Futuristic Inter-Galactic Feuds - In-Character

[Kumii]

Part I: Seramine StarsChapter I: Induction into the Academy
The year is 3256 of the 7th Astral Moon (July 7th, 3256). All-out war has broken out between the Colonia Alliance and Imperial Federation to see who will rule over the Milky Way Galaxy. The galactic navies are about evenly matched, no one navy seems to have an advantage over the other. All the while, the Galactic Empire remains a neutral party, refusing to take part in a pointless war when there are far greater threats out there...

Location: Asteroid Belt, Sol System
Year 3256 of the 8th Astral Moon
Fierce fighting among the Imperial Federation and Colonia Alliance is taking place within the Imperial Federation's home system. The Asteroid is being fiercely defended by Earth's Primary Defense Fleet. Lasers and cannon fire is flying everywhere. Some notable members taking part in the defense of the Sol System; Sylva Greenfield aka "Phantom", Raelyn "Rae" Sanders aka "Nightshade", Pierce Eisenhower aka "Autofire" and finally, Thomas "Tommy" Sanders aka "Blaze".

"Blaze! Watch your back, you've got Alliance ships on your six!" Phantom says over the comm-network all pilots have going on, "Tch. Shut up, Phantom, you think I don't know that?" Autofire takes the opportunity to destroy the distracted Alliance fighter on Blaze's six, "Seriously, Blaze. Watch yourself out there. We all can't babysit that brash nature of yours." Blaze remains silent but quietly says, "Whatever." Nightshade seems to remain quiet though, which raises a worry from Blaze, "Nightshade- Rae? You alright?" Nightshade finally speaks up, "Sorry! I didn't want to interrupt you guys." Blaze speaks up again, "Well, stay close to me. Can't go getting yourself hurt."

The Admiral decides to speak up, "Remember, Blaze, it's not just you out there. You have allies. Use us." She calmly commanded. Suddenly, across everyone's HUD, flashed in big red letters and playing over their ships' AI Navigator, "WARNING; CAPITAL-CLASS SIGNATURE DETECTED."

5 Years earlier (The present time)...
Location: Imperial Space Academy. Chicago, Illinois, USA, Earth.
Year 3251 of the 5th Umbral Moon. (August 5th, 3251).
Mara stood in her office, staring out of the windows at the plethora of fresh faces who came to be pilots, Commanders as the Imperial Federation called them. The Colonia Alliance and Imperial Federation have peace, albeit extremely strained but peace nonetheless.

Mara glared, "One can hope this peace lasts. We're gonna have to train these new recruits as quickly as possible."

AlphaBlueWolf SharkBark

 

[AlphaBlueWolf]

• Raelyn and Tommy Sanders
• Isaac Sanders

• 
  Raelyn and Tommy stepped off the ship and gazed up at the academy. Raelyn had stars in her eyes, her ears flicking upwards. Tommy seemed less thrilled than his younger sister and stayed close to her in a protective stance.
  
  "Look at it, Tommy! It's amazing!" Rae exclaimed to her brother.
  
  Tommy stretched and yawned. "Sure, sure. But that ship was way too cramped. I don't understand why we couldn't have hitched a ride with dad."
  
  "Well, I liked it. It's the academy experience! Besides, dad's busy. He's probably setting up for everyone or doing paperwork or something."
  
  "Still..."
  
  Raelyn elbowed his brother. "Do you really wanna be reliant on dad forever? I love him, but I know that I wanna get the experience that he had here. Don't you?"
  
  It was true. Raelyn adored her father, but she was quite nervous of what the others would think. Tommy didn't seem to care as much as she did, stuff like this didn't really phase him. But there was another reason to her not wanting to show up in her dad's ship. She didn't want to get stares for being on the same ship as a teacher, let alone one that was her father.
  
  "Well, I know you do. It's all you've been talking about." Tommy thought for a second. "I mean, I guess. I'm not as passionate about this as you are."
  
  "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll find something you enjoy here."
  
  From the way they talked, anyone could guess that they knew each other. Maybe they were childhood friends or something, which was somewhat true. They looked so different that it was hard to recognize them as siblings. Except for the way they talked about their father, both calling him dad in reference to one person. But the two were as different as two people could get.
  
  Raelyn was an alien, with her pointed ears and unnatural bright violet eyes. She was short while Tommy was pretty tall, towering over her. But she didn't seem to be intimidated by him. While his hair was orange, shaved on one side, Raelyn had a mop of cream, blonde hair. Tommy looked pretty human with a muscular frame, while Raelyn was pretty lithe. Tommy didn't look like a huge ogre with his muscles, and instead looked strong and capable. He was pretty intimidating to those around him, with a grumpy face and good physique. Raelyn seemed a lot more good natured. Kind and excitable about the academy and piloting. The siblings looked like a strange pair standing next to each other.
  
• 
  Isaac stood at one of the windows of the academy, looking down at the students. In particular, two forms. His children, Raelyn and Tommy. He wished he could be down there with them as they got their first views of the academy, but it was for the best. He knew Tommy would be the best big brother ever and take care of Raelyn like he always did. And Raelyn would try to get him excited at the prospects of the academy. They were quite the pair.
  
  He smiled and fought to tear his gaze from the window. Tommy had seemed a little peeved that he wasn't driving them here in his ship, but he knew Raelyn was fearful of how the people around her would see their relationship. It would come out eventually that he was their father, but at least he could delay any rumors and give them a good first day. He didn't want people to think them getting in was some form of nepotism. Isaac found that notion quite insulting, considering his children were two talented individuals.
  
  He walked the halls and came to one particular door. He knocked on it and didn't wait for an answer before opening it. He was quite the informal person, thinking they were on the same level despite the admiral being of higher status. Besides, he was three years older than her. So, when she was born, he was already a toddler. It was hard to hate him for it, considering he came in with a warm smile. He removed his mask, which he'd used to get a closer look at the students and said, "The students are here. Shall we start introductions?"
  
  Isaac had been teaching at the school for a good few years now and had grown comfortable in his position. He was by no means a new teacher, so he was more relaxed with formalities now. He'd found his footing with the job and radiated confidence in his position.
  

 

[SharkBark]

"Pow."

Pierce Eisenhower, also known as Autofire, pretends to shoot at the back of the head of the novice to side with his fingers in the shape of a gun as he walked off of the ship.

"Bullseye." Pierce whispers, pretending to blow away smoke coming from the invisible barrel. After that, he decides to divert his attention back to the current scenario.

He was at the Imperial Space Academy. A place where newbies, or "novices", like himself go to be trained to serve the Imperial Federation as Commanders. It was wish that had become reality for Pierce. For the past 11 years of his life he had aspired to work alongside experienced and legendary pilots. Now, he was accepted into the academy to have a chance to live out his dreams.

Pierce looked around him as he followed the other cadets, examining them. It was...a boring bunch to say the least. Most of the others there looked extremely determined, most likely determined to kiss the Admiral's ass. Pierce made a bet with himself, the bet was that most of the other novices would try their hardest to suck up to the Admiral as much as possible. Pathetic, really.

Why force yourself to be boring as hell and "mature", when that's not even what the academy is about? It's to train their skills and shape them into worthy Commanders. They most likely won't go by how much more "sophisticated" and "cultivated" you are than your peers, so why go through the hassle anyways?

To Pierce, having fun and learning were of the same category. Why bore yourself with your dreams? On Earth and outside of a ship, have fun. In the spacecraft and outside of the atmosphere is where the maturity should come in.

Nevertheless, he was almost certain he was going to win his personal bet. As he looked up at he academy again, he was impressed. The academy was huge, and very advanced at that. If he squinted hard enough at the windows, he could barely see people walking around. It was thrilling to see it from the outside, but Pierce would bet all his money that it looked even better on the interior.

This is gonna be alright. Pierce thought to himself. He half smirked as he began walking faster, eager to enter the academy.

Spoiler: Pierce's Stats

Health: Full
Mood: Excited
Injuries Sustained: None
Mental Health: Full
Status: Peak Condition

Ship Stats will come after graduation.

 

[Kumii]

Sylva GreenfieldLocation: Academy Hangar
Mentions: AlphaBlueWolf SharkBark
Current Weather: None
Current Time: August 5th, 3251. 6:45am
Sylva felt the ship land, the shaking as the jet engines gently landed the ship, incidently made the whole ship shake, making for an ironically not gentle landing. She waited for everyone else to off-load before sighing heavily and getting up herself, 'Alright.. you wanted to do this Sylva.. you can do this.' Sylva was abruptly brought out of her thoughts when a new student approached her.

"Hey! Are you-" Sylva screamed and ran to hide behind the loading ramp of the ship she got off of, "-lost? Was it... something I said?" Sylva trembled behind the ramp and waited for them to leave, "Pleasedonthurtmeimsosorry." The student tilted their head, "Um... You didn't... nevermind. I'll see you around then." As the student walked away, "What a strange girl..." they said quietly to another student.

Sylva came out from behind the ramp and pulled up her facemask a bit, she was secretly blushing under it, 'What a great first impression... you scream and yell when someone says hi... you're pathetic, Sylva...' She berated herself in her mind.

Mara TakemiLocation: Mara's Office in the Academy
Interactions: AlphaBlueWolf
Current Weather: None
Current Time: August 5th, 3251. 6:45am
Mara kinda jumped when Isaac said something, apparently she didn't hear the knock beforehand, "Issac! I-" Mara broke her composure and put a hand over her chest as if she just about had a heart attack. She took a moment to recollect herself, clearing her throat, "Yes. Let's gather the students in the Hangar area." Mara turned to look at Isaac, "Make the announcement, if you would. I'll be down shortly. Have the students gather in front of the transport they came in."

Mara turned back around to look back out at the students having giving the order to Isaac, who she hoped would do what she said so that she could fully recompose herself after the near heart attack he gave her.

Vincent GreenfieldLocation: Hangar Bay 017
Mentions: AlphaBlueWolf SharkBark
Current Weather: None
Current Time: August 5th, 3251. 6:45am
Vincent watched as the transport ship flew into the next hangar over, "They're here." Vincent put a head on his head and rubbed the back of his head, "I guess it's that time. Introductions are soon so that means i'll have to introduce myself... again." He sighed heavily, "The worst part of this gig is havin' to do those damn intro speeches."

