Solaire, to Harold, was an experience that was mostly new but one that he had little trouble adjusting to. He'd been through military training before and so more or less knew what to expect, including dedicated classes for his unit's on the battlefield, but he was surprised to find specialist martial arts among Team Sigma's curriculum. Nonetheless, he fit into the role of squad officer like a glove, but due to the varying personalities among his charges - and his innate incompatibility with Lora - there were more than a few times in which he was frustrated. Still, they had all developed some synergy, and with a proper chain of command, there was no questioning who was in charge.

Every time he would order them to fall in-line, the sheer variety of colors never failed to instill in him a sense of wonder. Everyone looked at him in differing ways, and each soldier held him- or herself differently. Each personality was distinct and instantly recognizable, from Roger's accent, to Zim's diminutive stature, to Sigma's luxuriously exotic hair color. And in this niche unit, these already unique people had equally unique Framewerks - in form and in function - and their own combat expertise. Morale was no issue as everybody seemed to resign themselves to this path in life and, all in all, everyone was looking sharp. Ariin, he noted, looked as confident as ever. Their postures were sure and stiff, and they all addressed Harold as "sir!"

It somewhat irked him then, that some of his charges were sharper than he was. Under Lorenzo's academics, he was often surpassed by others, especially Katya, who seemed to find no issue with any of the given material. For a time, he tried harder than normal, but found out that he could never outperform the young woman, and so returned to a more relaxed pace of learning.

During his free time, he mostly spent his time alone, but often checked up on how the others were doing, especially Elora, whom he regarded as especially fragile. That he was the team's commanding officer complicated things a bit, as this duty conflicted with his desire to socialize with his comrades. He found himself talking to Katya most of all in matters unrelated to the military, hoping to build up what had begun after the Mock Battle towards some unknown point. He spent some time in the simulators too, putting into practice what he'd gotten from a new wealth of material from the military section of Solaire's expansive library.

Today was another day of his second take on officer school. Lorenzo, as usual, was the lecturer, and imparting material about Cruxi forms and types. Harold listened and took notes, and by the time it was over and the alarms were blaring, he had already put away his pocket notebook. He briskly walked to the briefing room, finding enough room in his concentrated mind to wonder about Iota - Sigma's apparent family, and the sisters she had lost, and Harold had killed, during that "Mock" Battle.

He was among the last to arrive, and he surveyed the room to find the team complete and already lined up. Very good. He stood before them, hands clasped behind him, and walked up and down the formation as if on inspection. He was only doing it to kill time, really, as he hated being idle. When either Lorenzo or Lieutenant Ritsu show up, Harold would bellow a strong "Officer on deck!" and lead the salutes.

He wondered if they were finally being deployed. If they were, he was confident in the team's victory. Perhaps his platoon looked like a chaotic, duct-taped amalgamation with enough variety to dazzle a bazaar, but he knew that each member was prepared to do their duty - or even to prove themselves.