, I didn't notice you were there! I was so excited to see the new Cadets that I could barely contain myself!"

"-a-and our XO Lorenzo," mumbled Lieutenant Ritsu as she tried desperately to regain her balance and give a salute. "Attention! XO! Shouldn't you have more pressing matters than to welcome the new Cadets?"

"Not at all... It would be rude of me not to. Besides, I'm interested to see what they can do already."

"I see... Anyway, Cadets, this is our XO on the base Professor Lorenzo, most of his work is classified so don't bother asking about it. Just know that he'll be observing our progress periodically from time to time to see how well we do. Also, we will be holding a mock battle in an hour to determine who will be squad leader... so do perform admirably, that is all."

"Hoho, so soon?" grinned the XO as he looked at the group of pilots. " Nonetheless do well and try to get along, introduce yourselves to each other why don't you, I'm interested to see how this'll go..."

After that Zan's new superiors left, he sat back down. Then some of the other cadets started introducing themselves, but Zan was distracted by his watch beeping. Which set to 'tell' Zan when it was time for his daily training. Zan clicked some buttons on his watched to stop the beeping. "I'm sorry, but I have to leave," said Zan as he stood up, "My name is Zan Carter, I'll see you guys later." introduced Zan, who then left to start his daily training.

His hand reached out to grab Korie's chin, bring it around to face Ian's, then he kissed them. A full on, passionate and experienced french kiss as well, and he held them there for some time, before finaly separating from them,,taking a low breathe, before he walked over to the vending machine.

This certainly got Antwon's attention, having him shoot back upright on the angled pillar. He had to admit, the guy knew how to get a reaction. Not necessarily a good one, leaving Ant with a very clear mental note to never let this guy five feet in his vicinity. But it was quite impressive to get any attention out of the delinquent. Then the one with the desperate need for assurance spoke up again.

“Oh, and Antwon,” Korie looked towards the one who casually ‘swatted’ them aside, “Do change that attitude and do at least try to at least put up a fight… so that you can at least be able to protect someone this time instead of leaving them to die"

Antwon turned his head slowly in its direction, very slowly. He simply looked at it, his fists clenched, filled with anger and pity for the creature. He shook his head with a scoff, attempting to hold back a response, but was clearly distraught by the distasteful commentary. "You call a cheap blow earning answers." He leaps down from his raised platform, and can't help but laugh under his breath again. He approaches the table, sits down next to them. "Maybe I don't deserve an answer to that. But this false sense of superiority you're playing? You sure as shit can't convince anyone you have any answers. Real answers, anyway."

Antwon pushes his chair back forcefully, swats again. "That's all you'll be getting from me." And with that, he moved back to his arched pillar, swinging up to the horizontal axis, hanging out as he was before.

Serah yawned as the chaos unfolded before her very eyes. The superiors hadn't eve left for 10 minutes and we already have someone kissing another, 2 people mad, a girl who looks like she's about to go in tears and another who just... Seems way too professional. Actually, this was hilarious now that she thought it over, letting out a silent giggle. These people were older than her? Wait, no, the shy girl seemed her age... Ah well.

"Oh come oooon, fighting already? We're all pilots here!" She had the biggest grin on her face and hopped over to Antwon, clearly angry with all that's happened. "Heeeey. Come on. It's only the first day, No need for a frown. We're not supposed to be fighting ourselves, are we~?" ...And then Serah made her way back to where she was before opening her mouth again: "Oh uh, whoops! I guess I should introduce myself huh? Serah! Serah Gene! I pilot Atty, The red one in the hangar! ...Well... It's real name is AA-TROXX... But I like to call them Atty. It's a cute nickname!" Then she noticed Zan walking away, leaving her a bit dejected. They probably didn't hear what she said, huh?

Hm. The young pilot didn't have much else to say... And standing alone was a bit boring. The first victim person that caught her eye was Sigma, so Serah decided to go bug them for a bit. She looked so serious... "Heeeey. No need to be so professional around us. We're going to be your squadmembers!" And with that the blue-haired girl leaned against the same wall, hands behind her back and far enough not to invade the other's personal space. Serah was blissfully unaware of the others' upbrining, and she liked it that way. People need to tell it from the bottom of their heart, not through some papers... Where's the fun in that?

Ridiculous.

Everything here was ridiculous. What exactly were they expecting from kids here? She herself, should be feeling outraged at this... travesty of her rights, but everything was so unreal she oddly felt nothing at all. Odd, she was plucked from her home and a promising career to be put in this... pilot program and she can barely feel anything.

Kiyokawa Utano was still in her SONG clothes, something she often used when going on a performance. It was a suit containing most of her recording and performing gears, and as such it was very eye catching with her usual purple motive. As of now, she was still hoping, against all her reasoning, that all of this was an elaborate prank by someone, and they were filming her with hidden cameras. It wouldn't be the first time she had been in one after all.

