Donny woke from his strange dream in a cold sweat. His mind immediately went to the thought that this was his grandfather's way of telling him he should have not joined the military. He looked under his pillow and felt much calmer however. He pulled the knife out from underneath; Grandpa's Knife. Pulling the blade out of the synthetic sheath Donny looked at the blade. It was a dull grey, not one of those shiny reflective ones, and the blade had a few knicks. But that didn't make the blade any useless to Donny; far from it. It was evidence that this was no ceremonial weapon. This knife was used in the past and bore the scars of it's actions. Everything from cutting through underbrush to slaying reaper minion. Donny was going to do this knife right, and make sure that he could continue to add onto it's legend.

[b]"Sorry grandpa. But there's no turning back now."[/b]

Truly, there was not. After getting out of bed and dressing into combat fatigues Donny went over to one of the viewing windows. He was in awe by what he saw: [i][url=http://38.media.tumblr.com/d0af28df1936fca4ffc0ed5755be3c4a/tumblr_n41qgpV5Pq1qcbq9jo3_r1_500.gif]Space[/url].[/i] [b]"Geographic conditions indicate an aesthetically pleasing view nearby. Organic lifeforms may wish to take note."[/b] Donny whispered jokingly to himself. He wasn't sure how people got used to sights like this. It was more beautiful than anything he's ever seen on Earth. Not that he's really been to a lot of places on Earth, but he looks on the Extranet for images of scenery. But nothing beats being there to see it yourself.

He would have spent the better part of the day just watching the asteroids go by, but soon there was an announcement on the comms. That meant to things: First listen for any important news, and for Donny to report to the mess hall. He was, after all, still part of the military. And their training doesn't stop just because they're now space borne. There wasn't anything on the announcement that seemed important to Donny aside that they'll arrive to the location of the new colony within 86 hours. That was a over three days back on earth, though ever since they left Earth Donny has had a hell of a time trying to keep track of time. Not having a day/night cycle really messed up his internal clock.

At the mess hall Donny lined up with other soldiers for their breakfast. Or maybe lunch? Again, Donny had a hard time discerning time without a watch. It said it was 0634, but it felt like it was 1300 right now. [b]"Oh well. I just hope they have yogurt today."[/b] Donny had to eat his breakfast both quickly and cleanly. There were officers walking around making sure that the soldiers didn't waste time eating with frivolously things like playing with their food or spending their entire breakfast chatting. But they also made sure that the soldiers weren't being sloppy eaters and making a mess of things. Aside from that though they were fairly lenient. Donny managed to get himself some toast, yogurt, grits, and country fried steak. That is to say, a fried piece of chicken cutlet. It all taste plan, even the yogurt had no flavor, but Donny savored it for it's texture. The toast and steak were warm and crunchy, and the yogurt when added to the toast made it a bit sweet, with a smooth and silky texture combined with the toasts crunchy one. He pour grits on top of his steak to give it the additional crunchy consistency of the grits, but also as a sort of flavored gravy as Donny had poured a bit of salt and sugar into his grits prior. This made his steak have more flavor, not that it had much to begin with.

Donny finished his meal relatively quickly thanks to combining his food together, cutting down on individual time chowing down. He washed it all down with an entire bottle of water before leaving to throw the rest of his leftovers away (Which he didn't have much of) and to wash his dishes. Not even soldiers get away with being lazy and leaving their dishes in the sink. Standing along others who finished their meals Donny found himself a sponge and cleaned his bowl, plates, and utensils quickly and efficiently. He was one of the first of many to finish which allowed him some time to get to the training area with time to spare.

The training area was large enough to house a thousand with a fair amount of space. While not exactly large enough to say, have them run ten miles, a thousand jumping jacks, pushups, crunches, and so forth were entirely doable so long as everyone didn't fall over themselves. And sure enough once a majority of the soldiers, close to 800 at the time, arrived their conditioning began.

[b]""ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR! FIVE! SIX! SEVEN! EIGHT! NINE! TEN![/b]

For the next three hours, with only one ten minute breaks between each hour, Donny and his fellow soldiers did a thousand types conditioning activity. Situp, squats, crunches, jumping jacks, pushups, kata, and a bunch of other calisthenics. And that was just the first hour. The second hour divided the soldiers up by their respective tasks; regular Soldiers, Infiltrators, and Engineers pretty much went to do more physical conditioning. But the biotic, which only numbered to about 100, went to do a different form of conditioning.

They went to a room with more machines that looked like a sort of target practice field. Because it was. Here the biotic worked either together or individually to exercise and hone their powers. Mostly basic stuff, such as using their powers to lift objects, first by augmenting their physical strength, than using only their biotic energy. Those in a team were given a heavier (Typically 1000 pound) weight to work with, while individuals only had a hundred pound. The purpose of these exercises was to have them able to synchronize their powers so in a pinch, a small handful of biotic could easily fling away say, a Mako. Donny himself worked in a team, not that he really knew anyone amongst them. He knew most of the people who slept in his cabin, but Donny wasn't a very social person. Still he and his team was able to go all the way up to 5000 pounds before they had to switch. Some words of encouragement were passed as they all scattered, with Donny leaving to do individual exercises.

Aside from lifting there was also a more combative conditioning. The one Donny found himself essentially wanted him to crush a inflatable target using only his biotic powers. There was someone on hand that would change the resistance of the target. the first few attempts were easy, but at around the fourth try things started to get harder. It required Donny to really put his focus into crushing the target, more so since he couldn't touch it. But sure enough he passed the fourth, and fifth, and got all the way to tenth before he was called out to switch again.

After that exercise the final hour consisted of more physical conditioning. But instead of counting off everyone was made to sing retro songs from the 21th century. Music choice was submitted by the soldiers themselves so it went from anyone to quite heart-pumping to very silly. But regardless of what sort of song was being played, everyone had to sing along. It was suppose to help moral, they say. Donny was delightfully surprised when his [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSS5dEeMX64]song[/url] came up. Perhaps a bit sexist considering that there were a sizable amount of women serving along side him, but this was his song and he had no regrets.

