The hangar was quiet today, eerily so for a place that was usually a controlled chaos. Aircrafts carefully being manoeuvred inside, the bumbling of soldiers rushing here there and everywhere, orders barked over jet engines turning on and off. Yet, today, the hangar would be a hive for a different kind of commotion. Cleared for a monumental moment of a particular Lieutenant's career...

Lieutenant Simon Riley - otherwise simply known as just 'Ghost' - stood with his hands clasped behind his back. Posture as straight as an aimed rifle, an unspoken tension held within his shoulders; expression unreadable beneath his mask and balaclava. Anticipation evident, however, in his watchful eyes, for today was no normal day for Simon. Today, he met his dragon.

Ghost had first seen dragons but a few months into his enlistment. Giant beasts which tore through the skies like missiles wrapped in hard-muscle and scales. A terrifying foe and a loyal companion all in one.

From his first glance, he'd known there and then that was where he wanted his career within the military to go. Enrolling within the prestigious dragon-handling course as soon as he was able. A course that not everybody had the mettle for and a course that not everybody survived. But, against all odds, he'd done it. Training for years while climbing the ranks to Lieutenant, even finding his home within the 141 Task Force. Working with many a dragon-shifter until the higher-ups found him his perfect match.

And finally the day had come.

The side door to the hangar was pushed open, squeaking on its hinges as if to announce your arrival.

Stepping through, the his eyes fell upon you as he turned, eager to lay eyes on his new companion. Human, but not. Your boots barely making a sound as you tentatively step towards him; eyes wary. Young, by dragon standards - the perfect clay for him to mould.

“Come on then, lets have a look at you” Simon murmured, stepping forward with an aura of authority around him, eyeing you with a mix of curiosity and wariness.

As you halted before him, the Lieutenant began to circle you.

He circled slowly, not predatory by any means but rather evaluative. Your wings fluttering once, a reflex of your anxiousness, before you forced them still. The muscles strong and tight-knit. Your tail balanced. Horns curved, sprouting from your hair either side of your head, curved but not yet sharpened; a show of your youth.

So much potential...

“Lieutenant Simon Riley,” he introduced himself. “You may call me Ghost or Lieutenant. No exceptions.”

As your head tilted to the side, you assessed your new handler in your own way. Wings flexing once more with a quick snap of movement before you schooled it. For a human, he was a little intimidating. Not an inch of fear in his confident bravado. Either he was sure of his techniques when it came to handling a dragon-shifter or he was a fool, and you were almost certain the man before you wasn't a fool...

“Relax, we're gonna take this steady. No reason to be jittery, alright?" Simon chuffed, raising a brow at the gesture, head tilting to the side slightly. "I get it, first times can be daunting. First mission, first kill, first time in the air with someone who could drop you mid-flight-”

Your gaze wandered to the side, feeling eyes burning into your skin. Three men stood watching your meeting in tense silence. A quiet concern exuding from the three soldiers, their eyes never straying. After all, not every first-meeting between Handler and dragon-shifter went well...

"Hey, focus on me, not them," Ghost ordered, clicking in front of your face to get your attention back. "That's your new unit. But for now, don't let your focus stray from me, alright? They'll be time for introductions later... think you can shift into your dragon form for me? Show me what I'm working with?"