Vincent put a finger on his chin, "If I remember right, She's apart of this year's students, right?" Vincent smiled, "Well, if she's here, then ain't so bad." He was approached by a fellow engineer, "Smiling gain, sir?" Vincent stopped smiling, put his hands behind his head and blushed whiled looking away, "Shut up and get back to work." The engineer bowed and did so, 'Still... at least I can keep an eye her better now.'

 

[AlphaBlueWolf]

• Isaac Sanders
• Raelyn and Tommy Sanders
• Milo Maximillion

• 
  Mara seemed exasperated to hear Isaac speak, even though he'd given a knock warning. Maybe he should've waited for an answer, because he honestly felt bad that Mara had a slight heart attack. He'd know Mara as an instructor ever since he'd joined the team. They'd been working together long enough for Isaac to know she had a heart behind that stern exterior. She acted much differently out of the classroom, and he recognized her teaching style as being stern. Some other teachers found her unapproachable, but Isaac tried to make active attempts to befriend her. He found her to be a good teacher and would honestly like to have another work buddy.
  
  Mara told him to keep the students in the hangar area, and to have them congregate by their transport vessel. He felt giddy at the thought, being able to see both his kids. But he needed to stay professional around them and not embarrass them. Tommy had had a conversation with him before going, telling him all about how much Raelyn was worried. Raelyn didn't know of that conversation. Tommy was making sure his father didn't do anything to worsen Raelyn's nerves or give the other students a means to bring those fears to life.
  
  Isaac nodded. "Yes, Ma'am!" He said with a smile. The ma'am was purely a joke, and not supposed to be an honorific because she was the admiral. "Take all the time you need. I'll make sure to keep the kiddos preoccupied in the meantime."
  
  He said that and then went out the door with a smile and wave. He was genuine about that. It wasn't him sucking up to his admiral. He was just being nice, understanding that Mara needed a sec because of his entrance.
  
  Isaac rushed his way down to the hangars, determined to get there before the students disappeared all over the place. He put his mask back on, which displayed an interface in front of his view. Directions and coordinates displayed that he didn't need, as he had memorized every inch of the building in his years of working here. He got to the hangars, getting his breath in check and walking into the bay the students had arrived in.
  
  "Hello, students!" He said as he walked in, removing his mask to seem less intimidating, and revealing a bright smile. "Staff introductions and orientation will begin shortly. We only ask that you stay in front of that ship there." He pointed to the one they'd arrived in, which was hard considering there was a sea of kids in front of it.
  
  He thought how best to keep them busy and starting with his introductions seemed the best way to do that. "Since I'm here, how about we get an early start. I know you all are excited, but I ask for some quiet. One of my rules, I will give you as much respect as you give me. A moment of quiet now, and we're already getting off on a fabulous start." He waited for the voices to die down and then continued.
  
  "I will be your instructor for your stay here, along with The Admiral, who will be joining us shortly. My name is Isaac Sanders, codename Sandstorm."
  
  Immediately whispers started among the students. They talked about rumors like him holding the world record for escaped flat spins in a spacecraft, and how he had escaped one when he was just a young novice like them. He had a wide grin on his face, while his cheeks burned red. He seemed flustered by the rumors about him but made no effort to hide that fact. To the students around him, he seemed real.
  
  "Well, I guess you've all heard something of me. Think about the welcome The Admiral will get from you lot."
  
• 
  Raelyn and Tommy enjoyed some light back and forth banter before Raelyn asked. "I wonder where the teachers are. We're just all kind of sitting here."
  
  On cue, one of the teachers stepped into the hangar bay announcing a warm welcome and asking the students to stay by the ship. And that teacher happened to be Tommy and Raelyn's father. "Da-" Raelyn instinctively went to say out of surprise, but Tommy thought fast and cupped his hand over her mouth. Raelyn blushed out of embarrassment and said a silent thanks to Tommy, who simply nodded and tussled her hair as if to say, 'you goof'.
  
  Isaac gave a small wink to his kids which made even Tommy crack a smile. They listened to their father introduce himself to the new students, though they didn't need the introduction.
  
  Raelyn and Tommy looked pretty proud when everyone started whispers about their father. Raelyn whispered to Tommy. "Everyone seems to be really amazed by dad."
  
  Tommy whispered back, "Didn't know he was really that impressive." He joked, which earned him a soft bump from Raelyn.
  
• 
  Milo was an experienced stow away. They knew just the right places to hide, and just the right time to exit their hiding place. They waited for the voices to die down, the last voice they heard being one very spazzed out girl. Then they powered Gazzy back on, who they had turned off to let him sleep for the long ride. They put a finger to their lips as a silent order to Gazzy, then popped open the seat they'd been hiding in.
  
  One kid with a metal dog, totally unnoticed. Everyone was too preoccupied with their own excitement. Milo raced off to the next hangar, their metal dog at their heels. They found the next bay, this one having workers in it. This maybe wasn't the best bay to steal from. They needed one that was completely empty. And Hangar Bay 017 was no good for that.
  
  Milo and Gazzy sneaked behind some crates. An engineer was working frantically at a ship. It seemed he'd been yelled at, because this guy completely had his head in the clouds. He was messing up so badly that it made Milo physically ill. Gazzy saw the look in their eyes and gave a low metallic whine. "Gaz, it'll be fine."
  
  With that Milo's small fourteen-year-old form walked up to the engineer. "Hey, man!"
  
  "W-what?" He looked shocked at seeing a kid, despite being in a teaching institute.
  
  "You're doing it so wrong that it's painful to watch. Are you sure you're a professional? Because you have no idea what you're doing!" When the engineer didn't respond out of pure shock, Milo took matters into their own hands. "Give me that!" They took the wrench right out of the engineer's hands, not even making an effort to conceal their racket. "Gazzy, give me a leg up!" They ordered, and the metal dog complied. Milo stood on Gazzy, the movement not hurting him as he was made of metal.
  
  They started fixing all the engineers mistakes without breaking a sweat.
  

 

[SharkBark]

"Holy shit." Pierce muttered to himself. "This place is jam packed with newbies."

Pierce, being taller than most of the people there, overlooked at the large batch of children that seemed to be increasing by the second. New ships arrived and dropped off students, and by now there was pract5a sea of novices.

"I know, right?" Another kid next to him said. "Honestly I'm a bit nervous. "

Pierce twisted his face at bit at that comment. What was there to be nervous about? He was confused, so he patted the kid on his back as hard as possible, knocking him forward a bit, and then said,

"Oi, there ain't no reason to be nervous. You haven't even met the adults yet! I'm sure they're going to be 100 times worse.

Pierce flashed the boy a bright smile and patted his back again. He thought that the boy would understand that he was joking, but his it backfired. Badly. In fact, the boy became so distraught over it and seemed to become even more anxious as he backed away from him.

"Eh? Does my breath smell or something?" Pierce asked.

Just as he asked that dumbass question, he saw an instructor step into the hangar who began to give everyone a warm greeting. He then instructed the novices to stay near the front of the ship they had arrived in, asked for everyone to quiet down, and then introduced himself.

"Sandstorm?" Pierce said to himself. He filled with delight as a smile spread across his face. "The master of Spin Maneuverability?"

The man was basically a legend upon Commanders. Even since he was just a novice, he had been performing jaw-dropping flat spin escapes. And Pierce was pretty sure he had heard something about him holding a record for it too. The first legend Pierce would meet out of many, Isaac Sanders.

Mr. Sanders mentioned something about the welcome the Admiral would get, which clicked in Pierce's mind. So, Issac isn't the Admiral? Which means someone even more impressive would be here soon?

"Goddamn." Pierce whispered with a grin. "This day just keeps getting better and better."

Spoiler: Pierce's Stats

Health: Full
Mood: Starstruck
Injuries Sustained: None
Mental Health: Full
Status: Peak Condition

Ship stats will come after graduation.

 

[Kumii]

Sylva GreenfieldLocation: Academy Hangar
Mentions: AlphaBlueWolf SharkBark
Current Weather: None
Current Time: August 5th, 3251. 7:00am
Sylva was surprised a bit when a teacher began to speak. Apparently, they were Isaac, the name rang a bell but she was too anxious to remember why it did. It was about 15 minutes later when the big boss spoke and Sylva felt the sudden need to pay attention, which told her just how much attention this woman's voice commanded despite being rather soft for being stern she appeared to sound.

This one was called Mara Takemi, half-Japanese apparently, 'Where's big brother...?' She was really starting to crave her brother's comfort being lost in a sea of new faces. Oddly, she felt trapped despite not actually being trapped. Was she having a panic attack in the middle of orientation? No, not quite, she just needed to breath. Her anxiety was just started to act up being surrounded by unfamiliar faces.

Sylva didn't quite catch most of what Mara said but she began to walk away, as did the other students and Sylva followed suite.

Mara TakemiLocation: Academy Hangar, In front of all the students.
Interactions: AlphaBlueWolf SharkBark
Current Weather: None
Current Time: August 5th, 3251. 7:00am
Isaac did in fact leave, quite happily too. Mara looked as he trotted out and shook her head, "What a strange man." She said with a smile. Mara fully recomposed herself, 'Well... time to go.' She turned and walked out towards the hangar about 15 minutes later. Just as Isaac finished entertaining the students, she made her introduction. At first she stood and looked out at the students, "Welcome everyone." She said, which was surprisingly informal and warm, "You are not in Kansas anymore, folks. Far from it and you will eventually travel even farther once you all graduate her." Mara's gazed shifted between all the different students as she spoke.

"I am the other and primary instructor of you guys. My name is Admiral Mara Takemi codename "The Admiral". Before you ask, yes, I am half-Japanese and no, I cannot speak Japanese, so don't ask. By the end of the year, if you have not graduated from here with flying colors... Mine and Isaac's job will have been all for naught." Mara lifted her right hand and used her left hand to adjust her glove, "It is our job to make DAMN sure you leave this academy as respectable Commanders." Her gaze narrowed, "So do not fail us and we will not fail you all." She returned her hands to her back and her gaze returned to normal, "We will begin the staff introductions. It is in your best interest to get to know these staff members as they will be your best friends when you get your on ships. We have everything here, maintenance, engineering, weapons and much more." She turned and began walking, "Now then, follow me."

