Chapter 10: Max's Secret
Field C, Manticore
It was the middle of the week; their week of free practice was gradually coming to an end. Max ran through several mock exercises with the group, breaking them down into two groups of four and one group of three or three groups of three and 645 with her in a fourth group. She assigned them into the groups they had naturally fallen into, with the exception of 645, whom she rotated in and out of the groups to see in which she would work best. She also rotated leadership positions to gauge their leadership abilities. She was planning on trying something a little different that would hopefully allow them more flexibility than most units.
"As you all know, next week, we'll be practicing with X6 units. Are we going to let them defeat us?"
"No ma'am!" they chorused loudly.
"The X6 class is larger than ours, double, maybe even triple our size. Considering our unit is smaller than average already, we will be at a slight disadvantage. Some of you may be wondering why I've given everyone a leadership position at one point or another. First off, I was looking for someone to be my Second In Command. I have chosen 645."
Max briefly glanced at 645, but 645 revealed nothing, so she continued. "Secondly, we're going to try a new strategy, something I hope will help us overcome the odds in the training exercises we have ahead. You are probably accustomed to your CO giving orders that you simply follow to achieve a mission objective. Well, I have seen all that you can and cannot do this past week, and I believe you should be given some more trust. I have divided you all into three groups, groups you have chosen for yourself. In the future, when I ask that you fall into your groups, these are the groups. Each group will have its own leader. 321, 536, 863...you will be your group leaders. Any questions?"
No one said anything, so she continued. "In these exercises, 645 and I will work alone. You will work in your groups under the guidance of your leader. I will assign general guidelines, but it will be up to your leaders to find a means of accomplishing it. With three separate groups working independently and two working individually, it will be more difficult for enemies to predict our strategy as a whole unit, since we won't have one. This would be effective in countering larger numbers, since smaller groups are harder to locate, and if one group is caught, then less people are disabled from action. In most situations, we will be going against larger numbers, so I want you to take this seriously. Work with your group leaders, and if any of you have any questions or problems, whether it be over strategies or teamwork, make sure you come to me. Is that clear?"
"Yes, ma'am!"
"Good. Now I want you all to work with your groups for today. Practice strategies, maneuvers, forms, whatever you think you need to work on. I will be moving from group to group to make sure there are no problems. Let's get to work."
The X5s scattered, breaking down into their groups. 645 wandered off on her own and practiced working on some forms. Max had grouped 321 with the other two from his former unit. 536 was with 729, whom he worked with in Class Alpha, and 134, whom Max noticed hung out with the other two during their free time. 863 was with 157, her fellow unit mate before their transfer. 428 was grouped with 863 and 157 since she seemed to get along with the other two.
Max sighed as she finished giving some pointer to the last group. It was a promising method, but there were still a lot of uncalculated variables. Hopefully it would work well for them when they went up against the X6s, and later X5s. When their time on the field was nearly over, she dismissed them for the day.
Mess Hall, Manticore
After several games of basketball, volleyball, indoor soccer, and even ping pong, the former members of Unit 8 came together with 863's group and now socialized regularly whenever there was free time.
"Anyone know where I might find some super glue?" 321 asked. "Supply closet seems to be out."
"What have you got up your sleeve now?" 409 asked, rolling his eyes.
"Just a little present for our new CO," he grinned.
261 rolled her eyes. "Don't you know when to quit? She's already kicked all of our asses thanks to you."
"What's going on?" 863 asked as she took a seat beside 321.
"321's still bitter over what happened," 261 explained.
863 laughed. "Come off it already, 321. 452's not that bad."
"She's a traitor, a deserter. How can you say that?"
"Are you always going to be using that excuse?" 261 asked in disappointment. She didn't like seeing him playing pranks that would land him in big trouble, something that happened too frequently anyway.
"What excuse?" 157 asked, taking a seat next to 863.
428 was the last to arrive and took a seat next to 261 as 863 explained 321's grudge.
"I'm getting the feeling I'm alone in this," 321 sulked.