[b]"We must be swift as the coursing river (Be a Man!), With all the force of a great typhoon (Be a man!), With all the strength of a raging fire, Mysterious as the dark side of the moon!"[/b]

Donny returned his his cabin with a bottle of water and a cold can of beer. He wasn't much of a drinker, but it was complimentary by some of the guys who live near his cabin. Though he only drank the water and put the beer in a plastic box, with the other cans he never bothered to drink. Right now as downtime, where the soldiers were free to mill about and spend this time for recreational activities. Most Donny knew were playing games in the rec room or at the gym. Donny tends to spend this time just laying in his cabin reading from the Extranet. However he was feeling rather pumped from the exercise and chose to go take a walk. Who knows, maybe he'll meet someone interesting.

The ship that Donny was on was the human Carrier "Charlotte". It unfortunately wasn't here to stay at the colony, merely to drop off the diplomat on board. She was a common topic by the soldiers since a vast majority of them were brought here to protect her, despite the fact that only a handful of them would actually be accompanying her. Many people felt it was a bit... Unnecessary to bring in a little over 500 troopers if only as many as fifty are actually going to stay with her on the colony. Though at least it was clear to most that the other soldiers who don't stay at the colony are being deployed at other key locations. Still, it was fifty soldiers out of a 1000 that could be one of the new inhabitants of this colony. 

Frankly, Donny really wished he was chosen. He's seen aliens back on earth, but they were rare. he's only seen a few Turians and an Asari, three and one time respectively, both those times only when he was a child with his Grandfather. He always wanted to meet a Geth, a Quarian, and a krogan just to name a few. Bartarians and vorchas tend to have a cardboard cutout of them used for target practice. He's seen a lot of hanar porn back at earth for reasons that do not surprise him. Point is, like space, aliens were a new thing to him that he's never really seen in person, despite how long humanity has been working alongside them. There are just some things you don't get to see on Earth that you have to leave the planet to find.

Donny walked around the corridors of the ship before he came across a "Suit". "Suits" were what the soldiers called non-military personnel that still held some sort of authority over them due to political reasons. Like a mayor or celebrity. At least Donny thought this person was just a Suit. [url=http://www.creativeuncut.com/gallery-22/art/tsw-corporation-uniform.jpg]She[/url] did, at least, look like she was busy checking something on her datapad. Donny moved to avoid her but when she looked up she called out to him. "Who are you?"

[i]"That seemed rather rude..."[/i] He thought in his head. Not even so much as a "Hello, who are you?" but Donny answered anyways. He stood at attention and saluted to her in case she was part of higher command. [b]"Donny Lee. Military Occupational Specialty (MOS):11B Vanguard. Rank: Private (PTE). Grade:OR-2. Unit of affiliation: Unassigned. At your service madam."[/b] It was evident that Donny had been practicing reciting and memorize that information. The women didn't seem interested however and just scowled at him. Still she looked at her datapad, no doubt making sure that Donny's information was correct, and than looked up at him. She seemed calmer, though no less stern. "You information checks out, 'Dong'. Come with me then. I needed to fine some muscle to help move some things around my office." Donny grunted a yes, though he honestly did not want to do that. He wanted to look around and maybe talk to some people, but get pulled into grunt work. But an order was an order, and while he didn't know who this person was, it's not like he really had anything better to do. So Donny followed this stern lady back to her office. Despite what she told him she made no efforts to find anyone else to help move things, so it seemed like Donny would be the only one doing these renovations. 

Strangely enough however Donny and the lady did not head towards the office area where he thought most of the desk jockeys worked at. Instead they went to administrative, which confirmed Donny's suspicion that this lady was probably one of his CO's, or at least works for one. They arrived to her office where Donny got the name of the lady: Eleanore. Strangely enough, no surname. Donny thought this was a bit strange but didn't have time to question it when Eleanore had him move a bunch of stuff around her office. It looked fairly clean, all things considered, and it's not like it was particularly disorganized. Eleanore didn't help at all and instead went to her desk where she took out her purse. And from her purse she took out rows of prescription bottles, taking out individual pills and swallowing them all one at a time. Between each pill she would tell Donny to move something else somewhere else. This went on for a good thirty or so minutes before she told him to stop, went over to a wall and picked something up. [i]"Is that why she called me here? To look for something!?"[/i] The soldier kept his mouth shut as Eleanore went back to her desk. She was still popping more pills! "Now move everything back."

Donny returned to his cabin after helping Eleanore rearrange her furniture. He had spent two hours helping her move things without complaint. He had to as well, as shortly before he left a person came by to talk to her. Donny only caught a glimpse of it, but it was a document that had something to do with the new colony they were arriving to. Donny could guess that Eleanore was the diplomat being sent there. he had no evidence of that aside from that quick glimpse of the papers, but given his luck he wouldn't be surprised. So as he returned to his bunk he thought about what just happened.

[b][i]"I just met Eleanore, and I know she's the one who chooses which soldier comes with her to the new colony. Or at least I'm pretty sure she has a say in who comes. If... If I make friends with her, than perhaps she'll let me come with her to the colony?"[/i][/b] It was 22:12 and many of the other soldiers started to head back to their bunks to sleep. Everyone was suppose to be asleep before 2300 unless they had tasks to do, but Donny wasn't one of those people. Changing into a new pair of fatigues Donny laid in his bunk thinking about what he should do. [b]"I should try to meet her again... Make myself memorable. I... Want to be part of this new world."[/b] Donny whispered him himself as he fell to sleep.

At first he thought it would be a dreamless rest. After yesterday's nightmare, Donny certainly wouldn't mind just going to sleep and waking up. But in this dream he saw... People? Vague colored silhouettes that Donny's mind thought as "people". Than came more people, about five or so. They met for a brief moment before stopping. Donny just watched the colorful humanoid-shaped shadows until a loud buzz rang in his ears.

