Aspiring Heights (Force User Training)

[Ali Hadrix]

The weather was dark and overcast, a blanket of grey clouds filled the sky as far as could be seen. The winds drifting down from the mountains brought snowfall that coated the plates of Ali's armor. The landscape around them was a blank portrait, nothing but white. They were laying together on a semi-flat outcropping of rock just below a stony overhang set into the hillside, near the foot of the mountains. Towering peaks rose into the sky, their summits hidden as they pierced the blanket of clouds above.
Ali zoomed in with her macrobinoculars, narrowing her eyes as she focused on the target. It was some 600 meters off, a mid-range target for the Verpine Assault Rifle. "Mari, you have the target? Zero degrees, six-hundred meters, just between those two large fir trees at the crest of the hill." Ali muttered to the woman laying at her side. Ali's helmet sat in the snow by her waist, and her own rifle leaned on top of it. Marona had a Verpine assault rifle tucked against her shoulder, resting on its bipod. Ali had zeroed the weapon the night before they'd left for the field.

Marona was an Echani, and as such she was well learned in close quarters combat styles that would benefit her in a variety of operation environments. But as all CSAF commandos were required, Marona needed to understand and master the fundamental aspects of all of their combat tactics. This was particularly important because Ali was considering the woman for a leadership position within the ranks of CSAF's Force Sensitives. She was exceptionally skilled, and her background provided her a basis of experience that benefited her on the battlefield. Once her combat training was complete, Ali could turn Marona's focus to the more subtle aspects of CSAF's fundamentals, such as diplomacy and conflict resolution.

Ali's mother, Myra, lay in the snow to Marona's right side. She was here to help train the woman in the tactical aspects of the Force and how to apply them in combat. As one of CSAF's few Force Sensitive recruits, Ali had taken a special interest in Marona's training. She did with them all. They were one of the organization's only defenses against the ranks of the Jedi and the Sith, and Ali wasn't one to be caught unprepared. "Keep your mind open and aware of your surroundings, Marona." Ali's mother said calmly. She too was looking through a set of binos, watching the target in the distance.
"Windage is at...two knots." Ali said, checking Marona's optic to ensure it had properly compensated. It had, Verpine technology was nearly infallible. "Fire when you're ready. Remember, squeeze the trigger, don't pull. You might yank your shot. And squeeze only as you empty your lungs, when you're at your most relaxed."

[member=Marona Rayheart] | [member=Myra Hadrix]​

 

[Marona Rayheart]

Marona felt comfortable among the falling snow. The world around them was to say the least a sight to behold. Sheets of fallen white brought a slew of memories to her. It reminded her of home and of her people. If their was a place for her training to take place she had to admit this was a very favorable place for her! She lay among the snow holding an unfamiliar weapon, the Verpine Rifle. The Echani was no expert in ranged weaponry to be sure, she preferred and in fact excelled in the close quarters her kind was known for. However she was aware that left her with quite a few flaws. Though she had an edge over heavier foes in the agility department, if they got a good hit in chances were she woudn't be leaving without a nice little wound. That's why it was was all text more important she didn't get hit, every blow had the potential to be a fatal one. It was not a flaw she could fix without going against a healthy amount of her upbringing. The issue she could solve to some extent was her skill with a blaster, namely rifles. She preferred fighting head to head, it was the best way to understand an opponent, not every felt that way though and so she had to be prepared for other situations, namely one's that would put any group Ali had her apart of in danger. She would take a light breath as she was given the location of her target, gazing down the sights of her rifle, lining them up to the specifications given. Between the fir trees? Seemed simple enough.

"Yes mam, target in sight right between the green Ali"

Marona was nervous of the woman on her otherside, not because she had anything against Myra herself no. If anything she had grown to respect the woman highly during their training. She was simply unsure of the idea of using the force in any capacity. It wasn't something she was exactly fond of after all. Her past with that power was not happy in the slightest. Still as much as she disliked it, she also had no wish to be caught off guard by Jedi or Sith should she have to face them in combat. If it gave her one more edge over the opposition she was willing to use the Force, to some degree. With that in mind she would go through the steps given by her mentors. This wasn't something she was trained in so she figured if she simply kept her mind ready that should do it right? Keep focus, stay open to what was around her-that's all it took. But it wasn't perfect.

"Yes mam, focus, gotcha"

She would state calmly, doing what she could to do so. Taking in Ali's reminder she would check her shot one last time, adjusting aim lost when she spoke. Her breathe slowly released and with it, her shot. It's impact was not perfect, a sign of Marona's experience-not the rifle itself. She didn't stray to far of the target's center but it certainly wasn't the one she had been aiming for. The Echani sighed lightly, turning her face to face Ali.

"Your sure we can't just load blades in this thing right? Might hit a limb then"

She would say with a chuckle. She was kidding of course, though she knew she wasn't going to be an ace shot by the end, she'd certainly try though.

 

[Ali Hadrix]

Ali lowered her macrobinoculars and smiled gently as she looked at Marona. Wispy, white clouds of breath drifted from between her lips as she spoke, a mark of the cold. "Shot wasn't bad; you'll get better with more practice." She reassured the other woman, handing Marona the binos so she could view the last several seconds Ali had recorded of the bullet impacting its target. "You were down and to the left. Just need more practice maintaining your sight picture, so your aim isn't changing." Ali took the binos back once Marona was finished watching her shot on the recording. "Try it again, trust the weapon to do its job. You're just there to help it along." Ali wrapped an arm around Marona's shoulder, pressing close enough to realign the rifle properly. "Body straight, legs slightly splayed. You want to be comfortable, but you also want to mitigate recoil effectively." Ali pulled away and picked up her binos, setting them on the target. "Alright, Mari," Ali said, having taken to shortening the woman's name. "You may fire when ready."
Marona had picked up most of the knowledge Ali imparted on her well, and grasped concepts swiftly, helping streamline the process of her training. Ali explained what she could to new soldiers, but sometimes there simply wasn't helping their understanding. Experience, as always, was the most impactful teacher, though Ali recognized that formal instruction lent a crucial context for comprehension. Ali had given Marona her book lessons, now Ali was seeing how she did applying that knowledge. So far, things were running smoothly, and Ali was glad to see the woman progressing on schedule. She would be joining the rest of the Force Sensitive commandos over the next month or so, and Myra would be overseeing Mari's training from that point on.

[member=Marona Rayheart]​