RP [Yamatai] Star Army Recruiting Center (YE 42)

"Excellent." Thad said in a slightly evil sounding voice. "Glad to see there is some fire still in that belly of yours. YE 19, 6th month on the 9th day. On the world of Nepleslia. Nice back water place, maybe you have heard of it." Thad had not moved an inch since getting the guy a little excited. "And I offer no bribe, whatever is in that letter is between you and the madam. If I fancied a guess its a pass to the resort."

He did not flinch at all when the knife-hand came out. "Easy, Chief...I am not some run of the mill young kid who needs yelled at to get a point across. I am a trained harden soldier looking to join your ranks. I respect you and the army you stand for, I hope the same can be returned. So what else would you like to know?" He learned back off the table and once again crossed his arms.

"Okay, rapid fire time," Guerrero replied starting a series of questions:

• Do you have a criminal record in any nation or are under investigation or accusation of any crimes?
• Have you been a member of any religious or political group or any gang in the last ten years?
• Have you ever spoken to a Mishhuvurthyar, Kuvexian, or their known allies?
• Have you ever been diagnosed with or had reason to believe you had a physical, mental, or other disability mental illness, behavioral issue, or substance addiction?
• Do you have over 1,000,000 KS in net worth including real estate and stocks?
• Do you have any outstanding debts over 10,000 KS?
• How long do you plan to stay in the Star Army and what do you plan to do afterwards?
• Describe your loyalty to Yamatai and why you are loyal to Yamatai.

"None that I am aware of. Unless the NDC counts as a gang, no. Do I look like the kind of guy who would talk to a Kuvexian, I shot them." He rolled his eyes at that one. "Nope, free and clear. I can only dream of having that kind of money. I pack light and have no debts."

He let his eyes wonder for a moment as he thought what he would do after the war. "Plan to stick around till the job is done dealing with the Kuvexian. Maybe stay longer who knows. As what what I plan to do afterwards. Maybe I will find a nice lady to settle down with and get a career job doing something other than killing."

Thad for a moment was caught off guard by the last question. For one he thought it silly to ask given he came here of his own free will. The other reason was caused by the pain of watching those around him pass. He reached into his overcoat and pulled out a wing feather and placed in on the table. "I have my own reasons for being loyal. Dying wish of one of the fallen to not let Himiko be a repeat story. I am not here for glory or to hit a high score. I am here because not being here would be a moral sin. As long as I draw breath I shall defend my comrades to the bitter end." He reached down and picked up the feather. It sparkled in the dim light of the room like a diamond. "Any other questions?"

"Do you have a job preference?" Guerrero asked. He slid an enlistment contract on a data pad over to Thad.

"Welp, if I could have my pick, I'd like to go with anything front line. I have knowledge in explosives and some engineering background. Years of being in the back water areas you pick up how to innovate." He reached over and picked up the pad. "And I know this is reaching but a path to higher rank would be preferred given my heavy military background. Not asking it to be given, just a path such that I can prove my worth and earn it."

He took a moment and then signed where needed on the data pad. "So I guess this means we are officially brothers huh."

"What the frell," Guerrero said. "You want a brother you can give me your mom's phone number. Now raise your right hand and repeat after me."

I, (state your name), have truthfully, honorably, and voluntarily enlisted myself as a soldier in the Star Army of Yamatai for the full length of my commitment. I vow to protect the peoples of Yamatai, to follow the orders of the Empress and the officers appointed over me, to live by the Star Army Creed, to obey Star Army rules and regulations, and to destroy the enemies of Yamatai.

Thad grinned ear to ear hearing the comment. It felt nice being around others like himself who were more than happy to throw around words.

"I, Thaddeaus Maximus, have truthfully, honorably and voluntarily enlist myself as a soldier in the Star Army of Yamatai for the full length of my commitment. I vow to protect the people of Yamatai, to follow orders of the Empress and the officers appointed over me, to live by the Star Army Creed, to obey Star Army rules and regulations and to destroy the enemies of Yamatai."

He could not be more proud than this very moment. "So any chance I can get to meet this Empress?"