428 nodded, "Count me out. She may be a traitor, but I'm not going to risk getting on her bad side anymore. She can fight...and she's got quite a temper." She rubbed her arms as if to remind them of the bruises they received from their unsuccessful plan.
409 and 863 nodded in agreement.
321 sighed. "Well, I don't intend to be caught. You guys better not tell."
"Of course not," they all promised.
321 excused himself to look for some supplies.
The group watched as 321 left, shaking their heads disapprovingly. He was going to get into so much trouble.
In another area of the mess hall, Alec had joined Max for dinner yet again. Max was once again observing the new social developments within her unit. Over the past few days, the tension had died down and they all seemed to be accepting her as a CO, in spite of her traitor status. Max noticed that Unit 9, which beforehand scattered themselves around the cafeteria, now seemed to consolidate themselves to one location. 321 and 863's group had come together. 536's group still kept themselves at a distance from the other six, but they were still closer together then they had been before. 645 sat alone but was within a close enough proximity to know what both groups were talking about, if she was interested in finding out.
"So Max, any pranks yet?" Alec asked as he swallowed a chicken nugget.
"Not yet, but I have a feeling something's brewing," she said as she watched 321 leave the mess hall earlier than usual.
"511 says people are talking about us," Alec began casually.
Max looked up, surprised. "About what? Is talking with a traitor bad for your reputation?" she teased.
Alec laughed. "Not at all. Believe it are not, there are things more important to me than my ego, but some people think we're...together."
"Together?" Max sputtered, nearly choking on the milk she had started drinking.
"Yeah...ever since that breeding program," he said, forcing a laugh, but it was clear he was a bit uneasy about this topic.
"What?!"
"Max, it's no big deal," he tried. "They're just rumors. I just...wanted to let you know before you found out from a third party. I swear I didn't say anything...about what was supposed to happen, even though a lot of guys asked. No one knows anything," Alec hurried. He watched anxiously to see how Max would take this. He didn't want Max to shut him out simply to disprove the rumors.
Max sighed and shrugged. "Let them think what they want. It's not like it's true or anything," she said dismissively.
Alec grinned, somewhat relieved, although he was starting to realize how much he enjoyed Max's company...
"I was hoping you'd say that. Anyway, now that that's out of the way, I was wondering if Unit 9 would be interested in a little bit of friendly competition with Unit 6 during rec hour tonight."
"What did you have in mind?"
"Oh, I don't know...how's dodgeball sound?"
"You're on." Max grinned. "I'm rather good at evading, you know. Don't expect it to be a walk in the park."
"Good...seeya then. I'm going to get them in the spirit for victory," he announced with a wink and then left.
Max finished her dinner and went to go find her unit.
"You all up for some dodgeball tonight during rec hour?" she asked as she approached her unit.
"Sure," 409 said, finishing up his meal. Several others nodded in agreement.
"Good, because Unit 6 thinks they can beat us."
"Unit 6?!" 157 stammered. "But they can beat us. They're the best at...everything!"
536 and 729 exchanged glances briefly. They had both seen 452 and 494 talking earlier and were starting to wonder if there was something else going on between them. They did hear those rumors a while back...
Max shrugged. "If you guys want to chicken out..."
"No!" 863 interrupted. "Of course not. I mean, if they're going to challenge us, we shouldn't back down. This is our chance to prove ourselves."
"Yeah, even if we don't beat them, at least can we prove we're not as bad as some units, considering we're new," 157 added.
Max smiled. "That's the spirit. Pass the word onto 321. I expect him to be there. I hope he's not up to any trouble..." she said as she walked away.
The group looked at each other and laughed, knowing Max knew 321 was planning something.
Max walked over to 645 and took a seat. She knew 645 was eavesdropping, but she asked anyway. "You up for some dodgeball? I'm sure you'd be good at it."
645 sipped her water before replying, "I'll pass."
