Yes, an oasis, fairly largest, it was probably a stop on more than one trade route, but at the moment, it was empty, Enno had rigged a hammock and was lounging in it, and was feeling the breeze waft through the shade of the palm trees that had sought out the presence of life giving water.

"If only I could relax like this everyday." He said to the open air and glanced at Calibur, he'd been trying to get a feel for piloting the Zoid, but had had little luck thus far, but luck or no he had to engage in a battle soon, the entire ZBC had seemed to hit a small slow spot, but he didn't think that would last long.

A low rumble broke the quiet reviere of Enno, it sounded distant, but was moving fast. Suddenly, when it sounded like it would overtake the little oasis in seconds, it ceased, a booming crash was heard followed by a thud.

"Sorry, I didn't realize anyone was here, this place is usually as empty as a 'shine jug after a big party this time of year."

The hammock swung emptily, behind one of the larger palm trees Enno breathed heavily but quietly; he was gripping his gurkha so tightly the skin of his knuckles threaten to rip. He sighed breathlessly and relaxed, throwing a brief sidelong glance over the edge of the tree to stare at the source of the voice.

...Sounds like southern drawl? Doesn't sound like anybody from around here. He thought and placed the gurkha back against his leg glancing at Calibur's cockpit where his other two blades rested.

"Y'all alive?" The voice persisted.

A figure walked up searching around, the hammock was still swinging.

"I didn't mean any harm, if you want some privacy I could leave."

"No harm done, you just startled me a bit, that's all." Enno said from behind his tree, he then ducked low incase of a gunshot since he'd given away his position.

More like scared the living daylights out of me, it's just like that one military exercise... Obviously, Enno was having a small flashback to his training and war days, it was common, but it was a reason why some ex-military carried no weapons on their person, it could be disastrous to have a flashback in a public place.

Wait....I'm out of the military...No need to panic, problems like that have went away...yeah...away... Enno remained ducked behind the tree trying to organize his thoughts and remember where he was.

"I see." The southern drawl dissappeared like it was never there.

He answered a bit to quickly, is something wrong? The fellow wondered to himself.

"So...You have a name?" He asked and walked over to a palm tree of his own and leaned against it.

"Enno D-...Enno, D." Enno offered after a moment. He was still crouched down low and ready to spring into a run for Calibur. In his somewhat paniced state he registered but failed to notice the loss of the southern drawl in his conversation partner's voice.

The fellow laughed lightly.

"You sound like someone who's shamed his family and forgotten the face of his father." He said finally when his laughter ceased.

"You can call me, Earin." He added with a hint of amusment.

Enno raised an eyebrow.

"You say I sound like one that shamed his family since I gave only the first letter of my last name, yet you leave your's off completely, why?" He asked and finally walked out from behind his tree to stand infront of Earin. He looked at him with the gaze of one that has found a new puzzle they wish to solve.

Earin looked up at Enno. He sat, looking to be about a foot shorter than the towering Enno, which made him around 6'2, he looked not quite muscled, but not quite thin either. His face was fairly sharp as well, albeit it might have been hard to tell at times from the thick dark hair that hung down in wild untamed spikes, oddly enough his eyes were fully unobscured by the tangle, being greyish-purple in color with a somewhat faded look to them, they seemed just a little out of place and contrasted with his hair, but went right along with his light complextion; the other most noticable spot was probably a blue marking, centered under his left eye it ran down his face and towards his ear, making a curved and backwards 7 shape, at the point reaching for his ear there was a dot that hovered right in line with the tip of the backwards 7ish shape.

"Well! You're jest a right big un' ain't cha?" He exclaimed, southern accent fully apparent.

"It's because I do shame my family, everyday I shame them by not fulfilling their wishes, and have ever since they made those wishes known." He answered the question, minus the southern quality, which had disappeared again.

"So shaming your family is a big deal then?" Enno pondered over the statement and ignored the comment on his height and build.

"What are your family's wishes? Surely they realize it must be bad if you would risk their pride by not doing it?" He asked while a breeze picked up, the trees swayed gently and subtly moving the shadows around his attention focused on the water rippling and distorting it's reflection of the surroundings, one could see the whole oasis reflected like a window, he saw Calibur standing next to the largest tree waiting patiently for Enno to finish his period of relaxing, completely unmoving.

"You're an idiot aren't you? Of course it is! I mean how does one go about living knowing the rest of Zi might look down on one's family?" Earin asked, but he hadn't been sure Enno had heard, he seemed to be focused on the water, in it he could probably see what brought him here, a GenoSaurer. Earin hung his head and frowned, finally after thinking it over for a time he looked back up.

"They want me to enlist in the military, I'm not ready to follow in their footsteps yet." He said and stood up walking to the edge of the water.

"There's a whole world out there, and I don't want to miss it for the PKO just yet."

"Another cog in the great military machine..."

Enno did see the Geno Saurer, he frowned at it's reflection, such a Zoid was quite dangerous to be owned by someone that wasn't ZBC or PKO, but there was a chance he was just a true unknown in the ZBC.

"You with the Zoids Battle Commission then?" He asked studying him, Earin just seemed so out of place.

"The ZBC? Not a chance." Earin said finally standing up, he strolled to the edge of the water and regarded Calibur.

"...A Liger pilot then..." He said quietly, there was a hint of distaste.

"Besides, what's so great about the ZBC; rules, rules, and more rules is all they offer, not much better than the PKO." He said and turned to face Enno, studying him as well.

"They reward good pilots, and piloting is of great importance to the PKO, but I suppose you knew that already." Enno said frowning at the comment on Calibur, sure he wasn't great, and Liger pilots were a dime-a-dozen, but Calibur served faithfully, something he heard, yet refused to believe, that some Zoids failed to do due to their personalities. Machines didn't have personalities...

How wrong Enno was.

"I know that...but, it's a big step, I mean not just anyone gets accepted into the ZBC, besides, I've heard if you're good enough to get in there, you're good enough for the PKO."

Earin's Geno Saurer was growing bored, it idly opened it's mouth as if yawning and moved as if it were stretching before going back to it's rest postion.

"Patience." Earin said, as if speaking to no one, as he clearly wasn't addressing Enno.

"Are you ZBC?" He asked turning his attention back to Enno.

Enno almost did a double take, one moment that Geno Saurer was moving, when he looked back, it wasn't, and then Earin was talking to himself...

"...ZBC? Yes, I'm a ZBC Pilot, it's not that hard, just go and submit an application, if you don't have a Zoid they'll offer you two for free, along with some money."

"Anyway, it's getting late, and I'm starting to hallucinate from the heat, it's been fun..." Enno said and strolled over to Calibur, it's cockpit opened with a hiss as he climbed in, and soon the two sped away.