Home on the Range

[Caligula]

Planet Velmor. A resource rich planet that prospered in all areas of business and wealth. It was also Lisa’s current home and her place to retreat to and gather her thoughts whenever she was stressed or returning from a mission. Her favorite place to go to was a relatively famous shooting range known as the Star Shot Alley. The range was owned by a close friend of Lisa’s, a Velmoc businessman named Jobidabi. The old Velmoc was one of her father’s business partners and was Lisa’s host whenever she stayed on the planet. His trade was in agriculture, but he was well versed in other fields as well, such as literature and he had an extensive knowledge of architecture. He built the Star Shot Alley from his own designs, with some welcome recommendations by Lisa.

Lisa had just returned from a rather boring expedition and was eager to get back to the Alley. Shortly after touching down she made her way to the range. She was dressed in casual attire and carried her rifle in a duffle bag. She was wearing a pair of tan work pants with a Bantha leather belt and a white undershirt under a red, plaid button up shirt. She had her tough work boots on and her fingerless black gloves. Resting on her head was her mother’s black cap and her right eye was covered by her Bantha leather eyepatch. There wasn’t a dress code for the Star Shot Alley but there was a safety measure where new members would have to have their guns registered and checked for security purposes and as a census for members.

The property covered several hundred acres of land and was split into several specialized areas for every type of shooter in the galaxy. The entrance was freshly painted Durasteel with a red neon sign that glowed proudly against the white wall. Lisa signed happily before entering the familiar establishment. The main lobby was a lounge where shooters could rest and talk amongst each other while also enjoying some concessions. There was a bar against the wall with several brands of drinks on the shelves; there was, however, a limit to how many drinks were allowed to be consumed if one wanted to shoot. Drunks aren’t the best people to give firearms to…

Behind the bar was a Twi’lek in the standard uniform: a black pair of slacks, a white shirt, and a black vest. He nodded his head in Lisa’s direction when she entered and she waved back. She walked through the lobby towards the next room, the rental area. Some folks weren’t familiar with guns and wanted to learn, so there was a special training range where one could rent guns from the armory. The rental and training area was managed by a tall Gungan wearing the uniform. He was helping someone get situated with a standard blaster pistol when Lisa entered. The Gungan nodded in greeting. “Hey, is Jobidabi in today?” She asked. The Gungan nodded. “Hesa went out to run some errands, but hesa will be back soon.” Lisa nodded and walked through the rental area to the first range. A map was set up to direct any new shooters to the area they preferred.

From where she stood, there were three options.

The first area was an indoor range that had a maximum range of 150 meters and several rows for at most 25 shooters at once. Only pistols and submachine guns were allowed on these ranges. This area was mostly inhabited by people learning to shoot.

The second area was the outdoor range. This took up most of the property and therefore could accommodate up to 100 participants if all the areas were in use. This outdoor area had several subzones within the initial border. These subzones were: a massive shooting range for 50 participants that had a maximum range of 2,500 meters, a fenced off area of forest terrain for “hunting style” target practice where only certain firearms were allowed, and a massive tower that went as high as 9 stories and had a range of up to 1,500 meters. There was no gun limitation, but rifles and shotguns were recommended.

The third area was an area known as the Exotic Range. The Exotic Range was an indoor area where trick shots were encouraged and certain specialized environments were provided for those who asked. This range had a maximum distance of only 1,000 meters. The Exotic Range was also known as the V.I.P club, as only a select group of gunmen were allowed there. Lisa was one of these sharpshooters and she would visit occasionally to test her skills with gun types other than her Sniper. But not today.