 

[AlphaBlueWolf]

• Isaac Sanders
• Raelyn and Tommy Sanders
• Milo Maximillion

• 
  Isaac turned to the sound of Mara's voice. "And there she is." He half mumbled to himself. Isaac was pretty much the welcoming committee, despite being one of the main instructors and the second hand to Mara, but The Admiral was pretty much the real deal. The students would all be floored by her as she gave the run down. Her voice was also stern and respectable, and he figured she'd give them all an awakening. Basically, she was the one telling them, don't do anything stupid. Isaac could've used someone like that when he was their age. The escape that made him famous could've cost him his life. It didn't, and lucky too because both his children wouldn't be around. Tommy, who was his biological son, and Raelyn, who he was convinced had been abandoned or something to that affect. That island had been deserted, except for a little baby.
  
  He had always been wary of the students taking his success story and trying it for themselves. He was talented, but he had far more experience. That first escape was luck, mixed with talent peeking through. His more recent escapes from flat spins had been experience and talent. He knew young students were young and impressionable, so Isaac strived to not help them get their selves killed.
  
  As the speech from The Admiral went on, he found himself giving her massive props for being so informal and warm to the students. Her approach was usually more strict, but he could tell she got just as excited about new faces as he did.
  
  He found the joke about Kansas pretty funny, as well as she was already laying down the law with her being half Japanese. Students could be insensitive about stuff like that. They were all different types of people, and you were bound to get a few bad seeds, or the unfortunate few who were misguided. But Isaac tried to help every student and set them in the right direction. He knew his own two children were good. Tommy could be insensitive when he was angry, but a lot of the time he just yelled stuff he didn't mean out of frustration. Out of the both of them, he was more worried for Tommy. Raelyn had a good head on her shoulders, despite being shy. But Tommy was one to talk back, and also be the first to dish out a punch. Isaac really hoped his son wouldn't get up to too much trouble.
  
  Half the time Isaac had his eyes on Mara, have the time on his children. But he was good at hiding it, looking like he was staring at the students rather than checking on his kids. Raelyn seemed to be listening intently, while Tommy wasn't as enthusiastic. He still took in the information, but had a very 'whatever' look plastered to his face about the time when Mara was saying "So do not fail us..."
  
  Isaac thought it was disrespectful, and then realized that was just Tommy. He didn't care much because he didn't have the passion for piloting like Raelyn did. Tommy was very much stuck.
  
  He smiled warmly at the students, very much filling the role of welcoming committee. He seemed like a strange person to be her assistant in teaching, because he definitely wasn't a stern figure. They ended up balancing each other out and giving the students the correct amount of stern and warm. They very much good cop, bad coped the teaching situation.
  
  Mara finally concluded, telling the students to follow her as they went about for staff introductions. Isaac starting walking next to her. "Let's move out! Oh, yeah, you guys can move from the ship now." He called over his shoulder in a joking manner, as if they'd all been playing freeze tag and he had been it. He looked over his shoulders to make sure the students were piling out.
  
  While they were coming out, he did a little orientation. "These are the hangar bays, as you can see. This is where all spacecraft will be stored. You'll also be able to see some engineers doing ship maintenance. As Mara said, I suggest you get to know the engineers. Or at least be cordial to them. They work hard to keep our ships running. They do us a great service, because we wouldn't be able to continue on with battered ships, now would we?"
  
• 
  Raelyn and Tommy watched their father at work. They'd been here before when they were much younger for bring your child to work day, but this was the first time they really got to see their father in action. And a few seconds later, a women walked into the room announcing herself.
  
  Raelyn found it awesome, first teacher that she actually had to listen to as they introduced themself. She was Mara Takemi. The siblings both knew that name, their father talking about his work partner sometimes when he recounted tales from the academy. She was like he described, stern but welcoming at the same time. As she explained things, Raelyn was determined to be one who passed with flying colors. Both for her father, and so that she could go on to be an amazing pilot.
  
  Tommy was less thrilled. He'd had teachers like her before, who usually restricted the things he could do. Apparently wrestling a friend on the playground hadn't been "school appropriate". Stuff like that grated on his nerves. He chafed against authority figures and rules. His sister was perfectly content with fitting in the box, while he just never found his place within it. Those teachers had failed him, not the other way around. Somehow it annoyed him that she put the responsibility on them. It was her responsibility as a teacher to help them learn. He looked over to Raelyn who seemed to be enjoying this, soaking up every word. Well, it was all for her anyways. His baby sister needed his protection, and he had nothing better to do.
  
  They didn't hear any rumors like with their dad, probably because they were on the move as their father explained the hangars to the group of students. But Raelyn liked to think it was because their dad was just extremely awesome. She adored her goofy father, and it honestly felt good for his skill to be recognized.
  
• 
  Milo finished the ship repairs in a matter of minutes. They absentmindedly plucked other tools from their belt, knowing exactly what they needed. The engineer had messed up bad with the wiring. Some sparks flew as they fixed the jumbled mess then shut the hatch and whistled. He patted the ship. "She's a real beaut this one. Incredible craftsmanship. I can see why this company is the second in the world." They shook their head. "But they really don't do any favors to small fries like me."
  
  They jumped off Gazzy and gave him a pat on the head. They threw the engineer's wrench back at him, with Gazzy staring at it like Milo had just thrown a bone. "Make sure not to damage these babies any further, with that head of yours stuck in the stars."
  
  Then they started walking away. "Hey, aren't you supposed to be in the next hangar over with the rest of your class!" The engineer called behind them. They risked a sharp grin. If someone caught them, and they said they were a student, then maybe Milo could get away with their little heist.
  

 

[Kumii]

Vincent Greenfield and Charlotte HoweLocation: Hangar Bay 017
Current Weather: None
Current Time: August 5th, 3251. 6:55am
Charlotte walks over to the Engineering area of Hangar Bay 017. She looks around with a look of disapproval, "Gross... this place is slimy." She holds her Vector, it looks something's wrong with it so she's come here for one specific person. She finds that specific person, "Hey, Vincent." Vincent is initially seen fixing the landing strut on an Academy training ship when he hears Charlotte's voice. He turns to look at her, "Hmm? Oh, it's you." He goes back to working on the strut, "What's up. Rare for ya to come to the nerd area." He joked with her, normally Charlotte would retaliate but she did no such thing.

She presented her gun, "She's jammed up, Vincent. I came to see you." She realized what she said, "N-Not that I need to s-see YOU, you pleb." She said firmly but the pink in her cheeks betrayed her voice. Vincent wiped his hands with his rag and came down from the strut, "Yeah, yeah." He inspected her weapon, "Ya say she's jammed?" Charlotte nodded, "May I?" He said, indicating that he wanted to hold the weapon himself, Charlotte again nodded and he took it and held his eye to the sight and pulled the trigger but all in made was a click sound. He took out the mag to see if there were bullets in the clip. There was so he put the clip back in the gun.

Vincent then slid the chamber back and expected a bullet to fly out but nothing happened. As it turned out, there was a bullet stuck in the chamber. It looked like a .308 bullet, "Charlotte... did ya try to use .308 in this gun again?" Charlotte looked away and blushed, "N-No... Sh-Shut up..." Vincent sighed, "Charlotte... ya know this ain't a .308, so why?" Charlotte didn't answer and Vincent sighed again. He put the gun down and grabbed a tool to grab the stuck bullet. After some trouble , he managed to free it.

He needed to test if it worked so he grabbed the correct clip and inserted it into the gun and readied it. He then pointed it downrange and pulled the trigger. A loud BANG and a bullet hole appeared where he aimed, "There we go." He said lowering the gun and handing it back to Charlotte. She looked embarrassed but looked away with a stern face, "Th-Thank you, pleb." Her pink cheeks again betrayed her demeanor, Vincent didn't seem to mind, "Sure. Don't let it happen again, 'kay? For God's sake, you're a Weapons Specialist, ya should know better than to try that." Charlotte didn't seem to react badly for getting berated by Vincent, she simply nodded then turned to walk back to where she came from.

 

[AlphaBlueWolf]

The bay was huge, and Milo wasn't having the best time navigating it. It felt like a maze, and Milo was typically good with mazes. They didn't grow up in the best area and roamed around a lot in alleyways. Anything but going home. Then there was the gang's turf, which contained so many alleyways. But despite there being a lot of violence on the streets, the rooftops were extremely calm. Milo remembered the cool breeze at night, the way the city lit up. It was so peaceful that you could hardly tell there were gangs actively fighting and causing problems for local law enforcement. But that was down below. Up there, Gazzy and them could just laze around. Eventually Milo would get fidgety again and look for a new project to work on. That felt like home. This maze was not home. It made their skin itch. You could tell how much money was poured into this place. Milo had never been in such a fancy place before. They yearned for their alleyways, instead of the metal maze they were in now.

They were drawn to voices and followed with their stolen experiment by their side. Ok, look, it's not like the government had been doing anything with the plans to make Gazzy. Everything regarding that failed project had been stuffed inside a storage closet never to see the light of day. Milo and his gang had liberated those files. No one in the government was smart enough to make it work, but Milo, having only a few tools and a dream, had given it his all and produced Gazzy who had stuck beside him through everything. Gazzy was perfect. There were a few kinks to work out at the start, as with all projects, but now Gazzy was the best metal dog in the whole world. Ok, possibly the only metal dog in the world, especially the only metal dog with a combat mode.

They clanked against the metal until they were pressed up against the opposite side of a ship. They peered out of their hiding spot to see some old guy coming down from a strut. Ok, he wasn't gray hair old but like middle aged old. The funny part was he wasn't actually middle aged, but Milo had seen guys in their twenties and this guy wasn't it. He seemed burly but also, well, fat. Maybe Milo just had high standards. To them, everyone was fat, because they'd grown up being half the size they were supposed to be, in both height and weight. That didn't stop them from making fun of this guy though. Commander Beer Belly!

