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 such great potential, wouldn’t you say so, Cedric?” spoke the gray-haired haired, wrinkly 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 Executive Officer 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 winced 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 don't seem to have a clear objective. 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.”

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________



A group of children were escorted by a group of armed soldiers through the twisting corridors and countless intersections of a military base. While the base did resemble the headquarters of any regular Planetary Defense Force, it was a lot more advanced, with numerous rooms filled with machinery and resembling laboratories among the barracks and mess halls. Engineers and soldiers travelled back and forth in equal measure, and scientists in white coats too, to a lesser extent. The pilots were recently transferred from the facilities they were training at along with their Framewerks, and are only now meeting each other for the first time as their escorts led them to a briefing hall. The children were ordered to stand in a row, and inside the hall arrived a woman. The soldiers stood in a separate row from the children, saluted, and walked out of the hall.

"Welcome to Solaire, Cadets; home of the Framewerk Project XJ9." The woman in a Framewerk suit spoke in front of the group. "I am Lieutenant Ritsu Kaname, and as of this moment you will be taking orders directly from both myself and-"

"Oho! So these are the Cadets!" blurted another voice as a tall gray-haired scientist 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, hee hee!"

"Hrmph...Attention!" Ritsu shouted, and then saluted to the old man as per military conduct. "Prof-mm, Executive Officer, shouldn't you have more pressing matters than to welcome the new Cadets?"

The old man smiled. "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 Professor Lorenzo, your superior in Solaire, and Executive Officer for the Framewerk Project. 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. You have all completed your pilot training in separate facilities, and now you will move on to developing advanced skills and training to be a single unit.
To achieve the level of squad skills you need to, we will be holding a mock battle between you Cadets in an hour to determine who will be squad leader among you. The objective of the mock battle is to defeat as many opponents as possible before you are defeated yourself. You will be observed and then evaluated based on how you performed before and during the battle, so I expect each and every one of you to give your all."

Lorenzo pointed to a device with a bunch of red buttons he held in his hands. "Your Framewerk will be remotely disabled once it has taken a certain threshold of damage, so you'll know when to stop before you ruin my precious beauties too much. The battle ends when only one Framewerk is left standing...or I get bored, whichever happens first, hee hee!"
Ritsu hesitantly nodded. "Perform admirably. That is all."

"Hoho, like so," 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...hee hee..."

With that... the two seniors left you all to yourselves in the hall as the door closed shut. Only an hour before the fight to determine who will be squad leader so might as well get to know one another while you can.

One of the girls, Elora, was trembling in fear, her legs shaking and her arms held close to her chest. She seemed to be out of her element as she desperately attempted to open her mouth and say something, but was unable to. She was like a lost puppy with her big eyes and sniffing nose, looking like she was going to start crying any second.

A...battle? Elora thought to herself. How could we do something like that? I can't fight these other pilots, I won't last a second out there! Diver isn't a solo combat unit! Oh no, this is bad. Maybe if I ask someone to...no, they wouldn't want me, why would they? I feel like crying now...

To be honest, Romeo was scared shitless. This is what killed his brother, now he was here next. His palms didn't feel cold or clammy, but a sticky-hot of the blood on his hands as he held him like a child while waiting for the medics.

He listened with a soft detachment, he was trying to take it all in and remember to breathe. They met her, then they met him, then they were alone. He looked over everyone from the shorted position in the group and tried to speak.

"It's a game... He said there were limiters to keep the machines from getting hurt, that has to mean us too. Just this time, its only a game. So lets do what we do best, let's play a game."

Alright, so that one wasn't one for the history books. It didn't have to be. It was to shake off the bone shaking fear of something that was going to drive one of them to suicidal death. He tried to remember some quote about 'Courage not being the one to step up, just not back down.' But he didn't know it enough to say it right now.

Krista looked around the room, reflecting on what they were just told. She saw some cadets her age, but more older than her. She decided to take the initiative and introduce herself.