She sighed happily as she made her way to the outdoor area, her rifle slung over her shoulder. She found an open space on the 2,500 meter range and set up her rifle, complete with bipod and a padded rifle butt to reduce recoil force. The range was rather empty today, with only a few people on the range already. She shrugged and ignored it before laying down on her chest and putting her eye to the rifle scope. She had shifted the eyepatch from her right eye to her left eye, revealing her crimson Sniper’s Eye. She looked down range and prepared her shot; a motionless target at 1,000 meters. She had taken similar shots before and she knew she could hit the target, but she always made a habit to work her way up to the more difficult shots by starting at the basics. The target popped up from the ground and stood there, waiting for Lisa to take her shot. She inhaled, took aim, and exhaled at the same time she pulled the trigger. The bullet ripped through the air with deadly accuracy as it put a massive hole in the target’s center, the perfect shot. She smiled as a digital copy of her target appeared near her station to show where she hit. Several stats appeared along with the image, including accuracy percentage, wind speed and direction at the time of impact, the bullet’s flight time, etc. Lisa smiled and prepared another target, this time at 1,500 meters.

 

[ctrocks307]

Velmor, a planet full of outlaws, smugglers, "High and Mighty" good-for-nothings, and gun ranges. Fang was a marksman by trade, but he also had a deadly accuracy when it came to throwing knives. He had been going to the Star Shot Alley for a while, testing his weapons and accuracy. He approached the range with a sort of modesty about him, since he had bright green eyes and long blonde hair, it would be easy to pick him out of a crowd. He had left most of his gear at his ship, and only brought his rifle, with some ammunition, and three throwing knives, the latter being mostly for protection. As he walked into the main area of the Alley, he nodded to the Twi'lek and headed out to the rifle range, where some people already were. He was just in time to see Lisa's very impressive shot, he walked over to a station not far from hers and began prepping his rifle. He then set up and target and set it out to 1000 meters. Lying on the ground, he lined up his first shot, taking in the wind speed, distance and gravitational pull of the range, he pulled the trigger. The bullet went right through the center of the target. The digital copy along with that stats appeared next to him as he lined up his next shot for 1,500 meters, sending another target out there. He then lined up the shot, taking in to account all of the factors that could mess it up, he pulled the trigger.

 

[Pernicious]

Ailill Aherne would never admit it, but blasters weren't something he was particular skillful in using. Yeah, the young smuggler knew how to use one. Disassembly, cleaning, and reassembly were easy enough, but accuracy when firing was a whole other thing. That's why he was at the Star Shot Alley that fine Velmor day. Why he was on Velmor was a whole other story, one that he didn't want to think about.

He greeted the Twi'lek man behind the bar and made his way to the rental and training room. The Gungan employee there had just finished showing an older man how to operate his new-fangled rifle. He handed over the rifle case to the Gungan, who removed the Czerka-made blaster rifle from inside. Ailill was happy to find that it was in good condition and safe to use on the range. He was directed past the first range, designed for close ranged weapons, and pointed out a spot at the second range. It had varying distances perfect for rifle use.

The sun blared down and warmed the outside of the Onderonian native's protective suit. Once at his lane, he accessed the lane terminal and set up the 100 and 200 meter targets to pop up at a repeating interval. He looked around and saw only two others close to him on the range. They were firing targets too far away for the 19 year old to see. Ailill took a kneeling position and aimed down the sites of his rifle. He knew that blasters weren't as accurate as rifles that fired actual bullets, but he also knew that enough practice could level the playing field.

The 100 meter target was the first to pop up. He didn't take the shot in time and it went down. The 200 meter target was the next to pop up. He was ready this time, but shot a hair too high. "Kriff," Ailill muttered. He needed to steady his breathing. He took a second shot before it went down on its own, hitting it just in time.

 

[The Captain]

Star Shot Alley. Not a half bad name for a shooting range. Not a completely good one either, but beggars can't be choosers. And right now Andor Hais was begging for some good old fashioned target practice. As much as he hated to admit it, he had a touch of ichy trigger-finger and his bounty hunter career hinged on his ability to shoot people, whether with a stun blaster or a rifle. Despite how under the radar Velmor was, this place was pretty well put together. Booze, guns, and pretty girls, the holy trinity.

The Zabrak stepped up the counter, checking his pistol and rifle with the Gungan at the counter. A Czerka model rifle and a BlasTech pistol, the irony of owning both not lost on the bounty hunter. Both were cleared and registered for range use, and a good thing to, Andor took pride in his gear. He decided to hit the second range first, practicing his long-range shooting.