Shooting strait to sitting position Donny thought he was under attack, nearly whipping out his knife. But no, it was just the [i]Charlotte[/i]'s intercom. It was 6:35, which meant everyone needed to wake up and get breakfast. Groggily Donny put on his shoes and headed to the mess hall. This breakfast was just cereal and a banana. He ate them separately instead of together as his mind was on other things. He was thinking that during his Downtime he needed to go find Eleanore and try to get on her good side. Of course, just showing up at her office wasn't such a great idea. It's not like he has permission to just barge in and talk to her. And he was only able to meet her the first time by luck. Donny was starting to give up hope when it seemed like the universe was throwing him a bone. He saw Eleanore along with some other Suits walking towards the waste disposal and sink area. It looked like they were about finished with their breakfast. He had to act now, despite not finishing his cereal.

Donny walked a quick pace to Eleanore and her entourage, calling out to them. [b]"Uh, hey! I mean, excuse me, madams. I can get that for you."[/b] He motioned towards their dishes. A brief moment of thought passed as they seemed to wonder what Donny just said, but Eleanore was quick to leave her dishes with Donny. She left without a word. Her two Suits seemed to hesitate before Donny reassured them that he'll wash theirs as well. They thanked him and handed him their dishes before turning to follow Eleanore. Also just his luck, he managed to catch the tail end of their conversation. Something about the "Comet Club". That was the name of the bar on the ship, the only place were servicemen were allowed to drink. It had a jazz club as a few pool tables. A cool place, though Donny avoids it since he never had friends to hang out with. He wasn't sure why they were talking about it, but he figured that he could go there during downtime and see if he could catch them again.

Today's conditioning wasn't like yesterday's though he has done something similar before on the ship. While the first hour was much the same, the second hour was combat training. Everyone was gathered towards the various firing ranges, or sent to VR labs to operate vehicles. Donny himself chose to head to the firing ranges to test his marksmanship. As a vanguard he was only cleared to use pistols and shotguns, but he favored those two weapons anyways. He didn't quite have the mind for sniping and couldn't conserve his ammo well enough to use anything that could fire at full or even semi automatic for long. Donny preferred shotguns for their familiarity (He used even military shotguns back at home for hunting) and because it makes him have to think. Not so much as sniping those, but it does make him have to actively conserve his ammo, but when he needs to use it he can without hesitation.

Initially everyone simply went on the firing range with their guns and tested their accuracy at various ranges. Donny started with his pistol, which he did well at from close range, decently at close to mid, but after mid range he only managed to hit his target once in the leg. His shotgun performance in comparison was much better. Close and mid range Donny was able to hit his targets on the mark, and even at far range Donny could get some pellets to hit his target, if he didn't simply use some Carnage to pierce them right where he was aiming for. That took a bit of time however, and he only managed to hit the far range targets three times before he was made to switch out.

Part two of the second hour combat training was reflex training. Here the solders had to practice their quickdraw, target identification, and reaction time. Donny was fairly quick on the draw with his pistol, able to have it out and firing In three-quarters of a second. Though he was noted to have an itchy trigger finger since he tend to shoot despite not being ordered to. It took him a bit longer for his shotgun, an average of about two seconds. His target identification exercise was perfect however, though that was mostly due to the fact the targets were obvious. Everyone generally agrees that target identification is a bit of a joke since the targets them to be krogans, vorchas, or even reaper minions. The only time where it was even mildly challenging was when the couch at the station gave them specific targets to shoot for. Things like "Geth" or "Quarians" or "Humans were a turban" and variations thereof. The goal was to shoot only the targets and not the hostages. Donny did well with his pistol and even his shotgun would hit his targets if they weren't moving so much. He only hopes however, that if he ever needs to apply this skill on the field that he'll be able to hit his mark.

And lastly was reaction training. This ran a gamut of things from avoiding being hit by soldiers with sticks to "How to deal with a grenade being lobbed at you" sort of training. But his favorite part of reaction training was the hand-to-hand defensive combat maneuvers. Donny may not be the strongest or the best fighter, but he likes to think that he could give the best fighter on the ship a run for his money. In hand-to-hand the soldiers were taught various subduing techniques and take downs, as well as lethal ones in the event that their opponent proved too dangerous to leave alive. They also taught various defensive techniques against opponents armed with anything from knives, guns, and even the odd archaic weapons like staffs and swords of all things. It was a lot to teach in less than twenty minutes, so soldiers were allowed to chose which they would like to practice against. Donny chose how to defend himself against someone armed with a firearm. His proctor told the obvious fact: If faced with an opponent armed with a fire arm were you are not, your best option is to run. But when cornered, the proctor demonstrated the technique necessary to minimize his profile (Thus giving the opponent less mass to shoot at) as well as disarming techniques. It was rather painful looking and Donny volunteered to be the "opponent" with the gun, earning him a few bruises. When it came to his turn however, after a few initial mishaps, he was quick to learn how to preform the technique. And without even activating his biotic powers.

The last hour was much like yesterday's, which was more conditioning over the sound of the soldier's music choices. No songs that Donny liked in particular so he just went through the motions. But as he was doing some sit ups he noticed at the entrance of the training area was Eleanore. She seemed to have been watching the soldiers training. Donny cursed himself in his mind. [i][b]"Shit. I didn't really do anything impressive today. I really hope that she still noticed me though... Maybe she could see my potential and take a chance? That's not too optimistic is it?"[/b][/i] By the time the daily conditioning was over Eleanore was gone. Donny hit the showers to wash up, trying to formulate a plan to catch her attention.

As he washed himself he heard some of the other soldiers talking about heading to the Comet Club for drinks. As he eavesdropped on their conversation one of them mentioned that the band won't be showing up that night for some reason or another. That gave Donny an idea of what he could do to possibly catch Eleanore's attention. He washed up quickly and returned to his cabin, putting on his best looking casual clothing. Once he looked proper Donny headed down to the Comet Club.