"Suit yourself. We really could use your help," Max said as she got up and left. She could not force 645 to go. Rec hour was each soldier's time to do whatever they wanted, unless they were being punished for an infraction committed earlier in the day.
If she learned anything about 645 in the past week; however, it was that the girl worked best alone. It was one of the reasons why she had assigned the teams the way she did. She chose 645 as her Second because she could make split second decisions effortlessly. She could lead when necessary and could easily substitute for any of the chosen group leaders if one of them was ever out, but she always performed best when left to her own methods. She was a complete loner and liked it that way.
Max sighed, as 645 always reminded her of her earlier days back in training when she had held on to the hope of leaving Manticore one day. She had only been CO for one week, but it was enough to make her stay...for now. She had confidence in this small team they had placed in her hands, and she was certain she could help them accomplish things they never thought possible. Part of her wanted to see how far they could go – how much they could achieve, while another part of her felt the burden of the responsibility she held for everyone in Unit 9. She knew it would be impossible to leave now, even if the doors were held wide open for her.
Damn Renfro – she was one smart bitch. Not only did the burden of responsibility keep Max at Manticore, but the challenge Max felt, and her desire to prove that any escapee could be a good CO would ensure that she took her post seriously, helping Manticore put together a ninth successful unit. Everyone at Manticore knew about Unit 9 by the end of the week, and many of them laughed. They were smaller than the average unit, so they would always be at a disadvantage in terms of numbers. They were being led by an escapee lacking eleven years of training. They were composed of the outcasts of each unit, as well as the remaining members of Unit 8, which recently failed a mission. The odds were stacked heavily against them. These views, however, helped to bring Unit 9 closer together, as their desire to prove the others wrong was fueled. They may not have all been consciously aware of it, but Max saw it in their eyes when they all stepped up to Unit 6's challenge.
As for dodgeball, Max guessed they'd lose, but unless it was a complete shut out, it wouldn't be so bad, and she was planning on getting a few people before they took her out. That much was for sure.
Gymnasium, Manticore
645 had arrived to the gymnasium as early as possible to climb the rock wall. It was the best at night; at the top, she could see the stars through the sky dome. If she wasn't working out during rec hour, she was watching the stars. She could hear the members of Unit 6 and Unit 9 filtering in to prepare for their game of dodgeball. 645 knew they were going to lose most of their games. She had already calculated the odds as soon as Max brought it up. But that wasn't the reason why she didn't participate. She just wasn't interested.
How has she survived at Manticore then, where practically everything is team-oriented? Her former CO of Unit 5 gave her the easy tasks, where whether she succeeded or failed had little to no effect on the overall success of the mission. 645 knew this was because he didn't trust her – especially after what happened in that mission several years back, but 645 didn't care. It wasn't a matter of whether or not she could perform the task – she had above average scores in all her classes, better than most of her peers. Yet, she had no need to prove herself, so she went with the flow. It made her days at Manticore easier, and drew less attention to her. It also isolated her from her own unit. Since she could calculate the risks of every tactic within seconds, it allowed her flexibility to choose whether it was worth completing her given mission. When she failed, it didn't matter because she knew they would still succeed, so they never said anything. When she succeeded, it still didn't matter because it wasn't mostly her doing, so they still didn't say anything.
When she received her transfer orders, she didn't know what to expect. Although Manticore had drilled into them that the escapees of 2009 were traitors, deserters, rats, and every other derogatory thing Manticore could fit into their brainwashing program, 645 didn't consider 452 a traitor. In some ways, she could even admire what 452 did. 645 had learned in her earlier years how to avoid trouble. She had learned the hard way what not to do, as most Manticore soldiers did, but she wasn't naive. She understood why 452's unit had ran. But most of them didn't. Unit 5 couldn't comprehend why they would escape when Manticore had done so much to watch out for them. 645 had hated their ignorance, but she knew better than to speak up. She would have been considered a flight risk and thrown into psy-ops, as the remaining members of the escapees' unit had been. Those were dangerous times.