That might've been one of their best yet. Commander Beer Belly walked down to a young lady, who looked like she'd struck the same pitiful genes they had. Their height made them look twelve at least, maybe even younger despite them being fourteen. This girl seemed to have the same issue they had, and they briefly wondered if they had similar situations. But then they erased that thought from their mind. These people were all pricks with millions to their name. They had come from nothing and had nothing.

Shortie was holding some kind of weapon, a gun to Milo's dismay. Commander Beer Belly fiddled with the gun and pulled the trigger, but no horrifying sound came. The guy spoke again, asking the girl, Charlotte Milo learned, if she used a .308 in the gun. Milo knew how to use guns but didn't know any of their parts despite being a prodigy at mechanics. They could manage putting together other weapons, but guns were out of their pay grade. They never wanted to touch a gun again. So, Milo really didn't know what the fuss was about until Commander Beer Belly said it wasn't a .308 gun. They understood that immediately, knowing this Charlotte girl had put in the wrong part. The engineer put the right part in, and then tested it. Milo's eyes went wide, knowing what was next to come.

With a loud, BANG, the gun went off and Milo was sent into another world. They were back to being a twelve-year-old, even thinner and smaller than they were now. Their leg had given way and their body slammed back against the floor with a scream. They crawled up, seeing a pool of blood around their right ankle. Their own gun had slipped out of their hand with the fall. Now disarmed, the officers rushed in. One grabbed their arm while the others raced in. They sucker punched the first guy, but then an officer caught them hard and pushed them to the ground. He yelled at Milo to stay down while the other officer grabbed a pair of cuffs. They wrestled with the guy holding them, kicking him in the gut and squirming their body, but they couldn't get away. They were just a kid, who didn't get proper nutrients, and was now wounded in the ankle. They fought fiercely, but Milo was cuffed and eventually rushed to the hospital. They fought with screams and shouts as they were sedated, the doctors trying to remove the bullet from their ankle. Their vision went black, and they were back to Hangar Bay 017.

Milo could feel the sweat on their brow. They sometimes got flashes like that, and they hated it. They didn't like guns, they hated them. They breathed heavily and wiped the sweat from their forehead. He looked towards Gazzy. His eyes flashed between red and cyan, unsure which mode to be in. He didn't know if there was still danger, but also knew his partner needed comfort. The low sound that came out was a mix of a growl and a whimper. Milo patted his head, and Gazzy's eyes as well as the small accents on his body corrected to cyan.

Milo stuck their head back out to see Charlotte turn away from Commander Beer Belly, their meeting seeming to be at an end. How long had Milo been in their head? A few seconds or a few minutes? They couldn't tell, but it had only been a few seconds. To them, it felt like forever. They just needed one ship. One ship and then they could be out of this gun infested hell hole.

 

[SharkBark]

( AlphaBlueWolf , could I use this format for two characters? I don't mean to copy you, it's just really useful.)

• Pierce Eisenhower
• Joo Mi-yeon

• 
  
  Just as Pierce had expected, someone who he had heard much good about from he father came into the bay. Mara Takemi. She introduced herself, set things straight about her ethnicity and language, and then got straight to the point.
  
  She had basically --or at least to Pierce-- said that she needed them to impressively pass or else her and Sandstorm's jobs will be for "naught". Whatever that means. Then, Mara went on about how they needed sure that they became Commanders, and that if they did not fail them, they would not fail them. Weirdly put, but you get what I'm saying, right?
  
  Then she decided that it would be best to begin with staff introductions, and that of course they should get to know them, because they'll be very important in the long run. And to finish it off, "Follow me."
  
  "I like her." Pierce said to himself, his eyebrows raised a bit. "Talented, straight to the point, stern, and highly attractive? An amazing pick for an Admiral."
  
  Pierce looked to his side and saw a kid white-ish blonde haired kid giving him a looking. Most likely because he overheard what Pierce said.
  
  "What?" Pierce said loudly with a twisted face. "You can't tell me you don't agree."
  
  Pierce's loud tone attracted the attention of others, which clearly embarrassed the boy, causing him to look away.
  
  As Pierce began to move out with the other students, Sandstorm gave another batch of information, this time regarding the engineers, and that they should be kind to them. Or at least, get to know them in some sort of way. He asked a rhetoric and joke question and the end, and taking the opportunity to "make a mark" (which really did barely anything) Pierce loudly responded,
  
  
  "No, we wouldn't, sir."
  
  Spoiler: Pierce's Stats

  Health: Full
  Mood: Starstruck
  Injuries Sustained: None
  Mental Health: Full
  Status: Peak Condition
  
  
  
• 
  
  "Gosh, everyone here is way too tall." Joo said as she stood on her tiptoes.
  
  Being all the way in the back and standing behind tall guys, Joo got absolutely nothing of what the instructors had said, in fact, she didn't even see them.
  
  Dressed in a beige hoodie one size too big for her and cargo pants, Joo Mi-yeon frantically looked around the hangar bay, hoping to at least get a glimpse of the teachers. Being 5'6 among 6'0 and over men, it was a major struggle to do so.
  
  "You can't tell me you don't agree." Joo heard from her left. It sounded like someone was speaking loudly among the students, most likely a teacher. She wanted to see how at least one of them looked, so she pushed herself through the crowd and made her way towards the source.
  
  People yelled out in surprise as she stepped on their feet and brushed past them, and she flashed a small smile at them each time as if she were saying, "sorry, gotta get through".
  
  When Joo finally got as far to the left as possible, she didn't seem to see any adults around. Just more tall boys, and the engineers near the wing of the ships.
  
  Joo's attention was soon diverted when she heard the loud voice again saying, "No, we wouldn't, sir." It was an instinct to turn her head and look towards the source, and from there she saw a brown haired boy speaking to Mr. Sanders.
  
  "Wow. If he's that confident to just say that, he must be experienced." Joo muttered to herself. She found his loud and obnoxious tendency to be a sign of confidence, and it intrigued her. She wanted to stay near people like that, people that knew what they were doing, so she began to push herself through the crowd once again to get to him.
  
  "Excuse me. Heh, sorry. Just, uh, lemme slip through here." Joo said these things as she squeezed herself through the sea of novices, bumping into people and stepping on shoes, though she clearly didn't mean to. And then finally, Joo made it to Pierce. She looked up at the much taller boy and flashed him a small smile, extending a hand while continuing to walk at the same time.
  
  "Hi! I'm Joo Mi-Yeon, nice to meet you."
  
  Spoiler: Joo's Stats

  Health: Full
  Mood: Cheerful
  Injuries Sustained: None
  Mental Health: Full
  Status: Peak Condition
  
  

 

[AlphaBlueWolf]

• Isaac Sanders
• Raelyn and Tommy Sanders

• 
  Isaac wasn't expecting a response. It was a rhetoric question after all, played in a joking manner. Either this boy was nervous, excited and passionate like his daughter was, or trying to get into his good graces. He liked to think it was the second option. After all, a lot of the kids were buzzing with excitement. He wanted to take the opportunity to establish relationships with his students. He wanted to interact with all of them, get to know them, and show them that he was someone they could come talk to with their problems, or just if they wanted a chat.
  
  So, he quipped out a response. "Ah, so I see we have some passionate ones this year." His face was light with a smile.
  
  A little way off from the first voice, he heard a second one which was all too familiar. "Passionate my ass. Seems we just have some suck ups."
  
  Tommy was already starting to cause problems. He flashed his son a look, the first hints of stern he'd displayed the whole time. He would never do that to a regular student, but Tommy wasn't a regular student. They had relations beyond teacher and student. Tommy was his son, and he had to check his behavior sometimes. He had to be stern and tell his children when they were going too far. But he wasn't going to call out Tommy. They could talk when they had time alone. For now, he could just try to remedy the situation, or prevent a problem from happening.
  
  His face returned to what it was, a pleasant smile. "Passion is good for the field you'll all go into. No one wants to be stuck doing what they don't like, so if you have passion on your flight then you can never stray too far from your goals."
  
  Luckily the student who had spoken up was being greeted by another student. A girl who was dressed in a big hoodie and cargo pants had come up to the boy. He looked upon them with glee. The students were starting to make relations, finding friends that would last a lifetime. He still talked to his old buddies from school, who were basically like aunts and uncles to Raelyn and Tommy. Seeing his students build those relationships so early made him happy.
  
• 
  Raelyn and Tommy looked as some student shouted in response to their father's question. Raelyn thought it was kind of sweet how so many people ended up looking up to their father in a similar way that she did, while Tommy just narrowed his eyes and glared at the guy.
  
  Their father said something about passion, but Tommy wasn't having it. He didn't know why he felt the way he did. He knew they'd agreed upon this, that Isaac wouldn't act as their father unless the secret was out. But it still nagged at him that he was giving attention to another student. He knew that was his job and all, but he couldn't help the feeling of jealousy. He felt like a child again, his father putting his work before him as a way to cope. This time though, there was no cute baby alien to snap him back into reality.
  
  So, Tommy started with his usual bullshit. "Passionate my ass. Seems we just have some suck ups." He said just loud enough. That one earned him an actually hard elbow to the rib by his sister, and an icy glare from his father. He shot a glare back to his dad but looked down at Raelyn with a hurt expression. Rae looked away from her brother, crossing her arms and pouting disapprovingly.
  
  He tried to get his sister to look at him as he heard his father going on about passion for flight. That was something he didn't think he'd ever have, which just annoyed him more.
  

 

[Kumii]

• Mara Takemi
• Sylva Greenfield
• Vincent Greenfield

• 
  
  Mara TakemiLocation: Hangar Bay 017
  Interactions: AlphaBlueWolf SharkBark
  Current Weather: None
  Current Time: August 5th, 3251. 7:05am
  As they walked, Mara overheard one particular student making trouble. Isaac spoke up to it, something about passion. As they arrived at their destination, Mara stopped the students, "Here we are. Hangar Bay 017. The main hub for our resident engineers. This year, we're lucky enough to have a very special one. You might know him." Mara turned to the engineers, "Vincent Greenfield! Introduce yourself to this year's students!"
  