The [url=http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2013/087/7/9/space_bar_by_kurobot-d5y76s5.jpg]Comet Club[/url] was fairly unimpressive as far as bars go, and their selection of alcohol were limited to only what could be brought from Earth. They had some special alien stuff, but that was reserved for higher ranks or those with the credits to burn, which Donny did not have. But he wasn't here for a drink. Though the place was already pretty busy when he arrived the stage was completely empty. He looked for the barkeep and when he wasn't busy Donny went up to him. [b]"Hey, I hear that the band isn't going to show up tonight. I don't have one myself, but if you got a saxophone I'd be willing to play for a couple of hours. You don't need to pay me, but I'm keeping the tips. Is that okay?"[/b] Donny and the barkeep had to barter over the proposition, since the barkeep did indeed have a sax, but be was hesitant to let Donny use it without a fee. So Donny settled for sharing 3/5 of his tip profits. The barkeep accepted this arrangement and told Donny where he could get the sax.

Though even with the sax in hand, Donny was a bit hesitant. He knew one song, but it wouldn't sound quite right without at least a piano accompaniment... But the universe supplies. Soon another soldier came in talking to the bar keep. A rather cute looking woman, a bit shorter than Donny, who apparently wanted to capitalize on the lack of a band playing as well. She could play the piano. And while she was able to strike a deal faster than Donny, he intercepted her along the way. He informed her of his intent to play on behalf of the missing band and offered a sort of duet with her. She agreed, but they needed to figure out a song they both knew. This was where Donny was stumped. He listed off a bunch of songs he knew, but she didn't know any of them. She listed off ones she knew and Donny didn't know any of them. This was starting to seem like a bad idea. So he suggested an even worse idea. [b]"Let's just wing it. You take lead and... And I'll just follow you. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."[/b] No, he wasn't. But he was willing to try, and this girl on the piano was crazy enough to do it too.

Once again acting as the mover Donny pushed a piano onto the stage where the other girl played some keys to get a feel of the instrument. Donny did something similar just to get an idea of the quality of his saxophone. It was better than any that he ever used. Before they played, Donny remembered that he never told the girl his name, [b]"Oh, I'm Donny by the way. Donny Lee. Let's show them what we can do, eh?"[/b] The girl seemed nervous but introduced herself as Seraph anyways. [i]"Pretty name."[/i] It was the moment of truth. Some of the patrons were watching them now. Donny didn't see Eleanore anywhere amongst the crowd, but it's not like he was going to postpone the show just to wait for her. He had to be proactive, show that he was a stand up guy capable of finishing a job without someone to hold his hand. [b]"... Here we go."[/b]

Their first [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tt524wGJFqs]song[/url] went by unnoticed. It was expected perhaps, given that they were musical accompaniment, not the main attraction. Providing a calming ambiance was suppose to be their thing. Yet when they did play, the volume of patrons talking got... Lower? Quieter? Perhaps they were listening after all? Donny wasn't certain and he wasn't paying attention to that. He had to play his part. His mind forgot about Eleanore, about Seraph, about being a System Alliance soldier. Right now he was just a man with a saxophone, and man with a song in his heart. Not his song, granted, but a song nonetheless. Caught by the fey mood, when it seemed like they came to the end of their first song Donny simply began onto the next [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCmJ6NP4vSA]song[/url] without a break. Seraph seemed to have focused on her playing as well, as she showed no outward reaction to Donny's new song aside from playing along. It was almost magical, at least to Donny. He could even hear the sound of cymbals and a bass guitar playing alongside him even though it was just him and Seraph. Or so he thought.

It appeared that the band of Comet Club had arrived, subtly moving in and playing along to Donny's song. By the time he finished playing was the only time he noticed they arrived. He was fearful for a moment. He didn't want to leave yet; he hasn't seen Eleanore. She had to see him play, to be impressed with his abilities. Granted now that he thought about it his sax playing ability has nothing to do with being able to protect her, since she needs soldiers, not musicians. But the worse of his fears were alleviated when they asked him if they knew any songs by Kenny G. [b]"The Kenny G? Yeah. I know like... Two. [url=https://youtu.be/Xlfnedlb7iU]Songbird[/url] and [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZL_r3uUdD4]Going Home[/url]."[/b]

Donny spent the rest of his downtime playing with the band at the Comet Club. He lead the next two songs, but afterwards he allowed the band to take center stage while he provided whatever sort of saxophone accompaniment he could for whatever they played. If Eleanore ever came he never noticed her. He was looking in between songs, but soon the Comet Club started to get so crowded that it was hard to see anyone without already knowing where they were at. He worried, briefly, about losing his chance to join her on the new colony but let that thought go. He was lost in the song he played with the band and worries like that just slipped away. When it got closer to closing time the band left, as did Seraph who thanked Donny for playing alongside her. He complimented her ability on the piano and said that he couldn't have lasted that long without her backing him up. Perhaps at a lost of words or because it was getting close to curfew, Seraph said very little and left quickly. Donny returned the Saxophone to the barkeep who than gave Donny his tips: a mere 50 credits. He felt like he was being cheated but the barkeep said that if Donny ever wanted to play here again, all he had to do was tell the Barkeep. He suppose that would be fine as long as he didn't have to pay the guy.

Returning to his bunk Donny laid on his bed with the songs echoing in his head. He was the last to arrive unlike how it usually is, with him being the first if he never left in the first place. As sleep was slowly coming to get him his mind went back to the thought of Eleanore and Seraph. Two fine women that he wanted to know more about. [b]"Huh. What is this, some sort of dating sim? Well... They're pretty enough I suppose. I wonder if I'll meet another one tomorrow..."[/b] Donny's last thoughts began to drift onto various subjects, from training to the Comet Club, even his previous few dreams and the thoughts of home. He made it a mission that he'll try to call his family tomorrow and see how they're doing.

Thankfully Donny had a dreamless sleep. While he did wake up a few times in the middle of the night to toss and turn, he woke up at around 0600. The rest of his cabin mates were asleep however, so he had to carefully leave the room. He went to the bathroom to wash up as that was something he neglected to do the past few days. While his teeth were a decently white color, he could scrap some plague off the surface and decided a good brushing was needed. After ten minutes Donny finished washing up and headed towards the mess hall. An early breakfast would give him more time to limber up before the daily exercises, which will allow him to preform at his maximum potential if Eleanora showed up. He also remembered that this was his last day before they would arrive to the new colony. If he couldn't get chosen to join... Well, he supposed that there were always other places he could see. Still in his heart he wanted to come along. He wanted to be part of that new world.

