The training bay was the same one Raleigh and Mako sparred in and found they were drift compatible in. Mako and Raleigh weren't a couple by any means but when Mako's boyfriend was killed in a mutant attack Raleigh helped her raise her daughter, Sasha Mori. Mako named her after her very close, late friend the Kaidonovsky lieutenant and dominant pilot Sasha.
"Cadets you are all here to see if any of you are drift compatible and if so who with. When I call your name you will come forward, pick up a staff and stand where I tell you to until told otherwise." Marshall Hercules Hansen said. After Marshall Pentecost died helping to close the breach Herc took over as Marshall, he was good at it too.
"First up Sasha Mori." Sasha stepped forward from the back of the crowd. She was short, about 5'3" and inherited her mother's looks. She had long black hair with straight across bangs, brown eyes, and pale skin. Although she was short she packed a punch and a good kick too, believe me I've experienced it first hand. Sasha took her staff and stood to the left of Herc silently and awaited orders.
"Next up is Rostilav Kaidonovsky." A very tall man stepped forward, the son of the late Kaidonovskys. He had bleach blonde hair like his parents and a dark brown, almost black, beard like his father. The kid had to be at least 6'6" maybe taller, probably was. He wore a dark green and black tank top with black basketball shorts.
"As some of you may know this is our Veteran Ranger Rostilav Kaidonovsky, son of the late and great Sasha and Aleksis Kaidonovsky. He recently lost his co-pilot James Rashard in a mutant attack. He along with Raleigh Beckett and Stacker Pentecost are the only pilots to ever pilot a Jaeger on their own. The only people who will be sparring with Rostilav are the ones who can pilot Mark ones and Mark fives. Now commence sparring."
Sasha looked like she wouldn't even last a minute against Rostilav but she lasted a good three, I was impressed. The score was 4-2, Rostilav's favour. Sasha smiled at Rostilav before she set her staff against the wall and rejoined the group.
"Martin Gieszler-Gottlieb you're next." There were murmurs from the crowd, I guess no one expected the son of two geniuses to be a Ranger. I guess our tree was on a hill and my apple rolled pretty damn far from that tree.
I took the staff that Sasha used and walked into the sparring ring which was really a square but it did the job. I was about a foot away from Rostilav and his impressive height was even more impressive up close. It made me feel small though I really wasn't that tall to begin with standing at 5'10".
"You may begin."
Rostilav and I both took a fighting stance, I held my staff close to my body. Rostilav didn't even blink before he made the first move which on the surface seemed unplanned and spontaneous. He brought the staff around to my side fast and hard, yet not hard enough to injure me. I blocked it. He swung the staff up over my head and rested it a few inches from my forehead.
"1-0, Rostilav."
We both took a step back and began to move in a circle slowly. I quickly jumped to my left and swung my staff right under his chin, stopping a good distance for safety.
"1-1" Herc said, when I glanced at him he seemed impressed and pleased with the way this was going. Rostilav smirked, I think he was also impressed.
Rostilav quickly turned his back on me, something you should never do to your enemy, before knocking my feet out from under me. He pointed the staff at my chest as soon as I pointed mine at his.
"2-2"
I wrapped my leg around his calf and brought him towards the ground. I rolled out of the way as he tried to "hit" me with his staff as he fell. I let the staff rest above his forehead and his staff rest above my throat.
"3-3. I have seen all I need to see. Rostilav, Martin you two are drift compatible."
Rostilav looked down at me and didn't look too happy, maybe he wasn't impressed with my performance. He leaned his staff on the wall and walked through the crowd and out of the sparring room. I set my staff on the wall and went to stand by Sasha.
"Nice job." she said.
"Thanks. Did you see the way he looked at me? He didn't look to happy about being drift compatible." I said running a hand through my hair.
"Maybe he wasn't. You have to keep in mind his old partner has only been dead 2 weeks, hes only back because of how frequent the attacks are." I nodded, she was probably right. "How do you think your dads will react to hearing the news?"