When she first met 452 that day, she could hear the life in her voice. She was different than most Manticore soldiers, who even through their "unique" voices, you could still hear a monotonous soldier. It was the voice 645 kept, shielding her true personality from everyone who spoke to her. 645 credited this uniqueness seen in 452 due to her time outside. She didn't know whether or not 452 would make a good commanding officer – she did lack a lot of training, after all, but as she was accustomed to, she went with the flow of things, so as to not cause trouble.
As the week progressed, 645 came to respect 452. 452 had recognized her talents where others failed. 452 even allowed her to work alone, something she had never done before but thoroughly enjoyed. As 645 watched the start of dodgeball down below her, she knew another side of her had woken up by joining Unit 9 – a side that had been dormant for so long. All because of 452.
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As soon as everyone who was expected to participate arrived, the match began. Everyone in Unit 9 was there except for 645, but Unit 6 had a few missing members, so the numbers were nearly even. 321 had arrived looking pretty pleased with himself. Max had decided to keep an eye on him, not that she didn't have a trick or two up her sleeve.
Max watched from afar as 321 took something out of his pocket, resembling glue. He looked around to check if anyone was watching, eying Max several times. Max would look away, pretending to be completely unaware. Yet as soon as he turned his attention away from her, she watched as he proceeded to smear it on the dodgeball. Max frowned as she looked at the gift he had intended for her. She dashed out of the gym, telling Alec to hold off the game for a few minutes. She had a prank to return.
The rec room was around the corner. This was the room where they could familiarize themselves with board games, cards, paint, crafts - whatever Manticore had invested in aside from training was found in the rec room. She found a pair of plastic gloves from the supply closet and took some wet paint since the super glue was apparently out. She returned to the gym as casually as possible and covered another dodgeball with some wet paint, watching 321 to make sure he didn't see her.
As the game began, she placed herself close by 321 to bait him. And he took it.
"Hey 452, you need a ball?" 321 casually asked.
Max shrugged, hiding the one she had behind her. "Sure."
Just as he threw it, she threw hers. "Catch, 321."
Not prepared for it, 321 caught the ball in both hands, only one of which was protected with a plastic glove. The other was painted red, just as the ball had been.
Max smirked as she revealed the plastic gloves she had on, holding the ball 321 had thrown her. "Nice try 321. You owe me 200 push-ups after this. You make a mess with that ball and it's 300."
321 cursed as he realized she had somehow thwarted his plan.
"What's that soldier?" Max asked.
"Nothing, ma'am."
"Try harder next time. Maybe if you can actually get me, I'll let you go scot free," she jeered.
321 simply glared.
"Hey Alec, free shot!" Max called out as she gestured over to 321. Alec grinned and aimed a hard shot at 321, who ducked to avoid the hit but wasn't quick enough.
"Looks like you're out 321. Clean up. You'll want to get those push-ups done before rec hour is over or else I'll add more on for tomorrow."
"Aww...that's not fair," he muttered. He walked away, sulking.
"You should have thought about that before."
Although everyone in Unit 9 had been focused on dodging and throwing balls, all of them heard what happened between 321 and 452, and all of them laughed as soon as 321 was out of hearing distance.
"Just as we suspected," 863 said.
"You gotta admit, that was pretty funny though," 409 commented as he withheld another laugh.
"Yep. I wonder what he'll try next time," 428 contemplated.
"Yeah...he's not going to give up, is he?" 157 asked.
"321? Not until he succeeds," 261 replied.
"Oh boy," 157 said with a sigh. "Hey...did 452 just call 494 something other than 494?"
The group back tracked and rewound the conversation in their heads. "I think you're right," 428 agreed. "She called him...'Alec'."
"Is that a name?" 863 asked in confusion.
"I don't know. Let's ask 452 later," 261 suggested.
Unit 6 and Unit 9 played several matches of dodgeball that night. Unit 6 won most of them, but Unit 9 managed to squeeze in a few small victories towards the end, after 321 had finished his push ups and rejoined them. Numbers made a difference in dodgeball, apparently.
