Space-Greeks Invention Convention

[Garza]

Aboard the Kinta Satvas,

A sharp clang of swords meeting one another was met with both Thalia and I bracing against one another. Testing her skills with the blade once more, I was teaching her to use a sword, rather than a lightsaber. Why? There were many differences between a sword, and a saber. Namely, its weight, and having to precisely cut with one or two edges instead of a bar of heated plasma.

She was sweating through her training uniform she had been wearing since we had first met. A set of spandex like capris, a sports bra, and her hair tied up in a pony tail. Over time, she has been gaining more muscle mass comparable to what she used to be. She was still growing. While it was nearing the end of possible growth periods as a Hellyni, I doubted she would get much taller. However, this was good for her. She was learning very well. Becoming stronger every day that we trained.

In fact, I could see her abdominal muscles peek out from her skin. It was subtle in the bending as she was flipping backwards away from my swing to her head. Part of me saw how she was courted even at a much younger age. Being the heir to the Spathi throne, She was the Sole ruler to be. Hence why I had been asked to train her. She needed to understand Warfare, Politics, and Survival.

As she stood up from her spin, I was already in her face, Holding the dull blade up to her throat with my hand reaching out and grabbing her wrist as she tried to flick it away. Stopping her, She gave me a nasty growl and shook her head. Angry not at me, but at herself for not anticipating my reaction to charge in after her. She dropped her sword. Our sign that she was done for the day. I smiled lightly under my hair as it had flopped over my face.

Flicking it to the side, and grabbing her sword with the force as I crossed the room, She spoke out,

"Swords are a lot more difficult than I thought they would be."
"Yes. Their weight, and attacking with the right edge means a lot in a fight. Keeping that all together while fighting someone who already knows this, or uses a lightsaber is rather difficult. Keep training at it though."
"As always Athy."

Turning around to face her rather snidely, She smirked at calling me Athy. She knew I didn't like being called that. Part of me thought she was trying to tease me or flirt with me. However, I wasn't interested in a relationship with her. At best, we were brother and sister. Rolling my eyes, I put the swords up in the cupboard, and closed it with a wave of my hand.

"You know what I am goi-"
"Going to say. I know, I know. Don't call me that unless you want me to call you a child."
"Good. And next time, Don-"
"Don't interrupt you. Go-"
"Got it?"
"See, you're getting th-
"Hang of it?"

Her face gave me a look that could kill. She didn't like being interrupted either. I smiled as I faced her, and then ended my words as I left the room over my shoulder.

"I guess I am huh?"

Moving from the training room, I made my way to the quarters while Thaila was headed for the showers. I still had work to do. I needed to try and finish putting together a weapon for the Hunters of the Crusades. Working with Alkor and Keira had gotten me thinking. If we were supposed to be hunters, then we needed gear that would suit a hunter's needs. Some kind of long ranged weapon that was silent, as it was accurate. First thing that came to mind? A bow, or a sniper. However, snipers are useful, but they are so focused in the scope, and so reliant on being stuck in one place, you weren't really a hunter. You were a stalker.

A bow fit much more nicely. The problem with it, was accuracy. You could at best, fire around 50 meters when aiming correctly, and any further required luck, prayer, and a dumbass on the other end. I wanted to create something that was much more accurate at a much longer range. Yet, I also needed it to be able to be used by a force sect of people, or those who were not attuned to the force.

So, I set out to practice with the bow. I had rudimentary teaching from my childhood. More like I had a bow and arrow toys growing up, or replicas that were not nearly as powerful as this one. Thus, I had to look up so much information about the weapon types, how it worked, to correctly draw upon a bow, and to aim it. Out of all this, I made one simple bow.

A compound bow. Using very little drawing power for maximum potential. Having a sight attachment, a counterbalance, and even decked out adjustable parts and pieces to change the draw of the bow. Over the course of a few days I understood how to correctly draw it. The problem was, doing it consistently. It wasn't just drawing it back with your arms, it was using the entirety of your upper body, and all of the strength of your back, arms, and chest muscles to pull on the bow. If you didn't do it right, then you were going to strain the muscles you were using, or if you were to hold the position for too long, you would shake so much, you could hardly aim before you had to let go.