"Yeah, sure. She comes down to the medical section to get her zits popped. Maybe you can find her down there," Guerrero rolled his eyes. "But seriously, welcome to the Star Army of Yamatai. This is the most bad-ass, helpful, hard-working, and hard-to-kill group of people in the universe. We're the organization that everyone else out there wishes it could be. You're a part of that now. You're going to have the power to do good in this universe and fight some really horrible creatures and people who want to see us fail. Do your best."

Guerrero offered Thaddeaus a final handshake before sending him on to the medical section.

Thad gave him a good strong handsake. "The pleasure is mine and hope we may fight together on the battlefield. Welp, time to go get my medical exam and see how much I can get the nurses to blush. I am not sure they are use to seeing some Nepleslian snake if you know what I mean." He bolted out of the room before Guerrero could give a reaction.

Like a Classical Elysian Statue, the heroic figure entering the recruitment center stood as tall as an ID-SOL, her broad shoulders nearly so wide as to barely fit through an average door frame, and her hips as wide as many men's shoulders– not to mention her arms thicker than those men's thighs. Brilliant silver-and-gold eyes shone even in the dimmer light of the ancient structure, and the gigantic, regal-featured woman came to attention after the line parted for her Herculean bulk and allowed her to approach the administrator ticketing arrivals.

"Peacekeeper Custodian Brynhildr, reporting for compliance with citizenship laws for sapient AI. Star Army protocols are dated Hachigatsu, YE 30 edition, transferred to UOCPF, Peacekeeper protocols obsolete. Sentience attained Gogatsu, YE 33. Require update to Star Army protocols for current service." She leaned forward, and announced in a solemn tone, "Please be advised I have not been decommissioned."

Venetian delicately shouldered his way through a small gaggle of people who were talking back to their seats after getting coffee, quietly murmuring a couple of apologies. He didn't like having to do that, but they were standing right in front of the machine; he supposed something must have caught their interest and distracted them, but he still wanted to get his own coffee, and there was really no way around them. Thankfully, when he was halfway through, they seemed to realize what was up, and made their way to the seats.

As Venetian neared the machine, he gave a sigh of disappointment. No coffee with honey. Shame. He would have to settle for sweetened coffee. After acquiring the requested drink, he set off to locate a seat. He wandered around a bit, taking in the sights and memorizing the layout of the main room he was in. It was a good distraction from the awkwardness he felt- he felt out of place. Here he was, an SSS graduate, in the middle of a recruiting center. What's more, he felt like his wings drew undue attention to him. At that thought, he drew the said wings closer to him, in an attempt to make himself look smaller.

Not that it helped. Venetian's wings were rather large, even for a Caelisolan. ...But enough about that. Venetian finally found a seat, on the edge of a row. It was a good spot, as he had to fold his left wing- the one that was busy interposing itself on a poor soul that sat next to him- rather close to himself in a tiring position. He murmured another apology, and used the time he found sitting to look around the place once more, pulling up his black hair with some irritation.

Not long after, a ginormous figure entered through the doorway. If Venetian thought his wings made him conspicuous, then this woman put them to shame. Comparing his own size to her, he was tiny; not that it mattered much. Venetian wasn't tall or large by Caelisolan standards. But midway through his analysis of the giant being, he stopped, and smiled briefly to himself. Idiot. I don't think that woman wants me to stare at her, just like how I don't want people noticing me too much.

With that thought, he turned his focus to his coffee, and took another sip. Venetian's left wing was starting to get cramped. He might have to stand up soon.

The guy at the reception, an older Nepleslian with a cybernetic arm, gave Brynhildr a ticker with the number B-508. "Right. Uhh, wait in the waiting area for your number to be called for an interview," he directed the android.

On the way in, Venetian got ticket B-509.

The wait to be interviewed probably wouldn't be too long since they were calling B-504. Just enough time to meet someone.

The hulking, walking statue of a woman peered at the tiny ticket in her hand. She lacked even the claws of a Kodian; Brynhildr's blunt fingertips were perhaps two-thirds its width. Peering at it a moment, Brynhildr then looked up and came back to attention briefly before covering the distance to the waiting area in just a couple of strides. She scanned the room for a Kodian-sized chair, unsuccessfully, and resigned herself to sitting between two barely-chest-high Minkan, squeezed into a seat that was barely more than half as wide enough for her, and her shoulders and elbows and knees protruded deeply into the personal space of the nonplussed little people to either side of her. Brynhildr's feet stuck out forward enough to create a hazard, besides.