"Well Dad will probably freak out and say 'I'm so proud of you Martin! Fortune favours the brave, son! Didn't I tell you that!' and Vader will probably keep it simple with ' I'm proud Martin, just don't forget to be careful. We wouldn't want too many concussions make you forget all that knowledge you have.' . I think they'll be pretty happy, but I know they'll both worry Vader the most." I answered.
I stayed with Sash until she had her partner, a french girl named Etiennette Leonide Smith, the last name was a bit odd for a french chick though. Sasha and Etiennette went to lunch together and I followed behind them quietly.
Etiennette was tall standing at about 5'9" without heels. Her mass of brown waves were in a high ponytail that cascaded down her back . Her eyes were a stormy gray and she had full lips that made cute dimples when she smiled.
"Sasha do you know vat Jaeger we shall be piloting?" Etiennette asked.
"No I don't, I hope its a Mark III though. Do you have a preference?" Sasha responded.
" Not at all though I do prefer Mark V's to anything else. Vhy did you become a ranger?"
" My mother was a Ranger, still is."
"Her mother is Mako Mori." I piped in.
"Your mother is ze Mako Mori!"Etiennette had a look of pure excitement on her face. " Doo you know Raleigh Beckett zhen?"
"Yeah he helped raise me after my dad died in a mutant attack. In a way he's like a step dad who isn't interested in my mom." Sasha explained. "But anyways what about you, why did you become a ranger?"
"I actually wanted to become a doctor or a scientist like Dr. Gieszler or Dr. Gottliebb."
" You know it's Dr. Gieszler-Gottlieb and Dr. Gottliebb- Gieszler right? And those are my dads." I chimed in again.
"Really zat is amazing! Can I ever meet them? Do they investigate the Mutants?"
Before I answered we arrived at the lunch room and the girls went to get lunch, I wasn't hungry so I just sat and waited for them. I glanced around the lunch room and saw Rostilav sitting with Herc Hansen. I stared at them for a while trying to figure out what they were saying, that is I stared until Rostilav noticed me. He said something to Herc before Herc said,
"Hey Martin came here son!" I looked at where the girls were and they seemed fine on their own so I went over to my co-pilot and the Marshall.
"Yes sir?" I asked .
"Come sit with us mate, it's probably a good idea for you to get to know your co-pilot." Herc smiled taking a bite of his mashed potatoes. I did as I was told and sat down next to Herc and across from Rostilav.
"Sir Dr. Gieszler-Gottlieb and Dr. Gottlieb- Gieszler have something so show you." a random guy told Herc.
"Alright I'll be right there. We'll boys I'll leave you two to it." and with that Herc left Rostilav and I alone.
"So Rostilav how long have you been a ranger?" I asked trying to start a conversation.
"10 years." he said. This was the first time I had heard him speak, his voice was low and rough and was thick was a Russian accent like his parents.
"Why'd you want to become a ranger then?" I asked knowing he must have been pretty young when he first became ranger.
" Because I was old enough to become a Ranger and the sooner I can send these mutant back to their hell the better." he said. "Or were you asking why I wanted to become a ranger in general and just said then at the end of the question?" he asked. His eyes seemed different when he asked a question, more vulnerable, softer, more welcoming.
"Both?" I said, in truth I didn't even know what I meant to ask.
"Well I wanted to continue for my parents." he said playing with 2/3 sets of dog tags he wore. "What about you?"
"I don't know just sort of wanted to do it. Why do you have 3 sets of dog tags?" I asked.
"One is mine, one is my mother's and one is my father's." he said.
"How did you get them? Weren't they lost with your parents' bodies?"
"My parents always had me hold onto their dog tags, sort of like a promise of we'll come back to get them. The last time they didn't come back though." He said looking down at his steak. I nodded and left it there, Rostilav ate in silence before he left with small "goodbye" and nod.