Training Grounds, Manticore
It was the last day of free practice as a unit, and Max felt it was a good time for a break, but not until she taught them the lesson she had been meaning to teach them earlier in the week. They would be at odds in most situations, so they would need to know how to defend themselves adequately against multiple opponents.
"Given the numbers of our unit, any one of you may find yourself in an unfair situation, especially when against large groups like the X6s. You'll want to know how to protect yourselves." Max paused briefly as she noticed a few smiles leaking through their Manticore masks. Their CO finally trusted them enough to teach them what she had withheld after that fight proposed by 321. Max allowed a small smile in return as she continued, "Split up into two groups."
Not surprisingly, 863 and 321's group joined together on one side totaling six while 645 joined 536's group on another side totaling four.
"321, why don't you join the other group?" Max suggested.
321 frowned but went to join the other group, mumbling under his breath, "Great, I'm going to get my ass kicked by those Class Alphas."
"What was that 321?" Max challenged, even though everyone could hear what he said with their transgenic hearing. 536 and 729 exchanged glasses, both withholding a grin.
"Nothing," 321 grumbled.
Max smiled knowingly as he realized one of her intentions. The four waiting for 321 to join them were some of the better fighters in her unit. She was fortunate those four had decided not to join 321 in his plan, otherwise things might have gone terribly wrong that day. "We haven't got all day, 321," Max reminded, intending for him to pick up the pace.
321 grudgingly obeyed and was with the other four shortly after.
"One person will start out in the center of the group. Survive for two minutes and switch to the next person. I'll move between the groups and examine your progress. Some tips: keep moving – don't get boxed in. Know where your enemies are and use them against each other – make them get in each other's way or use them as shields. Keep things simple and quick – eliminate your enemies as fast as you can. Don't wait for your enemy to attack – take them by surprise and initiate the attack. Attackers, although this is just practice, I want you to imagine what would happen if you were surrounded during a field exercise and act as your enemies would. Don't hold back. The harder things are, the better you'll be when it really matters. Begin." Max instructed as she moved herself to watch one of the groups.
After four hours of continuous practice, they had improved substantially, and she was confident they would be ready for whatever would await. Of course, more practice would not hurt, but for now, it would suffice. To 321's credit, he didn't do too bad against the other four, but it was certainly enough for him to get a taste of his own medicine. As they arrived at the gym, she dismissed them and allowed them to do whatever they wanted. She was surprised, however, when only half of them left.
"Ma'am, we have a question," 428 began uneasily.
"Go ahead 428."
"During dodgeball last night, we overheard you refer to 494 as 'Alec'."
Max didn't realize she had let that slip, but now that she thought about it, she had called him by his name instead of his designation when she had targeted 321. She nodded, waiting for 428 to continue.
"We were wondering why," 428 finished, feeling the question sounded lame after all and was wishing she hadn't asked.
Max smiled slightly. "Well...can I trust you to keep a small secret from Command?"
They all shifted uneasily, but finally nodded. They all had kept secrets from Command at one point or another to stay out of trouble.
"'Alec' was a name I gave 494. He was being such a smart aleck that I thought it was more suitable than 494." She paused as they laughed. "He was fine with it, so from then on, I called him Alec. When I was young, among my unit, we all shared a secret: each of us had a name we chose for ourselves. My name was Max."
The five nodded in understanding and smiled. "Since we're in on the secret, can we have names too?" 261 asked hopefully.
"Sure, if you want. I was actually hoping to share this secret with you all eventually, but I'm glad you found out."
"Could you...help us choose names? I only know of a few that I've used in my missions, and I don't really like any of them," 409 replied.
"I'll help if you want my help. I actually had a name picked out for all of you when I first met you all, but I know some of you may not like your names, so you're free to choose your own."
"I'd like to hear what you chose for me first," 261 said.