Ms. Ticket B-510 who came in behind them was a woman with huge flowing black hair and skin the color of a chocolate candy bar. She came into the lobby and took a seat near Brynhildr. She looked the tall robot in curiosity. "Baller career didn't work out?" she joked.

Despite having attained sentience nearly nine years ago, Brynhildr had spent most of that in various warehouses around the former United Outer Colonies in low power mode, occasionally waking and activating her nonsentient fellows for limited conversation. As such, she still shared the characteristically Custodian lack of a sense of humor. "I was never invited to join in recreational activities," was her honest, deadpan answer.

Drumming her handle-thick fingers on her mountainous knees a bit in awkward hesitation, Brynhildr then leaned over, asking the Minkan woman and the winged Elysian man, and anyone or no-one else in particular, "are you here for repatriation as well?" She does not elaborate on the nature of "repatriation," but lets the word hang heavy with personal meaning through the deep and somber tone she reverently lavished on the word.

"Naw, I'm here 'cause I need that check," the woman replied. "And I want to kill some Kuvexians. Imagine getting paid to waste greedy people. IMAGINE," she pantomimed a rainbow over her head. "This is going to be...recreational. Just point and click. BAM! We 'bout to put some Kuvvies IN THE GROUND. And that ain't no play-play, that's for real for real. I'm Melanie Spurling and I'm gonna be infantry. I'm not going for no BUUUULLSHIT combat support, I'm going for combat. Cause mama didn't raise no weak-ass bitch. Trust and BELIEVE, I GOT this!"

"Now serving B-505," the intercom said.

A uniformed Mikael Harris entered the hall with his officer cap under his right arm. He had a friend that worked within this particular recruiting center, but it wasn't their off time yet. So he figured he would take the time to scope out the future of the Star Army of Yamatai after meeting the squad of Kikyo Scouts. He instantly was drawn to the custodian war android. He was about to say something but figured there were more at work here.

So he simply made a note of it, briefly looking at the rest of those within the waiting area as he took a seat to not stick out so much. Which wasn't too hard as he was sporting his old infantry cornflower colors instead of the much feared SAINT black. Though hearing the tail end of Melanie's speech made him just grin a bit.

"This is good Kleos, Melanie Spurling. Seeking glory and honor, very good." Brynhildr looked pleased with Melanie's response, and grinned with a jaw that seemed like it could chew on powered armor. She inclined her head in Venetian's direction, indicating him. "It's a Seraphim word, but it is like Bushido." The giant warbot nodded several times for emphasis, still clutching the ticket between one giant thumb and an equally-colossal forefinger.

Venetian cocked his head slightly at the massive figure. "Honor and glory is relative, however." At that statement, his lips twitched up a little, before it settled back down. "The Kuvexians might find honor and glory by aggressively raiding other places and taking.. slaves." At that word, Venetian practically spit it out in vehemence. He settled down very quickly however, and continued on his little dialogue, "We find honor and glory by fighting to protect our nation."

At that, he blinked, and then said, "It comes down to whether that honor is morally right or not." He looked at the excited Melanie, and at her outburst, he smiled. "Just make sure you dinnae follow them into the ground." Then his smile got a bit wider. "The more time you're up and running, the more you can put fear into the hearts of your enemies."

However, he blinked again as another thought struck him. "You say that support roles are for the weak?" He frowned, making a bit of an effort to pull up the sleeve of his SSS uniform, before continuing, "Who else is going to get you to your battles? Feed you? Give you bullets? Makes sure you dinnae do crazy things all the time?" At that last statement, his frown morphed into a small smile. Of course, he was pulling on her leg.

"Now serving B-506," the intercom said.

Melanie gave the big robot a thumbs-up before turning to reply to Venetian.

"You can be a box mover in private industry, you can be a pilot for a corporation, you can be a cop for the government, but if you wanna be a killa and stay legal ain't no other job that's gonna let you outside the military. If the Star Army was a steakhouse then infantry is the porterhouse. Playa, did you come to kill Kuvvies or not? So don't be a dumbass and get the seafood or salad at the steakhouse," Melanie Spurling explained. "You wanna spend your military career playing space taxi or flippin' burgers that's on you," she told Venetian.