Blood.

Elora saw the red liquid flow across her palm as she touched the wound. Some kind of knife had struck her in the stomach, and pain shone like a great heat. Though her vision was all red, she could make out a black shape holding the hilt: a...girl? And she was...crying?

The young pilot jolted awake, a trickle of sweat running down her cheek.

"A...nightmare? But...Why did it feel so...real?" She quietly whispered to herself. After a moment of calming down, she took a look at the other passengers of the shuttle she was in, having set off some time ago from the spaceport on planet Chronos.

The shuttle contained a curious shipment of passengers. Various soldiers, engineers and other crew sat in the crammed vessel; some were sleeping, others were playing cards or quietly whispering to one another. In the corner, a gathering of short, svelte silhouettes could be seen, having taken distance from the rest: anyone could recognize them as Tevranians by their delicate, translucent wings. While largely integrated into the Galactic Federation, and now living among humans, there was still a degree of separation between the two species.

An eclectic group of pilots had also been gathered, breaking up the monotonous crowd. A grumpy young man leaned against the back wall with crossed arms. A couple of stoic women sat at the front on opposite sides of the walkway. A charming young man occasionally took glimpses at them. A Tevranian pilot conversed with fellow members of her species. A glasses-wearing young woman tinkered with a small device in the middle seats. A young-looking girl, strangely cheerful, hummto herself in the corner. One couldn't have imagined this congregation to not only be pilots, but to have a shared destiny ahead of them in the near future.

In that tight space, holding her palms against the window and peering apprehensively into the depths of space was a young girl with short brown hair and bright blue eyes wearing a fancy silver-embroidered green-and white dress jacket and skirt, complete with an insignia on the left chest: a sign of her being a graduate of the military academy Toivonhuippu, or how it's better known, Toivo. It was an establishment once known as a place where the initial research into Cruxi tactics and the ways to counter them were taught began in earnest, and where many veterans started their careers. However, nowadays the school's reputation has taken a dive, as rumors of corruption and the prevalence of upper class wealthy elites, especially those whose parents had bought their way into the place rather than through any merit of their own, had become increasingly common.

Still, even if the rumors were true, Elora didn't seem like the standard, snobbish spoiled brat that one would expect to graduate from such an academy at first glance, seeming more like a middle-class worker's daughter. In fact, she didn't seem to fit in the gaudy clothes.
She looked nervous, and flinched as a passenger walked past her to retrieve something from the luggage in the back. For the rest of the trip, she held her hands on her knees, looking down and trying to remain composed despite her anxiety.

It didn't take long before the shuttle reached it's destination. Beyond the windows, a colossal ship could be seen: Fortress Ship Solaire.



A great feat of engineering, Solaire was a reminder of the Galactic Federation's resolve in the face of the war against the Cruxi. The common colonist could only imagine the size of the shipyards and number of workers required to build such a behemoth: it is to Framewerks what battleships are to humans in terms of sheer scale. And based on the rumors, more were in production: a sign of desperation.

Soon enough, a a rectangular hatch opened, exposing the airlock that was reserved for smaller spacecraft. The shuttle landed into the hangar as the airlock shifted into place with a groan of metal. The shuttle's landing ramp descended, and the passengers walked out, the soldiers in file, and the engineers and civil workers in a chaotic formation behind. The pilots were the last to arrive: a rag-tag bunch of both younger and older individuals. While the initial grouping of pilots seemed normal enough, soon the strangeness became apparent in the arrivals, including such visible oddities as an artificial human who was wearing the symbol for the Olympus Project, and even a representative of the fey-like Tevranian species who fluttered out quickly, seemingly relieved to escape the confined space.

Elora was one of the last ones out of the shuttle, not daring to stand in anyone's way lest she incur someone's wrath for being an obstacle or moving too slowly. Thus, she peered her head out from the shuttle's entrance before sighing and stepping down the ramp. As the crowds dispersed, the pilots were met with the sight of the side hangar of the Fortress Ship: engineers and other crewmembers paced back and forth as cargo was delivered back and forth into and out of larger military ships, leaving a lasting impression on the young pilot.

"This place...is massive..." she whispered to herself.

"Attention, pilots!" The sharp gaze of a young woman wearing the Solaire Framewerk pilot uniform accompanied the clearing of the throat, her posture perfect and her movements practiced and controlled, with an air of authority about her. Based on the insignia she wore on the left shoulder, the pilots with a military background recognized her rank as lieutenant. Elora blinked, and a blush grew on her cheeks; not only was she taken aback by the officer's harsh tone of voice, she was also beautiful, with a stunning figure that was only emphasized by the uniform.

"On behalf of the Galactic Federation Fleet, welcome to Fortress Ship Solaire; home of the Framewerk Project XJ9." The woman spoke to the group as Elora looked down, glancing down at herself in depressed contemplation. The officer took out a personal device resembling a tablet from a pocket. "I am Lieutenant Ritsu Kaname, and as of this moment you will be taking orders directly from both myself and-"

"Well, well, well..." The voice of an old man could be heard in the distance. Soon, a gray-haired, frail-looking scientist with a hunched back practically shoved her aside, leaning on a shaky walking stick, startling Elora.
The pilots saw how the old professor was accompanied by a Lilim resembling a young girl with green hair, seemingly designated as a personal assistant. She stood next to Lorenzo with her hands held before her like a diligent maid, her expression uncannily emotionless.
"So this is the fresh meat? Hah! What a miserable group of misfits!" He spoke mockingly. His single eye immediately singled out Rhylaen.
"A Tevranian, huh...How curious. I never expected one to end up on the project. Haven't seen their kind outside of children's entertainment networks...or brothels."

"A-hem!" The lieutenant scoffed at the inappropriate remark with a hint of a blush on her cheeks. The Lilim, on the other hand, was seemingly unaffected by Lorenzo's crudeness. "With all due respect, Executive Officer, I am conducting the introduction to the Framewerk Project to the pilots, sir! Please leave any inappropriate remarks out of it!" She was visibly holding back the urge to ball up her hands into fists.

However, the old man didn't seem too bothered as he blinked and glanced aside at her interruption.
"Huh? Oh, I didn't mean to interrupt, Ritsu. I was so excited to see the new recruits that I couldn't help but pop in for a quick look at them, ho ho! Well, I look forward to seeing if the little woodlander proves herself capable, hah!"

The lieutenant sighed. "Anyway, Executive Officer, shouldn't you have more pressing matters than to welcome the new pilots?" The old man smiled. "I do...But I can spare a moment to see what we got to work with. Besides, I'm interested to see what they can do already." As he spoke, the professor began to walk in the direction of the main hangar. Ritsu began to follow him, and gestured with her hands for the pilots to join them.

"Very well then. Pilots, this is Professor Lorenzo, your superior in Solaire, and Executive Officer for the Framewerk Project as a whole." Lorenzo nodded. "Most of my work is classified, so don't bother asking about it. However, I'll be observing your progress periodically from time to time, and see how you're doing. I look forward to seeing how you'll fare...If you'll fare at all! Bwah-hah! Now then, let's see..." The group entered the main hangar, where an incredible sight met them: rows upon rows of Framewerks, each of them unique, stood on a lower level like statues depicting gods. Walkways on the higher level, where the group was located currently, passed by the upper chassis of these gargantuan constructs.

"Looks like all the Frames are accounted for, good," the professor mused, stroking his beard. The lieutenant turned to the pilots to continue once they were finished reacting to the sight. "You have all officially completed your pilot training in separate facilities with your Framewerks, and thus have earned the rank of Cadet." She glanced at her handheld device's screen.

"Some have a previous record of military experience, such as Pilot Lane, from the distinguished Albion Armaments Group, who has previously earned the rank of 2nd Lieutenant," she noted, and gave a respectful nod to the red-haired woman. Lorenzo nodded as he reminisced, stroking his beard.
"Yes, AAG...I remember the days I worked in R&D there under your father, young lady," he spoke to Ava. "Those were the days..."