Reaching my laboratory/Forge, I picked up the quiver of simple arrows, the compound bow, and made my way towards the hangar. Why? It was likely the only place long enough for me to practice with a bow, and likely the only place where my arrows wouldn't hurt somebody, or damage equipment. As such, walking through the hangar doors, I made my way over to the makeshift lane in which I was using the past few weeks, and began to practice drawing on the bow once more.

 

[Garza]

Drawing back on the bow, I could feel the burning in my arms and back. Pulling on the string was fairly difficult. While I was rather muscular, and can use swords and lightsabers to master levels of proficiency, I don't use my arms and back quite like this. Learning moves and forms to be able to pull on a bow and reliably hit a target was proving to be much more difficult than I thought. It wasn't as easy as pulling the bow back, and letting loose. You had to account for the drop of the heavy head of the arrow, the slight shifts in your body moved the bow off, how you had to hold the bow just right or you could smack yourself with it.

Even as I drew on this last arrow, I could feel the pain in my body. I was aiming it down range. Focusing heavily upon bringing the red dot sights I had on the weapon up just a bit to compensate for drop. As I was releasing, I had someone slam their foot into my knee. Sending the bow much higher than I wanted, and making the arrow fly straight up into a corner of the hangar. I growled as my head turned around with the bow dropping to my side to see Thalia standing there. Holding her hands in front of her, and swaying back and forth like an innocent little girl. I was so focused on the bow I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings.

I shook my head. She smiled a little as I walked up to her. Beaming with pride and how she messed me up. I reached up rather quickly to smack the back of her head. Her smiled changed quickly into a face that was absolutely appalled that I would hit her. She was about to speak as I pointed above me towards the arrow. She knew what she had to do. Reaching out with the force, She yanked the arrow from the ship, and brought it to my hand. Taking it from her invisible grasp, I nodded my head. Looking at the arrowhead to see that it was dented and broken. I rolled my eyes.

Quickly, I knocked the arrow, Drew the bow, and released the arrow to fly awkwardly to the target. It still hit the target, but was low. Smacking into the foam with a hollow thud sound.

"Look, I didn't know that the arrow head could be broken like that."
"That's the thing. You don't think."
"I know."
"NO YOU DO- Hhhhhhh. No you don't."
"Sorry."

A pause in our speaking, I walked over to the target and began to pull out the arrows. Thalia followed me to the target and then decided that now as a good time to start asking questions about what I was doing. Being snarky and filled with sarcasm, I answered.

"Wha-cha doing?"
"Having a feast."
"Seriously."
"Practicing with a bow."
"I see that, but why?"
"Maybe like you, I want to expand my skills? Ever thought of that?"
"No, because apparently I don't think."
"I am using this bow, because I want to make some for the Hunters, and maybe for Cerberus."
"Why not just make a sniper? Its easier to use."
"I know that. But how many people do you think know how to pick up a bow and correctly use it? Or be able to find ammo for it?"
"They can't. But why do that?"
"So only the hunters can use it. Not anyone else. And, I don't mind using a bow. Quite nice actually."
"But you didn't tell me you knew how to use one."
"Until recently, no."
"Oh... Well can I help?"
"Might as well. You said you wanted to learn more about weaponry, and maybe Alchemy."
"Don't tell me."
"Yes, I am, get used to it. Anyways, this is how you hold the bow..."

Holding it out for her, I showed her how to correctly hold the weapon. Having her pull back on the weapon, She used her arms. I could tell. She was bending them like trying to rip paper apart, or to take apart a gun with multiple springs in it. Her elbows bowed out in either direction. I slapped her arm and she let go. Explaining further into holding it with her left arm extended and locked, while her right was flipped to have the back of her hand across her cheek. Even telling her to use her back and chest muscles to pull it back. Once she tried that, she smiled. Realizing she did it, I then told her to fire an arrow. Instantly her smile left her face.

I chuckled slightly as I went through the terms of drop for an arrow, and mentioned about wind resistance and how wind currents can affect an arrow much like a bullet or a flechette could. She came to terms with it, and gave it a few goes. Firing about twenty or so arrows into the target. Only three reached the center, but the rest were fairly close. Once she handed it back to me, I fired every arrow into the target. Each one hitting the center and some overlapping. One even had it's feather ripped off from another shot.

"Thats no fair."
"Having more training than you? Yes it is."
"Alright fine. But at least teach me more before you go and do that. Make me feel like chit."
"Sorry, but you are."

I got a slap across my back for that.