The others agreed, so Max told them one by one what names she had chosen for them. "261, I named you Joy because I noticed you are always cheerful and happy. You bring joy to those around you. 409, I named you Ammo because you can't seem to stop playing around with the ammo during our weapons training exercises. 428, I named you Fin since you could swim faster than any of us when we were practicing some exercises in the pool, and you pretty much bested us in anything that required being underwater. 157, I named you Cody since you can code any program you set your heart to. You're great at hacking, encryption, and programming. You can make any piece of technology work. 863, I named you Viper because you are as lethal as a viper when you strike."
Max waited to hear their reactions. She sighed in relief as they all smiled and announced that they liked their names.
"What about 321?" Joy asked. "I know he'll want a name."
Max laughed. "Well...I named him Nic, because he thinks no one can do more than nick him."
Everyone laughed at that.
"What's everyone laughing about?" 536 interrupted. He had gone to train with 729 and 134, but then saw everyone crowding around Max, so he decided to see what was going on. 321 was trailing behind them, also wondering what the commotion was about. 645 remained aloof, once again close enough to listen to what was going on, but not close enough to be an active participant.
The five looked at Max, wondering if it was safe to tell. Max nodded, so Fin spoke up. "Max is giving us names."
"Names?" 729 asked.
"Yeah, she gave 494 a name - Alec. We overheard it last night and were wondering about it. When she told us, we decided we wanted a name too. She's named all of us," Joy exclaimed, more cheerful than usual.
"Really? What's my name?" 321 asked.
The five laughed and Max grinned before saying, "I named you Nic, because you think no one can do more than nick you."
"What do you mean I think? It's true!" Nic exclaimed.
Everyone just laughed again, leaving Nic furious. Those close to Nic didn't dare remind him of the numerous times that hadn't quite been true, but it was certainly on their minds.
"I'll keep that name, only because no one can do more than nick me," he grumbled.
"What about me?" 536 asked, curious.
"I named you Dart because you've got one of the fastest track and obstacle course records in Manticore. You're as fast as a flying dart."
Dart grinned. "I like it."
134 and 729 waited anxiously as Max revealed their names. "729, I named you Tri since you always like to lurk in the trees to take out enemy units. 134, I named you Gai, since you're such a great guide. You excel at tracking and navigation. You know exactly where to go."
Tri and Gai smiled, pleased with their names as well. Max had given them something that represented who they were, rather than picking them randomly out of a book. That they could appreciate.
"What about 645?" Joy asked, noticing 645 was not present.
Max turned her attention to 645, who was practicing some forms a distance away.
"I don't think 645 wants a name at this point," Max said, dropping the matter. She knew 645 was listening, and so she wasn't going to reveal anything prematurely.
They all took the hint and tried out their names for each other, getting used to calling each other by their names instead of their designations. Max smiled to herself as she watched her unit. She couldn't help but feel a slight bit of pride for the unit she had trained this past week. It was truly something, being a leader. It was worth staying in Manticore, she admitted with a small sigh. Still, she missed her friends...and boyfriend. She frowned as she thought back to the numerous unsuccessful attempts she had made to recall the keyword she had assigned her significant other. All she was left with was a memory that she had one, and that they loved each other, but things never got too far. She figured when she found her friends, they would be able to remind her. Even Normal would know something, right? Well, that was assuming he would even talk to her, much less give her back her post at Jam Pony after her long absence. But she wasn't leaving Manticore anytime soon, not with what was happening now. She couldn't just leave them. She sighed, wondering if she would ever be free again.
Unit 9 Profiles (Update with NAMES!)