Ritsu continued reading through her notes.
"Some facilities seemed to have a comprehensive curriculum, like the one held by Project Olympus," she spoke, having let a slight approving smile towards Minerva. Lorenzo, however, sneered at Minerva. "Disgusting..." He whispered, as if he had witnessed something appalling.
Ritsu briskly continued.
"Pilot Arrish Duval also has an excellent resume," she added.
Lorenzo then chimed in, also eager to move on. "Pilot Quinn seems promising, if a bit unfocused based on testing," he noted, glancing at the cheerful young man. "You've got your heads in the clouds already when inside a Frame, lad."

"Others had a more...hands-off approach to their education," Lorenzo then noted, his single eye having turned towards Elora, who froze with fright, and then Griffith, his gaze stern as he matched the fire in the boisterous pilot's eyes.
"And then we have the more interesting cases, such as Pilot Aurora." Ritsu spoke:
"She has discovered a Framework that possesses a vast amount of data dating back to before the beginning of the Cruxi invasion, as well as a keen mind for mechanics like Pilot Quinn."
"And what an old model it was...I had to really work my knuckles to the bone to get that hunk of junk up to date," Lorenzo muttered...and then noticed Serah in the crowd. He stroked his beard absentmindedly as he thought back to something. "And you...You possessed the highest aptitude out of all the pilots." He slowly grinned. "Yes...I can see you have the potential for greatness, lassie. You have the eyes..."

Ritsu coughed into her fist.
"Regardless of one's individual background, you have been individually chosen for the promising talent you have shown thus far, and for the potential to fully realize the goals of the Framewerk Project." She briefly looked down at her device.
"However, from now on here at Solaire, you will focus on developing advanced skills and training required not only to operate as a single cohesive unit, but also to realize your latent potential. Therefore, your training program will encompass more than the usual pilot training."

She began listing the schedule.
"From morning till noon will be physical training. You are to report to Sergeant Ken in the gym sector after breakfast. The training will include sports, martial arts and meditation, if I remember correctly," Ritsu said as she looked over the details on her device. "He will primarily train you in the use of the Star Fist style, which he has reported to contribute to our goals of developing your spiritual side in addition to physical."

She continued.
"After lunch you are to report to me for virtual training. I will first hold a recapitulation test of the skills you've developed as part of basic training, followed by advanced simulations including leapfrogging, orbital deployment and strike maneuvers. Once a week, presumably on Wednesdays though there may be changes, you will report to Executive Officer Lorenzo in the briefing hall for lectures on more technical subjects, such as Framewerk systems and Cruxi." Lorenzo nodded silently. During this time, when he started having a coughing fit, the Lilim offered him a small flask, which he took and began to sip from: it seemed to be medicine of some sort.

"Free time will be from 6 PM to 10 PM, during which you are authorized to use the gym and recreational areas. For example, the recreational areas includes a multi-hobby table that has settings for pool, billiards, and ping pong among others, a darts board, a game console installed with various games, a library section and a silent room. Your accommodations will be in the pilot barracks, separate from the rest of the soldiers. There you can find manuals detailing the training program and the available facilities, such as gender-exclusive changing rooms, showers and saunas. There is also a simulated hot spring over at the biological sector. Note that peeping will be punished severely," she added, as if anticipating Arrish' reaction upon hearing those words.

Lorenzo, seemingly bored with the explanation, cut in. "The virtual reality pods will perfectly replicate your Framewerks and the effects of damage they can incur. A pilot's virtual link will be remotely disabled once it has taken a certain threshold of damage, to avoid causing any brain damage, haha!" The professor grinned. "That's right, boys and girls, this is not like the VR games you played back at home: it's the cutting-edge in sense-immersion technology. What you experience in there will be about as close to reality as you can find in the galaxy, hah!"

Ritsu nodded. "At the end of the week, we will hold a test to determine who will be designated the squad leader for your unit. Admiral Cain deemed a simulated combat mission against the Cruzi to be an ample enough test to determine the most suitable candidate, a suggestion I concur with. However..." Here eyes rolled toward Lorenzo, who seemed quite peppy for a crotchety old geezer.

"I think it best to hear straight from the pilots themselves. Therefore, you may hereby submit suggestions to Lieutenant Ritsu regarding your training program using your personal devices for review. Who knows, if we get enough votes, maybe we'll hold more unconventional simulated battles, or even battles between the pilots. Now that would be exciting, wouldn't it?" He slightly cackled. "After all, you know someone best after fighting them tooth and nail, haha!"

Elora seemed to be out of her element as she desperately attempted to open her mouth and say something, but was unable to. She was like a lost puppy as she looked around her with a trembling lower lip, seemingly holding back the urge to cry.
I...I'm scared...I don't know if I can do this... She thought to herself...And she happened to glance in Serah's direction. There was something about her that, somehow, seemed familiar to Elora. She ended up staring at her with sorrowful eyes.
Huh? That girl...Have I...Seen her before?

Ritsu finally concluded: "Now then, are there any questions?"

---

Minerva would be eerily still the entire trip like a statue silently assessing on them in her head. People tend to show their real nature when they think no one is judging them and she is using the chance to see how they will react.

The first thing she noticed is a black haired girl who looked liked she is surprised to wake up alive, a greenhorn her body language easily gave it away. She would glare at her for startling her if not for the sight she sees.

A girl who looked lost, who is trying to find her footing.

Who seemed to be reliving her worst days.

She could afford to be lenient for now, it has been impressed upon her that the task force is unlike anything she'd been a part of. And if this girl managed to be here then it means that there is something in her.

Minerva would turn to see the fortress ship in all its glory, her yellow eyes widening as her first show of begrudging wonder. Prior to this, her former home is the largest spaceborn object she ever saw but even that is dwarfed by monstrosity of engineering that is the Solaire. Her lips will form a smile as she took her own luggage and prepare to meet her superiors.

She would immediately see her direct superior, a woman named Ritsu Kaname as the reports say. She didn't look different to the actual superiors she served at the military. Serious, stern, and to the point, she had a feeling that she will like her.

The couldn't be said about her other superior, a leecherous old man who received the name Lorenzo. Her first impression of him is him providing provocating remarks to a fellow pilot it could only mean two things.

The first is man before her is a pig like the nobles she have the displeasure of meeting often, the second is the man being so useful that his faults will likely be swept under the rug. And considering how the lieutenant acted it is likely the latter.

His disgust of her didn’t escape her sight, an unfortunate reality caused by controversial origins. He wasn't the first or will likely be the last, as long he can keep it under control she won't speak out. She is used to the stares she get when people find out.

After all it is the same stare she sees in the mirror.

She continued to listen the training program feeling similar to the one she took at Olympus but more focused on training her than observing her growth. Admittedly she is curious on what the Star Fist style entails as her self defense training based on the more 'practical means'.

Her eyes would breifly flicker to the old man's suggestion, it reminded her of a memory of an older brother and his way of bonding. Always a contest, always a clash of wills. And must admit, she wants a measure of the people she would soon call her allies.

[That night, a small message from Minerva will find itself before the Lieutenant. It is an approval of the doctor's idea of facing the other pilots in direct combat.]

The young Tevranian was both surprised and thrilled to discover that there were others of her species aboard the cramped shuttle. She spent most of the flight with them, talking quietly. Upon arrival at Fortress Ship Solaire, however, Rhylaen hung back and let the others disembark first. She was one of the last off the shuttle, along with the handful of other pilots. The fortress ship had decent gravity -- a little heavier than the lost Tevran, but not so much as to be an issue. It was probably based on Earth's gravity, Rhylaen figured. Most Galactic Federation places were.

The pilots were greeted by a woman in a blue-and-green pilot suit, and a hunched-over man with a walking stick. The old man immediately made a crude comment about Rhylaen, and her hands clenched at her sides. It was true -- a number of the remaining Tevranians ended up in children's entertainment because of their size and fey-like appearance. It saved on special effects. And yes, some desperate individuals ended up in brothels, where they were viewed as exotic. But there were plenty that chose other paths, like she had. Scientists, doctors -- even pilots. And she was plenty capable. Her Framewerk, the Electric Dragonfly, was exceedingly agile, and well-armored to boot.