She cleared her throat. "Hello everybody," she began to walk in front of the group before continuing. "My name is Krista Reynolds. Kris for short. I pilot the Archer. I think it would be worthwhile for us to introduce ourselves to each other before we start going for each others throats." With a smirk, she paused to let the 'joke' sink in. "I don't care who becomes the team leader as long as they can handle being the leader. I noticed that they didn't say the person that scored the most kills became the squad leader, and they basically said they are watching us right now. I'd wager they are watching to see how we act right now for when they finally choose the team leader. Instead of everybody going at each other in a free-for-all, I think it might be best if, after we go around in introduce ourselves, that we have everybody who wants to lead the team step forward and pick sides, kinda like in school dodgeball." She scanned the group for their reactions. "So, sound like a good idea?"

There was something rather creepy about that old professor, Lora decided. Maybe it was how eager Lorenzo seemed, or his near-childish giggling at the prospects of what these new cadets were going to do. Executive Officer or not, the least he could do is act a bit more serious and professional in front of the new blood. The lot of them were literally child soldiers expected and trained to control experimental machine frames with which the entirely of the human race was depending on. "Service with a Smile," one could say, but there was also, "Too Much of a Good Thing."

As the superior officers departed, Lora looked around the other pilots. Seemed to be a population of boys over ladies, but in this day and age that was hardly something of merit at all. What they all held in common was talent; not a lot of trainees ever got this far, much less maturing teenagers. The other factor was whether or not they were here of their own accord, for it has been proven that working towards something is easier and better when you want it. And by far, the common want in the present time was to get rid of the Cruxi.

A couple of people spoke up, started giving names as they were suggested. "Well, while we're doing it now..." Lora half-mumbled, turning to face the whole of the group. "My name's Lora, pilot for the Caliburn. I trust we're all great pilots to get this far, so congratulations for that," she announced, almost sounding half-hearted given how level she kept her voice. The others continued, listing off names and their own plucky comments. One of the other ladies, Krista, started to rattle off what she thought of the upcoming operation, and gave an idea of an event that the group could bring to unfold.

"Call me the cynical one, but I think you're missing the point a bit," Lora commented on Krista's suggestion. "You have to think of this whole thing, not just the combat, like a mission in which the aim is to declare one of us the team leader. It's not just about seeing who can give orders well; this is determining who has the composition to best manage, support, and figurehead a close group of allies." She paused for a moment, then added, "Think of it like your Synchro Rate. The more stable and composed you are, the more in-tune and in control you prove to be."

"In fact..." Lora paused for a moment, pursing her lips as if questioning what she was about to say. "If I had to guess, I would say this mock battle is just a field test of our Synchro Rates in combat." It was a bated thought, more simply spoken out loud rather than announcing to someone. It was little else than a provoking thought, and maybe it was wrong.

Miles acknowledged the commanding officer Ritsu, she seemed like a capable commander and was obviously a skilled framewerk pilot, otherwise she wouldnt be at the level of command she is at currently. He wouldnt have problems following her directions, sadly the rest of the 'cadets' were a different matter. SLightly distracted by the ramblings of the old, and fairly annoying professer Lorenzo he fixed his gazed on a small scared boy with blonde hair, he saw his name in the personel report Romeo Ramirez.

If Miles wasn't such a stoic grouch he could have easily burst out laughing, this child looked ridiculous. Scared out of his mind wearing a flower kimono, it didnt take him long to realise this boy was the pilot of the equally flowery Rose mecha. Miles suddenly became angry, he didn't want to be slowed down in battle by such a silly machine. He flashed the boy a look of scorn but said nothing.

Miles also noticed a rotund girl who introduced herself as Krista, she seemed straightforward enough, maybe a little to 'peppy' for Miles' tastes but that wouldn't matter too much in combat, he was curious about the combat capabilities of her framewerk, the fact that it walked on all fours caught his attention.

There were two other girls, Lora and Elora, the similarity in names was a minor annoyance. Lora spoke with a calm confidence and Miles instincts told him she could handle herself well in combat, he looked forward to facing her. Elora kept quiet, Miles barely saw her as she was tucked away in the back of the space not making herself too known to the rest of the group, and Miles was far more interested in Lora's capabilities in her very impressive Caliburn Framewerk.

He noticed a few of the pilots beginning to introduce themseleves and speak about the possible team leader, he didnt bother introducing himself.

Our success in this campaign will be won or lost based on our ability to stay out of each others way. Who ever becomes the leader needs to realise we are all very different pilots with vastly different experience and training. We cant be expected to clumisly come together as a unit and start tripping over each other.