Donny's breakfast was heavy: Fried eggs, bacon, toast, hash browns, with a glass of orange juice. He actually saw Seraph in line as he went to go get breakfast and greeted her. Oddly enough she didn't wear the same type of military fatigues as he did, but much more formal attire like a secretary or something. Donny asked about this and she mentioned that while she is technically a soldier, she also spends most of her time at the help desk organizing and managing the data files. Donny thought this was strange that they'd make a soldier also work as a desk jockey, but Seraph also mentioned that she chose to do this as she is rather nervous about actually seeing combat. She joined the military as her family has had a long time of service with the System Alliance, and she felt that she too should uphold that reputation. Her grandparents fought in the Reaper War, much like Donny's own, so he could understand her thoughts on the matter. Donny and Seraph ate their breakfast together, with Donny noting that no one came over to talk to Seraph despite a large number of soldiers finally showing up. He wondered if Seraph was a lonely person like Donny as well.

Seraph left shortly after she finished eating and mentioned that she'd need to change into her fatigues. [b]"Wait, than why are you in your secretary uniform right now?"[/b] That's when Seraph mentioned that she liked sleeping in it and it's basically like pajamas to her. That was very strange to Donny, but he had no reason to think Seraph was joking or lying. And even if she was, he honestly did not care for the truth if what she said wasn't true. When she left Donny stuck around to see if Eleanore was going to show up, but a few minutes before the daily exercise routine and she hadn't seen her at all. He did see the two that was with her yesterday, but Eleanore wasn't there herself. There wasn't much time left so he left the mess hall. [b]"Maybe I'll see her again during training."[/b]

Once more the first hour consisted of calisthenics. A thousand reps of various exercise for the entire hour. During the ten minute break Donny was about to drink from his water bottle when he heard someone curse loudly next to him. A red haired woman was looking through her bag furiously, despite it being a very small duffel bag. She apparently forgot her water bottle. There was a line to a water fountain, but the line was huge and would take her almost ten minutes, if not more. She was panting hard and heavy, despite having much more muscle mass than Donny. She was, in fact, much larger than Donny, almost intimidatingly so. He was almost certain she was part krogan. Still where Donny was breathing only mildly, this woman seemed to need the water more than he did. So he called out to her and offered his water bottle. [b]"Here, you can take mines. I haven't even opened it yet."[/b] The woman did so immediately without a word. She drained Donny's bottle dry without taking a moment to breath. The muscle bound woman warrior than handed his nearly-crushed bottle back to Donny, saying only a word of thanks. [b]"Y-yeah. No problem."[/b]

The second hour of exercise was, surprisingly enough, the same as yesterday. Normally they switch the second hour exercises every day. But as he looked around he noticed Eleanore and could guess that she was the reason why they were doing these exercises again. And sure enough before they were sent off to work the Drill Sargent announced that those who do well today may be eligible to join the diplomat on her job onto the new colony. This just reaffirmed to Donny that he needed to do his best. Give it his all. And hold nothing back.

Once more Donny went to the firing range to handle his pistol and shotgun. He needed to keep his cool this time and not mess this up by being hasty. While he had to show his skills, he shouldn't show off. [b]"Professionals have standards."[/b] Raising his pistol to eye level Donny waited for the singal to fire. [b]"Be polite."[/b] Donny scored four head shots and twelve body shots on the close and mid range target with his pistol. [b]"Be efficient."[/b] Donny scored three headshots and twenty-four body in all shots at close, mid, and long range with his shotgun. [b]"Have a plan to kill everyone you meet."[/b] Thirty out of thirty shots hit the target. Most of them were aiming for center of mass, and he only did long range with his shotgun. But it was with his shotgun at long range that he scored those last three head shots, one in each eye and one right on the nose. His accomplishments pale in comparison to some of the others soldiers however, who consistently landed lethal shots with casual indifference where he needed to concentrate and even go Carnage just to land those last three shots. [b]"Be cool, be cool... Just ace the next part, is all."[/b]

But there was a change in processes. Instead of taking part of the quickdraw, reactionary, or identification courses, Biotics were told to head to a different area where they could practice their biotic powers. This caught Donny off guard but he was willing to roll with it. There weren't as many biotics on the [i]Charlotte[/i], so this made it a bit easier for him to stand out. Their excersises were basically a mix of all three quickdraw, reaction, and identification however, and all with their biotic powers. The proctor would send various colored clay pigeons and each biotic would need to either crush, pull, or ignore the pigeons depending on their color. Red ones needed to be crushed. Yellow ones pulled in. Orange ones ignored. [b][i]"What the hell, they look almost all the same!"[/i][/b] Worse still was that the clay pigeons were sent en masses. The first few had a really hard time trying to get the red and yellow pigeons, and even those who managed to get the Yellow ones tend to accidentally break them. This new test almost felt like it was suppose to keep biotics out of the new colony but Donny wasn't going to be daunted. He had the skills to handle this, he knew it.

When it was his turn at least fifty clay pigeons were sent out. From his observations, there were only about five red pigeons and ten yellow ones. The rest were orange and meant to mast the presence of the others. Donny immediately spotted two yellow ones and managed to pull them directly towards him, however he broke a few orange plants while doing so. He saw a red one and crushed it on the spot. He didn't need to apply much force behind it since it was just a clay pigeon. He pulled in two more Yellows but also an orange one by accident, and managed to break two more Red ones. He did that when he saw two red ones, but instead of crushing them both he pulled the furthest Red pigeon and had it collide with the nearest red pigeon, allowing them to shatter each other on impact. So far it looked like he was doing the best, but the pigeons were about to fall. He had only managed to take out three red pigeons and captured four, which he thinks is a fairly bad score. So he ran towards the clay pigeons.

