Krysta Amerez's Training

[Johnnysaurus Rex]

Nodding approval, Shane watched as Krysta bolts became steadily closer to the small dart that marked bulls-eye. When she stopped to reload he had been keeping note of the sun's position. What had been resting on the mountains in the distance was now high above them and beginning it's descent. He'd have to stop this if they intended to move on.

"Good work, Krysta. A vast improvement and something to be proud of if others still see this as shoddy. We're ending training early today. I have some matters to attend to and I would like you to practice again tonight. Use whatever you want for targets and whatever distance, though I do expect you to challenge yourself. Come back here same time tommorow and you can showcase your current skill level to me. Then we will move on to something bigger. Goodbye and goodnight."

 

[Solus]

"Good night." she said quietly, cheeks turning red of shame. Despite putting everything she had into it, her shooting was still seen as shoddy. He was even quitting early, probably because her skill level and her aim were so pitiful and pointless to even watch. It made her angry and sad at once.

It was times like this when she hated herself. How could she ever amount to anything when she couldn't even shoot? She continued lifting the pistol as he had shown her, even after he'd left, and just kept firing and aiming and practicing until her vision got blurry and her eyes hurt. By then it was after dark.

Despite this, she didn't want to leave, she just decided she would take a quick break to rest her eyes. Lying gently against a tree, she took a quick forty winks; ones that lasted all night.

 

[Johnnysaurus Rex]

Shane arrived bright and early as he had the previous day. Though he was still wearing his basic armor sans helmet. The sun's rays were just peeking over the horizon casting small secluded strands of sunlight across the sky. Also present was some of the early morning humidity and the small cawing of the airborne creatures. If he had a camera the Commander would have takena picture of this sight but he wasn't the type to bring one with him on excercises.

Walking the rolling hills on the way to the training site he ran through the lesson plan he had created shortly last night. Shane also made a mental note not to run himself ragged like he had the previous day, his sore muscles agreeing all to happily. Once he cleared the last hill he spotted the white armor against the tree. At first he thought the girl was just getting here early and was waiting for him but that was cancelled out when he realised she would have no real gain from showing up early and that she didn't acknowledge him as he came down the hill toward her. Once he was at a closer range he noticed her slight slump and closed lid.

"Damnit."

This came out as a short sigh more than real words but they weren't ment in any bad way. Upon getting closer to the tree the Commander set his helmet on the ground and reached out a hand and put it on Krysta's shoulder. He then gently shook her.

"Hey. Wakey wakey, Krysta.

 

[Solus]

She let out a low groan as she was disrupted from her unintentional slumber. Her eyes flickered open as a soreness crept through her. Sleeping on the ground with tree roots sticking in your back just found a place on Kyrsta's 'not to do again unless you have to' list.

She blinked a bit at the sunlight, until her eyes encompassed Shane's face. Startled and frightened, she started and scrambled to sit up, as he was standing over her. For a moment the thought passed through her mind that he had gotten her drunk and...

But she dismissed it. After all, she didn't remember anything like that, and he seemed so far to be honorable. Thank goodness for that facet of Mando'ade culture.

As she sat up, she felt her armor stick into her where they had been pressing against her all night, something that gave her a sore, uncomfortable feeling. She made a mental note not to sleep in her armor again.

 

[Johnnysaurus Rex]

"Did you enjoy your nap?"

Shane would have offered a hand up if she had lingered ont he ground but she seemed fit enough to walk. This was truly confusing and hopefully she would take his now arched brow as a sign that she should tell him just what lead to her being out here sleeping.

 

[Solus]

"Erm..." she said, trying to find the right way to word the answer. As she got up, she reiterated, sheepishly, "Ah, after you left I kept practicing until it was dark. I stopped for a break and I guess I fell asleep."

 

[Johnnysaurus Rex]

Shane let out a low sigh. That was one of the conclusions he had come to and hoped that the girl wouldn't have been that daft to stay out here ALL night. Looking back to her he kept his eyes on her face for sometime wondering how to handle this. A part of him said that she needed some scolding but she hadn't really done anything wrong and Shane just... didn't feel like yelling at her.

"Well... I have had my fair share of outdoors sleeping but never in this situation. Those times waking up was never fun but those times I was on missions and my pushing on was necessitated. However, this is training and medics are never called to usually do long term commando assignments. So I will give you the option of going home for today and sleeping this off and cleaning up. This is NOT an order. I believe are part might want you to stay and train but this is not the recommended course as the mental state is completely intertwinde with physical performance."

 

[Solus]

"Oh, no!" she immediately replied. "I'm fine, I think, really. Just a little caf and I'll be good, it's not like it makes me a mental case, I-" she interjected, hurriedly. She so did not want to disappoint him. Immediately she wished to retract what she had said, but it was too late. She composed herself and said, in a more dignified manner, "Sir, Commander, I... I apologize. I'm sorry to disappoint you so, I'll return to barracks."

She made several grasps for her helmet before finally clasping it, at the same time clumsily trying to stuff her pilot within a holster that was not there. She reached out a hand to give it to him upon remembering it was his and began to back away before turning around and beginning the walk back, metaphorical tail between her legs.

 

[Johnnysaurus Rex]

Shane couldn't help but laugh at Krysta's reaction.

