Reaching Doppler was different. While those of the outer colonies would be used to travelling for months in zero-gravity, it was the first flight for many trainees. Those of Axial were saved by the half-hour long travel, but days of sick were expected for even the most prepared prospect from Mars. To make matters worse, this was the first time anyone was travelling under such strict scrutiny. Armed soldiers verified identities and acted as guards. The soldiers aboard the transport ships were of little help for those who became ill. They could only offer an antiemetic, a bag, and a sympathetic pat on the back.

After arriving at the landing bay, trainees weren't given long to get their affairs in order. They were quickly filtered through multiple lines. Their identities were vouched once again by an armed secretary. Their histories briefly interrogated. Their personal items had been taken to be reviewed, catalogued, and returned at a later date. After all, this was still a military compound and security was a necessity. Once filtered, they were pushed towards showers to wash off what the pitiful facilities on ships couldn't clean. Thankfully, whoever had designed Dopper had given mind to privacy. The typical military locker rooms had been discarded in favour of cramped single person stations. Finally, students were to wear their newly acquired uniform to orientation. It was a formal event, after all.

Military orientation was definitely military orientation. Standing in file for an hour with the only noise being demands of silence. Finally, an older man came to stand on the stage. While he chose to wear a drab suit for the occasion, it was apparent from his badges that he was a tenured member of the military.

The old man covered most of the bases in his speech. How ranks were an incentive for performance, how each day was scheduled, what topics you would now study, and things like that. A fair bit of housekeeping. The most important thing he covered, however, was the format of lances. To mirror how pilots engaged in missions, trainees were to be placed in a small group known as a lance for the purpose of training, study, and practice. Of course, their accommodations were to be kept separate, but they would remain in these small groups for the entirety of their time at the academy. The only way to change groups was if enough members flunked out or became otherwise incapacitated.

Once his speech was over--frankly, the majority of time had been spent waiting for his speech--all trainees had been ushered into smaller rooms to introduce themselves to the group and once again wait for their instructors.

Weeks of travel from the outer colonies were finally interrupted by the time they reached Mars. Unfortunately, the pilot cadets weren't even allowed planetside for a quick moment, as the Martian candidates piled onto the ship in short order and they took off once more after resupplying. Worse, there wasn't even much opportunity to socialize for the last few days of the trip, as a good portion of the pilots from Mars were too busy being sick in zero-G for the first time. Not that it wasn't mildly entertaining watching landsiders lose their lunch for several days, but Aron had been hoping to at least interact with someone different for once. There weren't too many outer colony candidates on the transport ship in the first place, and they'd all mostly kept to themselves, Aron himself included. After all, he would have had plenty of time at Doppler to get to know people, and there was still remedial coursework he had to finish up before the arrived, just so he wouldn't embarass himself in the classroom.

Some conversations with off-duty soldiers aboard the ship at least let Aron know what was in store for him during the orientation and onboarding process: yet more military rigamarole. He endured the debriefing and collection of personal effects, but the showers were a welcome surprise. Good bathing facilities were ever a rarity in an outer colonist's life, and even military showers were among the best he ever had, aside from the time he'd spent in the Chenkov facility.

While the speech at least conveyed what they needed to know well enough, the wait had been utterly insane. An hour? Just for that? They could have just handed out data files and saved everyone the damn trouble. Apparently, military efficiency really was an oxymoron. At least the idea of the lance wasn't too foreign to him. Asteroid miners had to endure the same company for months on end before returning to station, and at least here, quarters were separated. So with a sigh, Aron dutifully followed along to the room he was assigned, several teenagers all just...sitting there. No one seemed willing to talk yet, so he supposed he may as well break the damn ice.

"Aron Krol, representing Chenkov Solutions." He said curtly, raising a hand in greeting. At least one of the people in the room with him was definitely an outer colonist, he'd recognized him from the weeks of space travel. The rest were...probably Martians? He didn't know. But if the white-haired girl wasn't some rich moon girl, he'd eat his boot. You didn't see that kind of demeanor out among the proles. Wonderful. Time to start being looked down upon, probably. But he may as well get the rest of his background out. It'd come out eventually, regardless. "Former zero-G miner in the outer colonies. Any of you think they'll actually put us in our mechs today, or just keep jerking us around?"

So maybe living in the outer colonies had some benefits after all. Mirko thought he would watch the students from Mars get sick during their trip to the moon. A thought he would never ever think of a good thing about living in the outer colonies but seeing the Martian cadets lose their lunch and were sick for a good portion of the trip. It made him glad he is used to zero G, unlike the Martians. However, he did not really try to talk to anyone during the trip. Mainly kept to himself and, like the rest of the outer colony cadets. Plenty of time to talk with his fellow cadets once they have reached the Doppler and not when people are sick and losing their lunch.

Still, Artyom did give him some advice on what to expect, and he was not joking about the strict military procedures. Mirko kinda wished he was joking but either way, he got through it, and the shower at the end was nice. Good showers were a rarity back home at Vesta, despite him staying with Artyom for a bit on Mars and getting great showers there. It was still nice, even for the limited time he had.

Standing for an hour in file doing nothing, waiting for an old man to show up and give a speech. It sucked, but he endured it and only wished that somehow the whole thing was more bearable. Yes, it is probably a military thing or something but did they need to have them stand for an hour just for a speech? Not to him, and still, he understood was the old man said and about the lances.

And now, after all, that was over, he was now in a room with some cadets. No one was talking, and during the silence, Mirko tried to get a feel for his fellow cadets, and he recognized one, an outer colonist like him from the trip. The others, no clue, really, and he was tempted to say something. But he chooses to remain silent and wait for someone to speak up, if anyone at all did that before their instructors arrived. So the other outer colony colonist chose to speak up and break the ice. Aron Krol is his name, after him that Mirko had the confidence to talk. "Mirko Iskra," he said with his right hand slightly raised. "Also, former miner in the outer colonies and maybe Aron. But I feel like we are due to more talking and not getting into our mechs today. So yeah, more jerking around."