Miles cleared his throat.

Ive seen most of your Framewerks, they have potential, but I'm not willing to bet my life on any of you being able to cover me in battle, if youre smart, youll realize that too for all of us, Including me. The Cruxi wont hold back based on how friendly we are.

Miles sat down and looked at some of the personel files on his pocket device, trying to put names to all the faces in the room.

Regardless of how creepy or eerie the professor had proven, an XO was an XO. During his own personal training prior to being grouped up and merged together, military custom and courtesy had already been second nature to the young teen so that was never a problem. And whether he liked the professor and Lieutenant was irrelevant, protocol was protocol. While, yes, the professor seemed rather eccentric and eager, it was probably only natural as it seemed he had a rather heavy hand in the program, so being excited for seeing it flourish was natural. The brief went by quickly, the information that they would be pitted in an arena fight to decide who would be Squad Leader was unpleasant news. Not necessarily surprising, but unpleasant. With that, they were left to their own devices for the hour prior to them having to march off to mock war. Stukov wasn't interested in needless fighting, so that meant putting it down as fast as possible, and he was fairly confident in the Daemon's capabilities in that regard. But that was to be decided soon, so for now he focused on his peers.

The one girl looked already about to cry, and while he didn't recall a name for the girl, Stukov could not blame her for the feeling. He was no more looking forward to the fight than anyone else probably was. She piloted that egg shaped Framewerk, if the pre brief he had received before arriving was true. He almost felt sorry for her, it did not strike him as a heavy hitter like some of the Framewerk's present in this little gathering. But he wouldn't underestimate her, that would not end well. The young boy, younger than him, spoke up and spoke of it like a game. Roses, lots of roses, Stukov again resisted the urge to underestimate the flowery design that accompanied the Framewerk that the boy piloted. Roses have thorns, after all. But he couldn't treat it like a game, War was no game to be played idly.

Next up, Krista of the Archer Framewerk. That one concerned him in this upcoming fight, it rather outranged him and looked durable enough to take some hits and keep fighting. She seemed more interested in forming teams and self electing leaders in the fight, which was an interesting thought to say the least. She was promptly rebuked by another girl, a Lore of the Caliburn. That one looked as mean as quite a few other Framewerks, and he felt he had his work cut out for him in the Daemon the more he looked at the situation. He would have to play his cards right, then, and pray for his success if it was to be. Of course, not everyone could strike him as at least amiable, there always had to be the one in the group who insisted on being the thorn in their sides.

The kid who spoke up last was just that, and if Stukov's memory served, it was Miles of the Black Komodo. That kind of mentality would not help any of them, and as he finished speaking Stukov finally spoke up, arms crossed as he finally broke his own personal silence. No sense not at least introducing himself to the group, and when he began speaking on Miles' commentary, he would fix him with his own gaze the whole time. Stukov didn't like the idea that he intended for them to all be looking out for themselves alone, that was not how the military ever got anything done well. "Quite the group of pilots, from roses to archers, eh? Names Stukov, pilot of the Daemon Framewerk. And hotshot, our ability to win or lose this campaign will not be based on 'staying out of each other's way'. I don't think you get the idea of being grouped as a cohesive military unit. Part of this is going to be learning to be a cohesive unit, for not our sakes, but for every remaining humans. Our odds of success will be measured based on how we can cover each other's backs, plug the gaps that weaknesses and downsides of each Framewerk have. That lone wolf mentality is just going to get you, or worse, someone else killed. And until you drop that 'better than you', lone wolf mentality, all you'll be is a liability more so then anyone else here."

The room they entered was large and mostly empty like a lonely ghost town in the wild west. It was quite a similar expression, now that Yeshua thought about it, as everyone here was alone in some way or another. Everyone had lost someone or felt compelled to put their life on the line. Simply stepping their foot in this facility was almost a death sentence, but to be strongly admired. The voices of his fellows ringed like bells in a church, holy but not without sin. He took in the surroundings and the mood, allowing the smoke to be planted and the mirrors to be set up. If he was going to gain these people's trust - who all seemed to be on the edge as it was - Yeshua would have to come off as a nice, considerate person.

The young man cursed under his breath before letting his lips shuffle and get ready to speak.