She listened attentively to the schedule. When the mention of a squad leader came up, however, she made a quick negating gesture. She was hindered by her alien nature, and preferred a supporting role. And already she was getting glares from one of the other pilots. It made her wonder what she'd done to offend him.

---

Sparks spent most of the flight into Fortress Ship Solaire chatting with those around him. Since he was in slacks and a T-shirt with the phrase "√-1 2³ Σ π and it was delicious" there was no outward indication that he was a pilot. The sight of the fortress ship took his breath away. It was massive, a feat of engineering to be sure.

He waited until most of the other passengers were off the shuttle to disembark, but had no problem being one of the first pilots off. The woman that greeted them had to be Lieutenant Ritsu, and his guess was soon confirmed. The old man was Executive Officer Lorenzo, the scientist behind the project. His crude remarks made Sparks cringe inwardly. The poor Tevranian! But his attention soon was drawn to the green-haired Lilim beside Lorenzo. Huh. Another AI, then. Good, that means Dancer won't be too out of place.

The mention that the pilot named Aurora was also a greasemonkey pleased him. He'd have to figure out which one she was, and talk to her. And an older Framewerk? his fingers itched, and he couldn't wait to get a look at it.

The schedule was rigid and mostly filled, something he rather expected from a place like this. And of course there would be competition for the squad leader slot. Sparks didn't particularly want the role. He took a moment to look around at the others. One of the pilots, a younger woman in a school uniform, seemed upset. Homesick? or perhaps nervous? He didn't know, but he felt sorry for her.

When questions were asked for, Sparks raised his hand and waited for acknowledgement. "Is there some sort of introductory info packet, with things like a map of the ship and staff rosters, stuff like that?"

Griff

The hotheaded blond had kept himself as far away from the winged little aliens that had seemingly boarded the shuttle alongside the rest. But it had been too late to turn back once he noticed this fact. Upon approaching the destination, which was a massive fortress ship he had walked closer to one of the windows in the shuttle to look at it from afar.

Truly a show of human achievement and that humankind was ready to claim the stars. He wanted to be part of the conquest, bask in the glory, the fame… but moreso the battles. He was a warrior, he had always strived to be as good as he could, to learn and advance. This journey was just another stepping stone in his quest for greatness. 'Just you wait. The next time we meet I'll be the one to defeat you.' He gave a slight smirk before allowing it to fall, grabbing his suitcase with his belongings and watched as the others in the shuttle all stood up and began to cluster around the exit.

"Tch." Griff felt a surge of annoyance in waiting for the people ahead of him to get out of the shuttle. What was even more irksome were those aliens having left the shuttle before he did, so they got to experience the sight of the ship before he did. He felt a stab in his chest, wrinkled his nose and grunted abit as he made his way closer to the exit of the shuttle, almost walking into a young woman which seemed to almost panic in trying to get out of the way. He wasn't in a hurry to squeeze in there with those aliens likely being present. For all he knew they were all pickpockets and untrustworthy.

Getting out of the shuttle had been such a relief that he took a deep breath and exhaled, then he followed what he assumed were the rest of the pilots to a side hangar. Seeing all the various engineers and personell running around made him wrinkle his nose slightly. He always had hated doing mechanical things and anything with computers. It was better left for the cowards that couldn't fight as far as he was concerned.

His peace of mind was shattered as he heard a call for attention. 'Ah shit what have I done now?' He thought to himself, but then spotted a young looking woman in a fancy attire. Clearly she was the person in charge. His eyes wandered over her appearance while she spoke. 'Doesn't look like much of a fight- What the heck?' His gaze stopped on seeing the top part of Ritsu's figure. He was taken aback and shook his head, straightening his posture. 'How the heck does she get into a cockpit with those monsters...' He mentally asked himself, but his commanding officer had not even gotten started with her speaking before some-

'Whose this geezer?' Griff blinked at Lorenzo, first he felt the old man was a kindred spirit, after all it took guts to tell authority to shut the heck up. But then he had the gall to call them miserable. Him? Well it did hold true in regards for the alien in their midst, but that he was lumped into the same tier as some bug-person. His hands tightened into fists, and he was about to speak out against the older man when he noticed that the old man was looking straight at the Tevranian. Not only that he insulted the alien, claiming they were only used in the entertainment section. Griff didn't know if that were true or not, he had spent as little time with aliens as possible. But had the old geezer insulted him or anyone of the others he would have likely gotten involved.

'Couldn't have said it better myself. Perhaps the old rag is allright.' The blond young man reached his free hand up to his chin in thought after having glared at the Tevranian long enough. Wait… they had not been saluting right? He quickly glanced around to make sure he wouldn't be sent to the containment cell on the first day. It then became clear that the old geezer was also a superior. He was unsure where to place the old man, some things the man said sat well with him, but the rest felt like insults being hurled his way. As Lorenzo began to address the individuals, Griff couldn't help but make note that the one going by the name Lane were of higher rank than he were.

'Ah shit. A class president type. Not again. Albion Armanent Group? Where did I hear that mentioned before? And what the heck is R&D? Raid and Destroy?' He pondered as his gaze followed the older man as he seemed to want to go through them all.

'Project Olympus? Wait.. didn't someone back at the academy mention that once? Maybe it was something kind of important? Tch. Guess I have to ask that girl later. But why does the old geezer find it disgusting? He's the one having a damn machine with him. That or she has been too long in class. Unless it's the same thing as with the stupid alien.' His eyes wandered over the girl, she actually did look pretty good… He felt a rush of heat to his face and neck. Shit. He needed to get some water and food. Probably. The damn shuttle cafeteria section had been too infested by those freeloading bugs that the food might have become contaminated.

Griff couldn't help but quickly smirk to hearing Lorenzo's thoughts about the other young man with the glasses. Then his expression changed to confusion as he looked at the girl that stood close to him. What had she done that was so hands on? Before he had a chance to think of a reason his own eyes locked with Lorenzo, he made sure to keep the gaze and even straightened his back. He said nothing about him but the little -scrawny- girl next to him? Unless he meant both of them? Had he lumped him together with that harmless looking doe next to him? Then came the next person.

'Aurora? What's so special about her hm?' His eyebrows furrowed and he frowned, his eyes judging the girl with the glasses and then set an equally judging glare at Quinn. 'Ah... so they are bookworms.' He blew a sigh of relief, for a moment he thought the higher ups praised someone more than him.

Then it happened. The old geezer complimented another girl, claiming she had the highest aptitude of all of them? Griff felt the sweatdrop as it trailed down from his hair, down the side of his head past his ear and vanished into his outfit. 'What the heck? This girl is supposed to be better than all of us? Hnnn… I'll show her! Stupid biased old fool! I'll show them all who the top pilot is here!' Griff tightened his hands into fists as he could feel his inner fire flaring up, he was prepared to get things started.

Then came the good news. Physical training. Food. 'What the friggin heck is meditation? Is it like medic- mediate? Stupid diplomacy. Wait what? Star fist style? Over my cold dead boxing pride body. I'll teach him whose 'kung-fu' is better. Stupid self-important smartass believing in spirit-mumbo-jumbo.' He readied himself up mentally, he was ready for any test thrown his way. Well. Not any involving reading.

He was looking forwards to the simulations and tests. He wasn't interested in becoming a squad leader, that was alot of extra work he didn't want to have. He just wanted to go and punch something. Someone. But he couldn't allow that last girl. 'Miss Awesome' to perform better than him in a battle. Even a virtual one. If that happens then the machines clearly must be rigged or broken. Then came a more alarming and horrible thought. What if the disgusting little bug creature would perform well enough and become squad leader? That would mean literal hell. No. He already had a plan set for how to deal with her. Make a cunning plan with the other humans to get her. At least he thought it were a she. Into trouble so she would be kicked from the team. Can't have an alien at the back when fighting aliens. He had to devise an ample way to get the Tevranian into a mess. Who better to put it into a mess than someone who had a master degree in causing it.