"I didn't mean that to sound like a scolding but it si your choice if you want to stay. I'm just saying if I had the choice I wouldn't. But you may be made of stronger stuff than I. Krysta, you have not dissapointed me in any way. You may take back your pistol but only if you truly wish to train as some of the best Mandalorian Warriors would act during a long term operation. Of course that's if you want to 'test your metal' as they say."

Shane raised the gun back up and held the grip out towards her. He didn't want to dissapoint her and if she truly had her mind set on training then she would get exactly that from him. The Commander aimed to please.

 

[Solus]

"Me made of stronger stuff than you," she said, more of a statement than a question. She had turned back and, after finishing her sentence she looked him up and down. It was easy to tell that he was just a wee bit stronger than she. "Hah, no," she finished, but she did grin at the thought. She lifted a finger up to her lips as she pondered. She did want to stay. After all, he wouldn't offer to let her if he didn't think she could handle it, and she did like testing herself.

Sheepishly, she reached out and took the pistol back, giving him a grateful look. "Commander," She asked, quietly, blushing a bit as she spoke, "Ah, you, ah, how old are you? Around twenty-five?"

 

[Johnnysaurus Rex]

OOC: Sorry for the lateness.

"We'll just have to see about that."

He let go of the barrle once she took the weapon from him and was about to continue when she asked her age question. This threw him off guard and made him rais his eyebrow slightly but he soon worked it out in his head. Or atleast what he thought. He could understand that she would have some curiosity seeing as they don't give the Recruits a copy of their trainer's file, which always seemed odd to him. That must be it. The Commander quickly quieted any silly notions that the girl was flirting with him. Still, something in him was curious.

"Well, more like twenty eight. Why do you ask?."

 

[Solus]

He seemed a bit stumped at her question, it must have caught him off-guard. When he answered, she put her helmet on to continue, to keep from his noticing her bright red cheeks.

Twenty-eight. Twenty-eight and seventeen. It didn't take a mathematician to figure out that was eleven years difference.

Eleven years! She might have accepted eight years... but eleven?

She let out a low sigh. She couldn't even consider him as a candidate. Nuts.

"You don't look it," she responded, "I could've sworn you were younger."

 

[Johnnysaurus Rex]

"Well, thanks. I guess."

Shane still had his brow raised at the Recruit. The sigh that she had let out seemed to be of dissapointment. This surfaced a whole new set of inquiries that Shane didn't even know if he could ask.

"Alrighty, we should continue with your training if you have no other matters you wish to discuss. Do you?"

 

[Solus]

She forced out a small chuckled at his remark. She would just have to keep waiting... she didn't want to have to wait too long - she didn't want to die an old maid. Well... she was seventeen. She had a few years left to search... but it was so disheartening. He seemed so nice.

"No, commander. I'm through," in more than one way. She reached to take up the pistol and get it settled in her hands, "What would you like me to do?"

 

[Johnnysaurus Rex]

"Same as yesterday. Shoot the targets all once and show me how much you have improved."

 

[Solus]

"Yessir." She said, once more making sure her grip was right, and then settled into the stance he had directed her the day before. She felt a little sore going into it since she had been in it for hours last night, but still, she managed to do it. Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly and lifted the pistol up to eye level, staring at the targets through the scope. Once more she began firing.

Though she was not a perfect shot, she still had a ways to go before that happened, she was noticeably better. She hit the targets much more often, and she even managed to get a few in instantly fatal areas. Within her, her heart blossomed with joy, happy that now, under his watchful eye, she hadn't broken down and returned to her disgraceful hit rate.

 

[Johnnysaurus Rex]

Shane closed his eyes and nodded shortly. When he opened his eyes he was smiling and walking to the obviously triumphant girl.

"Well now. A vast improvement worthy of some of the best Mandalorian Soldiers. Now we shall move on to rifle training. I expect you will do well as it isn't entirely different from handguns."

Shane drew an assault rifle from the bin and handed it out to Krysta.

"Now. To stay accurate you are going to want to either fire in bursts or switch the firing mode to single shot. The targets are resetting themselves so take a few moments to adjust to the new sights. Keep the stock firm against your shoulder and try to hold your left hand as close to yourself as possible. This will help steady your aim."

 

[Solus]

It was difficult for her to bottle her excitement at his approval, but she managed somehow. The helmet helped. Happily, she took the rifle and handled it gently. She made an effort to grasp it just as he told her, but she still wasn't quite sure where to put her hands. She guessed, and stepped a few paces forward, in front of her teacher, and held up the barrel as she aimed down the scope. Right then she remembered to set it to single shot, and, letting it down again, she flipped the switch and brought it back up.

Carefully, she tried once more to get her hand right, but she was pretty sure she had it totally wrong. She bit her lip before looking over her shoulder at Shane... Commander Oderyn. "Commander?... could, could you show me... correct my handling on this thing?"

 

[Johnnysaurus Rex]

"Gladly."

Shane guided her hand back a little and turned her wrist until she was using the magazine as an improptu (Spelling?) foregrip.

"You should be set now. I wouldn't suggest this firing style with projectile weapons though. Some of them tend to jam, but blasters don't have such feeding problems."

 

[Solus]

"All right," she said a bit anxious, though excited that he was promoting her to rifle so early. Carefully following his directions as best as she could remember them, she took aim, and began to fire. At first it was a shock, as the butt of the gun jammed into her shoulder when she fired from the power of the blast, but after a few more [painful] shots, she adjusted the grip a bit so that it didn't jar her as much. The longer scope helped, as she was fairly accurate, but slow, for her level.