It was only after he let out a smaller breath that discussion began, as per the norm. It always felt like people managed to slip in their comments just before he could. If Yeshua was going to survive and work as a unit, he needed to be faster, more confident and agreeable. As everyone else continued to converse, a pattern emerged. This was going to be about their purpose, it seemed. A great topic to begin, the boy thought.

"If we're going to survive and succeed," Yeshua moved his hands to create a clear message. Reading so many books about public speaking was coming in handy. Of course, it felt forced, but it was better than stuffing them in his pockets as some of his peers did. "then we need to agree as much. We can come to the same conclusion, right?" His arms opened and he gestured to everyone at the table, welcoming them into his statement. "I won't pretend I know who any of you are, where you've come from, or what you have gone through, but I can guarantee we all share the same urge to save the human race. All of our differences are minimal. Let's focus on what we have in common."

He took a large, deep and silent breath. Hopefully he had hooked everyone in. If not, he may have failed his only chance at earning these people's trust. The most integral part of his relationship with his squad mates just passed. Yeshua sunk back into his chair.

"My name is . . . Yeshua. From New Eilat. I wear contacts. That should be enough."

Why did I have to change my name? thought Yeshua, previously Joseph. Maybe if I wasn't such a stick in the mud, I wouldn't look like one.

There was one fellow, likely the tallest in the room, who seemed to be feigning disinterest. He put up a hand, wanting his own time to talk. As the others likely looked at him, he assumed his wish was granted and began to speak. "I'm Koehler. I agree with Stukov. I'll be hoping he'll be elected team leader and I will not be looking for him on the field of battle.". Keep it simple, that's always good.

He began thinking to himself about the others. The sadder one... sort of reminded him of his sister. That was digging up memories he didn't like, so he looked at 'Asshole McGee' as his mind sorted him. Miles was his name, right? He seemed to be a good pilot, but his tendencies that just became apparent are... disconcerting. Koehler knew that was a bit hypocritical, but he'll work with people even if he thinks they're stupid. The others were so varied... and one of them had a rose robot. That was weird.. He looked so nervous too. Koehler's nervous, but not that much.

Stukov seemed smart, sort of group-thinking, maybe. Wasn't his Framewerk that big one? Yeshua, too... that name sounds odd. Wasn't that from some book? His words and his mannerisms... Was he trying to be manipulative? His sister told him about people like Yeshua. Koehler doesn't like manipulative people. He was being nice now, though. He seemed to be feigning care, at least.
"...Well... you guys seem alright.". Koehler then said. Most of them seemed to have their quirks, but were okay. "...As I said, I'm Koehler. I used to be in a gang, I guess that's my little fact."

"I... guess I don't have much else to say."

-

Alright, well apparently he didn't encourage anyone as they just went around talking about themselves. Two started to be bossy and bicker while another pointed out that even waiting for the test might be a test of itself. No wonder there is so much tension.

"The said we would be facing off against opponents, not each other, and since we are supposed the be against the enemy, I don't think we are going to have to face each other. We need to set three lines of attack, Three melee, three midrange, and three long range. The melee can move the enemy into position for the others to take them out and the mid range will be fast enough to get out of the way of the long range. If we push them back far enough or we are pushed back, then we set the mid and long range into a 'firing squad'. If there is any sort of 'boss' then we need to put six on it and the other three sweep up any lesser opponents if possible.

If we need to pick a leader from us, then it needs to be someone who can put everyone to use so mid line would be somewhere between the forest and the trees."

Elora calmed down a bit once discussion between the pilots really went going, with varying opinions made on the mock battle's purpose. She was still scared, and she did hate the idea of hurting people, but for now she decided to try not to cry and be strong. If she was going to survive, she had to stand up on her own feet and face what was coming. The blonde boy whose name she did remember reading to be Romeo said they would be playing a game, and while Elora liked playing shooter games, this was definitely not one of them. This was real life, with real life consequences. She nodded in agreement to what Krista said, and smiled a bit. She seemed like the kind of girl she could be friends with. At least, that was what Elroa hoped. The other girl, Lora, on the other hand didn't agree, and said that they were only going to be tested for their Synchro Rates. Elora thought about it, but she couldn't figure out why a squad leader would be picked out simply by combat prowess. Still, she seemed like someone confident in her skills, and Elora wished she didn't have to face off against someone like her.

