Rez stood against a white wall with his hands behind his back as he waited for the training to commence, as well as a few other cadets training to be soldiers out in the field.
Krowe wasn't with him however, as he was twenty seven, he was with older trainees in a different hall.
Among the cadets in Rez's group were two female cat Hybrids who looked almost the same, as they were twins. Minx and Marion Occel. They were the daughters of Ironclads most respected scientists, Kamil Occel. Were it not for her expertise in biologics, Ironclad Hybrids would have never left the ground. Undergoing the procedure herself before subjecting anyone else to the Hybridization, she was technically the first Ironclad Hybrid, as her own unexpected shift had completed before giving birth to her two twins.
Minx and Marion themselves were regarded as scientific breakthroughs, the first naturally born Hybrids. Some praised the event as the next step in human evolution, and others cursed Kamil for playing God. But no matter their opinion, a large scale program was put into place and many women from all over the fleet volunteered to undergo the procedure and have their children, as well as themselves, Hybridized.
As twins, both Minx and Marion looked the same, so they did things to make it easy to tell them apart. They were natural black hairs, but Marion had dyed her hair a sleek silver colour. Minx usually let her hair flow long and free, whilst Marion did her hair up in a ponytail. Other than that they were mostly identical figures. Both with slender frames, long legs and a gifted chest size. They were spitting images of each other. Both had a sharp and elegant look to them, although Marion seemed to have dark rings around her eyes and was a fair bit skinnier than her sister. Minx's cat tail was prim and properly groomed, whilst Marion's was matted and rather unkempt.
Another person training alongside them was the short blonde Eponine Bows, a quiet, green eyed assassin in training. She was a seventeen year old cadet with a talent for marksmanship. Born and raised on an important trading station around Neptune, Epo was brought up a crane operator. Normally cameras were set up to help operators pick up cargo and freight, but her home station practically took the rules and regulations and shredded them twice over. But that fact was obvious when a young child was allowed to operate such machines.
Without the aid of cameras and sensors, Epo grew up relying on her keen sense of sight as she operated the massive cargo cranes on her own vision alone. Although she was still getting used to using firearms, her ability to hit the mark was unmatched, even by the older trainees.
She looked around the hall and flicked some hair out of her face, which was cut to shoulder length and kept slightly spiky in an almost rebellious manner.
Her petite and slim frame contrasted heavily with the giant anti materiel rifles that she seemed very attracted to.
And the last of the cadets currently with them was a dog Hybrid with short and messy black hair which had been cut to just below her shoulders. Her name was Onima. Onima was an odd person. Quiet and reserved some days but loud and bubbly the next. Her bright blue eyes seemed to almost change tone depending on her mood, and you could tell by the look in her eyes how she was feeling.
Onima was born aboard the Forge as part of the Hybridization program, but the events before her mother signed up were far from pleasant.
Her mother was a refugee fleeing from internal conflicts on Venus, and scared for her life she refused to tell anyone her name out of paranoia that it would lead people to her.
She settled in as a citizen of Ironclad and tried to forget about what had happened on her homeworld, but it wasn't long before she discovered she was pregnant. With no idea who or where the father was, she had to figure out a way to afford to keep her quarters in the city district within the Forge by herself.
And as if by a miracle she heard of the Hybridization Program for mothers in early stages of pregnancy. She immediately signed up for it. A few injections, a small surgery and a few digestible medicines seemed like an easy opportunity to take for guaranteed housing, medical, and money to take care of the child.
But of course things weren't so simple. Complications made themselves apparent as her body rejected the treatment, and her health rapidly deteriorated. She was able to hold on to life long enough to give Onima a chance at one, but when she heard Onima's cries as she was born, she knew she would be alright without her, and passed on.
Onima was an orphan, and one that would never know her real name. Or even her mother's.
But she didn't need to know. Because even as a child she vowed to end conflicts like the one that caused her mother to run away from home. And so she joined the military in order to bring order and peace to the solar system.