He took a position on the range next to...he didn't actually know what. Looked like a neon-clad robot with the same rifle he had. Small world. Andor's amusement faded into pity after he failed to catch the 100 meter target and missed the 200 meter target.

"Hey, having some trouble there?" He chuckled over.

 

[Caligula]

Lisa's second shot cracked through the air as she took down the 1,500 meter shot with as much precision as the first. The holographic model confirmed that she had hit the bullseye nearly dead center; she missed the exact center by about 5 centimeters. She actually frowned when she saw this detail as she observed the model with an intense, almost glare-like expression. "5 centimeters too many..." She said to herself before setting up the next target, this time at 2,000 yards. She was now more focused than when she had started and decided to put her accuracy to the test. There were now two humanoid shaped targets, one directly in front of the other except for a small patch over the right shoulder of the target in front. The two models were meant to simulate a hostage situation with the back target being the hostage taker and the front target being the unacceptable collateral.

Lisa tried to tune out the other shooting as she took a deep breath and focused down her rifle scope. She heard two distinct sounds on the range with her now: another rifle a few rows to her right that appeared to easily pick off a 1,000 meter target, and duo of blasters on some ranges to her left. She treated the outside noise as part of the situation, seeing how she'd need to be able to operate under pressure. She closed her eyes for only a second as she inhaled. Then her right eye snapped open and seemed to flash a crimson color as she focused in on her target. She pulled the trigger as the bullet seemed to leave the gun on a guide wire, travelling with unbelievable precision along its path. Lisa watched through the scope as the bullet passed right past the front target and pierced the head of the back target. Lisa finished her exhale just as the digital copy appeared at her station. She looked up at the copy with a wicked grin. Perfect shot. Lisa stood up and glared down range. Without her Sniper's Eye, she probably wouldn't have even seen the target. None the less, that fact alone made her grin.

She took the time to look around at her fellow shooters. They seemed like an interesting few but the usual crowd for the range. She waved at each of them with a smile before returning her focus down range. She wondered what she was going to do next. She could always go for longer range, but she was also curious to try more trick shots. Perhaps a moving target? She'd have to think about it, unless something came up first.

 

[ctrocks307]

Fang's bullet pierced the center of the target, completing his last shot on this range. He quickly packed up his rifle and walked inside. Wlaking over to the gungan, he placed his three knives on the counter as well as his blaster pistols, "VIP range please." He said to the gungan, who looked at him with a surprised look. "Name," He asked. "Fang, Fang Firetooth," the gungan checked the list for the VIP range and gave Fang the OK to go in. There were other people who were already in there, doing their lousy trick shots. He waited until they were done and walked over to the control panel and prepped the range for his turn, walking to the middle of the range, he watched as the terrain formed around him, the targets popping up one by one and their guns loaded with paint-balls. The computer system started counting down for the range to start, the spectators chuckling and murmuring what an idiot he was. The session started, Fang threw out an arm, one of the three knives sprouting from the body-shaped, target's head. The other targets stated firing at him, Fang started doing acrobatics, dodging almost every pellet shot at him, the other two knives ended up like the first, in a target's head. he then pulled out his blasters and shot the rest in a matter of seconds, with pinpoint accuracy.

He walked away from the simulation, after collecting his knives and walked over to the man who called him an idiot before, and said, "Well, you were right, I was an idiot, I wore my favorite coat, and set the bullets to paintballs." The men around him burst into laughter as they saw that only two or three paint splatters adorned his jacket.

 

[The Captain]

Andor returned to his target practice, leaving the mysterious metal-man alone for the moment. He set the range to give him three quick targets at 100, 200, and 300 meters respectively, with each target popping up in a different direction. Most showboat marksmen would be aiming for head shots here, but that was incredibly impractical. Andor had always been taught to aim for the center of mass, it was a far easier target and incredibly lethal unless the enemy was armored.

Taking a deep breath, Andor went prone on the range and brought the stock of his rifle snuggly against his shoulder. He looked directly down the sights and switched over to automatic, as he would be firing short, controlled bursts at the targets. He let out his breath just as the first target popped up, giving the trigger a light squeeze and tagging the target with the shots to the torso. He followed this twice over, hitting the 200 and 300 meter targets in the chest as well, dropping them both.