An abrasive boy spoke up, and Elora backed off a bit. He seemed like the type to bully her if given any incentive, and so Elora made sure not to make a sound while he was talking. She didn't like the way he talked about not being in each other's way and only caring about themselves, and she wasn't the only one; a stoic boy, Alexei, she remembered reading, called him out on his behavior, and Elora nodded before she realized she could offend the lone wolf. Her eyes stayed on Alexei even after he stopped speaking; Elora thought his words were inspiring, and wouldn't mind if he was promoted to squad leader, since he could value even someone like her who wasn't as fit for fighting as the others were.

A dark-haired boy spoke up, and Elora could tell he was trying to make a good first impression, but his words turned out a bit confusing. What did they have to agree on? What conclusion? Elora tried to follow, but she only got the gist of his speech: that they weren't as different as they thought they were, and that they should unite together in their fight against the Cruxi. Elora did agree, but there was something about the boy that was off, and she couldn't figure it out. Koehler, the tallest boy, also thought Alexei could be squad leader. He seemed really relaxed and calm about all this, and Elora wanted to know the secret to that, being the nervous wreck she was. Then again, he also seemed the type to pick on her if she tried to speak to him, so she quickly perished the thought. Ryan, another dark-haired boy, introduced himself, and at this point Elora honestly started to wonder if everyone really was okay with a free-for-all. She wanted to have someone, anyone, as an ally. Romeo threw out the idea that they weren't going to fight each other, and to that Elora had to respond. As much as she wanted to stay quiet, she felt she needed to voice her own opinions on what they should do, before it was too late.

"Umm, th-the Lieutenant said that the mock b-battle would be among us, so..." She let out a gasp. "I forgot to introduce myself, I'm so sorry! My name is, umm, E-Elora Liu'un, and the Framewerk I pilot, Diver, is bad at fighting alone. I think Miss Krista's idea is good, and that we, umm, could make teams. I'm willing to do it, if someone wants a teammate. I-If that's okay with you."

Elora's memories rushed back to the time she was in grade school, and every time teams were picked out on the playground, she would either be picked last, or forgotten about as the other kids started playing. This time however, it wasn't about dodgeball or soccer. It was about giant machines of death tearing each other apart. Elora realized at that moment how different the world she was currently in would be from her previous one.

Miles was challenged by the battle weary looking young man with the Russian name. He gave a short speech about how the group need to act like military unit and seemed to get the support of a few of the younger pilots in the group. Miles tuned most of it out, his already short attention span was being tested by his unwillingness to listen to authority.

If you all want to hug and kiss on the battlefield while the cruxi flank us, then thats your issue. Whether or not you stay out of each others way is irrelevant to me but you WILL stay out of my way.

Miles' cold eyes fixed on Stukov for a moment. He knew this young man was an excellent pilot and his Framewerk was very impressive, Miles blood boiled with the excitement of competetion as he clenched his fist, but remained very still and collected. He took note of the pilots discussing formations and pair ups for the upcoming fight. Miles acknowledged Ryan Goodwell as he spoke up and wondered what the Macarbe Framewerk would be like in battle. He once again cleared his throat to speak.

I'm not apposed to the idea of pairs for the initiation though. More experience under any circumstance is for the best. The Caliburn pilot would be a good match for me and the Komodo I think.

Miles looked at Lora and nodded very subtly as a sign of respect.

Lora had to suppress a sigh at the hostility and differences that were already brewing between the pilots present. It was as to be expected from individuals whom had each been trained separately, then expected to come together in due time. Already, too, the personal natures behind each of them were starting to cloud judgement - Miles was acting like an uppity, self righteous cynic, and the young boy, Romeo, was absolutely certain that these pilots would not be fighting each other. Elora seemed understandably nervous, given how she piloted Framewerk that was for the most part a support asset, but she too seemed quite desperate to get some support of her own in the upcoming battle.

"Miles, was it?" Lora piped up in the interlude after the determined Stukov chewed him out, "I'm not agreeing with Stukov, but let me say you should learn better. Fight to live, rather than live to fight." With a judgmental glint in her eyes, Lora stared at Miles a moment longer before returning attention to the group as a whole. How much of that Miles heard was his own problem.

