Star Wars Roleplay: Chaos

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Private no charger

The Brightest Star
somewhere aboard the Trident in the company of Nyva shei
-------------------------------------
I asked Nyva to teach me how to shoot today. We're aboard the Trident, her flagship it fills me with pride, a real beast, and perfect for what we've got planned. We're going to run a full-scale shooting simulation using the ship's integrated holo-wall: it can materialize weapons and targets anywhere, so a room normally used for sword training can instantly become a firing range. The advantage? The rounds aren't wasted they're unreal, not physical which lets you learn without risk.

With Nyva on sniper duty, I'm sure I'll pick up good reflexes over time. Of course, I don't pretend I'll become a sniper legend like she is. It's not my area of expertise or a basic skill of mine, but precisely: knowing how to hold a blaster steady and hit the target she can teach me that. Same for reloading a weapon she can show me how. I really want to specialize in long-range combat and technical support. While she's on her way, I activate the simulation on my side.

"Okay, load an training shooting range: various blasters, ballistic pistols and other weapons like that."

I clap my hands and watch the scenery change: the room turns white, the range appears before me, motionless targets materialize. I grab a standard blaster and start firing at silhouettes a bit distracted at first, then I get pulled into it. I manage to hit the targets, but it's far from impressive: my hand shakes, and I'm hitting the edge of the silhouettes rather than the center. How does she aim so effectively?

It's high time I learn to handle firearms. I hear her arrive, but she lets me finish my exercise. I end up taking down all my targets with a frankly terrible score, and I look at her with a smile.

"See that? I'm sure I can enter the intergalactic shooting championship and aim for first place, right?"

I put on my usual smug grin. Nyva Shei Nyva Shei
 
The sound of blaster fire echoed down the corridor as I approached. No need to check who was practicing inside that uneven rhythm was unmistakable. Only she could turn a shooting session into a barroom brawl.

When the holo-door slid open, Lyssara stood in the center of the room, surrounded by half-flickering holographic targets and the faint artificial smell of gunpowder. Her stance was decent enough; her aim, though, left much to be desired. The walls of the Trident were clearly getting more attention than the targets.

Leaning casually against the doorway, arms crossed, I watched another shot skim the edge of a silhouette. A smile tugged at my lips.

"Ah, entering the artistic phase of marksmanship, I see. Nice use of negative space, Mistress."

She turned toward me, wearing that proud little grin the one she keeps when she knows she's bad at something but refuses to admit it.

Crossing the room, I snagged a blaster from the rack. Calling it pleasant to watch would've been a lie, best not to pretend otherwise.

Three sharp shots rang out, one-handed center, center, center.

Lowering the weapon, I met her gaze again, a smirk curling on my lips.

"Alright, step aside. Let me help you before the Trident's targeting systems start feeling sorry for you."

Lyssara Thrynn Lyssara Thrynn
 
The Brightest Star
Her last remark was borderline insulting even provocative. I puff out a cheek and furrow an eyebrow. I have to admit she was better than me. Not only did she hit all three targets dead center, but she didn't even flinch for a second.

"Save your modesty, will you?"

It makes her chuckle a little; she looks at me with a mockingly sorry expression. I tighten my fist slightly in frustration. My field is building weapons; using them, on the other hand, is another matter. That's why I'm here to make up for that weakness beside her.

I then reach toward the shooting range and point out the weapons in our direction to invite her to start her lesson. Once I've done that, I cross my arms, still with my blaster at my side, curious to see where she'll begin.

"Come on, go ahead tell me what we should do to learn how to aim?"

Nyva Shei Nyva Shei
 
"Alright, Mistress, just let me handle this I'll show you an example. Engaging Level 4 mode."

Positioning myself behind Lyssara, I take her hands from over hers and place my finger on the trigger, resting it on top of her index. I bring the blaster up to eye level; we're ready for the exercise.

[ 3… 2… 1… GO! ]

The start is given. My arms and body move instinctively; the moving targets begin to dance in a tempo fast enough to be realistic for a battlefield.

Line after line of targets, my blaster is precise and almost moves by itself for me not a single target is missed. I need to show her a real level so she can get an idea of what to aim for, and since I'm doing it over her hands, she can see that it's possible for her too with a bit of training.

The score ticks up and points pile in; I don't miss a single one, hitting dead center. I also manage the blaster's reload timing, pausing here and there to avoid overheating this model.

