What's your high score?

[Kathryn Foster]

Military Training Facility​

Golbah​

Geonosis​

​

Spoiler

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7PUPNxsRQ0[/youtube]

The geonosian sun was finally hidden behind a big white cloud passing by on the blue sky. It was welcome from sitting in full armor except helmet and gloves. From her leant forward position on the bench, Kathy watched with attentive eyes as the red numbers grew on the scoreboard above the simulation arena.

They were good, the team of soldiers that were currently running an attack program with the enemy holograms. She had already heard of guys speaking of just holograms and that they wondered if something that could not hit you were realy an efficient way of training. As for her own, it was her first time at the facility and she didn't believe any of that.

One of the soldiers suddenly squealed in surprise as he was ''hit'' by the hologram at the highly advanced training facility. Along with the thought that she knew it, came a prankish smirk. Feeling sure about the soldier being unharmed, just a little shocked about that his assumptions were disconfirmed, it was actually slightly entertaining hearing the guy squeal.

Never underestimate your enemy, even if they came in transparent blues.

Some present around her might have wondered who she was and what she did here, especially as none from admiral Brayde's forces seemed to be around. She were first and foremost a navy pilot and had seldom showed herself in armor until now. However, from beginning to tag along on ground missions, it was crucial for her to add this kind of training to her schedule.

As she was next in line and the team in the arena begun running out of time, she begun to prepare herself with putting on the gloves and adjusted her ponytail before putting on the olive greenish open helmet. She had choosen a solo program to train for the scenario that she had been separated from the rest of the squad. A small sigh left her, only produced because of some guys glancing her way, before she stood up with confidence and grabbed the BAW-88 blaster carbine from the bench. As always, her sidearm being the LBP-3 blaster pistol sitting in her right leg holster.

The big scoreboard sounded loudly that the time was up for the team to finish their attack. Kathy had to turn sideways in the last minute to give the chattering and clearly frustrated squad of soldiers some room to exit through the gate of the simulation area. She kept her mouth closed, but two of them turned and exchanged glances with her before she entered. On her way to the start position, she tapped on her wrist and the holo-camo device changed her otherwise olive green armor into a desert camo to match the orange and beige ground. The course were set up for the session and with the holograms being projected guarding her way to the other side of the arena, she knelt and took cover behind an obstacle.

Better make the observers disappointed and succeed.

[member="Lirka Ka"]

 

[Lirka Ka]

Pitiful little teamwork. Pitiful little rats. Lirka was, as usual, annoyed with everything alive. A thumping in her skull was almost constant at this point, pushing her towards carnage and slaughter: the Kaminoians got some things right at least.

She didn’t need to move anyone out of her way as she progressed forward, everyone merely stepped aside as to avoid the hulking monster of machinery and muscle. She had no blaster, her armor a smattering of combat plate that barely fit around her massive form: her new armor was still being produced. In the place of Blasters there was the now less massive Klaive, her sword she had commissioned some half a century prior at this point: a reforged blade of electro-plasma filament, songsteel, and the blood of hundreds within it’s intricate runes. A cursed weapon, but a horrendously effective tool of murder.

She “watched” the woman work, but she didn’t care. Just another rat in the novel, her arms crossed over the beaten up breastplate. Holograms. Always holograms. Give her something alive. But, she was patient enough: time to just wait, and wait, and wait.

[member="Kathryn Foster"]

 

[Kathryn Foster]

She took a peak from behind her cover and made up a quick and general plan on how to proceed with the course. The blue holograms walked back and forth in a guarding manner. This was something she recognised from her pilot training, after all. How to get yourself out from behind enemy lines and fight yourself out of a tight spot. Some of the grunts who failed their team course before would probably have choosen a way to offensive tactic for this course. It laid some truth in that boys will be boys-saying.

With her full focus forward, she didn't take notice of the massive figure that now were towering above all else at the side of the arena.

As the closest holograms turned their backs, she stayed crouched and sneaked forward to the next cover. Closing the distance would make it easier to bring them down with a few quick shots, or even close enough to take them down with the vibroknife without alerting the rest. She took another peak from behind the next cover, just as the hologram straight ahead turned and revealed her.

Blasters it was!

