Thank goodness Sergeant Ekkehardt hadn't stuck around to chew them out more, Ki'te wasn't sure if she could take much more being yelled at right now. Following the lead of Samara, the trio made their way to the supply tent for their new uniforms and were greeted by some of the sorriest souls Ki'te had ever seen in her life. So that was the look of someone who had seen Titans first hand was it? Would she and the others end up the same way? You must get used to it though in the same way she'd grown accustomed to gutting her kills while hunting: she'd been nauseated at first but had quickly grown used to the smell and sight. Not that she wanted to think of her fellow man as little more than prey in a hunt but it certainly helped to put things in perspective. Meeting the gaze of the recently returned soldier she tried to offer a polite smile but felt it fade as she looked into his eyes, cringing inwardly as she shuffled out of line. Had he lost someone? A friend? She'd seen similar eyes before in one of their people when a loved one died, so was that the kind of pain to expect out here?

After exchanging her uniform for the new one Ki'te hurried after Samara and Koto to their bunks, relieved to finally be done with this day. It was only going to get worse from here but having some respite, however brief, would be most welcome. Not terribly far off they could make out the sound of the sergeant tearing into another group of recruits and she thanked her lucky stars it wasn't their turn to be ripped a new one. Not wanting to give Sergeant Ekkehardt a chance she hurried into the barracks with her friend and brother, stopping at the door and looking around their quarters despondently. Most every bed was already claimed and the few she could see open were single at best, was she going to have to sleep with a stranger? Even after three years Ki'te had trouble doing that and there was no way she could do it now, not with all of the stress and tension built up in her. Desperately clinging to Koto's sleeve she smiled with relief when Samara found them a trio of bunks available, rushing ahead of her brother and quickly throwing her belongings up on the top bunk. 

Scrambling up onto her bunk Ki'te went about trying to organize her bed, managing to get two corners of her sheets and finding herself struggling with the others. After the third corner was secured she attempted to hold down the fourth only for the third to spring back off and comically latch onto her head. Sighing in defeat she peeled the sheet off and had to stretch to fasten both at the same time, satisfied when they seemed secure at last. Putting her remaining belongings into a somewhat haphazard pile in the corner of her bunk she shimmied to the edge and sat, legs dangling down as she looked at Koto worriedly.

"That's not our job though, we're here to kill Titans..." Ki'te muttered, though she didn't know which was a better alternative. Biting her lip she leaned forward and rubbed her hands together, her legs swaying idly as she looked at Samara. "They're not going to make us do that... R-right, Samara? If they n-needed more they would have taken more from our v-village." Unless of course there were other villages which had been visited like their own. Curiously however they were the only ones native to the mountains that were here, either that or they were being kept even more to the shadows than they were. Ki'te sincerely hoped they wouldn't have to do something so unsavory, it had pained her greatly to have to leave home and she would never want to inflict that onto someone else. Like Koto she didn't know if she could do it, order or no. She'd take whatever punishment they wanted to give before she ever agreed to do something so horrible.

By now Ki'te should by all rights be used to the sound of their superiors screaming at them. And yet when Sergeant Ekkehardt bellowed and demanded everyone present themselves she jumped and nearly fell out of her bunk, catching herself on the frame and frowning worriedly. Had someone messed up already? It wasn't uncommon for someone's mistake to be made an example of for everyone but they'd just graduated, what could someone have done? Not wanting to incur the wrath of their sergeant upon herself Ki'te slid down from her bunk and followed the others outside, wondering why in the world they were being summoned here. Standing at attention when a corporal barked at them she stiffened up, glancing back and forth worriedly as she awaited whatever command they were going to be given. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted another woman approaching their group, one whom she didn't recognize whatsoever from any point of their training. Upon the woman's jacket was the same symbol as theirs and immediately Ki'te realized who it was, her heart catching in her throat as she watched the woman stand before them all seeming rather angry. That woman was their Captain... Wasn't it? If someone that high a rank was calling them out...

"Good job everyone, your ability to follow simple instructions will be the savior of humanity yet..." It was a wisecrack and yet there wasn't a single hint of humor to Stella's tone as she spoke, standing before the ensemble of recruits with a tired look upon her face. That she'd have to come back from a mission so abruptly to take care of these children when Sergeant Ekkehardt was perfectly capable of rounding them up herself. Looking through the ranks she paused at a pair of men that were talking among themselves, gritting her teeth and stepping through the ranks to reach them. One of the men noticed immediately and swiftly went to attention, the other however was too busy chatting with his friend. Grabbing the boy by the collar of the shirt she swept a leg out from under him and dropped him to the ground in the blink of an eye, wrenching his arm behind his back with her foot planted squarely on the small of his back.