  After Vincent's introduction...
  "He's only here for the year so make use of it. This year, you all are lucky enough to have him, so enjoy the luxury of improved upgrades to your weapons or ships once you get them." Mara looked over the students, "Now then, if you have any questions for them, ask them now." She said.
  
  

  Spoiler: Features Unlocked!

  + Improved Upgrades for the year!
• 
  
  Sylva GreenfieldLocation: Hangar Bay 017
  Mentions: AlphaBlueWolf SharkBark
  Current Weather: None
  Current Time: August 5th, 3251. 7:05am
  Sylva followed everyone, quietly, not wanting to raise attention to herself. When she heard they stopped at Hangar Bay 017 and mention it was the 'main hub for engineers', she got her hopes up. Then Mara said the name she wanted to hear. Vincent Greenfield and her face absolutely lit up, 'Brother! I'm so happy to see you!' she thought to herself, as if Vincent could hear her.
  
  She listened to Vincent give his introduction like the badass he was, or at least she thought he was. Despite not wanting to stand out or have too much attention, she always secretly really admired her brother. He was able to start the second most popular company in the Galaxy and still make time for his little sister. Sylva was always really grateful for that as she thought that him starting his company would mean she would lose the most important family member to her.
  
  Another reason she admired her brother was that he always tries to help her, no matter what. She knows it's all in vain but the effort he puts in on her behalf really strengthened her bond with him.
  
• 
  
  Vincent GreenfieldLocation: Hangar Bay 017
  Mentions: AlphaBlueWolf SharkBark
  Current Weather: None
  Current Time: August 5th, 3251. 7:05am
  Vincent was working on the landing strut of an academy ship when he heard his name called by a familiar voice. He poked his head from behind the strut, "Hmm? Oh, it's me already?" He came out from behind it, "Uh.. alright.. well..." He wiped his hands with his rag, "Okay, look people. I'm an engineer, that means I solve problems." He put down his rag on a tool cart and picked a socket wrench, "Not problems like 'what is beauty' because that would fall within the purview of your conundrums of philosophy." Vincent placed the wrench on a nut on the landing strut and tightened it a bit, "I solve practical problems." Vincent then tossed the wrench back onto the tool cart and looked at the students, "For instance, how am I goin' to stop some big mean mother hubbard from tearin' me a structurally superfluous new behind?" He picked a beam pistol laying on a nearby cart, "The answer...?" He motioned to the gun, "Use a gun..." he put it down, "...and if that don't work..." He gestured to the ship behind him, "...use more gun."
  
  He paused for a second, "Like this heavy-caliber armored fighter, designed by me. Built... by me and you best hope..." He looked at the students, "...Not pointed at you."
  
  After he gave that introduction, he felt like a badass. Then Mara said 'ask them questions' and his heart broke, "Mara! Why? I ain't wantin' to answer no damn questions!" He said but it seemed to not be heard by her.
  

 

[SharkBark]

• Pierce Eisenhower and Joo Mi-yeon

• 
  
  Pierce lit up when Sandstorm has called him passionate. He didn't expect to get an answer back, but to only have his comment burned into their memory. A smile spread onto his face, but just for a second, before hearing a voice from behind him.
  
  "Passionate my ass. Seems we just have some suck ups."
  
  Pierce turned around quickly and looked for the source of the voice. He narrowed it down to a boy with steely blue eyes and orange hair that was shaved on one side.
  
  "How bout you come say that to my face?" Pierce said to the boy, just loud enough for him to hear. "I wanna see that failed buzz cut!"
  
  Pierce turned back around and snickered at his own joke for a bit before laughing even harder when the boy was checked by Sandstorm.
  
  "Oh, gosh. Oh, man." Pierce said as his laughing slowly came to a stop.
  
  "Hi, I'm Joo Mi-Yeon." Pierce suddenly heard to his side. He turned to see a girl with a hoodie and loud cargo pants outstretching a hand for him to shake. Though he was confused Pierce slowly took it and said,
  
  "Oh, uh, sup. Pierce Eisenhower. You said your name was Chew Me Own? Weird name.
  
  "Joo Mi-yeon." Joo corrected him.
  
  "That's what I said. Chew Me Own."
  
  "No, Joo Mi-"
  
  Joo's second correction was cut off when Mara introduced Hangar Bay 017, which was where the engineers resided. Pierce and Joo looked her way as she mentioned that someone they might know is here this year.
  
  "Vincent Greenfield!" Mara called out as she demanded that he introduced himself.
  
  The man, Vincent, began to awkwardly (at least to Pierce) talk to the students. He tightened some bolts as he spoke, and then picked up a beam gun, motioned it a bit, motioned to the ship behind him, and then told them that they better hope that one of his weapons aren't pointed at them.
  
  Pierce was a bit dumbfounded by the introduction, while Joo was amazed.
  
  "Who the hell is that guy?" Pierce said. "I thought she said we'd know them."
  
  Mara told them that Vincent would only be there for the year, and that they should definitely take advantage of him and his improved upgrading. She also said they could ask questions.
  
  "Improved upgrades? Hell yeah!" Pierce said, his mood increasing once again.
  
  "I have a question!" Joo said, her hand raised. "Didn't you found Core Dynamics?"
  
  
  Spoiler: Pierce and Joo's Stats

  Health: Full
  Mood: Excited
  Injuries Sustained: None
  Mental Health: Full
  Status: Peak Condition
  
  

 

[Kumii]

Vincent GreenfieldLocation: Hangar Bay 017
Mentions: SharkBark
Current Weather: None
Current Time: August 5th, 3251. 7:05am
Vincent inspected the tools cart again when the first question came. Of course it had to be the most direct first question ever, he looked at who said that, they appeared to be a small, Korean girl or was she Chinese? It didn't matter right now, "Uhh..." He rubbed the back of his head and put that hand back o the cart, "I guess ya can say that." He grabbed a blowtorch and protective mask and then monkey'd his way up the ship, "I guess you're gonna wanna know 'how did I found Core Dynamics.', right?" Vincent open a panel on the side and began igniting the blowtorch, he looked back at Joo, "I'll tell ya the same thing I tell ev'ryone." He twisted a nut on the side and the flame focused on the blowtorch, "It started in a shed in our parents' backyard. That's all. Next?" Vincent slapped the mask down and got to welding in the open panel.

 

[AlphaBlueWolf]

• Raelyn and Tommy Sanders
• Milo Maximillion

• 
  Tommy narrowed his eyes, clearly annoyed by the boy's comments. Not really smart, either. There's no way to fail a buzz cut, you're just shaving your head basically. The cut had been his choice, and he rocked it well.
  
  He looked at the boy with a cold sneer. His father would have to wait as he dealt with this little ass. He was way taller and muscular than he was, plus way older. You could tell Pierce was still a teen who thought he was so smart. "If you think your kindergarten insults-" He began but was quickly cut off by his smaller alien sister, who was very apologetic.
  
  "I'm really sorry about him." She apologized in hopes that Tommy wouldn't start a fight in the first few minutes of their arrival. The boy's laughter definitely left a sour taste in her brother's mouth, but the situation seemed to split when another girl came up to Pierce. Raelyn moved Tommy away from the other boy, hoping to disappear in the sea of kids once again. She was tempted to smother herself in shadows, so that no one could see her, and then smack her head against a wall after the attention Tommy just grabbed. She appreciated his ability to finish her fights but did not appreciate his ability to start fights with the slightest offhand comment.
  
  Raelyn and Tommy had a quick and hushed conversation about Tommy not being an asshole to the other students, but it felt like they were cut off a moment later when they arrived at Hangar Bay 017, Mara giving a quick introduction about how this was the main space the engineers worked in. That would explain why it seemed so crowded with workers.
  
  Mara claimed they would know an engineer by the name Vincent Greenfield. Tommy didn't know who he was, but Raelyn instantly recognized the name. She'd looked at a lot of companies in her pursuit of knowledge on spacecraft. She'd gone to a bunch of different websites, looking at all the listings while being in her happy place. She read all the informational blurbs she could find, including one about a Vincent Greenfield.
  
  He'd started a company at only nineteen, claiming he just had a dream and some experience putting stuff together in the backyard. His company was only about six years old at this point, but Core Dynamics was already the second leading manufacturer in all military goods, including spacecraft. And boy were those things beautiful. She thought they could do with a little more color, maybe a quick coat of purple spray paint, but those puppies were absolutely stunning. Being able to ride in something like that would be a dream come true. And then she found out Vincent would be one of their engineers. Could you believe that?
  
  Vincent gave an amazing introduction, but both siblings were partial to their father's warm welcome. Even Tommy, who was still kind of pissed about the whole situation with Kindergarten Insults over there. Raelyn was mostly drooling over the ship behind him, that he said was built by him. Did they all get to operate ships like that? She really hoped she could get her fingers on all of those controls. She already knew what most of them did too, considering her father had been taking her aboard his own ship and letting her sit in his lap and help steer. Well, when she was a kid that is. When she got older, he let her actually sit in the seat alone and pilot with his supervision. Was it illegal, probably? Did either of them care? Nope. Besides, Isaac was a teacher, he knew what he was doing. He'd never once let her use the weapons, and she could only drive in a straight line. It was kind of like how a normal parent would take their young teen out to a parking lot and let them drive the family car around. Yeah, totally like that.
  
  "Yes!" She whispered and pumped a fist in front of her as she heard about the upgrades. Her currently invisible tail wagged, and probably clipped the students behind them with a soft brush of fur, among them being a silent girl with similar fears as her own. Raelyn liked looking more human, more like her family. So, she hid her tail most of the time with her powers and didn't let a lot of people see it.
  