Series: X5
Designation: 134
Alias: Gai
Gender: Male
Unit History: Unit 1
Specialties: tracking, navigation, and communications
Known Acquaintances: 729
Physical Characteristics: Blue eyes, blond hair, light weight with toned muscles, peachy complexion
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Series: X5
Designation: 157
Alias: Cody
Gender: Male
Unit History: Unit 3
Specialties: encryption, computer/software programming, hacking, coding, hardware, engineering
Known Acquaintances: 863
Physical Characteristics: Green eyes, brown hair, medium build, tanned complexion
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Series: X5
Designation: X5-863
Alias: Viper
Gender: Female
Unit History: Unit 3
Specialties: weapons (particularly guns), general combat, tracking
Known Acquaintances: 428 (after 428 rescued her during a mission), 321, 261, 409, 157
Physical Characteristics: Blue eyes, black hair, light build, peachy complexion
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Series: X5
Designation: 729
Alias: Tri
Gender: Female
Unit History: Unit 1 (2015), Unit 4 (2015-present)
Specialties: stealth, recon, combat
Known Acquaintances: 134, 536 (former Class Alpha Member)
Physical Characteristics: Brown eyes, brown hair, light build, lightly tanned complexion
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Series: X5
Designation: 645
Alias: Not Applicable (yet...)
Gender: Female
Unit History: Unit 5
Specialties: stealth, recon, tactical analysis
Known Acquaintances: none
Physical Characteristics: Dark brown eyes, black hair, average build, light complexion
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Series: X5
Designation: 536
Alias: Dart
Gender: Male
Unit History: Unit 6
Specialties: combat, weapons, stealth & recon
Known Acquaintances: 729 (former Class Alpha member)
Physical Characteristics: Brown eyes, dirty blond hair, medium build, light complexion
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Series: X5
Designation: 428
Alias: Fin
Gender: Female
Unit History: Unit 7
Specialties: aquatics (highest scores), engineering, underwater demolitions, field med
Known Acquaintances: 863 (after rescuing 863 on a mission)
Physical Characteristics: Hazel eyes, blond hair, light build, short from pale skin
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Series: X5
Designation: 261
Alias: Joy
Gender: Female
Unit History: Unit 8
Specialties: field med, communications, general technology
Known Acquaintances: 409, 321, 863
Physical Characteristics: Dark brown eyes, black hair, medium build, dark complexion
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Series: X5
Designation: 321
Alias: Nic
Gender: Male
Unit History: Unit 8
Specialties: stealth, recon, sniping (perfect marksmanship score)
Known Acquaintances: 261, 409, 863 (known to pull pranks on 863 to win her heart)
Physical Characteristics: Green eyes, black hair, light weight, tanned complexion
Other: Sent to solitary numerous times for pulling pranks on Manticore personnel as well as fellow soldiers
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Series: X5
Designation: 409
Alias: Ammo
Gender: Male
Unit History: Unit 8
Specialties: demolitions, combat, vehicles
Known Acquaintances: 261, 321, 863
Physical Characteristics: Green eyes, brown hair, medium build with well-toned muscles, light brown complexion
GROUPS for Field Exercises
Group 1: Dart, Tri, Gai
Group 2: Viper, Cody, Fin
Group 3: Nic, Ammo, Joy
A/N: Well, there you have it, names! I'm glad most of you were ok with the fight scene in the last chapter. I've been thinking back on the scenes I've established for future chapters and realize that I might have to work on them a bit more. Hopefully they'll be realistic enough when you all get around to reading them. Anyone interested in being a beta reader? PM me if you are! I don't think I have much to comment on in this chapter. I personally felt the MA scene was rather short, but they will have more time together in the coming chapters, I promise! Now that Max is CO, it seems harder to put them together. :-( As far as military tactics go, I'm making this up as I go and am trying my best with what I know. Whether or not the plan Max created would really work...I wouldn't know. I can only hope it would? Comments/criticism welcomed.
I hope the updated profiles were helpful. So...there's one last chapter coming up before I head off to my study abroad destination. Expect an update on either Friday or Saturday of next week. I really appreciated the longer-than-usual reviews I received last chapter! Thanks for reading and once again, please review, whether it be praise or criticism. All is good, all the time. ;) You know I reply to all reviews!
For my anonymous reviewers:
Kayla: I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well, and thanks for reviewing!
The Blind Apprentice: Due to its length, I sent you a PM. If you didn't receive it, let me know.