She sighed, and looked towards the others. It was no use. This was too elaborate to be a prank. And once she was stuck in a suit fighting, most of them will die, herself included. It can't be helped. Most of them weren't even from a military background after all. That she was being kidnapped spoke of how desperate they were. Sending a performer to the front lines would be the last option anyone would take in a war after all.

That was why she simply leaned against the nearest wall and closed her eyes, remaining silent. Prank or not, everything will be over in the coming battle.

Antwon sighed audibly, but controlled himself. He could tell she was way out of her element, but had at least the courage to speak first despite a crippling social anxiety. "So polite. Hope you're less timid in your suit."

"Eep. I'm sorry," she answered back with a whisper once Antwon spoke to the rest of the group.
The unpleasant looking boy turned out to be far worse than Elora imagined, and she braced herself like she was expecting a hit from him. She immediately regretted ever speaking up, and started to imagine all the horrible teasing she suffered back at Epsilon V repeating here. Tears started to form at the corners of her eyes.

She then raised a hand slowly, and waited for her turn to speak. "My name is Sigma, pilot of Comet Sigma. I will be working with you people from now on. Pleased to make your acquaintance." The 15-year old monotonely droned, without even a hint of emotion or care in her words. Her sight rested on Elora, and then on the loud Antwon.

"Explanations should be on the operation manuals. I trust you have read upon then, pilot Antwon. We're pilots and soldiers, and when they tell us to do something, we simply obey. Does that explanation satisfy you?" The white-haired pilot said to Antwon.

Sigma also seemed like an unpleasant person, but at least she focused her attention on Antwon, ignoring her. Still, for a moment she could feel her un-approving gaze burn on her skin like a ray of heat. She was serious about this, and clearly didn't want to work with someone like her. Not that Elora herself ever wanted to in the first place.

By this time, the chatter had mostly tapered off and several of the cadets looked at the silent boy sitting behind them.

"Matsuda Takeo," he said, his cheerful smile never waning. He raised his free hand to wave. "You can call me Matsuda, or Takeo, whatever you feel like depending on which planet you come from."

Matsuda on the other hand seemed like the first person that Elora wouldn't have to fear, seeing as he was really calm and easy-going about the situation. She made a mental note to try and learn about him, since he could eventually teach her how to stay so calm. Of course, that would require talking to a boy, and Elora's shook her head a bit due to embarrassment.

Walking up to the group, he took the shy girl's hand without a word and gave it a kiss, looking back up at her with a mischievous smile on his face before he released it and turned to address the group as a whole.

"Eep!" Elora was startled by the very forward gesture one of the boys suddenly did, since she was deep in her own thoughts and didn't realize he came so close to her. She couldn't avoid looking deep into his eyes, and after seeing the smile the boy gave to her, she immediately covered her face with her hands, trying to hide how her face turned bright red like a tomato. She was embarrassed to have something like this happening in front of so many people. Still, it did take her thoughts away from the mock battle and the bully, and she honestly felt a bit better about herself, not that she could ever admit it.

"Hello there, beautiful ladies and gentleman involved in this conversation, my name is Ian Blackwood, my Framewerk is Anubis 14, whose main asset is high damage output frontlining and impressive speed and agility, the main drawback being a lack of defensive capabilities." Ian gave a bright grin to all those present, as well as a wink to the ladies present for added measure before he continued speaking, turning towards the other boy first. "Antwon, right? While I see where you're coming from, as I'm sure most of us have similar questions, the beautifully stoic Sigma here has a point that as soldiers, we aren't supposed to question orders. . . Buuuuuuut, that will only make you a goid soldier, and that isn't good enough for who we're going up against in the future. A great soldier is one who thinks and questions just enough to out maneuver the enemy, but not so much so that he's constantly doubting his motives and actions."

Once she realized that the crowd was focused on Ian, she lowered her hands back to her chest and listened along with the others, noting his Framewerk's specs which were easy to remember since they were basically opposite to her own. To an easily impressionable person like Elora, Ian's words sounded inspiring, and she was glad to know not all the confident people here were jerks about it.

Ian walked over to where Antwon was sitting above the rest of them, the smile never leaving his face. "Keep whatever questions you got, my friend, but save them until after the combat exercise. I'm sure they'll be more willing to answer your questions after you show them you're worth it. Oh, and don't judge Elora so quickly know, she's the most important member of the team. 'Any fight fought without information on the enemy will always be an uphill battle', a little quote my dad told me from time to time. Told me the thing about soldiers too." Ian stepped away fro, Antwon to stand in the center of the group, barely able to keep still with the amount of anticipation he was feeling, ge kept fidgeting with his hands as he begun to pace back and forth. "So, since we've got an hour to decide, do any of you have an idea on who should be our squad leader yet, cause I've yet to see any obvious choices myself. And who else is excited to get into their Framewerks, I mean, isn't it the best feeling in the world to pilot those things. My heart feels like it'll explode from the pure, adrenaline pumping, heart-stopping pleasure of it. Am I the only one who feels that way?"