  Vincent didn't really wanna answer questions, and Raelyn decided to stay silent and not bother him further. But Tommy saw her eyes, saw how she wanted to ask so many different questions, but kept her mouth shut out of consideration for all parties. So, Tommy did a very caring, brotherly thing. He forced her hand to go up. Ok, maybe caring wasn't the right word to describe that. Definitely brotherly, but caring? It really was though. Tommy was trying to force Raelyn out of the shadows, force her to be selfish and do the things she wanted. She ended up being way too considerate of others and forcing down her own needs as a means to please those around her. Tommy knew you couldn't please everyone, but Raelyn tried way too hard to do that exact thing. She may hate him for it in the moment, but it was the right decision so she could grow up being at least a little selfish. That was good. Being a little selfish was better than being selfless, because being a little selfish meant you could help others as well as yourself. Rae would have to learn that sooner or later, and Tommy was progressing that.
  
  "Tommy, stop it." Raelyn murmured while squirming, trying to get out of his grip as her hand was up high. Some other girl had raised her hand first, shouting out a question about Core Dynamics. Meanwhile, the Sanders Siblings were muttering to each in hushed voices, Raelyn trying to get Tommy to let go to no avail. Between them, there was no contest with who had the physical strength. Tommy was clearly winning.
  
  Some other kids raised their hands, but Sandstorm looked over to his daughter and picked her out. "You! Go ahead, ask away."
  
  Raelyn wanted to scream. Tommy and her father were both working against her with smirks on their faces. Dirty traitors. Raelyn's face blushed as everyone turned to look at her, waiting for her question. "Um- I- uh." She stuttered.
  
  "Don't look at them." Tommy muttered to her, loosening his grip and talking in a soft tone. "Just look at the floor, or me, or dad."
  
  Raelyn took his advice, staring down at the ground as her small voice squeaked out. "Are we all gonna get to use Core Dynamics ships?" She stuck to one question, not knowing how dumb it sounded, but wanting it to be over. She didn't like so many people staring at her, and she did not want to ask her many questions. She did not. Ok, she did. But she wasn't going to until Tommy literally forced her hand.
  
• 
  Milo had needed a second to rest after having an episode, so they sunk to the cold metal floor and closed their eyes. This time they didn't get any flashes, just nothingness. A black shade so they could readjust. The sounds of machinery around Milo became soothing. They loved hearing the squeal of a nail being blasted into place by an electric screwdriver. The hum of machinery and engineers at work got them back into place. Gazzy laid next to them, until they were ready, and they both shifted upwards to stand again. Unfortunately, they heard voices again.
  
  Shit. Milo peeked around the corner to see a jostle of students heading their way, led by two teachers, one of which was informing them about the engineers and one particular one too.
  
  Milo saw Commander Beer Belly come out from under the strut, at the mention of a name. So, his real name was Vincent Greenfield. Commander Beer Belly was a far better name, Milo thought. They listened to the conversation, trying to find an out. They weren't exactly secure in their spot, and the students and teachers had their line of sight in all possible escape routes. Their hiding spot wasn't exactly secure either, because anyone could sneak around back and find them. Well, there was one other escape route they could try. But it would be loud and noisy, not what they had wanted. Stealing a ship in front of them would be something, but maybe they could hide in there for a bit and then steal it. It seemed like their best option.
  
  Vincent introduced himself, and Milo really didn't want to admit that they found themself affixed to the engineer's voice for a second there. As soon as he grabbed the gun, Milo snapped back into reality and covered their ears. Luckily the gun didn't fire, but they found themself hating the Commander Beer Belly speech. The answer wasn't to use guns. If it was, then they wouldn't have such a terrible situation right now, or a limp in their right leg.
  
  Vincent talked about how the ship they were hiding behind was built by him. Well, what a cushy job he had. Resentment built in their throat. They'd built a metal dog when the military failed, coded the AI by themself, and did maintenance flawlessly. You didn't see anyone giving them a medal.
  
  Some kid asked Vincent a question, and he answered saying he'd built Core Dynamics out of a shed. Wait, he founded Core Dynamics? That was amazing. But Milo was somehow jealous that this guy had a cushy business job, and they were a runaway from the foster system. No one appreciated their talents. They were a prodigy, probably better than this old geezer when he was their age, and he got nothing. Milo reaffirmed why they didn't feel bad about stealing a ship from this guy.
  
  Another student asked a question while Vincent was busy fixing the ship. Could this guy just get out of the way already? Milo waited for their chance to slip in and get aboard, hopefully with no one taking notice.
  

 

[Kumii]

• Vincent Greenfield
• Mara Takemi
• Sylva Greenfield

• 
  
  Vincent GreenfieldLocation: Hangar Bay 017
  Interactions: AlphaBlueWolf
  Current Weather: None
  Current Time: August 5th, 3251. 7:10am
  Vincent paused the blowtorch momentarily and caught Raelyn's question. It genuinely caught his interest, "Are you gonna use Core Dynamics ships?" Vincent chuckled then laughed. He realized that might've been rude to Raelyn, "I'm sorry, honey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh in yer face. It was a good question, honestly."
  
  Vincent sighed, "The answer is no. Probably not. See, the Academy uses ships made by all different kinds of manufacturers, not just Core Dynamics." He monkey'd his way back down to the ground, "I wish it were all Core Dynamic ships." He walked up to Raelyn and Tommy, "But, if ya really want to, ya can request a trainin' ship made by Core Dynamics." He got a closer look at Raelyn, "Hmm... you remind me of my little sister..." He said quietly so that really only Raelyn and Tommy could hear him.
  
  He waved his hand dismissively, "Forget it." He stood up and looked at Mara, "That's enough questions for now. I have a lot of work to do, if you don't mind." Mara simply nodded.
  
• 
  
  Mara TakemiLocation: Hangar Bay 017
  Interactions: AlphaBlueWolf SharkBark
  Current Weather: None
  Current Time: August 5th, 3251. 7:10am
  Mara acknowledged Vincent's closure of question time, "Alright, folks. Next up, we'll go an d meet our Weapons' Specialist. Who, incidentally, will be another instructor. Albeit, not as often as Isaac or myself." She began walking towards the gun range, "Let's move out!"
  
  As they walked, Mara felt like she wanted to give so tidbits about Charlotte, "Our Weapons Specialist is a unique girl but is damn good at her job. Her name is Charlotte Howe and she's among the youngest of our instructors." Mara continued walking, "We call her... Pyro because... well... you'll see..."
  
• 
  
  Sylva GreenfieldLocation: Hangar Bay 017
  Mentions: AlphaBlueWolf
  Current Weather: None
  Current Time: August 5th, 3251. 7:10am
  Sylva listened as her brother answered various questions but then suddenly felt something fur-like brush by her and she instinctively let out a small, cute yelp before instantly covering her mouth, 'What WAS that?' Then Mara began walking to the next area to meet the weapons specialist but Sylva couldn't exactly focus after having her leg mysteriously brushed upon by something furry.
  
  She wanted to find out what exactly it was but didn't want to draw attention to herself, though her little squeak earlier might've. For now, she waited to sink back into the shadows after briefly being brought out by that unexpected event.
  

 

[AlphaBlueWolf]

• Raelyn and Tommy Sanders
• Isaac Sanders
• Milo Maximillion

• 
  Vincent repeated Raelyn's question, one of her ears giving a small flick as she caught the sentence. Then, they drooped downwards as Vincent's chuckle turned into a laugh. That other girl's question didn't get a laugh, so why was hers so bad. She was passionate about flying and wanted to use the best ships. If Vincent had and built the best ones, then she wanted them. It was simple. But now she felt bad for being stupid, and mad at Tommy who had forced her into it.
  
  Meanwhile, Tommy was glaring daggers at Vincent. The longer the laughter went on, the more pissed off Tommy got. Whether he was an instructor or not, he didn't have the right to laugh at a student's questions. What was worse was that his father watched. Isaac definitely looked like he hated how Vincent was treating his daughter, but he wasn't doing a damn thing about it. What the hell was up with their father today?
  
  Tommy was about at the end of his rope, almost saying something but didn't get the chance to. Vincent apologized for his behavior, saying that it was a good question, then answering said question. Raelyn looked to be in more despair after hearing it. The Academy used all different manufacturers for training ships, and it was likely that she would end up getting a training ship from some other company and not Core Dynamics.
  
  Tommy knew what she was thinking. "It's for the best." He whispered to her, "You don't want a ship made by some slimy bastard." His fists were clenched, and Raelyn knew he actually wanted to punch Vincent. They both felt that blast from the past, when all her classmates would bully and laugh at her whenever she said something. It felt kind of similar, and honestly disappointing.
  
  Raelyn put her hand in Tommy's momentarily to help ease him as Vincent came their way. He couldn't keep them clenched while she held onto one. She let go as Vincent stopped in front of them but succeeded in helping Tommy resist his urge.
  
  Vincent said that if she really wanted to, she could request a Core Dynamics training ship. The offer was pretty tempting. You know that saying, hate the creator but appreciate the work or something like that. That's what she was feeling right now. She didn't hate Vincent, but the laughter wasn't a good first impression either. She simply nodded and looked away while blushing from embarrassment, feeling the eyes train on her from Vincent actually coming up to her and Tommy.
  
  Then he said something unexpected that got her to look back up. He said she reminded him of his younger sister. She'd never read anything about Vincent having a younger sister. When asked about his family, he never ever mentioned he had a little sister. Or one that acted like Raelyn. She was kind of floored, not knowing what to say.
  
  Tommy took the opportunity to interject. He grabbed Raelyn's arm in a protective stance and stood in front of her, glaring at Vincent. He didn't mouth off to the guy like you'd expect, but sent him a look that said, 'She's my younger sister. Make fun of her again and I'll beat the crap out of you.' That was the kind of iron clad glare he'd always given to Raelyn's bullies before he brawled with them. Any older brother would know that glare anywhere, because big brothers around the globe used it to chase away bullies every day. That's the kind of thing he'd say to a younger Rae, to get her to stop crying and reassure her. But it was somewhat true.
  
  He was kind of impressed, and felt like he'd scared Vincent off, because the next thing Tommy knew Vincent declared that he was done with questions. He had work to be done. Good. Mara took the lead again, with their useless father of course, and directed them out of the hangar bay. Tommy gave one last look at Vincent and strode off with Raelyn at his side. They felt stares at them, but Tommy would just send them all a nasty look and they got real interested in something else.
  