"As for us all-" The female pilot began again, drowning out Elora's last few mumbles, "We're all clearly at an impasse, talking about what we think is going to happen once we step in our Framewerks." Lora was no exception herself, and so she made sure she included herself in the broad gesture she assembled. "Yeshua has a proper point. Before we go any further, let's go over what we all know to be true. "Firstly, we are all exceptional young pilots individually trained to be the best humanity has to offer, being brought together for training for how to act as a team. In less than an hour, we will be entering a battle that shall, through some unknown factors, determine which of us will become the leader of this future team. And when we each enter that combat zone, no one of us will do any less than their best."

Satisfied at her speech, Lora crossed her arms and took a sweep of the group with her vision, judging reactions. "Can we all agree those things are certain?" Following a few lines of discussion, Lora caught Miles giving her a subtle, knowing nod, a curt smile barely forming at his lips.

He knew well of her and Caliburn, Lora presumed - everyone here who had read the briefings of each pilot had to be aware of Caliburn's combat potential. The Framewerk pilot allowed her mind to wander a bit. Caliburn was undeniably fearsome, considering its full arsenal. In the battle to come, it was quite possible that a couple of the pilots would think to mark her as a first target, perhaps coming to a brief agreement amongst one another to gang up. She knew better than to predict the outcome of a battle before it happened, but from the some of the looks she was getting, it seemed likely that Caliburn was being marked as a major threat.

Lora threw a sidelong glance to Elora, and when her young eyes next came into the older pilot's vision, she gave a quick, inverted nod of recognition, before turning back.

Koehler began speaking again as everyone else stopped, at Lora, he simply said: "Uhh. Okay? I guess.", scratching his chin. Well, that was simple. He noticed Elora in distress, and his 'instincts' began to kick in. As the others began to talk again, he tried to maneuver so he was next to her. He stood next to her and whispered,

"...I'd like to be your team-mate. You seem okay. Your framewerk was the one with the little drones? Mine is the punchy one. So in the mock we'll try to... uhh... I'll attack the guys and you help me, and patch me up? That sounds okay." He examined the others. Lora was okay, and he liked her. she seemed nice. Why is she so... wordy, though? That Ryan Goodwell guy was cool too, He supposed.

...Why does everyone have to be so... talking? Just say what you mean and do it... All of these words were beginning to confuse Koehler, who decided to just shut up and see if he could team up with Elora. ...Why was Koehler teaming up with Elora? Just because she asked and she reminds him of his sister? That's... sort of fucked up, isn't it? Is it?

Dammnit, his mother (and his sister) always taught him to be nice to women. That's what he's doing, yeah. Yeah. He spoke to Elora again, "I like Alexei myself. I hope he's going to be leader. Do you like him? You don't have to like him...". Yeah, good, good, keep it easy to understand. His slurred words probably make him sound like a fucking idiot...

No. He's doing okay. The other people like him. Yeah they do, they like him plenty. He likes most of them! "Does... that sound okay, Elora?".

Friendships were now forming. The room kept becoming smaller and smaller as everyone moved together. Yeshua was not claustrophobic, but sometimes he felt like he had the condition. Everyone seemed to instantly connect with one another either silently or verbally. It had been no more than five minutes and it seemed everything that needed to be said had been. There was a foul smell in the air; fear. He could tell there was an unease in even the most stoic of the teenagers, who would even deflect a bus if it drove at them. His mind drifted for a second to his first training session.

Mud, sweat and more mud. So much more mud. Mud was filling his shoes, it was filling his feet and his face. Crawling down in the depths of a swamp gave him inspiration enough not to suffocate but not enough inspiration to put any faith whatsoever in the people who were "training" him. He was told that no expedition into the unknown could be given without their authority. It scared him that, from the very beginning, they were breaking him down and not allowing him to think on his own.

It's a war. They have to -- they need soldiers. I volunteered. This is my own grave I've dug.

Yeshua decided it was time to add some more to the conversation. It could have been in futility, but it was better to get his word thrown into the mix than nothing at all.