The proctor never made it clear if they were only suppose to stay where they were at when they dealt with the targets so Donny took it upon himself to run towards the flock and try to get a closer look. Not only that, but he had a way to keep them air born just a bit longer. Sending out a Shockwave at the mass of Clay Pigeons, he managed to knock them all higher into the air. But he also did so with careful and precious precision, to prevent accidentally breaking any of them. This caused their trajectory to change to actually fly upwards, giving him more time to seek out the red and yellow pigeons. He spotted three of the yellow pigeons and pulled them en mass towards him, catching a few of the organ pigeons. But he also caught a red pigeon. Taking the yellow ones Donny grabbed the red Pigeon and crushed it in his hand. [b]"Okay maybe we weren't suppose to do that, but whatever!"[/b] Donny managed to capture all the yellow Pigeons shortly after, but failed to get the last red pigeon. He returned to his proctor who complimented him on his initiative of chasing after the pigeons himself, allowing the other biotics before him to copy his idea. While their success were mixed, there was a notable improvement in success when they copied Donny's idea. Because of his ingenuity however, other more capable biotics were able to get perfect scores. This left a bitter taste in Donny's mouth as his score, while very good, was not perfect.

Than came the last hour. After snacking on an energy bar and Tupari the last hour of excises was unlike any he had done before. It was simple really: They would now be divided into groups and spar one another. [b]"That's insane! I mean granted, it kind of make sense in the idea that we are soldiers and we should at least be accustomed to fighting, but to fight each other?"[/b] Donny's thoughts were echoed amongst the crowd around him, but they followed the orders nonetheless. They all gathered into various groups and their sparing partner would be chosen by the proctors. To no surprise, that red-haired warrior that Donny had helped earlier was in his group. It was no less of a surprise when the proctor chose him and her to spar one another. "Rosemary Thorn and Donny Lee."

Rosemary was a strait-up soldier and it showed. While Donny was a decent five-foot ten, Rosemary was six-foot six and at last twice his mass. She had wider shoulders than he did and her arm was almost as long as Donny's legs. Evidently, despite being a woman, Rosemary had the physical advantage. She stoically popped her neck and cracked her knuckles, as did Donny, and the two were going to square off against one another. There's no killing, no biotics, no weapons, and if the opponent surrenders you must let them go, and if you surrender you must surrender and not use it as a ruse to get a sneak attack. [b]"Fair enough..."[/b] Though fair isn't exactly what he'd call it considering that he can't use biotics, but he took a stand anyways. When the proctor gave the start Rosemary charged in, putting his massive hand in front of Donny's face. He knew why; she was trying to block his vision for her follow up. Most would step back, but Donny stepped forward. He had his arms up just in time for them to block a knee that was meant for his chest. With her leg so close to his body Donny took the opportunity to grab her leg. More importantly however, she wasn't wearing shoes, so he grabbed her toes and began to crush them in his hand. This earned him an elbow onto his shoulders as the two roared in pain. But fighting through the hurt Donny took a step back with Rosemary's toes firmly in his grip, causing her to land in a split. She seemed flexible enough to handle it, but this gave Donny the opportunity to continue to twist her toes as well as stomp on her ankle. She reached out and pushed Donny away which sent him rolling onto his feet. Rosemary stood up but with a notable limp. Donny than noticed his hand bleeding. [b]"Must have cut myself on her toenails..."[/b] Feeling the warm liquid drip down his hand, it seemed like this spar wasn't over yet.

In an act that isn't exactly professional, Donny smeared his own blood onto his arm and face. He was bleeding a lot and intended to make use of it. Rosemary wasn't phased, but the same couldn't be said of some of the other soldiers watching. [b]"This fight... It's really making the blood flow, ya know?"[/b] It was almost insane what Donny was doing, but this was for the purpose of psyching Rosemary out and giving himself confidence. Somehow being covered in his blood made him feel invincible. [b]"Come on then. This isn't over yet!"[/b] And after three minutes it was over. Donny was cunning, knowing that he lacked the pure strength to match up with Rosemary. But she wasn't an unthinking brute either. While he was able to fool her with trickery and agility, once Rosemary had an idea of what Donny was up to she was quickly able to put him down, chopping him right across the larynx and straddling Donny across his chest. She punched him three times in the face before he surrender. Luckily she didn't break his nose, but she did give his skull a good thrashing and blackened both his eyes. Donny was than taken to the infirmary by Rosemary herself who needed to get her foot checked and her left arm relocated after Donny managed to pull it out of socket. Not that he knew that, she fought as though all he managed to do was tug on her fingers. "Heh. Look at me. I feel so fucked up and you didn't even throw a punch."

Rosemary and Donny sat in the infirmary wing where doctors and their assistance worked fervently to help out those who got hurt. Apparently they weren't expecting a bunch of wounded soldiers to show up out of the blue and asked if there was an explosion or an attack that happened. But no, as most of the soldiers explained, it was just training. Donny was given some ointment and bandages to staunch the bleeding and an icepack for his head. Rosemary needed more excessive help, which meant that by the time Donny could leave Rosemary would have to stay behind. Before he left however Rosemary called out to Donny. "Hey! Good fighting. Why don't we meet for drinks at the Comet Club? I'll see you there!" Rosemary didn't even give Donny a say in the matter as she was taken away to get her injuries treated. Uneasy at the prospect, he nonetheless showed up to the Comet Club. It was packed full, this time with soldiers showing off the scars of today's battle. Donny couldn't show off his own since all he had were bruises on his face, which he really wished he could hide. It just made him look like he was a punching bag. He couldn't even go up to play the saxophone since his jaw was sore from Rosemary wailing on him. He noticed Seraph at the bar and figured that she would be willing to talk to him. He sat down next to her, and when she turned to look, she nearly jumped in shock. 

[b]"Hey. It's me, Donny. Like my new look?"[/b]

"Whah... What happened to you?!"