She looked down at the floor with an almost puzzled expression on her soft, roundish face. She angle her feet back and forth, before blowing air up into her hair and cracking her knuckles. She was bored
Each of the cadets wore the same uniform, similar to Tameen's jumpsuit-esque suit. It was pure white with black trims and detailing on the sleeves and legs. The Ironclad emblem placed on both shoulders as well as over the right breast.
Rez looked over at the two Occel sisters and took note at the tight fitting outfits on their bodies, he had known them a long time and saw them as close friends, but his maturing mind and body led him astray occasionally as his eyes wandered and indulged themselves.
"I wonder what we're going to be doing today"
Rez's eyes widened as he looked to the voice, afraid that he had been caught staring, even if accidentally. But he took a breath and saw Epo looking at the large circular clock on the middle of the wall.
Nodding, Rez replied "Well. We usually just do exercise, run a few training courses and then if we've got the time have some firearm practice. Been like that for a few months anyway" he said, glancing back at Minx and Marion, just to make sure he wasn't receiving death stares.
Epo pondered as she leaned back against the wall and then looked to Rez "Yeah. It's getting a bit repetitive at this point, but.. What can we do, eh?" she said as she shrugged and exhaled.
But the sounds of the training hall doors opening drew the cadets out of their thoughts as they immediately stood up straight and looked forward. They saluted with their right fists over their heart, and their left hand against their head.
Their trainer and commander was a retired but esteemed commander. Commander Jacks Revia. She was well known for her leadership during the war between the UPA and Pro-Independence planets. She led many successful operations over her twenty years of service, but was forced to retire after a brain injury she sustained when her camp was ambushed in the rainforests of Europa. Unable to walk without the help of cybernetics and a walking stick to help her keep balanced, she was forced to resign as a Commander. But she didn't want to toss in the towel just yet. She couldn't work in the field, but she was more than capable of training the new cadets and getting them ready for combat.
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Jacks' herself was a tall and imposing woman with broad shoulders and a sharper and defined face. She had subtle wrinkles on her forehead and around her nose and mouth, but nothing too obvious.
Her hair was a darker shade of grey with more and more silvery locks and strands as it went down to her hips. It was kept straight for the most part, except for two locks of hair that went over both of her shoulders and down over her large, full bust.
Her eyes were a greenish yellow, with a long scar that went from her forehead, over her left eye and down her cheek.
Shining slightly against the lights from above were her plump lips, a pinky red lipstick had been put on.
She was wearing a much fancier uniform than the cadets however. She wore tight fitting, white and black service dress. Her upper clothing white with black trims and the Ironclad emblem on the left breast. She wore her medals on her right breast.
Her lower clothing were a pair of tight fitting, black suit pants. There wasn't much to say about them, except for they accentuated her wide hips.
And a pair of black boots that made a heavy clap against the training room floor.
The cadets all looked over to her and awaited her first orders.
Every time that she walked into the training hall, Rez wasn't sure if he should be attracted or terrified, and he was beginning to get the feeling that Epo felt the same.
Jacks stood in front of them with a neutral expression as her eyes trained across them. She closed her fist and rubbed her thumb against her pointing finger, before she spoke with a thick Australian accent.
"Alright everybody. Today we'll be training against some dummies equipped with stun batons" she said as she began to pace.
"The dummies in question are reprogrammed Officer droids. However they are pretty old models, and such you should not treat Officers you find in the field like the dummies here"
She gestured behind her as a large section of the wall began to slide open.
"But make no mistake. These dummies will not hold their punches. They will not hesitate to beat you down. They feel nothing. And Officers out in the field, well. They do not care who, what or where you are. If an Officer designates you as a threat then you can be damn sure that every single Officer in a mile around you will be coming for your ass and they will not stop until either you are dead, or they are destroyed" she spoke with vigor and passion, a fire burned in her eyes as her speech filled the air.