Griff didn't intend to write a letter and leave it at Kaname's office. Screw that. He hated that stuff. He would deal with things right here right now. Like that other one with the glasses. 'Maps? Who the heck needs that? Isn't the corridors marked?' He thought momentarily

"Oi! I think it would be a fantastic opportunity to test our skills against each other and see which ones doesn't hold up to the standard." He walked up, raising up one hand high with the palm facing upwards in a slightly nonchalant manner, his other hand at his waist. His gaze fell instantly on Rhylaen. "Also I think we should have a little weightlifting competition. Nothing builds character better than some pumping iron!" He gave a broad grin, moving his glare from Rhylaen to Serah.

'Great. There's no chance in hell either of those two can lift more weights than me. Victory here I come!' He took on a smug facial expression, as if proud of his words. "As for questions. I got one. Who are we sharing rooms with? Since you mentioned gender-shared. I call dibs on project gal and four-eyed buddy guy here. There's no way I am gonna share rooms with whatever that thing is." Griff pointed accusingly at Rhylaen.

---

_Girls!

Girls!

Girls!

'Oh man! This shuttle is just packed to the brim full of beautiful babes! Statuesque beauties and bountiful alien chicks! Oh, he was in love with this place already.' He had to stop himself from vibrating with excitement and remind himself he wasn't here for sightseeing. 'Okay, but... I mean, look at the view!' Nope. Nope. Nope. He reminded himself what had happened with the sniping instructor. That was a major lost opportunity, and he couldn't afford to let himself get distracted. Still, he certainly wasn't the only one with eyes on the prize. I mean, that guy in the corner was smoldering over the Tevranian girls.

He took a deep breath and reminded himself of the real reason he was here. Much as he loved the ladies, this place was a chance for him to make good on the name of the Duval court. He wasn't exactly the smartest branch on the tree, he knew, but he didn't need to be a genius-level intellect to be good at smashing down Cruxi. They had sought something in him and brought him in because of his excellent record and capability on the battlefield, not because he had charming good looks, lots of money, and came from a noble court. He was sure those were just secondary reasons. Probably.

He was just as eager as everyone else to get off the shuttle, if only because it put him well out of reach of temptation and into the hands of serious, capable authority. He could put on a serious face, do the salute, and be a good worker. There wasn't going to be nearly as much of a distraction as—"Oh. Oh no." The voice had come out of heaven and plucked his attention immediately, a beautiful delight with curves carved from heaven itself. He found himself gawking at her appearance, his jaw refusing to shut. He was fortunate that his lucky sunglasses had covered his eyes, or everyone would see him ogling like a teen who had just seen a nude magazine for the first time. 'Please tell me my eyes are deceiving me.' he thought to himself. 'How am I gonna focus with those in my face?' A blush began to creep across his cheeks as he tried and failed to focus on what they were saying. His name had come up once or twice, and what was that about a sauna? He completely missed the context and found himself floundering for words.

It was only once they were talking about virtual reality and framewerks that his mind rebooted and he remembered that he was supposed to be a professional pilot, one of the best of the best, and that actually, he wasn't here to look at curvy women like a gawking teenager. He had questions—lots of questions, actually—seeing as he blanked out half of what was said because the blood had drained from his head all the way down. He turned to talk to one of his fellow pilots, seeing if they could fill him in before the questioning was over, and was met with Blondy, the guy who had been looking at the Tevranians, smirking at their fellow pilot. He finally spoke, lowering his glasses slightly and giving the man a petulant look. 'Hey man, that's not a thing. They're called women. Show some fucking respect.'

Rhylaen blinked in surprise as the blonde pilot pointed at her and called her a thing. Her wide eyes narrowed, and she clenched her fists at her sides again. She was grateful for the redhead pilot's defense, but she wasn't going to let it stand without saying something herself. "Am no 'thing'!" she snapped as she turned to face the offending human, her speech accented and carrying a musical lilt. "Am Tevranian. Tev-ray-ni-an. If I can say, you can say too." It was clear from her grammar (or lack thereof) that she was actually speaking Galactic Standard on her own, not using a translator.

Griff

He blinked. Then he blinked again. First the guy he had so generously picked as a potential room-mate decided to call him out, but that the little alien had the guts to talk back to him. He decided to answer Arrish first. A vein on his forehead becoming visible. He adjusted his pose and pointed out his entire arm and hand, his index finger pointing directly out at the young man in the glasses.

"That's mighty rich coming from you! Don't play innocent! I saw the respect you were showing the Lieutenant when you were oogling her arsenal! Your face was red as a... like... a red comet and your mouth more open than the fricking hangar when we entered!" His words came out as he almost spitted them out in a mix of held back anger and annoyance.

"...and the name is Griffith Burnhardt! You better remember it, cause it's gonna be me whose gonna lead the ass-kicking of these Krux... Gruxi.. who cares what they are called! But since you are a simple-minded man! I shall do you a favor! You can call me Griff! Because I like you! You have guts!" His temperament took a turn and he seemed to calm down, the storm seemingly leaving almost as fast as it came. He jabbed his own chest with a thumb and then raised it up and gave a broad grin to the other humans then the smile completely died down as it reached Rhylaen.

"I am suprised you are able to talk. I guess bugs do buzz... Terrain... ian? Pfft! Who cares! I will keep my eyes on you!" Griff motioned with two of his fingers to his eyes then pointed back at Rhylaen, then crossed his arms as if waiting for anyone else to take a shot at him. He was a warrior at heart, challenges were meant to be embraced and completed. He was going to make sure his team would not suffer defeat in the fight against the Cruxi. That meant the little winged alien had to get kicked out by any means possible. Even underhanded means. As hurting as the very concept were to his honor and pride as a warrior.

@shylarah@Ravion the Red

In a sea of people and personalities, Aurora was an island to herself. Absently adjusting her glasses as she tinkered with away her palm pad. At first glance one would assume she out of place, wearing a rather stately, if subdued, looking pants suit. But the keener eyed would notice the Pilots suit worn underneath.

She didn’t look up, or even around the entire ride. Clearly content with herself and her tinkering, even humming an odd tune softly at times.

She was one of the later off the shuttle. Seemingly missing the landing, somehow, if the momentary look of confusion that overtook her was anything to go by. Still, she stood with only a minor frown, one that was nearly a pout in all truth.

And finally unfurled from her seat it was clear that she was rather tall and her fiery red hair fell to the middle of her back. She wasn't the most endowed, but she moved with grace and paired with her sky-blue eyes and soft smile there was something almost regal about her, even as she trailed after the other pilots.

Aurora absently listened to… Ritku? She thought that was her name. But it was clear if anyone bothered to pay her attention that Aurora’s own attention kept drifting. Looking over the hanger they had landed in. It would catch on a thing here or there, the locking mechanisms on the Airlock, the refueling stations, and a particularly long moment was spent looking at the Lilim. But otherwise, it would be hard to say just how much Aurora actually heard as the commanding officers introduced themselves and bickered.

And then they all passed into the main hanger. And it was clear that Aurora had stopped paying attention to them entirely. Her gaze firm and, only now notably, clear as she took in the Framewerks one by one.

‘You're a shy one. That's alright, you see things most miss don't you?’

‘They look like an angel. Albion always looking to the heavens. But you’re going to be an avenging one, aren’t you?’

‘She looks like a cheeky one. And not designed for a human… I wonder…’

‘He… No. I’m sorry, She. Looks kindly. Stalwart and motherly.’

‘Ahh. Good Ser… Why do you frown? A Kight such as yourself should be proud to be here no?’

‘They are waiting as well… I’m glad. Sleepy don’t make friends easily but perhaps you can be one?'

‘He seems blood thirsty. Are you why the Good Ser is frowning? It’s fine. Blue Bloods don’t always understand.’

‘Oh… You… Me and Sleepy have a lot to learn from you… Don’t we?'

“Sleepy…” She would mutter softly. An almost painful looking smile slipping onto her face as she saw her own Frame. A knot of tension loosening in her chest as she looked at her dear friend. It took up near thrice the space of any other Frame due to its older configuration. And she nearly chuckled at that. "You're not being a brat are you?"

'-that hunk of junk up to date-'

Her attention was suddenly, and nearly violently, dragged back to the lecherous old scrap of leather that was speaking. A polite smile on her face, her posture as serene as it had always been. But there was now a spark of intense hate in her eyes, as she locked her attention onto the professor. Her stare near unblinking.

