Hey, y'all I'm back. so the reason that this story took so long was that the winter up here in Alaska was pretty rough for me as a Florida kid so I may or may not have had some depression and whatnot. I also had some things happen in my personal life that needed to be taken care of. But that is in the past and I'm going to try and keep this story up with some semi-regular updates as I can.

Also P.S I am still working on my writing so please bear with me. And any feedback is very helpful as well. well, y'all have a blessed day now ya hear.

"Trainee if you don't keep pushing I'm going to shove this here size nine boot so far up your ass that you'll be tasting boot leather for a whole fucking week."

Drill sergeant Duddes was attempting to scare Owen, though Owen had seen worse and far scarier things while patrolling the streets as a cop. he was not about to let Duddes know that, he was just content on just keeping to himself. After pushing out several more push-ups DS Duddes turned his attention to another one of the trainees that were having trouble keeping up with the pace that the Drills had set for the troop. Finally, after another ten minutes, the drills had them stop and stand at attention.

"Alright, you piss poor examples for trainees the day is over, hit the showers, and attend to your personal affairs before lights out."

They all yelled in unison "Yes drill sergeant" Several people made mad dashes to the doors to get up to the showers and try to be first.

"Oh, and trainee Owen, I need you to come and speak to me."

"Rog, Drill sergeant moving."

Owen waited for the rest of the trainees to clear out before he went and spoke to drill Duddes. Turning his head to his left Owen saw one of the only guys that Owen liked waiting at his side. Jim Rico was an older man like Owen with just as much experience dealing with the shit that life would throw at a man. He had served as a soldier in the United Northern American states, not that there were and conflicts that happened on earth anymore. There were still peace-keeping missions that would be sent to the country's that never developed past the 21st century. From what Rico had told him, he had been in a couple of firefights out in the bush of several African countries, though none of his teammates were ever really that hurt considering that they had kinetic shields and better armor and weapons than the people that usually tried to take their pound of flesh. So that made him along with another handful of trainees besides own that had any experience with firefights or dealing with high-stress sceneries.

Turning his head back to his front own walked forward and knocked on the Drills door and waited for it to open. Owen felt Rico's presence at his side and to the left. Keeping his head front he only had to wait for another few moments then the door open to reveal Drill sergeant Duddes.

"Ah Trainee Own come in and you as well Trainee Rico."

Steeping through that threshold of the door Owen took in the contents of the room that he was standing in. There was a desk to his front and a number of pictures hanging on the wall of the drills time in the fleet. Most with groups of guys on different planets and then some on board a number of ships that he had served on. Standing a respectful distance from the desk and waited for the drill to tell him what to the hell was going on and why the hell he was still down here.

He only had to wait a moment before the after-mentioned man walked around and sat down and gathered up papers and halo-pads that were littered around his desk.

"Ok, Owen I'm going to be straight with you. You really don't need to be here but you have to be to get the title of marine, and before you give me some bullshit excuse as to why you need to be here just now that I pulled your file and know the reason that you joined. Now what I want you to tell me is what the hell you want to do with yourself now that you are doing this shit?"

Before he responded own took a moment to gather his thoughts and figure out what he really wanted to say. Looking DS Duddes in the eye Owen then opened his mouth. "well Drill sergeant if you read about my background then all I really have to say is that once I'm done here, I plan on getting my rear end into the N7 pipeline, whatever it takes"

The DS mulled over what Owen had said, then he took out a can of grizzly wintergreen. He took out a pinch and put it in his lip, then pulling out a spiter and putting a logy into it. He held it up for the two men to see. "you would think that no one would still use tobacco. All the advances that that damn prothean ruin did for us would have eliminated the need for jarheads to still be using dip. But we are a stubborn bunch aren't we, so I guess we do it as part of tradition for use, said ain't it. What you going to attempt is going to be one of the hardest things that you will do in your life, but I think I can help you with what you are trying to do. I don't know any N7's personally but I am friends with a N5 who has a way for you to get into the N1 program that will start you on the track to the N7 if that is what you want?"

