New Blood

[Nike]

Simply holding the blaster in her hands relaxed Zara. Raising it in the air and lining up her shot eased her mind even more. Shooting felt natural to her. It made sense.

She’d spent the last hour watching, waiting for the firing range to be emptied, and now stood there in the shadows, dressed in loose gray pants tucked into her boots and a sleeveless black top. Perhaps if she were there to train, she would have stalked in during its busiest time, set her training level high, and attempt every trick shot she knew. However, at that moment all she wanted was time to think.

It’d been almost a standard year since she joined the Protectors and several months since she became a fully-fledged Cabur. During that time, she’d fought battles, completed missions, and almost died more than once. Every day, it seemed, changed her a little bit. As if her experiences were chipping away the old her, leaving something stronger. A gentle smile flashed briefly across her face, but something continued to tug at her mind. She thought of her brother and mother and of her old life in general. What would her old friends think of her now? Her enemies, her brother? Was this what Leo would have wanted for her?

The short buzz and crackle of blaster fired sounded peaceful to the young woman. It made her think of safety and power. After decimating a few stationary targets, Zara raised the training level and began to lazily take out slow moving target droids as they jerked their way towards her. She allowed one to make it all the way towards her, but before it could attempt to shock her, she incapacitated it with the stock of her pistol. Normally, she didn’t like an opponent getting so close. She had to get over that.

 

[anzat17]

Aries stood in the booth as the targets on the field began to pop up. She was wearing her batha leather garmets and sporting her MK 2 Ripper pistol. Although she was fairly proficient in close quarters combat, being a good marksmen was imperative.

"Fierfek" she cursed as her both her first and second shots missed. The targets began to get closer now and she proceeded to resort to a spray and pray method.
And as always two of the targets managed to close enough that in a real firefight there would be a good chance shed be dead by now.
"I've got to get better at this!" She thought to herself as she holstered her pistol and did a 180° turn to walk back to the ammo counter at the rear of the practice field. It was then she noticed another female taking out the targets on the field like it was mere childs play.

"Might as well ask some help from someone who really knows what their doing." She thought earnestly as she waited for the woman to be done with the cycle before approaching her.

"Nice shooting!" She commented as she walked up to the woman. "Wish i could shoot that good ner'vod" She said as she extended her arm for the formal Mando handshake.

 

[Nike]

The girl in the corner clumsily fighting off droids had been impossible to miss, but Zara had not problems ignoring her. That became more difficult when the girl was right on her elbow. With an impassive expression, she titled her head to study the newcomer’s face. She recognized the girl somewhat, in the sense she knew she belonged on the ship. The girl was young, though not much younger than herself, and had the confident posture of someone who thought they knew what they were doing, something she’d come to expect from Mandalorians.

“Bic naas,” Zara replied after the long silence. It was nothing. Her gaze lowered from the girl’s face to her outstretched hand. Stiffly, she reached out to accept the handshake, touching the other as briefly as she could. “You can. If you work for it.” With that, she raised her blaster again and turned up the difficultly level. Now, the droids moved faster and enacted evasion maneuvers. Nothing that Zara couldn’t handle. Her mind drifted as she shot them down and her thoughts returned to the other girl. “I’d start with aiming,” she said abruptly, with a humorous edge to her voice. “If I were you.”

 

[anzat17]

Aries watched the woman increase the difficulty and admired the way she handled the droids.
"I've been trying since i was just a adiik but it seems to escape me. I'm Aries." She said as she loaded another powerpack into her pistol.
"The finesse of shooting has been something I've struggled with. I could rip the snout of a Mynock but can't hit the broadside of a Kryat Dragon." She said as she lifted her pistol and fired off a shot at an incoming droid.