"Thank you, Lora. I hope you've understood what I'm trying to say. We are not on "sides" here. We are trying, and we will, save the human race. If not, then all of this is in vain. He stopped himself from being too brisk. That would cause a negative impact on the group. Everyone seemed to favour what Alexei wanted to say; Yeshua found it a shame. He was far too restricted to lead a group properly, the boy thought. We should all assume that we are going to win; and win together. If we're done introducing ourselves, I think we should describe our Frameworks.

Stukov kept his arms crossed as others spoke and gave their own views and opinions, some outright agreeing with him, Koehler he inclined his head to in indication that he heard him, others taking their own viewpoints and stances. Unsurprisingly, Miles seemed to not really concern himself with anything the boy had already said, instead focusing on his lone wolf way of life. It seemed that they would end up clashing on the field of battle during this mock test, whether Stukov liked it or not. Needs must, he supposed, and he did not have to like the situation to be involved in it. The boy knew he did not look how he felt, nerves and an ungodly mix of fear and apprehension were brewing in his stomach. But considering how some of the others looked all but ready to cry, he kept a strong front up for the sake of many. He could throw up later, if it came down to it. Yeshua made some interesting points, but first he fixed an disdainful glare in return to the equally cold one he had gotten. "And you are more than welcome to get surrounded and swamped by Cruxi forces when you go off on your own, with no support to ensure we 'stay out of your way'. That's your issue, eh?."

Lora's own commentary fell in line with Yeshua's to a degree, and he addressed those two next as he kept his arms crossed. He hadn't ever learned any fancy public speaking stuff, he spoke what he saw necessary without wasted breath or motion. Might need to, and if the pilot of Anzû could do grand public speaking well, they might be able to cooperate on the matter of such things. "That is what they said Lora, fully agreed. And Yoshua does make a valid point, we won't get anywhere split up and picking sides. A divided group is easily conquered, military history is clear on that. This mock battle, no matter who gets picked leader, should be taken as a chance to see who and what we're working with. Feel out strengths, and weaknesses, in each person's Framewerk and piloting skill. Kind of like show and tell, with giant machines of war instead of pets and toys."

Even his own, Stukov left unsaid, especially his own. He was surrounded by pilots of Framewerks mostly designed to master various fields of choice, even Elora's Diver was built for intelligence and recon, and could probably pick out weakpoints in Daemon without him realizing it. His mind turned to each person's Framewerk, and what he had seen of them in the briefings prior to his arrival here. Elora, he had already covered. Romeo was that Rose Framewerk, close quarters and armed for it, as decorative and fancy as the design might be. Krista's Archer could outrange him any day of the week, and hit hard enough to rattle just about anyone. And that brought him to the rather brought up pilot and her Framewerk.

Lora and the Caliburn. A lot of focus was put on her and her Framewerk, and Stukov could see why. Bristling with weapon systems and armor, one could rightly fear such a battlefield monster. Only experience would show the chink in that armor, but Stukov would not let the obvious Juggernaut of the group distract him from the others. Not with the Lone Wolf and his Black Komodo. Fast, well armed and piloted by a ruthless boy. Not a good combination, and one he would be keeping a keen eye out for. Anzû and her pilot Yeshua, another sniper with far more mobility, which would be tricky to hit. Koehler's Roxy, even though he had already stated he would not be looking for Stukov, didn't warrant thought. Another brutal melee Frame, if memory served, and enough of one to make swiss cheese out of most armor. Ryan of the Macabre did not say much, but he did not need to, if that blade on the Frame was as deadly as it was noted to be on the briefs. All experts in their Frame's fields of choice, which would make a good squad. If they could work together after this in any capacity.

Stukov's mind went back to the suggestion on discussing Framewerks of each pilot, and he shrugged finally, having been lost in his own trains of thought. "If everyone wants to discuss Frames, I won't argue with it. Seems like folks have an idea of what everyone has as it is, though."

Krista found it interesting how quickly she could get a read on some of her fellow cadets. There were the ones that seemed fairly nervous about the upcoming battle, the one was going to quickly start butting heads with others, and the few that looked calmer than everyone else in the room. Stukov in particular seemed to be the most level headed, if only because he seemed to be the oldest in the room. This seemed to inspire confidence in him. One of the Cadets, Koelher, had already given Stukov a vote of confidence. Lora had a lot to say too, though Krista did doubt if this battle was only to test their Synchro Rate. If anything Lora seemed to be firm in her capabilities, and was always thinking which could be a good trait to have. It would be interesting to see their 'game faces' once the fight started.