"Perhaps I spoke to soon, it seems I interrupted something extremely important with my visit," Stella muttered, narrowing her eyes as the recruit writhed beneath her. Tightening her grip she frowned and looked around at the surrounding recruits, her eyes settling on the boy's friend. "Care to tell me what was so important? I'm not terribly patient, take too long and I may accidentally dislocate your friend's arm here." The boy opened and closed his mouth idiotically like a fish but failed to produce anything remotely similar to coherent speech. He was perfectly capable of it though, she knew he was since the fool was blathering away just a second ago. Rolling her eyes she pulled on the boy's arm and ignored his pleas for her to stop, relaxing her hold only when another recruit spoke up.

"Th-they were wondering why we were m-mustered, ma'am!" another recruit explained hastily, feeling themselves shrink under the Captain's gaze. Nervously glancing at others around them and finding none would support her the recruit continued, "We were all w-wondering why, that's all..." 

"I was going to get to that before these morons interrupted me. Try being patient and you'll be told what you need to know." Letting go of the boy's arm Stella turned on her heel and took her place again before the rest of the class, ordering the boy's friend to get him to his feet and back into position. That she was passing up a chance to clear out a den of Titans for this... "Now listen, those who are present are now members of the 72nd Expansion Battalion. You belong to a branch of the Survey Corps that, for all intents and purposes, does not exist. Our job is to take on assignments and go deeper into uncharted territory than most of the Survey Corps will go, and to take on missions that they, while under the eye of the branch leaders and the King, cannot. Everything we do we do under secrecy and that means absolutely no speaking of our work to anyone else." Looking at the pair of boys still recollecting themselves Stella frowned and continued, "Though I know that may be hard for some of you I trust you'll learn to remain silent when told."

"I'm not going to lie to any of you, our job is not easy. We have one of the highest mortality rates in the military and I would be amazed if half of this class makes it back alive by the year's end." And as expected that little disclaimer sent the class into something of a frenzy. Most who could spoke out in protest, shouting and demanding reassignment and decrying the insanity of their mission. Others were too stunned or in disbelief and simply stood there, gaping like clowns or trying not to break. Sighing through her nose Stella reached into her back pocket and pulled out a pistol, raising it over her head and firing a single shot to silence everyone. "Whether this is fair or not isn't my problem, my problem is making sure the missions we're given are complete. And understand this: Yes, some of you will die. But I do not send my people out on suicide missions, and I do everything in my power to ensure people survive. Every mission we undertake I will be there alongside you fighting, and so will your comrades. Take heart in knowing that you're not alone on the battlefield, and prepare to give it too, if need be." 

Could she be done with the speeches already? People still seemed to be rather upset over the harsh truth she'd delivered and no little consolation was going to change that. While Stella had been truthful in that she would be present for every mission it wasn't as though she could personally see to every individual's survival. Casualties were a fact of life and that was especially true in their group, you had to accept that and work regardless. Growing annoyed as murmurs broke out in the ranks again she resisted firing her weapon again and instead, slammed her hand down on a low table, quickly silencing everyone again. "If you have questions Sergeant Ekkehardt will answer them. Don't ask for reassignment, you won't be given it, and don't try weaseling out of this either. If you're here then you deserve it and that's final. Appreciate you've at least been given a chance." With that she turned and made her way back to her tent, hardly caring that Ava was doubtless about to be flooded with questions and demands. That was her job as the intermediary, she could babysit until the missions came.

High casualty rate? Ki'te had known that much just by being in the Survey Corps, but to be told it was even worse in this place was heartbreaking. Looking around at several of the crestfallen recruits she wondered just how many faces would be gone before the year was through. Would she make it? Samara would, of that she had no doubt, and as long as he didn't die trying to save her Koto would too. She would have to do everything in her power then not to drag them down, easier said than done of course. "W-W-Well... At least w-we're going to stay t-together..." she said weakly, tears welling up in her eyes as she smiled at the others, "Th-that's good, right?"