 

[Nike]

From the corner of her eye, Zara studied the girl, Aries, as she fired at the new targets. [COLOR="#99336"]"Zara. Zhett."[/COLOR] she said, in the same brisk tone as before. More than most, she could sympathize with trying, and failing, to get a grasp on something. For herself, it was just about everything but marksmanship, but she wouldn’t share that with this stranger. [COLOR="#99336"]“Maybe I could help,”[/COLOR] she said as she mentally corrected the girl’s stance in her head. [COLOR="#99336"]“What exactly do you have a problem with?”[/COLOR]

 

[anzat17]

Aries turned back to her fellow mandolorian.
"Well i guess it would be keeping steady." She said as she thought it over in her head. "I'm never able to keep steady long enough to hit where I'm aiming."
She hated to admit it but she was far from a good shot. This being the main reason why she preferred a shotgun.

 

[Nike]

Without a word, Zara set her blaster down, moved behind Aries, placed her hands on her shoulders and pulled them back, correcting her posture. [COLOR="#99336"]"That should help."[/COLOR] As she stepped back to reexamine the girl's new position, she contemplated what she had said. [COLOR="#99336"]"Aiming?...Sounds like you don't practice enough," [/COLOR]she said with a raised eyebrow and a sharper tone than necessary. Zara had no patience for people who didn't throw everything into training. If this were the case, she wouldn't be able to stay and help for long. There was a click as Zara turned down the difficulty. [COLOR="#99336"]"For now, just show me your aim."[/COLOR]

 

[anzat17]

Aries maintained her now slightly more comfortable position and stared down her iron sights at the advancing droids.

"I do my share of practicing, but its usually with my shotgun and 'hell sword'." She said as she squeezed the trigger and actually hit her first target.

Aries allowed herself a moment of joy to spread across her face before transitioning to the next droid. Once again she squeezed the trigger and her target. Although slightly lower than where she had aimed at least she managed to score hits now as opposed to spraying and praying.

 

[Nike]

[COLOR="#99336"]“I don’t think it’s called practicing if you’re already good at it,”[/color] Zara said quietly, with her hand over her mouth. As she watched the girl, she couldn’t help but compare her to herself a few years ago. Even now, she still struggled to learn, to fit into her adoptive people. Though younger than her, Aries was clearly a strong verd. Simultaneously, she admired and resented her for that, but none of that showed on her face.

[COLOR="#99336"]“Keep the barrel up, and try not to let your wrist break when you fire.”[/COLOR]

 

[anzat17]

Aries tightened her grip on the pistol and fired again. Instead of allowing the barrel to kick back up she almost gave it a small shove downwards.

She was now hitting where she was aiming. Aries hadn't been able to do that before today. She allowed a small smile to creep across her lips.

"That certainly does help, Thank you ner'vod." She said turning back to Zara. The fellow Mandolorian had helped her with something that she was almost sure she would never fix.

 

[Nike]

Just like that, Aries hit the target, her shot sent the little droid spinning. Zara lifted her chin in a small nod, the girl learned fast. However, simply shooting straight wasn't a reason to celebrate. [COLOR="#99336"]"Don't over correct, or you'll have the same problem in reverse."[/color] Without acknowledging the thanks, Zara began to fiddle with the range controls. Three droids were released, moving quicker and with more grace than the ones before and ready to shock and stun the shooter if they got too close. [COLOR="#99336"]"Do it again,"[/color] Zara said, stepping back. [COLOR="#99336"]"But do it faster."[/color]

 

[anzat17]

Aries watched the droids begin to move faster now. They cris crossed in Aries sight of vision quickly. She steadily aimed at the first of the three droids and fired. Thanks to her new pointers she was able to score a hit.

She transitioned to the next droid and fired away. She was feeling rather confident in her abilities up until she noticed the last droid. Running at a sprint it was a mere 10 meters away now. She dropped to a knee and shot the final droid directly in the chest and watched it drop.

Aries allowed herself a moment to take a deep breath before holstering her pistol.

 

[SevMarec]

Sev sat on a large munitions crate, sharpening and cleaning his kit of beskar hand-hachets, bolt action slug throwing sniper rifle, and his trusty charric assault carbine. He watched the two women through his dirt smeared T visor, processing their visible strengths and weaknesses. He spun one of the hatchets through his gloved fingers, weary from constant mental battles with himself. He stopped himself from drifting into a familiar rut, and went back to his maintence silently.