Elora covered her mouth in reaction to her name being mentioned, and braced the quick looks she got from the others before they turned back to Ian. While she was flattered to hear she was the most important member of the team, she also feared that would result in the others wanting her to be squad leader. She thought for a moment about objecting to his praise, but was too shy to do so. She hoped the adults would make the decision separate of them.

“I’ll be sure to take that information and that arrogance of yours into account as I defeat you in the upcoming battle,” spoke Korie as they smiled a bit upon taking a sip from their coffee. “While it is true that we are all on the same team right now... we are all aiming for the goal of Squad Leader… something that I think neither you, Antwon, nor Elora here could handle based upon what I have just seen from your actions. We are fighting the Cruxi, an overwhelming race that has humanity backed into a corner and yet there are people here that are trying to get all the answers like they have earned them already.” It was clear that specific remark was directed at Antwon. Biting into their sandwich again and swallowing, Korie continued this time in a much softer voice, “Sorry for my rudeness, I didn’t mean to offend or interrupt anything, I was just talking aloud. Oh, I have forgotten to introduce myself; my name is Korie, Korie Ridley and I was born and raised for the most part on Earth until recently for the obvious reasons of working with you all.”

Giving off a warm smile, Korie drank some more coffee before tilting and looking off in some random direction. “I believe my Aester is still being tuned… You have all probably seen it as the White Framework on our way here as we passed the hangar, yes? Anyway, I’m looking forward to seeing how your Frameworks fare in comparison to it.”

Korie didn't think she would be a good fit for being squad leader, and Elora sighed in relief. Of course, Korie also insulted her by saying that, but Elora felt that the pilot was just being honest, and she could only agree. Korie seemed to be another no-nonsense person like Sigma, but unlike her, Korie apologized. She wondered about what kind of person the pilot is, and when Korie mentioned a white Framewerk Elora remembered seeing one. It looked very impressive and state-of-the-art. Elora started to think at this point that if they were going to vote on their squad leader, her vote would go to either Ian or Korie, since the both of them seemed to know what they were doing, but they also weren't mean. Antwon then suddenly started laughing loudly, causing Elora to startle. She decided she would stay as far away from him as possible.

His hand reached out to grab Korie's chin, bring it around to face Ian's, then he kissed them.

Elora blushed at the scene, deathly afraid of making a single sound as she covered her mouth again. She knew it was impolite, but she couldn't help but stare at what happened. Does Ian come from a world where kissing is a greeting? Even the thought of it embarrassed Elora, and she cutely shook her head.

"I'm sorry, but I have to leave," said Zan as he stood up, "My name is Zan Carter, I'll see you guys later." introduced Zan, who then left to start his daily training.

Elora didn't mind that Zan suddenly left from the group before she got to know him, in fact she was herself thinking about doing the same but was afraid to do so. Still, she was glad he gave his name before he left, so there wouldn't be any confusion later when the mock battle starts.
She looked aside for a moment, and noticed the pretty girl leaning against the wall, ignoring everyone else. She recognized her outfit belonging to idols, and wondered how a celebrity like her was there with the rest of them. She seemed to be in a bad mood, and fearing her possible scorn she stopped looking at her.

"Oh come oooon, fighting already? We're all pilots here!" She had the biggest grin on her face and hopped over to Antwon, clearly angry with all that's happened. "Heeeey. Come on. It's only the first day, No need for a frown. We're not supposed to be fighting ourselves, are we~?" ...And then Serah made her way back to where she was before opening her mouth again: "Oh uh, whoops! I guess I should introduce myself huh? Serah! Serah Gene! I pilot Atty, The red one in the hangar! ...Well... It's real name is AA-TROXX... But I like to call them Atty. It's a cute nickname!"

Serah seemed like a nice girl, and Elora was glad to see her trying to calm everyone down, since she knew she couldn't do it. Elora watched as she went to speak with Sigma. Elora wanted to join in, but she was too shy to. Besides, maybe they didn't like her, and would just tease her if she tried to be friendly with them. At least Sigma would, she thought to herself. Elora just kept looking at them, trying to build her courage up bit by bit.