It wasn’t until the lieutenant asked her final question that Aurora’s attention finally drifted away from the old man. The intense hate fading away as if never there.

“Will we have any time available to spend working on our Frames?” She asked. Her voice was soft, but still pitched to carry clearly. Either somehow not noticing the confrontation between the other pilots happening not even three feet from her, or more damningly, not caring.

---

"Hey man, I was staring respectfully." but his voice had no bite to it. His face was still warm from seeing that heavenly body speak to him... even if he missed most of the words. That didn't mean he didn't have to take this gruff from uh.. Griff. It was the man's words about offering him a favor that made Arrish give him the side eye.'Who the hell was this guy, thinking of talking to a noble of the house Duval like that?' Then again, maybe that was an advantage. If this hothead didn't know who Arrish was then maybe some of the other pilots didn't know him either, and that meant, he could avoid any annoying arguments about his house's role in the war. What's more, that meant anyone showing interest in him wasn't just another gold digger. He decided on a smile, offering Griff his hand."Hey man, I might not respect how you talk to women or Tevranian women for that matter, but you got a lot of bravado. I can respect that.

His eyes went down to the little alien girl that had been the source of Griff's ire. "Hey if this guy gives you any problems, you just come to me alright? I can protect you from the big bad blonde, sweetheart~"

@Dezuel@shylarah

Serah didn't like cramped ships much. Those had some very nasty memories attached to them. She was hesitant to get on this one, even, but its not like she had much of a choice. She'd been drafted with no other prospects open to her. Once on the shuttle, things weren't so bad. Serah kept to herself, her eyes closed and humming a little familiar tune to herself. One picked up a long time ago. She wasn't sure from where, though. The journey felt familiar and safe, unlike her initial gut instinct- though all the people were strangers to her. New faces, new names she'd get to know, maybe. It didn't feel right at the time talking to anyone. Too crowded, too loud. So she kept to herself, cheerfully humming her little song and taking note of everyone on the ship.

Even so, when they landed, Serah was the first pilot out and gave herself a nice, long stretch as she did. Something about a space so stuffy didn't suit her. Well, unless it was inside of Atty's cockpit. That one suited her just fine, it felt safe and familiar. She was smiling to herself and had a spring to her step when she thought about it. She couldn't wait to pilot him for real- she was only allowed brief control before as part of the testing procedure before. She wanted to examine his parts and practice her movements- it made her buzz just thinking about how fun it would be.

Before any of that, though, there was a proper initiation to take care of. Serah silently took note again of the people around her as they walked side by side. A lot of them were much taller than she was, but there looked to be some girls her age. Or maybe not... well, at the very least, they were girls her size. And one of them... looked oddly familiar. Maybe she was just imagining it?

Serah just followed along, hands clasped behind her back, keenly listening to everyone else being introduced. 'Officer Ritsu is pretty cool,' she thought. Mature, calm, collected- the polar opposite of herself, really. But the other superior officer... Lorenzo... when he turned to look at her, when he said the following to her:

"Yes...I can see you have the potential for greatness, lassie. You have the eyes..."

Her heart stopped. Her shoulders stiffened, she caught her breath and shivers ran down her spine. Despite her being more or less the only one to get a positive comment from this man, she feared it. A primal fear welling up from deep within her psyche, a voice screaming at her that he's bad news. Even as Ritsu got the briefing back on track, his gaze lingered on her just that little bit longer. Long enough to make her deeply uncomfortable.

The rest of the briefing went without incident, for a time. Ritsu and Lorenzo ran the cadets through their schedule and the upcoming test, seemingly to determine a squad leader. Serah glanced over at everyone again, but nobody seemed too eager for the role. She didn't think herself really suited either. Well... until one of the guys spoke up, anyway. Loud and boisterous and calling for a skirmish among the group. A... weight lifting skirmish? For pilots? Was physical strength really that important to pilot frames? Surely even she'd make a better leader than this one...

The question distracted her for just long enough that the comment aimed towards their tevranian friend flew right past her, and was only snapped back to reality when the group began to bicker among themselves. When Aurora sidestepped the whole issue asked her question to the officers, Serah took the opportunity to sneak past everyone. This way she, too, could sidestep Griff's grandstanding entirely. Waddling on over to Elora, the first words out of her mouth were: "Long time no see!" It must have surprised the girl given the deer-caught-in-headlights stare she gave Serah in return. The energetic one just kept her hands behind her back, looking up at Elora like a curious little birdy with a warm smile. "Hehe, sorry. I just have this feeling you remind me of someone. I'm Serah- Serah Gene. What's your name again?"

---

Ava looked up from the book she was reading when she noticed one of the pilots in the shuttle with her jerked awake, her face somewhat pale with sweat running down her cheek.

It was clear that she had just woken up from a nightmare.

Having suffered from some form of PTSD herself before being cleared for duty once more, Ava was not a stranger to nightmares, particularly those concerning the battlefield. Well, not too much recently—hence, her being cleared for duty once more—but she digressed.

In any case, even though they had various methods to hide or manage them, nightmares or night terrors were quite common among Framewerk Pilots, especially veteran ones. Judging from this girl's age and uniform, though. She couldn't be a veteran pilot. Ava supposed it was just some nervousness on the girl's part for their first official assignment.

Ava returned her attention to her book. It seemed to be quite the nightmare. She hoped that the girl would fare all right after she actually came face-to-face with Cruxi.

Now, where was she...

...Worries and problems are normal. “How we frame those worries and what we do about them can help us feel more resilient and confident.” Thus, we may define stressors as distress or eustress. By using the right frame of mind, one may use stress as eustress, which elicits a positive cognitive response instead of negative ones...

It was a self-help book recommended by her psychologist, specifically on self-guided Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. She had been cleared for duty, true, but she needed to ensure to keep her mental state in a healthy, or at least combat-effective state. Otherwise, she would be pulled out from active duty again, and she couldn't make him retu—

She stopped the line of thought before holding back a sigh.

That was the sort of cognitive distortion, a 'magical thinking', she needed to avoid. Killing all the Cruxi in the universe won't make him come back. She knew this on an intellectual level, but emotions were hardly rational, were they? There was a reason why, even after centuries since the development of psychiatric science, the human mind was still a mystery.

Well, at the very least, this level of cognitive distortion shouldn't hinder her ability to pilot her framewerk, but if Ava were to be perfectly honest, she probably wasn't still in the best mental state. If they lived in a more peaceful time—though practically no one remembered life before the war against Cruxi—Ava probably would not be reinstated. But given that they were in a desperate war, the brass in the Galactic Federation simply couldn't let a veteran pilot with her track record and aptitude simply retire when she was still somewhat combat-effective.

Thus, Ava Lane was reinstated and transferred to the Solaire Fortress Ship, Framewerk Project XJ9. Objections from Colonel Chapman were dismissed on the grounds of bias, given that he had known her since before her enlistment, when she was dating his son.

The Colonel meant well, and probably thought of her like a daughter, but honestly, Ava was getting restless since her discharge. Going back to the life of luxury as the daughter of Albion Armaments Group's CEO after being on the frontlines for years felt wrong.

Ava continued her reading, spending the rest of the trip perusing the psychology book, before finally putting it down as they were nearing their destination, the massive fortress ship, Solaire.

The passengers in the shuttle were starting to get ready to disembark, with Ava taking stock of her pilot colleagues for the project.

There was, of course, the girl who had nightmares earlier, but beside her, there were also an eclectic group of people.

The first one out of them out of the ship was a short girl with blue hair who started stretching.

Ava could understand the sentiment. She was not the most physically active person, but even she wanted to move around and stretch her legs after the long journey in the shuttle. However...

Like the other girl, she also seemed like a rookie pilot. As the older girl here, she probably should tell her to be more aware when stretching, especially later on, when they were in their pilot's uniform. Stretching in the tight form-fitting pilot uniform was...well, not everyone wanted the attention it might bring.

