The whole routine still seemed so different and alien to Kader that his primate brain was still triggering a sense that he was a captive. Emotively, it was like he ought to feel it was a hostile environment. But by contrast, everything was so much less formal and not wrapped up in pomp and ritual as things had been with the Imperials, he kept rationalising that was not the case.<br/><br/>Sleep and a shower were invigorating nonetheless, and when he had made his way through to the hangar with the rest of the pilots he was once again feeling quintessentially at home.<br/><br/>The Maze sounded not unlike some of the exercises he'd been through during his time at the Academy, but that had been a long time ago. The Alliance might have set the parameters far higher to represent that their forces would almost always find themselves being outnumbered and pinched that much harder.<br/><br/>"Likewise, lieutenant." Kader nodded in response to Sadie. "I only hope the 'Word' hasn't been signing promises I can't pay out on. But I'll do my best."<br/><br/>He listened to the rules, took them in and tried to build a picture of what he ought to expect in there.<br/><br/>"Understood." His eyes flicked over to Tong for a short enough moment to be prudent. Suppressing a smirk as hard as he could, he added, "With your permission, may I ask what the score to beat is?"