It certainly wasn’t the kind of opening pitch Ross expected from a commanding officer, the Colonel was a hell of an informal man with an easy-going disposition who, if Ross didn’t know any better, was thrust up the chain of command somewhat against his will. He’d seen officers in the past where they never quite let go of their NCO days where they served and fought alongside their troopers, and the higher up the chain of command you went, the further away from your troopers you became. Some people coped by becoming super hardasses, to make themselves as cold and professional as possible to prevent more personal attachments, others became despondent and prone to nostalgia and melancholy without being effective leaders, and others were like Colonel Silverwind Blade, who seemed to be the military equivalent of the older kid who didn’t want to accept the fact he was approaching an age where playing with kids and toys was unacceptable and put off the inevitable. [I]Maybe I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure this is the kind of guy who only gives a crap about ranks when someone else with bars on their shoulders is looking.[/I] Ross thought, adjusting the gun strapped over his shoulder.

The sales pitch was pretty spot on for Ross’ interest, as it turned out. Unconventional team that doesn’t play by the rulebook and gets thrown into the shit with some fancy equipment away from the rank and file doing some straight-up commando shit that could tip the balance of the war. From what Ross gathered of his fellow SpecOps trainees was that they were an island of unwanted toys, something about each of them was so individualistic and out of what is considered a model soldier that they just didn’t fit in. Some of them were foreigners with different cultural values and expectations, others were individualistic to a fault and had to make things their own way, some were just too damn clever to be cannon fodder. Whatever the case may be, the Roughriders had a reputation for going into the heaviest fights against all odds and coming out on top, and largely thanks to individual GEAR pilots who didn’t need a babysitter. It was starting to sound like it might be a good place to call home, and Ross erred on the side of cautious optimism. Blade didn’t seem to be all that bad; after all, he didn’t immediately give him shit about the hat. 

As the assignments were issued, Ross called out to his two assigned partners. “A’right [I]uberfrauline[/I], Aihara, you heard the colonel. Let’s go show the munitions grubs what fun they’ll be missing, showing off our big muscles and how fire and control exercises can be used to master the art of shuffling around cans of tuna.” He shouted, his deep, smooth voice teasing the other members of the trainee squad, as well as the veteran Roughriders, including Aihara, whom was assigned to their detail. He offered the arctic wolf a nod as they met up, and he offered a hand for shaking. "Good to meet you. I'm looking forward to seeing what the Roughriders are all about. You been here since the start?" he asked. 

Soon, the trio headed over to where Maxwell, Jacquo, and Abraeven were beginning to stage to square the squad away into their quarters. Ross removed his rucksack and machinegun, setting it down in the pile that was already somewhat started. “Hey, fellas, if you can do me one solid, when you go for the duffles and other personal shit, treat my guitar like it’s a fine lady, because she’s worth about a week of my wages.” He said, sincerely pleading with the trio to look after the instrument instead of tossing it around, despite its relative protection in the case. “I mean, you guys know me well enough now that I treat most things like a beat-up truck, but this is the one exception to the rule. Drinks on me later, a’right?” he said, slapping Jacquo on the shoulder before stepping back so Hildebrand and Aihara could drop their own things off and make any personal requests. 

The trio headed towards where Major Brownden was currently directing supply flow into and out of the Landcruiser, and Ross was captivated by the giant vehicle they were about to call home. This was the first time he'd ever actually seen one of the behemoths up close. They were common enough in the LDF, especially for propaganda purposes, but it was kind of like how seeing a picture of a mountain didn't properly give you a sense of scale until you witness them in person. “Fuck, I never believed something this cartoonishly huge actually existed, you don't appreciate it until you're actually inside one.” He said with an appreciative whistle. “I feel like a toy in a stupidly expensive playset kids beg for to bankrupt mum and dad. Hey, [I]uberfrauline[/I] did 
Wulram ever build anything like this, or at least as irresponsibly large and expensive? This can's just begging to be kicked by an airstrike or arty barrage." he asked Claudia, grinning at his companions as they closed the distance with their contact.