When the exercise ends, I've earned the maximum score. I release her hands, but the blaster remains in Lyssara's grip.

"You see? That's how you do it. To shoot. All you have to do is focus and imagine hitting your target. Your body-to-hand coordination needs to be optimized, and you need a dominant eye to channel your shots in the right direction. Oh, and I recommend keeping both eyes open closing one can skew your sense of space."

Leaning against the wall with my arms crossed, I'm careful not to mistreat any component this is the R&D of the diarchy, after all; that would be ill-timed. She knows what a magazine and a battery are. She designs most of our weapons. It would be an insult to belittle her knowledge.

"Okay, champ, want to go again?"

Lyssara Thrynn Lyssara Thrynn
 
The Brightest Star
She actually goes ahead and engages Level 4 but instead of making fun of me, she tells me to relax and let her do it. I give her an approving nod and feel her take my hands. Not in an aggressive way, of course she's actually gentle and pleasant. That helps me let go.

The countdown starts; I watch her take out every target with disconcerting precision. Where I was struggling to hit three poor moving targets, she brings down far more than I do.

One funny detail I noticed during the exercise is that she doesn't necessarily take the targets down in the order I would have eliminated them. I guess everyone has a different way of thinking. Unlike me, she knows how to prioritize targets without making it complicated.

That only deepens my admiration for her aim. When the exercise ends she lets go of my hands and leaves the blaster in my grip. I listen carefully to the advice she gives such valuable information.

I then point the blaster at a stationary target. I sigh as I look at the scoreboard and turn to her to ask a simple question.

"How do I determine my dominant eye? Why do I see so many people close one eye when they shoot? And why are you advising me to do the opposite?"

I'm not very motivated to try to hit the targets right away, so my hand wanders across the array of weapons presented to us.

Nyva Shei Nyva Shei
 
Her question is actually interesting it deserves a moment of thought. I rest my hand under my chin to think for a bit, and I can tell she's not ready to shoot yet. I'll take the chance to give her a few explanations and answer all those questions.

"Alright, here's the trick. First, you need to find your dominant eye the one your brain naturally favors when aligning a target. A quick test: point at something small with both eyes open, then close one eye at a time. The eye that keeps the object perfectly lined up? That's your dominant eye.

Now, most people close the non-dominant eye when they shoot, thinking it'll make aiming easier. But in reality, keeping both eyes open gives you better depth perception and spatial awareness your brain uses both inputs to judge distance and movement. With your dominant eye leading, your shots stay precise, while your peripheral vision keeps you aware of everything else around the target.

So for now, focus on your dominant eye while keeping both open. Your hands and body will follow, and soon enough it'll feel completely natural. It's useful to close one eye if you're looking through a single sniper scope, for example so yes, that technique has its place."


I hope my explanation is clear enough for her to grasp the importance of what I'm saying. She strolls calmly around the stall to pick a weapon anyway the advice remains more or less the same.

To illustrate, I pick up a simple ball pistol and assume a proper stance: both hands on the weapon, eyes level. I sight with my right eye, align the barrel with my line of sight, and tap the center of the target.

"There's a little notch on the blaster you can use to guide you," I add.

Lyssara Thrynn Lyssara Thrynn
 
The Brightest Star
That's interesting information! Her quick test seems relevant to me. So I grab the gun on the display stand and start pointing it at a target. I realize for myself that I'm more comfortable on the right side. Her comment about sniper scopes is relevant.

Seen from that angle, I hadn't really thought about it before. I guess my instincts are pretty useless when it comes to handling firearms. She's made it her specialty, while I know how to build them.

She gives me a demonstration, I watch her hit the center again, and I think I'm starting to understand how she does it. What I like about her is that she's particularly patient. That allows me to learn at my own pace without putting too much pressure on myself. She also tells me something quite interesting about the rear sight on the gun itself.

I look with my right eye, keeping both eyes open, to follow her advice. I point the gun at the target and fire. I hit one of the outer circles. I concentrate again, adjusting my position slightly and trying to remember how it felt during the demonstration. Now that I am properly aligned, I pull the trigger and the shot hits close to the center. However, I am still taking far too long to calibrate myself and in a real fight I would obviously be dead.

That's the point of training, you might say.

"I think I'm starting to get the hang of it. Thanks, Nyva."

I get into the game, firing a few shots at the target to practice hitting close to the center. I aim a little high or low, but I stay within the three circles close to the center. Her advice is spot on.
 

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