[b]"Well..."[/b]

Donny told Seraph about his fight with Rosemary, and he didn't pull any punches when he told her about his "fighting style" of crushing her toes, slathering himself in blood, and trying his best not to let her get a clean blow on him even if he never threw a punch. Before he could finish his story by telling Seraph how Rosemary nearly decapitated him and beat his face in, the warrior herself arrived and gave Donny a much better sending off. "He really put me into a corner, so I had to give it my all. I got a lucky shot on him and took him down. I was desperate to make sure he didn't try anymore tricks so I wailed on him, but he gave up before that happened. I was glad too, because at that point all I could think about was trying to punch him as many times as I can before he breaks me." Rosemary sat next to Donny and ordered three cocktails called "Full Biotic Kick". Donny gulped at the idea of drinking since he wasn't much of an alcoholic.

Then he realized that he was now sitting between two women. While Rosemary was certainly gruff and intimating, she had a sort of stoic beauty that made her... Handsome. Seraph was cute in a way, but she was also mature and refine when he saw her play the piano. It was energetic yet graceful. Seraph and Rosemary also seem to be familiar with one another as they chatted about today's events. Seraph was apparently classified as a soldier, which would give them a reason to see each other a lot. When Rosemary asked what Donny's classification was he nearly jumped. [b]"Oh. Uh, you... Didn't see me? I'm a biotic. A biotic vanguard."[/b] Rosemary didn't know what that was, but Seraph seemed rather interested. She said that she was always interested in biotics and it's applications to everyday life. Donny tried to play it humbly, mentioning that he only learned he was a biotic when he first joined the System Alliance, and the most mundane he's ever did with it pull his gun into his hand when he nearly dropped it. Rosemary however listed off the various things that a biotic could do and asked Donny what he could do with his biotics. [b]"Well... I'm not very good at describing. But perhaps you'd like to see it instead?"[/b] 

Somehow or another, Donny was back at the training area. It was nearly void of people however; the only ones here were cleaners, Donny, Rosemary, and Seraph. And the two women were armed with form sticks. Even though Donny was still feeling sore in the head Rosemary wanted to spar him again, but this time she wanted to test herself against his biotic powers. Seraph, despite her cute and fairly innocent appearance, also wanted to test herself against a biotic. Donny obliged with a passion, but in his head he was screaming for help. [b][i]"HOW THE FUCK DID I GET MYSELF IN THIS SITUATION!?"[/i][/b] At least he had a form stick as well, so he wasn't defenseless. It only provided him a minor confidence booster considering that he was now going to engage in melee with two soldiers. Rosemary didn't even seem like she was hurt at all during Donny's sparing, and Seraph herself looked unharmed as well. Where as Donny still had the bandages on his face and two black eyes. But there was no turning back now. Flipping the stick in his hand Donny assumed his combat stance.

[b]"Bring it on!"[/b]

Rosemary charged forward with a lunging stab at Donny's chest. Seraph was going to move to flank Donny. He couldn't let himself be sandwiched between the two or he'll just get beaten to the ground, no matter how powerful his biotics were. He dodged to the side behind Rosemary, getting poked in the shoulder instead of dead on his chest, as he went towards Seraph. Here he demonstrated his Biotic Charge as he went strait towards her to incapacitate her. He stopped the charge short of actually hitting her and swung at her legs to trip her. She fell onto the ground as she expected a higher strike. But before Donny could take her out Rosemary managed to catch up behind him and grabbed him in a bear hug. Her breast pressed against his back would have been pleasant if she wasn't also simultaneously crushing his body. He still had some energy left however, so he used to to cause a Nova, launching Rosemary off her of him and sending Seraph skidding on the floor.

But it doesn't look like either of the girls were all too interested in giving up. Rosemary landed on her feet and was giving Donny a wicked grin. Seraph sprung onto her feet as well and resumed getting into position to flank. It was too soon for him to use another charge and they weren't close enough to spring another Nova. So he'd have to put today's training in practical application. He looked over to Seraph as she was moving into position and targeted her stick. He yanked the stick out of her hands and into his own. Thinking that he subdued her Donny turned to Rosemary just in time for her to tackle him onto the ground. In an all too familiar position where Rosemary was sitting right on top of him, Donny targeted Rosemary's stick with his biotic powers and snapped it in half. She narrowly missed whiffing him across the face. This gave Donny time to fight back, unlike last time where he was quickly pummeled the moment Rosemary was on top of him. He bucked and used the sticks in his hand to help leverage himself out from underneath Rosemary, knocking her over in the path of Seraph who seemed like she intended to take advantage of Donny's predicament. Backing away from the two women Donny took on his fighting stance meant for dual wielding, a style that he's only practiced and never really applied. 

"That's enough."

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up at the voice. Seraph was the first to stand at attention, followed by Donny, while Rosemary only did so after she noticed what the other two were doing. Eleanore had arrived alone carrying the same Datapad that Donny first saw her with. Seraph was the first to speak out. 

"A-Ambassador Eleanore! To what do we owe the pleasure, ma'am?"

Putting the datapad away Eleanore looked at the three ragged soldiers intently, as if she was scanning them. She smiled which sent a shiver down Donny's back. "As you know I'm looking for capable soldiers to accompany me to the new colony. I watched today's demonstration and none left an impression on me." Donny felt a bit sullen hearing that. He tried so hard and yet she didn't even seem curious? A certain... Anger swelled up inside of him. This made him speak out. [b]"Than what sort of a soldier are you looking for?"[/b] Donny said with a hint of fury in his voice. Eleanore dismissed his tone.

"Someone who gets things done without causing a mess. Someone who can do more than simply follow orders and kill on demand. I'm not a general; I'm not taking soldiers to occupy a city or to fight against another army. I want soldiers who are more than tools and weapons. I am here for diplomatic reasons. The soldiers I take should be able to help, but just as security, but also to foster relationships. You are going to represent humanities best, both on and off the battlefield."

Eleanore stepped up to Donny. She was his weight but physically petite. And yet Donny felt like the small one here. "I want Commander Shepard. Do you think you have what it takes to follow in his footsteps and be humanity's next hope?"

It was 0600. Donny practically had no sleep, so no dreams. He felt his grandpa's knife underneath his pillow and took it out. At this point his eyes were accustomed to the darkness and he could see his ancestral weapon. It was a dull grey, yet the dim light from beneath the door made it shine in Donny's eyes. On the blade's edge he could see the reflection of himself. He was beaten and bruised. He was a biotic and a solider, but far from the best or the strongest. He wasn't well known and only recently started talking to girls. And the day before he told his mother that he'll be going to 2196 BH3.