  Mara explained about the new teacher, who Tommy hoped would be less awful. She was the weapon's specialist and another instructor, which Tommy was pretty excited about. He'd taken up martial arts as a young teen and had mastered it. While Rae was giddy about spacecraft and piloting, Tommy was excited about weapons and fighting. Mostly punching. He hoped they'd have some martial arts options, and not just a rack of guns. His fists curled up and then relaxed with anticipation, continuing to flex his fists as they walked.
  
  "Finally, you're getting excited about something." Raelyn said knowing her brother all too well. She decided not to let the whole Vincent thing bother her, acknowledging that he had apologized and that he probably hadn't meant to come off as rude.
  
  "Shut up." Tommy responded, but it was a playful tone rather than an angry one. He took one hand and ruffled her hair, which didn't do much because it was already ruffled and unkempt.
  
• 
  Isaac stared at his daughter, hoping she would speak her mind. And with some support from Tommy, she did. But to his shock, Vincent responded with a laugh. That would be a cruel thing to any new student, but the fact that it was his daughter made Isaac even more sensitive to the situation. Maybe it was because Vincent wasn't an instructor, or the fact that he was new and only here for the year. He was young, and Isaac had never heard of him having children or being married, so he didn't have the experience with children that him and the other instructors did. Mara seemed indifferent, but maybe that was because it wasn't her kid being laughed at.
  
  Vincent straightened his act, so Isaac didn't need to say anything. He stayed quiet, because he didn't want to draw more attention to the already embarrassed and flustered Raelyn. He was glad when Vincent announced the end of the question segment of their visit, and Mara moved them on. He didn't catch Vincent's final comment to Raelyn, really no one but his children did, but he hoped it was nothing as cruel as the laughter.
  
  To be honest, he was worried about his children, but the other students did cross his mind. He was trying to make sure they felt comfortable and seeing one of their classmates be laughed at for a simple question might shut them down. Hopefully that wasn't the case.
  
  "Yes, let's move on. We have a pretty exciting room ahead, and the instructor there is a real treat. Definitely nothing to laugh about." That last sentence was for Vincent's sake. "Well, you heard the Admiral. Let's go meet our weapon's specialist!" He said with an excitable grin and waved the students out into the hallway.
  
  Isaac was especially happy to see his kids continue on making jokes. Mara explained a bit of detail about Charlotte, knowing the students would need it. "Yes, Pyro is a real treat." He said knowing her all too well. "Those of you who enjoy the fighting aspect of being a pilot, and the weapons that go along with it, will have a fun time in this next sector."
  
• 
  Ok, it's not like Milo cared, honest. But even they winced at the laughter. They found it rude, especially since they knew what it was like to not be taken seriously. But it's not like laughter was the absolute worst thing in the world. Take it from the kid who survived an abusive father, awful foster homes, and then running away from the cops. That kid, whoever it was, could handle a little social embarrassment if they could survive all that.
  
  But Commander Beer Belly got down from his spot and started walking down to meet the kid as he answered. It was absolutely perfect! They couldn't hope for a better situation. All eyes were on that kid, and the engineer. Thank you, awkward student! Hello, armored fighter!
  
  Milo took the opportunity and sprang. They put a finger to their lips to signal quiet to Gazzy. Then slunk low for the strut. They made it up first, then helped Gazzy. They took it slow with him, considering it was metal on metal. Their head whipped to the group, but they seemed fixated on the situation. They breathed of sigh of relief as they took cover within the ship. They went to the front where the control panels were.
  
  "Just a little bit further and we're home free." They whispered to Gazzy.
  
  Milo had hotwired a car before, and they figured a ship would be similar enough. They found a panel under the controls and got out a screwdriver. They took out the nails with a slim, manual driver so it didn't make noise. The board opened and they saw wires. They grinned and set to work with Gazzy being a look out.
  

 

[SharkBark]

• Pierce Eisenhower and Joo Mi-yeon

• 
  
  "I guess ya can say that." Vincent answered Joo as he began to operate on a ship using a blowtorch. And then he simple told her what he told "ev'ryone", he started Core Dynamics in his parent's shed. That was all. It was pretty impressive, to say the least, but to Pierce the way he explained it was kinda rude, and hella boring.
  
  "Blunt ass answer." Pierce told Joo. But she shook her head, indicating that she was fine with it. The fact that he was able to start a business from scratch was a great feat alone, but him becoming a top seller in only six years was the incredible part about about it.
  
  "No, no." Joo told Pierce. "It's fine, I got what I needed from it."
  
  "Alright. Whatever floats your boat, Chew."
  
  "Again, it's Joo. J-O-O."
  
  "Ohh, Joo?" Pierce pronounced it as Joe. Joo cocked her head at that, pondering why he still couldn't get it right, even after she had just clearly spelled it out for him.
  
  "No, double O, J-ooh." She corrected once again, and with the "ooh" part, Pierce finally understood.
  
  "Oh! Joo!" the boy exclaimed, almost certain he had gotten it correct.
  
  "There you go. We'll work on my last name later." Joo joked. It may have been a little annoying to deal with, but Joo found Pierce's straightforward and slightly stupid attitude to be hilarious and very entertaining. She had only known him for a few minutes at most, but he already had her smiling constantly.
  
  Another student asked their own question, something about if they'd get Core Dynamic ships, and Joo and Pierce looked back to see Raelyn nervously having her hand up, with Tommy whispering in her ear.
  
  "Hey, it's the buzz cut kid again." Pierce pointed out.
  
  "Pierce, stop. I'm sure he has a name." Joo said while lightly hitting his chest. "Learn it whenever you speak to him again."
  
  "Who the hell says I'm gonna to talk to that guy?"
  
  Joo didn't reply because Vincent actually laughed at the girl's question, causing Buzz Cut to give him a glare, but afterwards apologized to her and said that the students most likely wouldn't be able to do so, considering all the other ship brands that exist. But, he did offer to attempt to get her a Core Dynamics training ship in return.
  
  Vincent made it clear that he was done with questions after that, which Mara respected, and she began to take the novices to the next instructor, the Weapons Specialist. Charlotte Howe was their name, her codename being Pyro.
  
  "That's what I'm talkin' about. Let's see some weapons."
  
  Sandstorm decided expanded on the comment about Pyro, saying that she was, "a real treat", while also mentioning that the students who enjoyed the fighting element and weapons of being a pilot would enjoy this next part.
  
  He wasn't wrong. Pierce loved using weapons, especially ones that did damage. Joo on the other hand was more interested in healing the damage that the weapons did though. It's ironic isn't it, how these two are on the way to being friends.
  

Spoiler: Pierce and Joo's Stats

Health: Full
Mood: Intrigued (Pierce] and Patient(Joo)
Injuries Sustained: None
Mental Health: Full
Status: Peak Condition for both of them.

Ship Stats come in after graduation.

 

[Kumii]

• Charlotte Howe
• Mara Takemi
• Sylva Greenfield

• 
  
  Charlotte HoweLocation: Hangar 018, Gunrange
  Interactions: AlphaBlueWolf SharkBark
  Current Weather: None
  Current Time: August 5th, 3251. 7:20am
  As the group approached the Gunrange at Hangar Bay 018, they could see a short woman with short silver hair holding a KRISS Vector aiming downrange. She yelled, "Clear downrange!" To let anyone currently downrange to scatter, after a few seconds. Three to five paper human targets popped up and she began firing, she hit the center chest o all 5 of them then quickly switched to her Desert Eagle sidearm and fired it, hitting headshots on all 5... and also setting them on fire.
  
  She turned to face the group, her Vector on her left hip and holding her Desert Eagle with her right hand. She looked at the group and said one word, "Yo." (Imagine a Borderlands 2 character intro splash screen here). She holstered her sidearm and her Vector and approached Mara and the group, leaning against the bannister that divided them, "So, you kiddos coming from Hangar 017?" She put her hand up before anyone could answer, "Don't answer that, I can smell the engine grease on you." She scoffed, "I'm Charlotte. Your resident Weapons Specialist." Charlotte looked at Mara and then at Isaac, "Is that all then?"
  
• 
  
  Mara TakemiLocation: Hangar Bay 018, Gunrange
  Interactions: AlphaBlueWolf SharkBark
  Current Weather: None
  Current Time: August 5th, 3251. 7:20am
  Mara sighed when Charlotte asked if that was all, "And that's the Tiny Terror, Charlotte Howe." Charlotte got a bit angry at the 'Tiny Terror' comment, "Mara! I'm NOT TINY! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! MY CODENAME IS PYRO!" She defended herself. Mara nodded, "Yeah, yeah. If no-one has any questions then we can leave you be." Mara said and then waited if anyone had any questions for her.
  
• 
  
  Sylva GreenfieldLocation: Hangar Bay 018, Gunrange
  Mentions: AlphaBlueWolf
  Current Weather: None
  Current Time: August 5th, 3251. 7:20am
  Sylva arrived at the Gunrange just like everyone else and saw a little woman with silver hair, Charlotte codename 'Pyro'. A Weapons Specialist, maybe she could help Sylva with her Sniping interest, or obtain a decent sniper.
  
  Charlotte got a bit defensive when Mara called her the Tiny Terror, which made Sylva giggle, "Tiny Terror." She repeated quietly but loud for anyone nearby to probably hear her, completely forgetting about wanting to remain hidden. Then the questions bit, she waited to see who would ask a question. After Vincent's session, she hoped it would go better, even though Vincent was her brother, she admitted that he could've handled that session a bit better...
  

 

[AlphaBlueWolf]

• Sanders Family
• Milo Maximillion

• 
  Tommy watched as they approached, seeing a really short woman with silver hair firing guns like a maniac. His kind of people. Her range and eye were incredible. She hit the targets dead center in their chest, all five of them, then pulled out her side arm and hit them with a head shot. Again, all five. He couldn't use guns as well as he could punch. He knew all different styles and could put a lot of power behind his punches.
  
  Besides that, she put them on freaking fire! Yup, Tommy wanted to do that. He wanted to set his opponents on fire every time he fired. That is if they couldn't give him a weapon he wanted.
  