 

[Caligula]

Lisa began to take notice of the other shooters around her. They were making good shots, but she was getting a little curious about how good they were. She was always interested in the marksmanship of others; to see if there was someone better than her and how much better they were. She rose from her position on the range and, taking her rifle with her, began to walk down towards the other shooters. She watched as one of them took three shots and dropped three targets. They weren't headshots but they were certainly lethal injuries. Lisa began to wonder why the shooter had gone for waiting for the target to bleed out instead of the quick headshot kill. With her right eye still uncovered, she spoke up when Andor was finished shooting. "Nice shot." She said with a grin. "But I am curious why you went for a torso shot. Those are usually the most armored part of the body." She glanced down at his rifle. "Czerka rifle eh? Not a bad choice at all. But I personally prefer to put my own handy work to the test." She motioned towards her rifle. It was a beautiful sniper rifle, well taken care of and no defects. "Where'd you get yours, if you don't mind me asking?"

In the VIP room, the other patrons were laughing at Fang's joke and the few paint splatters on his jacket. When they calmed down one of them, a Bothan, stepped forward. He had a wispy beard and eyes that told a thousand stories. He gave out a low chuckle as he inspected Fang. "Not too bad kid." His voice was slightly hoarse and he sounded older than he looked. "You know your way around a knife. But what about a blaster?" He stepped past Fang and punched a combination of variables into the terminal. The range warped and changed to fit the request, finally resting with 5 small targets the size of a match head near the far end of the range. "You have to be versatile in other fields, should you be left without your knives." Then he quickdrew a blaster pistol that seemed to appear out of thin air. With 5 rapid shots, everyone in the range saw as the old Bothan hit each target with perfect accuracy. The other shooters in the room cheered loudly as the Bothan stepped off the range. "I haven't seen your face around here before. What brings you to the Star Shot Alley?"
@ctrocks307 @TheHook1 @Pernicious

 

[ctrocks307]

"I assure you, I know my way around a blaster," Fang reset the targets and shot all five down. "The real question is, Are you handy with one in combat situation?" Fang reset the range back to it's previous setting and commenced the simulation, this time, it only took him 30 seconds to take out all of the targets and again, only one or two paint balls adorned his jacket.

 

[The Captain]

Andor had been too wrapped up in his shooting to notice Lisa approaching from down the range. Hearing her voice out of nowehere caused him to jump slightly, afraid some unknown enemy had snuck up behind him. Thankfully, he managed to regain his composure before blasted her. And that would have been a shame too, considering how stunning Lisa was. One thing that he noticed, however, was the eye-patch she was wearing. There were a wide range of tactical reasons to wear an eyepatch, one eye would always be adapted to the dark, she'd have better one-eyed depth perception, it looked really, really cool. But whatever the reason, Andor was certainly intrigued.

"Thanks." He replied, shooting her a subtle smirk. "The torso might be more armored, but most body armor can't take more than a couple of hits, so short bursts will either knock-out or kill most guys." He stood up, slinging the rifle over his shoulder before looking at hers. "Sorry, I'm afraid I don't have some wild, incredible story as to how I got this. I'm far more interested in your rifle there, looks like an amazing piece of machinery."

 

[Caligula]