Three dummies stepped out of their charging stations that were hidden in the wall, and stood upright. Their heavy footsteps echoed throughout the training hall.
Rez looked at them with a surprised expression, then one of hatred moments after as he examined the Officers. They were the same model that he watched on TV. The Mk.I's. The very first Officers.
Although they had been repainted, they were now the signature Ironclad white and black. Their blue lights remained the same, and their handgun had been removed. Likely as a training dummy wouldn't need a gun. But it was instead replaced with the aforementioned stun batons.
Jacks looked at Rez and took notice of the stare he gave them, which she wasn't having any of.
"Quit the staring boy! Anger leads to shit decisions and shit decisions get you killed! Charge an Officer head-on and I'll watch it snap you like a fortune cookie. Only the cookie is your frail pathetic body, and the fortune is your bloody organs!" she said as she stood in front of Rez and glared down at him.
Rez would be lying if he said he didn't feel the anger swelling up inside him, and that images of him retaliating were going through his mind. But he had promised Coco to behave during her anger classes.
There had been a few incidents regarding Anti-Hybrid racists, and even though Rez was defending himself, his increased strength as a Hybrid led to some serious injuries for others.
Jacks let out a sigh as she walked back and looked to the Officers, who were standing and awaiting orders.
"I understand that some people associate these machines with bad memories and awful experiences. But they're no more alive than a car or a microwave. Save your anger for the pompous asswipe who had them built"
She said as she looked at each of the cadets
"Now... Each of you will have a change to work individually today. In a mock up fight against these dummy Officers. Now we can't actually damage them, because they're expensive, and no factory builds these Mk.I's anymore."
She mumbled as she walked over to a control panel that was on the wall
"It was a pain in the ass to get Dasyil to let me buy three of them from a shady trader. And all the newer models have such advanced software it's impossible to reprogram them..."
She had began mumbling to herself.
"Can't hack them cause if they detect any modification they just fry themselves, so you can't even use the parts.. Can't scrap them very well cause if the core hasn't received a command from its brain in ten minutes it self destructs. Fucking prick robots"
The cadets were just confused with what she was talking about, but were brought back to attention when she cleared her throat.
"Alright, a mock battle. It'll take place in a randomly generated arena" she said as she looked to the floor of the training room, specifically a large area within a white rectangle that spanned the length of the hall.
Pieces of the floor began to rise, lower and twist around as all sorts of arms, blocks and set pieces were placed down. Multifloored buildings were constructed in moments by sets of robotic arms from the ceiling. Tunnels, streets and alleys were formed as well. It was a faithful recreation of a city block on Earth. And one which the cadets would be fighting the Officers in.
Jacks looked to them and smiled a smug smile "There are various non lethal weapons that have been scattered around the arena. Metal pipes, tools and other things. A dent is easier to fix than a giant bullet hole in the them.."
She paused to collect herself, then exhaled
"The Officers will have three ribbons attached to them. One on their neck, where their cables are exposed. One on their back, as it's their blind spot. And the last one is on their chest. This one is the hardest to get for obvious reasons, but it's possible."
Each cadet looked at the arena they would have to work with. Looking for spots that work with their strengths and abilities. Everyone seemed to have a pretty good grasp on what they planned to do against the Officers.
Jacks looked to them and paced as she decided on who to pick first, and then her eyes landed on Rez "Alright then. You seemed like you were itching to fight them from the way you were staring them down earlier. You'll go first" she said as she looked over to one of the Officers and pointed "You'll go first against Rez. Get into position"
The Officer processed the order and nodded as it let off its mechanical and threatening horn like alarm as it stepped into the arena and vanished from view. It's heavy footsteps were the only tell that it was still there.
Jacks looked to Rez "One Officer and one Proto Hybrid. I guess we'll find out if Theodore was wasting his time creating you all if he was just going to put robots on the street"