<div class="floatright">(https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/378800000312843758/c3fc56b763c2610cc0e83100caa09f81.jpeg)</div>Brooklyn nodded at Elizabeth,<strong>"That meeting could have gone better yes.  Strictly speaking, during a debriefing, we're just supposed to sit there quietly and listen to whatever they have to say but..."</strong><br/>He glanced over at Ivan's direction and shrugged before looking back at Elizabeth.<br/><strong>"At this stage, it's better to lay down all the cards on the table now rather than wait until later, when the stakes are higher, to find out that you have a bad hand.  This goes for both officers and recruits."</strong><br/><br/>As he finished up his apple, Brooklyn stared at Lei, the Asian woman he had spoken very briefly with at the bar.  It hadn't escaped him that his comments had been less than welcoming with her at all, and further chatter about the officers probably wouldn't sit well with her either.  Which was absolutely too bad, since that was what was going to happen.<br/><br/>Tossing the apple core away into the garbage, Brooklyn picked up an orange and began to peel it as he spoke.<br/><strong>"If the lesson they were trying to teach us was "Don't get flanked", then yes that would be the kindergarten lesson.  Or possibly "Don't get spooked by enemy chatter", which I believe all of us adhered to.  I agree with both Cass and you: I can tell that their skills are high.  They are good pilots."</strong><br/>He popped a piece of orange into his mouth, letting the silence emphasize what he wanted to say next.<br/><strong>"But skill at piloting doesn't translate to leadership qualities.  It makes them good mech warriors, not good officers.  I can't speak for anyone here, but I left the sim and meeting less than inspired.  And first impressions are incredibly important."</strong><br/><br/>Brooklyn ate another two pieces, deep in thought.<br/><strong>"And while I will respect the difference in opinion, I'll keep on disagreeing over unit placement.  If we're a non-standard mech unit, then why are we being shoehorned into positions that would be filled in a standard unit?  Devising a strategy and then allocating units is only something you can do when you have the resources for it.  With limited supplies, you determine what you can do with it first and then pick the optimal solution.  Soldiers should not have to compensate for officer's decisions.  We should only need to execute them."</strong><br/><br/><strong>"But I also think it's a little too early to say.  So far, it's only been one sim.  We still have two more in the day to go through."</strong><br/>Brooklyn peeled a few pieces off and offered them to the rest of the recruits.<br/><strong>"And you're right again Cass, I don't think this will be dull at all.  Orange?"</strong>