Lisa smiled casually. She was glad someone was willing to actually talk to her instead of just quickly exchanging words over their shoulder while shooting. Most of the shooters who came here were only interested in the range, not the people on it. Her red eye seemed to flash slightly when the topic of her rifle came up. She looked down at the piece of tech and held it up so that it was sitting on its stock, barrel up. "This is a standard issue BA sniper rifle, but I've fiddled with it a little to make it suit my style better." She would point to the various parts of the rifle as she explained her modifications. "Replaced the standard trigger with a more sensitive one, changed out the barrel for a more accurate one, replaced the scope with a variable zoom option, and even added a cushy stock for reduced recoil kick and comfort." She really liked her rifle, that much was clear. She had put some time and effort into keeping it in pristine condition. "Most of these parts were built by Repilli, the Gungan inside." She nodded her head in the Gungan's direction. "He and I are good friends and he's spent a good amount of time near guns. He even taught me a few things about gun maintenance." Her eyes glazed over as she got lost in a distant memory of her first encounter with the Gungan. But she didn't dwell on it as she shook her head slightly to return to the world. "Oh, I'm sorry. I've been rambling and I don't even know your name. And now that I think about it," she blushed slightly, "I don't think you know mine." She smiled brightly and extended a hand. "My name is Lisa. Lt. Lisa Oswald of the Border Alliance."
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The shooters in the room once again filled the range with claps and cheering as Fang demonstrated his skills with a blaster. Even the old Bothan let some heavy handed claps escape. Then he stepped forward with a twinkle in his eye. "Apparently you know enough about blasters. And I can assure you," He poked his chest with a clawed finger and a small clink sound was heard. "I've seen plenty of combat." The room fell silent as a wave of uneasy silence rolled over the group. "We all have." Someone from the back spoke up. Everyone began to nod. "So, how'd you get so good? You a soldier?" The old Bothan asked with the same curious twinkle.

 

[ctrocks307]

Fang's eyes lost their gleam as he remembered the war, "I was a soldier yes, but one you would not expect. I have been alive longer than most, I have seen things that you would not believe. I fought the the war that brought down the old Sith empire. And spent the 100 years in between training to be the best I can." Fang holstered his pistol, taking a seat on a nearby stool, still remembering the bloodiness of the war.

 

[The Captain]

Andor leaned in, giving the heavily modified rifle a good once-over as Lisa explained the various modifications she and the Gungan at the gate had made. The fact that the desk-Gungan had done the teaching, competence and Gungans rarely went together, but considering he worked here he would have to know something about firearms.

"A Border Alliance Lieutenant, huh? I'm Lt. Andor Hais from Aegis Defense, a pleasure to meet you. " He returned her smile with one of his own, taking her hand and firmly shaking it. "And don't worry, it'll take a lot more than rambling to drive me away."

 

[Caligula]

Lisa smiled a little brighter. "I'm glad. There aren't too many people here as it is. I'd hate to scare away a customer." She was enjoying herself, which was an odd feeling to have on the shooting range. She came here to blow off steam or to regain her focus if she was ever thrown off her game for some reason. But here she was, having a conversation with someone who didn't seem bothered by her eye patch. It was mind boggling how many people would stare or ask about it. Yet this guy, Andor, hadn't mentioned it once. It felt, refreshing. "So, how long have you been shooting? I noticed your shots earlier. They were nice." She looked down the range and narrowed her eyes. She was already planning her next shot, waiting for his response.
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A strange silence fell over the crowd in the VIP room. It wasn't awkward per say, but it wasn't comfortable. It was the silence of soldiers, reminiscing their lives in the field. They all had their own little flashback as no one moved for a solid minute or so. The first to return from the nightmare was the old Bothan. "We've all seen things. Now, I may not be over 100 years old, but I've done some things. We all have. We were all in the same unit back in the day." Everyone in the room nodded and gave a small salute. "We were something to see. Oh the stories I could tell..." His silvery eyes glazed over again as he was thrust back into the past. A hand on his shoulder brought him back and he managed a weak smile. "But enough talk about that." He slowly made his way to the door. "I feel I've spent enough time on the range for today boys. I'll see you all later." And with a weak wave and a wave of salutes and farewells, the Bothan made his way to the door.

@TheHook1 @ctrocks307

 

[The Captain]

"Thanks, I've been shooting for years now, learned how to hit a target at 100 meters before my horns came in." A lighthearted smirk hid the pain answering that question brought up. Marksmanship was something his parents drilled into him as a child on Rattatak, and he loved it. His entire family together, no imminent threat of death, the smiles on their faces everytime he landed a hit. Not perfect, but they were better times.

He tried to hide pain more, focusing on this 'Lisa' person he'd just met. For a BA Lieutenant, she seemed nice enough, friendly even. Pretty easy on the eyes too.

"So, how long have you been shooting? An amateur wouldn't be carrying a fine machine like that around."