Having skimmed the files on the others on the way here, she recognized a few of the other cadets on sight. She also recognized how many of them piloted Framewerks that were close-range fighters, which was her major weakness. Hopefully she could get someone cover her, or at least figure out a way to keep them from closing the gap.

After everyone had their say, Yeshua suggested that they should describe their Framewerks to each other. Stukov also seemed open to the idea. "Eh, what the heck. I wouldn't mind talking about our frames. We have an hour to fill until the fight starts anyway, so unless there is something else someone wants to talk about..." She trails off, implying an invitation to jump in.

Miles folded his arms, his opinion wasn't the most popular in the room, and the headstrong Stukov seemed to be gaining support by a few members in the room. Which of course was completely fine to Miles, as he wasn't a leader nor someone who particularly needed approval but he was becoming more nervous about his ability to stay alive on the battlefield if any tactical mistakes were made, he hoped that their collective battle experience would be more than enough to fill in the obvious gaps of tactical warfare experience. Stukov's term 'Lone Wolf' applied not only to miles but of most of the pilots here who had never been in a team unit before even if they were willing to be co-operative.

Miles was beginning to overthink a lot of things, luckily Lora the pilot spoke up and returned Miles respectful nod. Miles still wasn't sure if she agreed to team up with him but appreciated the respect. A tall dopey looking boy called Koehler was offering to team up with th nervous wreck of the little girl Elora, his Framewerk 'Roxy' was a very attractive machine with a swift offensive style not too different from Miles' own Black Komodo. The round girl Krista opened the floor to talk about their framewerks, Miles didn't really want to waste anytime, so he spoke up first.

My Framewerk, the Black Komodo is a mech that was built for hard and fast attacks, softening the enemy up in mid to close range combat. Think of it as a 'Shocktrooper' Mech.

Miles looked around the room as a few of the young pilots started to pay attention to him.

My fighting style is self taught, especially when the black komodo fights upclose with the Chainsword, I become very easy to hit with friendly fire by a 'support' unit trying to back me up, it rarely works. I refused to adhere to the elephant in the room. The Russian and Lora have the most impressive mechs in my opinion, our survival may be won or lost on their ability to act under extreme presssure, I dont have to like either of them to acknowledge that fact.

Miles pulled out his pocket computer and pulled up a hologram of the dossiers on the mechs, he cycled through the Daemon, Caliburn and got to Roxy and Rose.
Koehler's Framewerk could do some damage if used correctly, but I question the pilot's abilities, perhaps he would like to prove me wrong in the mock battle? and I cant take this Rose Framewerk seriously. If any of you emerge as leader, keep this joke of machine as far away from me as possible on the battlefeild before I blow it up for fun.

Miles Vayne holds back nothing, he has no one to impress, nothing to gain in social interactions but information and acknowledgement and made his character very clear to his piers in the room. At the very least this upcoming campaign would be interesting.

Koehler quietly talked to Elora some more, attempting to keep it semi-private. "Wow, that Miles guy is so asinine... does he really have to threaten the short rose guy? Rose guy seems decent...". Koehler then began to notice the general distress Elora was in...

"Uhh. Actually... you should, y'know... calm down? Imagine everyone in their underwear, I guess. That used to work for me before puberty.". He then snickered a little at his joke, "...Well I'm going to talk to Stukov.".

Koehler then quietly maneuvered around everyone, attempting to not elicit too much attention. He eventually weaved through the small crowd until he was behind Stukov. He poked his back to get his attention, "So... what are you thinking? Since apparently we can do it me and Elora are gonna make a tiny team. Do you want to be a part of it? I like you. You seem smart, and stuff.".

He went to reassure him, "You don't have to if you don't wanna, Stu. Can I call you Stu? You can call me Koe. Or Harold. Well... I can call you Alex too, can't I? Tell me if you wanna do that, I think it's smart, forming little teams. Yours is the big one, right? As I said mine is supposed to be quick and hit stuff hard. I think that's a good combo along with Elora's thingy to repair us and stuff."

"Why do you think that Miles guy is such an asshole? Are there bees in his ass? That'd be horrifying. Bees-in-ass syndrome. I hate bees..."