[hr][hr][center][color=olive][h1]GRAHAM[/h1][/color][b]HANGARS, NEW ANCHORAGE
[sub]AFTERNOON[/sub][/b][/center]
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Graham wasn’t deaf and he wasn’t blind— he knew very well that the incident in the Mess Hall had caused a bit of a stir and turned some heads. But Graham wasn’t in this to make quick friends or to handhold sensitive snowflakes— he was here to forge soldiers and pilots. Even if they didn’t like it. That did not matter.

The situation with Percy Moore was one he could’ve handled better though, but he needed to get a glimpse to see if there was any sort of [i]man[/i] inside of his body. When he first met the red-haired pilot he thought he saw something in him, a fire that had been fading since his wife’s death, and he was hoping he could stir something in him— to see if he had any [i]bite[/i]. If you could not stand up for what you believed in then you didn’t deserved to believe in anything— that was Graham’s belief on the matter. Whatever the lagging pilots thought on the matter, positive or negative, didn’t affect him in the slightest because he knew he was justified in what he did and how he did it. If they did not like it they could forfeit their pay advance and quit.

He inhaled the chemical in the synth as he thought hard on what kind of group he was going to need to break down and rebuild. 

He had not been blind to Alexander Sky’s near-insubordination and Stein’s comment regarding the matter that in a corporation he would’ve gotten shot for similar behavior was correct. Graham had seen it in Denver-Vegas when one of the more ornery pilots decided to attack a superior when his sister was being lectured in a similar fashion to what had happened in the mess hall. [i]Thunk! Bang.[/i] It was pretty intense when he witnessed it and even though at the time he knew he was a soldier… he didn’t know what the consequences were if you crossed the line that Denver-Vegas drew in the sand. But it made him [i]stronger[/i] and he was better for it. He just hoped that these kids would not be so blind to the point of the lesson; but then again they were too emotional and unfocused to even see; though his stone-like expressions probably worked against him. But ever since Elysian he stopped telegraphing his emotions... he stopped wanting to feel them.

As Graham moved through the hangars they got to a large empty— and dimly lit hangar that had been undesignated (as well as closed) during the former commander’s time in New Anchorage. But Graham had repurposed it.

[color=olive]”Hit the lights.”[/color] 

[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/gbl8VKK.jpg?1[/img][/center]

A solitary generic NC stood in front of Graham and the pilots who were now catching up to his lead. Swiping his synth out of his mouth he turned to face them as smoke exited his lips.

Graham cleared his throat and spoke loudly so all could hear. [color=olive]“Starting tomorrow what you know New Anchorage was is [i]dead[/i]. There is work to be done. After tonight every single pilot will be expected to pass a physical evaluation that tests their perception, dexterity, strength, and endurance— this includes an obstacle course, firearms examination, psych analysis, simulator runs, and a review that involves this NC right here. This final test will require you as a NC pilot to demonstrate to me that you can get inside a mech without assistance. No ladders, no lifts, no stairs, nothing; just you and your hands and feet. If you do not pass all of these tests in thirty days you will be deemed unfit for duty and discharged from your contract.”[/color]

He flicked the synth off as he put it back in his belt— his hands behind his back.

[color=olive]“Alvarez will forward the schedule to all of you with the updated dossiers of your comrades. You have less than 24 hours to prepare, dread, or quit for the first day of [i]real[/i] work. Impress me.”[/color]

He looked at each of his pilots—trying to gauge their reactions as well as estimate which ones could achieve the task and which could not. Physicality was important; it played into NC efficiency.

[color=olive]“Welcome to New Anchorage.”[/color] Ending the comment Graham decided to stay for a minute before leaving the pilots as is and returning to his office.

[color=olive]“Good luck.”[/color]