The entire trip passed by in the blink of an eye. Or at least that was how Zeppelin felt as they announced on the ship that they were soon arriving in the 80th Branch in West Blue. She had been catching up on some reading and did not really talk much with the other new recruits and transfers who were all anxious about getting their first assignments in the new base. From what she could recall, the 80th branch specialized in weapons development as well as being the general supply store for ammunition and equipment for the various bases in this sea. She couldn't have found a better base of operations that suited her field of interest. To say she had high hopes would be an understatement.

The ship docked on the concrete harbor and the passengers on board were all lining up as they headed down. Zeppelin marked the page where she stopped and picked up her knapsack, following the rest of the recruits further inside the base. The entire place was solid concrete - truly a Marin fortress. And rightfully so, as you would not want to keep your weapons in a place that lacked ample security. In a way the atmosphere was less friendlier and less warmer than she was used to, but she would have to adapt.

As they walked on, they passed by the peculiar figure of a man lying down on the ground. There were a few whispers among the recruits but she could not catch a name. Some of them were definitely familiar with this man though. Was he someone famous?

Asher Kringle. The name did not ring a bell. She was not from around these waters so that was to be expected. The man stood almost a foot taller than her. She could see why his appearance would look intimidating to some people. But the Asher that was in front of her at that moment did not really give off scary vibes. If anything he seemed a bit anxious. Come to think of it, why did he approach her in the first place?

"That is correct. Zeppelin, at your service." She responded with a quick salute. "It is nice to meet you too Mr. Kringle. To what to I owe the pleasure of this friendly greeting?"

One of Zeppelin's not-necessarily-bad habits was starting to kick in - that is getting a complete visual appraisal of the man standing in front of her. Every detail and peculiarity was being silently engraved in her mind and even his discreet mannerisms and quirks did not escape her notice. It was like getting a full body X-ray. There was plenty of information she could discern just from observing alone. For instance she could tell from his gait that he was a practiced swordsman. His well-built physique suggested that he favored powerful strikes with his style. She could imagine he was also fairly quick on his feet despite how he looked.

It made her all the more curious what a fighter wanted with a scientist like her.

The man's loud laughter made Zeppelin raise an eyebrow. That was not the usual response to a salute and it made her pause to think if she did anything funny. Or maybe there was some West Blue custom she was not aware of that earned the man's chuckle. She was not fond of being ignorant about these things. Asher elaborated that he was not one to have people salute him causing her to ponder if perhaps he was not part of the typical Marine detail.

She listened intently as Asher finally explained why he came to her and to be honest, she could not help but feel skeptical about it. It was not even been five minutes yet since she got off from the boat and already she was being invited to a task force. It made her wonder if the Marines in this branch were shorthanded.

Her suspicions that Asher was not from a normal division were confirmed easily enough. It sounded like he was from somewhere a bit higher up. She recalled previously reading about special forces working directly for the government. From the way he spoke, he seemed very eager to have her aboard his team, like he was almost certain she would accept. Zeppelin however was far more careful about things like that. She was the type who did not to make commitments she could not keep. She wanted to make sure this man did not think she was someone she was not.

"Mr. Kringle, I have to say I'm quite surprised. I just arrived here today and with no particular achievements under my belt, I feel as though your expectations might be a bit misplaced. On my part, I cannot even affirm if I truly do possess the skills your task force is looking for as I have no idea what being a scientist for your team entails. Are you sure you have the right person?"

Zeppelin was not really declining his offer just yet. In truth, she had a fair amount of confidence her abilities when it came to research and development. Asher picked some big words in his proposition - working for the benefit of the world. But to enter into a sort of partnership while barely knowing anything about each other... The notion seemed careless if not outright foolhardy. There was only so much one could glean from reports and transfer papers. Without seeing the person in action with your own two eyes, you can never tell for sure what they were really like. This goes both ways. What kind of man was Asher Kringle? And was his passion the real deal?

Zeppelin was beginning to understand the man a little more. It was not so much that she possessed impressive qualifications. It was more that she had the bare minimum. Potential was what they were looking at here and she could agree that was a more reasonable measuring point. It was not a bad idea to have a few comrades working together to work their way up from the bottom. Fail or succeed, they would have someone to watch each other's backs and help each other grow. Still, Asher was getting slightly ahead of himself. They were not yet at a point in time where a serious partnership was in order. They had to start from the beginning.

"I have a feeling I can see where you're coming from. You must have gone through a lot and I sympathize. On my part, I cannot really say I had a hard life. I have high hopes for my future in the service of the Marines. But you make a good point. Whoever they may be, one cannot take up this challenge alone."

She held out her hand to shake.

"I'm sure you're a good man, but if it is all the same to you, I would like to start as friends."

The trust and partnership would come later. If they had any real chemistry, the whole thing would just fall in naturally. For now she wanted to reaffirm her stance. They were friends, associates - people who would come to assist the each other in a time of need. If that would build up to anything more, that was all up to their growth as individuals. At the moment, Zeppelin could say that she respected the man's seriousness at least.