Especially when there was someone in their group who was taking furtive glances at the women, that was to say, one of Ava's fellow redheads. Oh, he didn't make it obvious, but Ava was rather an observant sort, and she was used to receiving such glances.

Ava herself did not particularly care, especially since the man seemingly WAS trying to do so somewhat respectfully and not being blatant with the stares, but some of the younger girls, who had not yet been accustomed to the mixed-gender living accommodation in the military, might feel otherwise.

Though Ava supposed he looked decent enough. Not that it mattered much. She hadn't been looking or in the mood for romance after...

She sighed. It had been 8 years, and she knew dwelling on it this much was not healthy. But she couldn't help what she couldn't help.

That aside...the man looked somewhat familiar. Maybe not him exactly, but Ava felt that he had seen some of his relatives in passing in one of the gatherings she attended as a member of the Lane family, perhaps. Which, given her background and the sort of circles her family ran with, meant that he was probably also from money.

As for the rest of the group...

The Thevranian was, of course, the most distinctive out of all of them, being a xenos species. There were some anti-xenos sentiments brewing due to the war with the Cruxi, and humanity's history with the Thevranians itself was rather complicated, sparking political and moral debate almost reminiscent of the colonisation in humanity's ancient history.

There were nuances to be had on that front, to be sure, but frankly, Ava did not care too much about them. She had met a few Thevranians serving in various positions within the military during her career. Like humans, some were obnoxious, some were pleasant to speak with. As long as they were fighting the Cruxi, Ava did not really concern herself with that can of worms. It was for philosophers and politicians to debate.

Another distinctive-looking one was a man, about her age, perhaps a bit older, who had spiky blue hair and was wearing a t-shirt with the words "√-1 2³ Σ π and it was delicious" on it.

Imaginary numbers, 8, sigma, pi and it was delicious?

Oh.

i, eight, sum, pi. I ate some pie, and it was delicious.

The sort of joke that would come from engineers. Ava wasn't an engineer herself, but due to her position as the daughter of AAG's CEO, she interacted with some engineers in her youth. Also, that she liked reading about framewerk and technology and was planning to go into framewerk research before she ended up enlisting. So she was familiar with these sorts of jokes.

Still. This sort of pun-like joke was last in vogue in...maybe the 21st century, perhaps? There were some people who were enthusiasts for the culture of humanity's homeworld in that time period. Ava supposed he was one of them, then.

Though seemingly less quirky than the other two with distinctive looks, one of the other girls, who had white hair worn in a ponytail, also caught her attention.

White wasn't a very common hair colour, after all. If it were only that, then it wouldn't really be that weird, in this age of genetic engineering and cybernetic enhancement, either due to aesthetic reasons or a benign side effect, odd hair colour was an occasional phenotype seen in the population.

But it was the fact that while age-wise she seemed not that much older than the two young girls, Ava felt like her demeanour and the look in her eyes were closer to someone who had been on the battlefield for some time. Definitely not a wide-eyed rookie pilot. The distinctive symbol on her clothes, a silhouette of a humanoid with wings, denoted that she was probably part of a specialised unit prior to this assignment.

It was then that her train of thoughts were interrupted by a blonde pilot behind her who made a clicking noise with his tongue, before almost running into another pilot, as he hurriedly made his way toward the shuttle's exit.

This might be presumptuous for her to assume, but given his seemingly hasty temperament and his build, he looked like a picturesque representation of the 'hotheaded army man'. The ones that some people might derisively refer to as 'dumb musclehead'.

Ava never really took issue with those sorts of people, though. They could be obnoxious at times, but really, so was everyone, honestly. In fact, as someone who was pretty indecisive and tended to overthink, she sometimes admired those who could just jump into the fray and take action.

There was definitely a decent chunk of her old squad under Colonel Chapman, who was those types. She hoped they were doing fine.

Finally, last out of the shuttle like herself, was her other fellow redhead, this time a woman who was seemingly the oldest of the group.

She might look unassuming and gentle, but given the typical young age for framewerk pilots to enter service in this desperate war, she probably had served several years, at the very least, as long as Ava herself, with 7 years of service. And no incompetent pilots survived that long against the Cruxi.

The woman immediately engrossed herself with observing the framewerk models.

Ava inwardly approved. She, too, had great appreciation for the engineering marvel that was the framewerk, if more on the academic side rather than the actual hands-on engineering side.

Her own unit, designated as Argent Wings, was a good example. It had technological marvels blended seamlessly with the elegant design, almost like a knight for the modern age, one with wings.

Well, those sorts of designs philosophy were typical of Albion's models. The high-performing framewerks with distinctive designs were sure to inspire and improve morale on the battlefield, or that was the idea...though she was also sure that more cynically, it also had to do with the fact that the fancy designs were attractive to more prideful pilots, most often, those coming from money.

Ava then made her way down the shuttle, where they were greeted by their unit's commanding officer, Lieutenant Ritsu Kaname. Seemingly about her own age, with one rank higher than hers, probably meant that Lieutenant Kaname, too, was a veteran.

Though unlike Ava, who was fast-tracked into piloting because of her aptitude, she gave off the professional vibe of someone who probably went through the officers' academy and the proper career military track. At least, that was Ava's impression of hers.

If nothing else, she seemed to be able to handle Colonel Chapman's inevitable, well-meaning yet harsh inquiries regarding Ava just fine.

Then, an ageing man—who anyone remotely connected to the framewerk industry, let alone Ava, who was the daughter of one of framewerk's largest manufacturers, would recognise—made their way to their group, introduced as their Executive Officer.

Professor Lorenzo, the one responsible for the new generation framewerk designs that improved their efficacy exponentially to the point where there were rumours that they were more than a machine.

The 'official' explanation most commonly held was that, due to how new and experimental these technologies were, they were almost like a 'black box' that we did not know the full extent of yet.

Thus, there were reports of framewerks performing at much higher capability than what they were capable of on their design documents. Also, the fact that some pilots—such as Ava—were able to 'synchronise' with a framewerk at an unprecedented rate. The pilot's uniforms were designed to be able to interface with framewerks, but the fact that some people were able to command the framewerks as if they were their own body, without additional technologies, was still a relatively unknown phenomenon.

There were, of course, other mysteries held within the framewerks, but that one was the one Ava had personal experience with.

She wondered if the Professor actually knew more than the officially released information.

As Professor Lorenzo addressed her, Ava gave the man a smile before nodding, "Thank you for the kind words, sir. I'm sure Father also deeply appreciate your time in Albion's R&D Department."

She didn't really know the Professor on a personal level to like or dislike him, but she knew how important the connection AAG had to him was.

She and her father might have their disagreements on her serving as a framewerk pilot, but they had a generally good relationship, and he had begrudgingly supported her by having Albion design her framewerk for very high performance.

So the least she could do was to be pleasantly polite to the professor, so it would not reflect poorly on her family and the AAG.

The Professor then addressed the other members of their group. Some were about what Ava expected—if rather dismissive in the case of the Tevranian, but again, those sentiments were not unheard of, especially in the older generation—others were more curious.

Such as the Professor's distaste for the white-haired girl, who apparently—as Ava thought—from a special project, codenamed 'Olympus'.

Olympus, as in...the really ancient Greek Mythology that was present in numerous classics of the 21st centuries popular pop culture?

Considering they were deities, that was a peculiar pick of a name.

Ava was also interested in the Professor's comments regarding one of the younger girls, the one he said to have the highest aptitude.

Ava was someone who had an abnormally high synchronisation with her framewerk. Furthermore, she was the possessor of the unique ability that was hypothesised to manipulate theoretical concepts able to defy laws of physics, designated as [Humanity's Potential]. The activation was rather random, but it had saved her life several times.

Thus, it was not often—the first time, even—she had met with someone with a better aptitude than her.

Ava wasn't jealous or bothered, of course, merely curious. In the first place, she wasn't the competitive type, and what little competitive spirit—if there were any to begin with—had surely been eroded by years fighting Cruxi on the frontlines. At a certain point, things like rivalry or jealousy just felt petty. If the girl was of an even better aptitude than herself, all the better. That meant their unit would be even more effective against the Cruxi.