[b]"I'm going to be part of a whole new world ma! I've been in space for so long and now I'll finally get a chance to see aliens and what it's like to live on a new planet. But I'm not just going to be a soldier there ma, I have to help keep relation. You know, like, making friends and being peaceful with the other aliens. There'll be Turians and Quarians there. You know who they are right? Yeah, I'll be working with them, as well as many other types of people. Yeah, mhmm... Yeah... I am scared. I've hardly gotten to know other people, like human people, very well and now I'll be working with aliens. I'm not really sure what I'll do when I meet them. But I think I'll just be myself. I don't want them to think I'm trying to put on airs or anything. I'll just sort of let them see my true colors and let them decide what to make of me. I know that there'll be some who won't like me ma, but I can't let them scare me. I have to both protect and represent the human race now! I can't let them think I'm a coward. I mean I'm not going to go to war ma! I'm just showing them that... That I'm the best that I am. I... Yeah uh huh. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay okay, I get it ma. I'll be fine. You trust me don't you? I know you're worried, but you have to believe in me. I am still your... Little boy... But I'm also a man. I have responsibilities now. I can't let them down, and I'm not going to. I know. I'll be sure to call you and Jay and everyone else too. Alright. I love you too mom. Goodbye."[/b]

When the morning routine signal on the intercoms buzzed to life, Donny didn't head to the mess hall. He did go to the bathroom to get wash up and get dressed. But instead of his combat fatigues he donned his armor. His luggage, which consisted of a single large military backpack, contained what little possessions he had. His knife he had firmly strapped to his lower back. The box containing the beer cans he never drank, he left them on a table for his cabin mates. He left a note saying his goodbyes and good luck. After he gathered his belongings and tidied up his bunk Donny did not head towards the mess hall. Instead he went towards the hangar bay where the carrier [i]Charlotte[/i] store most of their space craft. There he saw about twenty other soldiers, Seraph and Rosemary included. Seraph was going to come with Eleanore from the get go. They both had to coax Rosemary to come with them, as she only saw herself as a soldier. Donny reminded her of her strength and conviction, two things that represent more than just her combat prowess. She joined, but only under the condition that the other two came with her. And of course they would. They all would.

The soldiers gathered filed into the shuttle. Eleanore was already inside and informed them of where they were going: A space station above the new colonized planet where she would meet with other diplomats and representatives. They themselves would act as her security personnel as well as assistants. They will do everything from catering and babysitting, volunteering for hard labor and working administrative positions. Being a soldier would be the last thing they do if they do this right. But always expect the worse and be prepared for it. This colony has much potential, but also unknown hazards. Death is always a possibility. But they already knew that, and they came here after making that decision. Donny was daunted and scared, but he wasn't going to turn back now. He was going to be the hero that he always wanted to be. The hero that his grandpa was, the hero that Commander Shepard is. It was a high bar and the vanguard knew he couldn't reach it now. But one day he'll grow to the point that he would reach his dreams. Maybe even set a new bar for others. This was just the first step. He was going to be part of a brand new world.

The shuttle arrived onto the space station without incident. When they arrived, the soldiers had to check in with S-Sec. They were given identification tags that labeled them as security. They were also given pamphlets to help them navigate the ship, though Donny passed his along to someone else and promptly lost it. He'll regret that later. Following Eleanore and the other soldiers they reached a large corridor where Eleanore spoke to someone who looked like a receptionist. There she began to divided up the soldiers to handle various tasks. Donny was given luggage duty.

"Here is the location of where our luggage is being taken, as well as a list of identification numbers. Temporary arrangements have been made for us here, so bring the luggage to these rooms. Make sure nothing has been lost or stolen, and find it if you do. Report back to me when I return from my meeting. You are dismissed."

Donny went strait to the luggage area. Or at least he tried to. As he walked through the corridors that was the first time he came face to face with a Quarian. Two of them in fact, one male and one female. They were just walking on by when Donny nearly bumped into them. He was scared for a moment. He thought they were going to be angry. But no, instead they simply said "Sorry, excuse me." and walked on. They brushed Donny off simply, but he couldn't help but continue to gawk at them. He had seem Quarians before on the Extranet, but never in person. They seemed so much more... Exotic. He wanted to talk to them. But he had a job to do, so he fought the urge to chase them down and went to the location where their luggage was. It wasn't any easier not to get distracted once he was there however, as he than saw an entire gamut of alien races. Turians, krograns, more quarians, other humans, Asari, salarians, just to name a few that he saw. They were all talking and going about their business as if it wasn't impressive seeing them all together like this. Like a complete dork Donny looked at each of their faces as he walked on by. Some even gave him a strange look. He eventually bumped into a rather large and intimating krogan (though up close they are all large and intimating compared to Donny). [b]"O-oh, sorry, I'll just be going now..."[/b] Donny slunk away before the krogan could see him and made a beeline strait towards where his luggage should be.

Collecting the bags into trollies Donny now needed to take them to their rooms. It was simply an empty office space with some accommodations, though obviously Eleanore was going to get something more upscale that wasn't even in the same room. It was fine with Donny though. He was still in shock over seeing all those aliens to care much about the fact he was going to sleep on a cot. It took him some time to find his room which he only managed to do when he ran into one of his fellow soldiers, who himself was tasked with finding the room and preparing it for the soldiers. Donny followed him and helped him set up, and he helped Donny put the luggage away. Working together they made quick work of their duties but also found out that something went wrong. One of the bags seemed to have accidentally been torn open. Donny realized it was his bag. He checked it for belongings and found that most of his clothes were still in there. But something more important was gone. Something that he did not dare allow out of his bag for how embarrassing it was if the others knew about it. He set his bag down and left the room to go search for this object, hoping to god that no one has picked it up and taken it.

Donny needed to go find his [url=http://i.imgur.com/iOd5VvM.jpg]baby blanket[/url].