  Isaac whistled and clapped as they walked in. "Now that's why we call her Pyro!" He watched as the flames engulfed around the targets, then shifted his eyes to the students, "But uh, can we have someone go and clean that up?" He called out, hoping there was some crew around who could take care of that. The last thing they needed is Charlotte giving them an early start on fire drills.
  
  She asked if they came from Hangar Bay 017, and then stopped any of them from answering, saying she could smell the engine grease. Raelyn sniffed at her sleeves. "We really do smell like the insides of a ship!" She beamed at Tommy who sighed, and face palmed, thinking that wasn't something she should really be excited about.
  
  Charlotte gave a relatively quick introduction, nothing special like the other teachers. Tommy thought she didn't need to, because her gun skills seemed to say it all. She seemed to try to get out of question time, but Tommy was really itching to ask about the different weapons.
  
  Mara called her the Tiny Terror, and all of the Sanders Family gave snorts. Isaac's laugh was more pronounced, actually chuckling at the banter between teachers. "No need to get so angry. You know we only tease you, Charlotte." Issac chided to keep things calm. "But why don't we let our students ask a few questions, then we'll be out of your hair. Come on now, don't be shy. I know some of you were really looking forward to our weapons sector."
  
  Raelyn heard someone repeat the name Tiny Terror. "Is her codename Pyro or Tiny Terror...?" She wondered aloud, but the question segment had already begun.
  
  Tommy didn't even raise his hand but yelled over any questions that were floating around to get his in first. "Do you have any options for martial artists?"
  
• 
  Milo scratched their head as they worked on the wires of the control panel. They'd seen people hotwire stuff in movies and had done it a few times themself. But they weren't entirely sure this would work. Milo found some wires and then took out a pair of pliers and cut them. Then they focused on determining which were the right ones they needed to start the ship and striped them. A smile cracked on their face as they worked, sweat tempering on their brow. A quick twist to the ends and then it was time to connect.
  
  They brought two wires together and lightly touched the exposed ends. They felt a couple sparks fly from the wires and then the engine revved.
  
  They stood, stretched and smirked. "Ah, music to my ears." They said listening to the mechanical drum. Hangar Bay 017 was about to get a lesson in why you should always check your ships for sneaky little stowaway prodigies.
  
  They scanned a control panel for anything that said fly. Was it apparent yet that Milo had never flown anything? They'd driven a couple times, almost flipping over the car as they did, but nothing like a fighter jet.
  
  They pressed a button and fire shot out of one engine; another one rattled the ship as it tried to take off. Milo was clueless but determined.
  

 

[Kumii]

Charlotte HoweLocation: Hangar 018, Gunrange
Interactions: AlphaBlueWolf
Current Weather: None
Current Time: August 5th, 3251. 7:20am
Charlotte sighed when Isaac said to not be shy and let the kids ask their questions, "I'm not shy, I just don't want to answer questions." Charlotte lowered her head, "Whatever then." The first question came from Tommy, asking about a martial arts option, "No. Well at least that's not my specialty. I'm a Weapons Specialist, not a Martial Artist. You'll find those options with someone who.. I dunno.. specializes in that particular field?" Charlotte shook her head, "Seriously, can't believe you asked me that, Bandages..." Charlotte presented her rifle as fire crews run around in the background thanks to Isaac's request, "Does this look like something a Martial Artist would use? Pay more attention. Next question, please."

Talk about a fiery attitude, she apparently didn't exactly earn 'Pyro' from only setting things on fire. It was also partly due in part to her attitude being like this. She was unapologetic and completely blunt or rude and sometimes straight up mean or honest. Despite this, Charlotte looked incredibly bored too, "And please make it an interesting question, unlike Ginger's here." She said, referencing Tommy's red hair.

 

[AlphaBlueWolf]

Ok, Charlotte being so passive aggressive and dismissive definitely pissed Tommy off. It's always guns with these people. Why couldn't they learn that martial arts had weapons in them as well? Plenty of weapons. Bo staffs, and brass knuckles. And just her demeanor, like she thought she was way smarter than him, ticked him off. He looked only a couple years younger than her, and plenty taller too.

And then there was the ginger comment. Everyone got on his case about being a red head. You could just tell it was supposed to be offensive. He didn't care when Raelyn referred to him as a ginger because he knew there was no malice behind it. Also, because she was his adorable little sister. But everyone else used it purely for name calling purposes. Besides, didn't she know that Isaac was a redhead as well. His father's hair was way more toned down than his was, so it looked more light brown than full on redhead, but those genes had very much come from his father.

"Now, Charlotte. Let's not crush our student's dreams or brush them off so-" Isaac was cut off by Tommy, but his tone very much indicated a sense of annoyance. 'Here we go again.' He thought.

"Don't you realize just how many martial artists use weapons other than their fists? Like you said, you're a fucking weapons specialist. Weapons, y'know, knives and Bo staffs. Knuckles. Kung Fu broadswords. Guns aren't the only weapons in the entire world. And you're right, martial artists don't need to cheat their way to victory with glorified crossbows." You could just tell Tommy was pissed beyond belief. "Listen, Shortie, if you can't comprehend a simple question about weapons, the stuff you're supposed to specialize in, then maybe you shouldn't act like you know your stuff. It sounds like you should be called the gun specialist then."

Tommy felt a hand placed on his arm. "Tommy, stop it." Raelyn whispered.

But Tommy simply continued to glare daggers at Charlotte. If she could call him by derogatory names, so could he. If she could be passive aggressive and dismissive, so could he. And he wasn't backing down, that was clear. He was a fighter and anyone could see that.

 

[Kumii]

Charlotte HoweLocation: Hangar 018, Gunrange
Interactions: AlphaBlueWolf
Current Weather: None
Current Time: August 5th, 3251. 7:20am
Charlotte perked up when Tommy fought back, "Hmm?" She looked completely unfazed by the berating, what did he know? "Eh, maybe you're right. Gun Specialist sounds better anyways but then I'd have to get rid using grenades... or molotov cocktails. I realize guns aren't the only weapons but they're the only weapons I specialize in." She got up from leaning on the bannister and picked up a gun, unbeknownst to everyone but Charlotte, it was completely empty, "So the kid has some fight in him." She grabbed his wrist and placed the gun in his hand and lifted his arm to point the empty gun at Charlotte's head and returned her hand to her side, "Clearly, I've pissed you off and you clearly can bark but can you also bite?"

Charlotte looked at Tommy, unaffected by his glares, "Shoot me." She calmly commanded, "Make an example of me. Show the rest of the class the big dog has an awful bite, yeah? Isn't that what you want?" She was challenging Tommy at this point, he wanted to get mad, that's fine. She'll test just how serious he was about being a fighter when another life was threatened, or in this case, wasn't threatened but Tommy wouldn't have had time to check the gun. Charlotte simply stared at Tommy, no glares or anything, just a simple stare. Charlotte was serious and seriously wanted to see Tommy could take a life if he actually got angry.

Mara noticed what Charlotte was doing but ultimately decided not to do anything, "Hmm..." She whispered to Isaac, "Let's see how this plays out. No-one's in any real danger, so don't worry. Charlotte wouldn't do that."

 

[AlphaBlueWolf]

Tommy really couldn't tell if Charlotte was being sarcastic or not with her statements. She probably was, considering how unfazed she looked, and how quick she'd been to dismiss him. Then she gave him some fake ass explanation as to his statements about guns not being the only weapons. Didn't give her the right to dismiss his questions about martial arts weapons. He'd been so excited for this, and yet he'd had his dreams crushed just like Raelyn did.

Charlotte picked up a gun and walked over to him. She grabbed his wrist and placed the gun in his hand before he'd had time to pull away, then lifted his arm so that the gun pointed straight to her head. Tommy was pretty shocked, to say the least. He didn't know how much weight a gun was supposed to have when loaded, so he didn't know that it was empty. Then she challenged him, saying he could bark. Now she wanted to know if he could bite.

Charlotte commanded Tommy to shoot her, and he looked at her like she was crazy. He'd do it. He wasn't weak. He could take a life and deal with it. The Sanders Siblings were really making a name for themselves, completely failing at being inconspicuous. Raelyn had drawn the attention of Vincent, and Tommy had drawn the attention of Charlotte. Luckily, they were succeeding at one thing. No one knew who their father was.

Meanwhile, Isaac was watching intently and actually looked taken aback when Charlotte handed Tommy a gun and instructed him to shoot her in the head. Mara told him to let it play out, that Charlotte wouldn't endanger anyone. Isaac wasn't so sure. "I'm more worried about who's behind the gun." He said, knowing Tommy's temperament. "I'm more worried that he'll put people in danger." Nonetheless, he respected Mara's thought. It would also be a chance for him to see what his son would do, given if he ever faced a situation like this again. Would he shoot someone, simply because he was enraged?

Tommy glared at Charlotte who kept a neutral stare in response. The students around them started backing away, except for Raelyn who stayed by her brother's side. Tommy nodded off to the side so that Raelyn would follow their lead. She took a couple steps back but stayed closer than the other students did.

Tommy's grip tightened around the gun, his body quivering with adrenaline. His finger hovered over the trigger while trying to make a decision fast. In his mind, he'd just be taking down another bully. Tommy looked back to Raelyn, who had a look of horror and fear. Her ears drooped and she shook her head, her eyes pleading with him to not pull the trigger. He made a decision in that moment.

His arm moved in one swift motion, too fast for anyone to process what was going on. Tommy pulled the trigger, but his arm had already moved off to the side. No bullet came out, but if it had it would've embedded itself into the floor. The only thing that could be heard was a click from the gun, but Tommy didn't even process the fact that there was no bullet. In a split second later, he balled his fist and did an uppercut, landing the attack square in Charlotte's gut, aiming to knock the air out of her lungs. With his fist still embedded in Charlotte's stomach, he made one statement. "I play by my own rules."

Then he stepped back from Charlotte. He looked at the hole in the ground. Well, there was supposed to be a hole where he'd directed the gun. He took out the magazine, like he'd seen his dad do before and saw there were no bullets. He'd been played. But Charlotte had been too. He tossed the gun and the magazine over to her. He gave her one look that said 'explain'.