Evidently, though, the sentiment was not shared by the hotheaded blonde pilot—who introduced himself as Griffith—as he then proceeded to suggest they test their skills against each other and hold a weightlifting contest, as well as some off-colour comments toward the Tevranian, which sparked an argument between him and the red-haired man, whom the Lieutenant introduced as Arrish Duval.

Duval...

Ah. That was why she felt like she had seen a probable relative of his.

The Duval Family had a poor reputation due to how they were in charge of the defence of the first area that encountered the Cruxi, and then proceeded to cover up the attack on the initial planet the Cruxi attacked.

Still...even now, they had money and influence. Thus, business was going to business, and the family was one of Albion's prominent shareholders. She must have seen one of his older brothers at a social gathering once.

In any case, as the two started to argue about inane things, such as Arrish's leering at Lieutenant Kaname's 'assets', Ava found herself resisting the urge to massage her temples in exasperation.

She thought about stepping in before eventually deciding otherwise.

Perhaps if her rank as a commissioned officer of 2nd Lieutenant was still in effect, she might be compelled to step in, as it was her responsibility as the higher-ranking officer.

But as it was implied that they were all effectively the same rank of cadets in the project, Ava found herself remaining in her comfort zone as an observer, deciding to leave it to the actual officer in charge, Lieutenant Kaname. Surely she would step in eventually, right?

Speaking of being in charge, she had no interest in taking the unit leader spot. Her mental issues aside, she just had little aptitude for command.

However, she would be sure to write a proposal to the Lieutenant as suggested regarding training simulations. Picking a leader based solely on combat missions was not the best policy, at least if it were a straight combat simulation. A squad leader did not have to be the best pilot, merely the best at commanding the squads.

The capability to make sound tactical decisions quickly and manage the rest of the pilots was more important to a squad leader than purely combat ability.

In any case, putting all those things aside for now, Ava turned to the Lieutenant, "Pardon me, Lieutenant Kaname, but if it is at all possible, is there anything that can be disclosed regarding the purpose of our squad? There are several oddities, but the ones that immediately came to mind were that the Executive Officer, Professor Lorenzo—who is not a military man—seems to have an interest in our squad, and that instead of using our previous ranks, we are considered cadets. That implies that this Framewerk Project is rather unorthodox, being outside the regular chain of command of the Galactic Federation, probably for specialised research purposes given the Professor's involvement."

Sparks was the first to ask a question out of the group of pilots, and Ritsu answered promptly: "Yes, documentation has been sent to you via your personal devices regarding Solaire and the Project. This includes maps of the ship, manuals regarding the facilities, the training schedule, and miscellaneous files. I recommend everyone reads through them carefully," she noted, her eyes sharply drawn to Griffith as he was the next to open his mouth, causing her usually professional demeanor to slightly crack into a scowl.

Lorenzo smiled as the brash young man suggested a direct competition between the pilots, and chuckled mockingly as he then brought up weightlifting. "As amusing as it might be to see, a simple test of strength is not adequate," he answered. Ritsu then followed up: "However, I will forward your suggestion to Sergeant Ken, and ask if he can accommodate more strength training to the program." Elora audibly sighed in reaction. I'll probably get crushed under the first weight lifting machine I try...

Next came a question of living spaces from the blonde pilot, which was followed by responses from both Rhylaen and Arrish, the former having seemed to slightly surprise Lorenzo with her grasp on the language. Ritsu rolled her eyes as Griffith then proceeded to reply in what she considered an uncivilized manner, with Arrish being dragged further into the argument. Lorenzo took another sip of his medicine offered by the Lilim, seemingly enjoying the show.

"ENOUGH!" Ritsu raised an authoritative voice as her arms were crossed before her, her patience having been worn thin.
"You are pilots of the Galactic Federation, and brought here to fight against the Cruxi menace, not argue and bicker among yourselves like children!" She furrowed her brows, and her glasses glinted menacingly off the ceiling lights: her glare on Griffith was like stinging daggers.
"Whether you like it or not, you need to work together and learn to fight as a cohesive squad if you are to be victorious on the battlefield, each and every one of you: man or woman, human or Tevranian, it matters not. We are all equal in our mission to see this galaxy liberated from the invaders. And to that end, I will do what I must to see this project through. If I see or hear any more discriminating or otherwise unruly behavior, I will not hesitate to initiate immediate disciplinary action." She walked right up to Griffith.

"Do I make myself clear, Cadet Burnhardt?"

She stared at him for a moment, and Lorenzo took a moment to write a note on his own device. Regardless of if or how he would respond, she would continue: "Now, to answer your question: the pilot cabins are private, so by default you won't be sharing rooms. However, if you desire more conventional accommodations, there is an empty room in the barracks with several free cots and lockers."

She then moved on to answer more questions, the next one having come from Aurora. Lorenzo stroked his beard, his single eye having noticed the enmity emanating from the pilot's gaze. However, she couldn't tell if his previous scathing remark was done to purposefully rile her up or not. The old man was an enigma. "Mmm, yes, we could spare time on hands-on activity with the Framewerks. Whether it is maintenance work or test runs in Solaire's proximity. VR can't fully replace real experience, after all. Who knows, maybe you could use asteroids for target practice, haha!" Ritsu nodded. "Very well. We will take this suggestion into mind with the schedule, Cadet Briars."

Meanwhile, Elora gasped in surprise as Serah greeted her in a familiar manner, only to afterwards blink as she clarified that there was a strange familiarity, which startled her: she had, in fact, felt the very same feeling inexplicably. She then realized she forgot to answer the jubilant girl.
"Oh, my name i-is...Elora. Elora Liu'un. Um, n-nice to meet you," she added afterward, and managed a weak smile despite her trepidation. "I hope we'll get along."

Deep inside, Elora was terrified. After all, that face...She had seen it in her nightmare.

A final question to the lieutenant came from Ava, which actually caused Ritsu to look uncomfortable by the question before her usually stoic expression formed, and she adjusted her glasses. However, it elicited an amused cough from Lorenzo. "Young lady...Didn't I mention it before? My work here, including the very Project you young souls are enlisted on, is classified, and does not fit into the conventional structure of the Galactic Fleet." He then stepped closer to Ava, slightly craning his neck up to look at her face.
"But I can tell you this much: if you devote yourselves to this fight, overcome your doubts and fears, and face the Cruxi with all that you got...Then there is a chance you can do it. You can win this war." He turned around. "...I need to get back to work. Ritsu, you handle the rest." And with that, the old man started slowly walking away on his shaky walking stick as he was led by the hand by the Lilim.

Ritsu glanced back at Lorenzo, closed her eyes, and then opened them once more as she faced the group. "Now then, you may have the rest of today off to unpack your belongings and settle down, but training will start in the morning at 8 AM sharp." She saluted the pilots, her eyes particularly tough on Arrish, as if wordlessly reminding him to look back at her eyes.

"Dismissed!"

Elora saluted back with a shaky arm but a slightly hopeful smile, and then proceeded to bring her luggage to her private cabin. She pondered about whether she would want to go and take a shower immediately: she felt sweaty, and she hoped she could make the trip before the other women.

Once Lieutenant Ritsu dismissed them all, Sparks made his way over to the pilot she'd named as Aurora. The woman seemed a little distracted, having not paid attention to the little altercation between the redheaded man, the Tevranian, and the pilot called Griffith. Though she had asked a good question, about whether they would have time to work on their frames. Sparks was glad the answer was yes; he couldn't neglect the Guinevere's care.

"Hey, Aurora? It's nice to meet you. I'm John, but please call me Sparks -- everyone I know does. The lieutenant, she said you are good with machines? Which one's yours?"

---

Rhylaen bristled when called a bug -- an exceedingly rude slur for Tevranians. And the redhead human just...folded? Offering his hand to the other pilot to shake? And then he had the gall to say he could protect her. Ugh. She opened her mouth to reply, but Lieutenant Ritsu cut in with a bellow, and reprimanded them for arguing. At least the lieutenant seemed mostly focused on the one called Griffith.

Once they were dismissed, she turned to look at the man who'd tried, however badly, to help her. "I defend myself," she told him. "Am no scared of 'big bad blond'. And...hearts. Not sweet. Meaty."