Owen slowly thought over what the DS had said and then talked again. "Yes, it is Drill sergeant, so what is it that you want me to do to get this done?"

Before he spoke again Duddes spit again into his bottle and then spoke. "well then trainee what I want you to do is this, I know you are going to complete this training, but I want you to take over as a squad leader for some of these younger kids that are here." Taking moment to spit again into his bottle duddes turned his head to Rico and spoke. "And you will act as a team leader for his alongside carmine who will act as the other team leader for you Owen. Do you understand?"

Owen looked at Rico and nodded his and Rico, in turn, nodded his as well. Turning back to Duddes Owen started in unison with Rico. "Roger Drill sergeant".

"Now you two pansies can leave and go shower you fucking stink." nodding their heads the two of them swiftly left the office and headed upstairs to the bay that they were sharing with sixty-two other men. Heading to his bunk own grabbed his towel and shower shoes and headed to the showers to wash off the grime and sweat that had gathered on him over the day. Quickly gathering a lather over his body Owen rinsed it off and made sure that he had no more dirt or anything else on him. finishing with the shower he quickly dried himself off and put on a clean set of PTs. Walking over to where Rico was bunked, he waited for him to finish the conversation that he was engaged in before talking to him.

"Rico turned to him waiting for Owen to speak. 'Dude are you cool with this" Rico raised his eyebrow and gave a confused glare.

"The fuck do you mean man? of course I'm fine with that are you sure you are?"

"Yeah, I guess I am, to be frank, I don't really care one way or another what I have to do to get this done ya know." Owen gave with a shrug.

"Ya, know I have not told you this but I'm trying to do the same thing that you are." Rico gave a relieved expression after he spoke.

"Really, I had no idea that you wanted to try for that, what made you decide to go for it? Owen had a mildly surprised face at this new information.

Rico looked around really quick to make sure that no one was listening to his conversation before continuing. "Back when I was still with the UNAS I was on a mission to the Union of Incorporated Nations, specifically old England, it was really a training mission in all honestly. So, we are doing some urban ops in loden and this was one of the few times that we got to use live rounds on this training mission. So anyway, we are doing these house clearings and then all of a sudden, an explosion goes off in the distance, even though we were told that we could not respond to it we all decided that we were having trouble with the commes and headed over to where the blast occurred. When we got there, we found out that we were not the first ones to the site"

Rico took a moment to take a gulp from his canteen before he talked again. "well, the LT was more of a clutz so I was the one who decided to take charge being the PSG and all. So, I approached the one who had got there before us and it turned out that it was an N7 who was home on shore leave. If I remember right then the guy said that his name was Anderson and that he was going to take charge in finding out who bombed the city. After that we secured the area and started to help in whatever way that we could with the proper response forces arrived once they did, we fucked off and back this way across the pond. Some months later I got a letter from someone with no return address, a bit old school but it is what it is. All it said was thank you for what you did in loden and that I had a friend in the n7s if I ever needed help. Never heard anything else about what happened, so when I had got out of the army and drank myself into a dark hole, I thought about that letter that I had gotten. So, Boom bauta bam I'm here."

He thought about what he just learned what he heard. It was a lot to take in. Taking a couple of deep breathes. "I never heard about this, what ended up happing to the bomber and Londen?"

"All swept under the rug like everything else bad and no one wants to talk about." Rico looked like it was not a surprise to it as to that being the outcome.

"Ah, well what do you think of carmine?" Owen asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I think she will do the job; she is one of the ones that does have some experience in combat just like us you know." Rico answered

"Yeah, as a pilot fight off Batarian slaver attacks." Owen decided that was not the same thing as having on the ground combat experance, but he was also not about to look a gift horse in the mouth either.

"Yeah, and from what I hear she was a damn good pilot too and also striving for N7 as well." Rico replied with a smug smile

"Hmm, well if that is the case then she may work out with use. Good night Rico and try to get some sleep I think that tomorrow will be a long and hard day for the three of us."