"Tch" Sigma sighed in annoyance at the display. She folded her arms tightly, even more so, as the talk went from Ian to Antwon, to a newcomer who seemed to have all answers, then to Ian kissing the newcomer, which made Sigma raise an eyebrow in dull surprise. They all seemed to like attention and talk big, but none of them, save perhaps, the mild exception of Korie, was delivering the real deal. The remaining two members were mostly unwilling to even make some kind of polite attempt at salutation, judging how one excused himself quickly and left, and the other, who looked like a diva of sorts, was too busy brooding. Just like Sigma.

And then came some strange sort of cute creature that was adamant in starting conversation with her. She even went so far to mimick Sigma's gait, and called things boring. Sigma couldn't agree more, but a gut feeling told her than expressing certain kind of attitudes would backfire. Why did they leave them alone? Why they chose to say that they would do a drill and then choose squad leader? Sigma wasn't certain, but she had the feeling there was more than just the fight. After all, she knew that not always the best fighter was the best squad leader. Maybe they were just observing them right now, and taking notes.

Her gaze wandered to Elora. She was looking at them both, with a longing stare. Lost puppy. It was what came to Sigma's mind. Well, she had already had one cute thing tailing her, so might aswell take the big price. Elora was possibly starving for a friendly hand, this whole world of teenager rants was dazzling her. Looking once at Serah, she then focused on Elora, rummaging through her pockets. "One second."

She produced a single chocolate candy bar, which she handed to Elora.

Treat your soldiers like your own sons and they will follow you to the deepest valley. The words of Sun Tzu were on her mind, and she could at some degree understand the feeling of not being able to connect socially. "You did well." She said to Elora, leaning before her and whispering in a soft voice. "You probably break into hives when someone addresses you with the slightest tinge of annoyance. And despite that, you came all the way here. Your confidence may be low, but your spirit is great." She added.

"And I daresay, I do want to see that framewerk in action." Sigma added as she gently reached for Elora's shoulder, trying for a comfort pat.

"Now, do you want to play a little game?" Sigma said as low as she could. "Girls only." She added, with a small wink. She also motioned Serah to come closer.

"...Heeeey! Why did she get chocolate? No fair..." Serah mumbles, tailing Sigma soon after they'd stop leaning against the wall to go and comfort Elora. It was suprisingly nice of them. Well, Serah wasn't expecting them to be completely devoid of kindness, but from someone who looked so serious... It was admirable! She didn't even mind losing out on chocolate now. Sigma can be bugged about it later, anyway. Speaking of Sigma, she ushered Serah to come closer which made her burst with excitement. Ooh! What's the secret? She came as close as it took for the low monotone of Sigma to be audible which was... Suprisingly close. They were really good at lowering their voice, huh?

Elora saw how the two girls came closer, and she was frozen with fright. Sigma wasn't content with just staring at her, now she wanted to scold her like she did Antwon. Taking a big gulp, Elora took a better stance with her feet, and braced for the verbal abuse she was expecting. She had to become strong if she was going to survive here.

However, the exact opposite happened, and Sigma offered her a chocolate candy bar, along with words of kindness. Having not prepared emotionally at all at such an action she couldn't take it anymore, and tears started to drip from her red face. Her hands trembled as she took hold of the candy.
"Th-Thank you. I-I hope to see yours, too."
She was hesitant to let Sigma touch her shoulder, but she quickly yielded. She calmed down, and stopped crying. She was truly happy at how things turned out, and if she was fortunate enough, maybe she could even make friends. Friends she wished she had at Epsilon V before she destroyed it with her wish. Nonetheless, Sigma's action really changed Elora's perception of her, and her fear of her started to subside.

Sigma proposed some kind of game, and Elora, though nervous, gained enough courage to accept the proposal, and nodded silently in consent. She didn't know what she had in mind, but whatever it was Elora at least wanted to try it; it was like she was partaking of Sigma's own confidence.

Sigma raised an eyebrow and visiblely jolted upon seeing Elora's reaction. People could cry even if they were praised? She didn't quite get it. Well, it wasn't a big surprise. She barely remembered when was the last time she ever cried during her upbringing. Still, there was no need of a teary face when she was about to explain things, so she took out her handkerchief and slowly wiped Elora's face. Serah had apparently followed her. Mainly because she was bored. Well, it was one way to get distracted already.

"It's a bit of everything. It's like a liar game, tag, shoot the duck, and you won't feel guilty if you cheat a little." Sigma whispered to both. "I'll treat you two to one of my strawberry cakes if you do well." She added, a bit forced. Maybe if I dangle such obvious bribe they'll resist the temptation to join others.. She paused. "We're going to, well, team up against the boys. But first, we'll tell a little white lie so that we're left alone."

She then raised her voice. "She doesn't feel so well. Let's get her to the bathroom to wash her face a little, Serah." She said out loud, hoping the other kids would follow.