Aurora had stayed behind after the dismissal. Drifting closer to the railing to watch over the Frames more directly. Still, she seemed startled ever so slightly when Sparks spoke to her, not enough to ruin her calm, but enough to know that she wasn’t used to people talking to her out of the blue.

”Oh, hello. And I am fairly confident in my skills yes.” She would reply with a polite smile before turning her attention back to the Frames. “I’m with Sleeping Thunder” She would reply gesturing towards the massive Spider Frame. “They are a good friend and partner.” She had a soft look on her face, one that most wouldn't associate with looking at tons of mechanized war-machine.

“What about you? Who’s your partner?” She would ask, turning not to look at Sparks, but at the other Frames. Almost as if she was trying to guess the answer already.

The expression on Aurora's face when she spoke of her frame was one Sparks understood completely. Sleeping Thunder might be an agent of destruction on the battlefield, given their thick, stabilizing legs and massive gun, but to a pilot -- especially one with the soul of a mechanic -- they were a valuable partner.

"They're certainly impressive. Is that a railgun?" Sparks' eyes gleamed with excitement. "Oh, me? I'm with Guinevere -- that one over there." He pointed at a medium sized frame in white with gold and red accents, and a distinctive ring curving from shoulder to shoulder. The arms were mounted in an odd position, almost at the waist, but it still held a humanoid appearance. "She's a repair and disruption unit. Between me and Dancer, we can fix up whoever needs fixing, or even override an enemy unit!" He beamed. He was clearly fond of the frame.

“It is! Though It’s closer to a MAC at this point.” She would reply, brightening up and growing livelier. “Sleepy has a lot on them. Dragon class Missile pods, Dragon class Particle Cannon, Diablo Class Arklights, Avenger class Gatling cannons, and Earth Shaker Artillery Mortars. Though we haven’t been able to break in the Earth Shakers too much.” She would explain with a bright, if demure, smile.

“And I saw her earlier. She’s lovely. I figured she was a supportive one. The Done bays are tucked back and away. And Offensive Drone bays tend to be more forward facing, so there is less of a delay before they can start seek and destroy operations.” She would say examining Guinevere once again.

A small frown would come over Aurora’s features a moment later. “Ah, sorry. Who’s Dancer? Another one of the Pilots?”

"Oh wow -- I wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of you two!" Sparks exclaimed. Sleeping Thunder was basically a mobile weapons platformm, from the sound of it. He blinked at Aurora's confusion, but then smiled ruefully and brought out his datapad from a pocket. It was already on, a stylized ballerina twirling serenely on its screen. "Ah, Dancer is the AI that works with me. She originally just helped with diagnostics for damaged frames, but she's since expanded her role to help me handle Guinevere's various drones. Say hello, Dancer."

"Greetings, Aurora." The voice that came from the pad was warm and feminine. "It's nice to make your acquaintance. As Sparks said, I am Dancer."

"Getting her approved was a hassle, but worth it." Now it was Sparks' turn to look exceedingly fond. The Guinevere was his partner, yes, but Dancer was his passion project and his baby.

---

If the redhead had dog ears, they would have flattened backwards to hear the beautiful Ritsu bark and glare at Griff like that. Yeesh, using his last name too. That had to be embarrassing. He was just glad that he wasn't a casualty in the firing line of her ire. I mean, he didn't really do anything wrong, did he? A few moments later, and the smoldering glare coming from the lieutenant was all but enough to make his eyes dart back up to hers and stay there. He did love a woman with a sense of authority and self-worth, though. The confidence made her so much more attractive. He was in love~

Then his ears clicked to hear what the little Tevranian said. "Huh? What? Sweet? Meaty? Meatheart?" His head tilted to the side, and he looked at her as though she had said something crazy but then thought better of it. Her language had been broken up, and it didn't take a genius to tell she was struggling with metaphors. "Well, uh, I just meant, uh...y-you know...?" His cheeks flushed at the thought of it, and he began to mentally backpedal. He couldn't just say that he was trying to flirt with her. I mean, then everyone would think he was some sort of pervert or something. "I just meant, you know, you're small and cute, and I'm big and strong. I want to protect you." Jeez, he besmirched himself. He probably sounded super lame just now, but it's not like he was lying or anything. He could protect all of his squad mates if he could, even from themselves if he had to.

“Oh.” Aurora would stare at Sparks pad for a moment. A look of curiosity, and uncertainty, clouding her face as she did so. “Hello to you too Dancer.” She would say giving an acknowledging nod towards the AI.

“I… Don’t have much experience with AI… Co-pilots.” She would say slowly, clearly choosing her words with care. “Sleepy is a lot more analogue compared to most Frames. Or…” She would send a glare off towards the depths of the ship. ”I am unsure if that man has changed things. So, It might not be the case anymore.”

“I am curious though, why was it so difficult to get her approved?”

Griff

'Ah not reading and manuals and that shit. Crap. Allright. Time to coerce one of the nerds into making me a shortcut for that stuff. Who needs manuals anyhow, reading is for dumb people who doesn't understand how to hammer something… probably. I don't need to know words in order to do push-ups!' He gave himself a sagely nod and then was taken aback upon hearing Lorenzo saying that a simple test in strength was not enough. How was that not enough? What manner of problems could not be solved by using muscles?

'A peace offering? Allright! Way to go alpha me!' Griff grinned and reached out to accept Arrish handshake, not long after though the voice of the Lieutenant was heard, abit too loud for his liking. At this rate he would get put in a cell on first day. Ah hell no. He withdrew his hand from Arrishs' hand and straightened his back, saluted and stood at attention. Kaname began to talk about disciplinary action, unruly behaviour and bickering and that such was unaccepted. The more she spoke, the most he felt like she had perfectly described him and his time in the military academy or outside of it. Really, was there any difference besides the outfits? For a moment he felt like asking what in the world 'cohesive' meant, but seeing the Lieutenant's fierce stare and posture he quickly made up his mind not to. Cohesive was clearly tape or glue. Wasn't that the same as adhesive...? Wasn't that a fancy word the explosive guys always talked about? Then again, he was an explosive guy himself, not in the bomb making sense though.

"Right! Yes ma'am!" He said out loud, his eyes looking at Kaname's eyes, the away from them, then back again, then away. And once she had gotten out from standing near him he mentally lashed out. 'Stupid boob for brains! Alienhugger! She will probably be sorry once she sees my skills and muscles.' The blond pulled his hair back abit after stopping his salute. The other pilots has began to talk with each other one on one, his attention caught on Sparks and Aurora overlooking the Framewerks.

'Damn tablet nerds.' He mentally chastised them, then threw glances to their machines. One of them looked mighty impressive to him, like a massive spider with big weaponry. Not bad at all. The other looked more scrawny to him, and the more he heard of Sparks speaking, the more his warrior spirit was triggered.

'Disruption unit? Override? That guy has brought a dishonorable cheating machine? That's not very warrior like. It even has a female robot voice talking to him! Damn creep!' Griff wrinkled his nose in displeasure, there was only one thing worse than aliens, and that was cowardly soldiers! Even if Sparks hadn't done anything cowardly as of yet, that Griff just thought he were was enough to make the blond yell out a mocking line for him, adjusting his voice to make it sound as provoking as he possibly could make it. "Good thing you brought your virtual dating app girlfriend along! You have a better shot with that one! What is she gonna do, flirt the aliens to death?" Griff said in a mocking manner, making sure that Lieutenant Kaname were out of earshot. Satisfied with his work, the young man smiled in a smug manner and looked over towards Minerva, approaching her in hurried steps.

"Yo! So what's Project Octopus? Eh.. Olympus right? Looking good. Good body. Wanna do some physical stuff? If you think you can keep up with the ace himself that is! Unless that's too much of a challenge?" He gave a wide grin and jabbed his own thumb at his chest, the other hand at his waist. Who in their right mind would refuse an offer like this? He was basically giving out free training sessions in boxing and physical training. She did get he meant that right? Right?

@Shifter_Master@Ravion the Red@shylarah@Ariamis@Digmata