In the next few moments she had threwn up the BAW-88's black muzzle and won the duel, taking the hologram down with a double-shot. She wasted no time and adjusted her aim to the next one that had been alarmed by the shots fired. The red plasma made solid contact with its intended destination. Two down before they got a shot at her was not something the guys at the gallery had expected. The rest of the holgrams went for cover and she took the moment they were off-guard to reposition herself to the side behind another obstacle. A firefight erupted from behind the covers and she kept an eye on her flanks for any surprises.

[member="Lirka Ka"]

 

[Lirka Ka]

[SIZE=11pt]Pathetic little mortals. Was she still mortal? Lirka had been debating that since she had returned to the realm of the living, but for the time being those unaugmented souls would simply be called Mortals. And they were utterly unimpressive, they ran and hide behind cover, cowering behind the simplicity of a blaster. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Weak.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]She swore by her plate, albeit stuck in this far more simple gear for today: you need not cover when you are your own moving wall, she did not need to hide behind the range of blasters for she would much rather hack and opponent into bloody bits with her massive blade, Klaive, as she called it. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]But she was patient enough, she would have her turn, have her quick little challenge. And the Mortals would learn what it meant to be a warrior, a true monster without peer.[/SIZE]

[member="Kathryn Foster"]

 

[Kathryn Foster]

Spoiler

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPFGWVKXxm0[/youtube]

Movement.

Constant movement to make it more difficult for your enemy to localize you. That was one of the crucial elements in battle, and something everyone had learned from basic training. No matter if you were a pilot or a soldier. In her preparations for the next move, it was impossible not to feel the pressure from the spectators. Some guys were just acting like asses with their whistles and shouts - new grunts?

She focused inward, trying to shake of their childish behaviour. Timing a window in the shooting, she pinned the BAW-88's stock under her arm and made a leap around the cover to the next one and came closer to the holograms hideout. She quickly leveled the carbine over the new cover and got away three quick shots that soared through the hologram and registered a fatal hit, before she needed to duck again. From there, she proceeded with arming a practice grenade which she then threw over the cover with a quick peek to aim the throw somewhat. It went off with a bang. It didn't hit exactly where she wanted, but it took down two enemy holograms with it.

Suddenly, she were hit from the flank in the left arm. She toppled over with a grimace and a groan. The arm went numb to simulate a real hit, but she were not giving up because of that. She still had an arm that could fire a weapon, for karkin' sake!

Having the arm and hand already close to the leg holster, she dropped the carbine and swiftly drew the pistol, spraying the hologram with the weapon more easily handled with one arm.

''Hostiles eliminated - course completed''. ​

The sound and text on the large screen above the arena made a sigh of relief leave her as she realized that she had completed the course, to a few spectators cheers. The numb feeling in the arm begun to dissipate and she struggled a bit to stand up again, hanging the carbine around the neck and turned to eye the onlookers with a soft and satisfied smile. It was funny seeing the faces of the ones that clearly had their doubts about her when she had entered - would this be tonights subject at the barracks? It was possible.

With the feeling in the arm coming back gradually, it was time for the next person or squad to have the arena.

[member="Lirka Ka"]

 

[Lirka Ka]

She remained unimpressed by the mortals, moving her way along to the front of the line the monster finally showed itself. There was no squad going in, it was merely one, with enough hostiles for a squad: nay, two squads, to fight. In patchworked armor that barely could wrap around her muscular form, Lirka sauntered with blade in her hand. That mighty Klaive that was easily as tall as many of the soldiers in the room, even larger then some, an ancient masterwork that had been repaired and reforged once in it's long history: the souls of the dead inside numbering far more then any mere holo could provide.

With little waiting, or any additional bravado the simulation began. A piercing roar came from the...creature...her blade burst into emerald flame: electro-plasma filament, nasty tech. The shots that made their marks barely seemed to phase this creature of masterwork genesciences, and the field became not the rolling dance of hide-and-shoot but the closest thing to a vicious melee bloodbath that the tech could handle.

Lirka was always an interesting girl. Never was quite like the others.

[member="Kathryn Foster"]

 

[Kathryn Foster]

Anyone would have stopped dead in their tracks, to the sight of the tall and massive armored figure that approached them. So did the Confederacy pilot, right in the process of unclipping the chinstrap of the helmet.

What. The. Hell.

With eyes widening and jaw dropping slightly, she had just the time to snap it out of herself and quickly move out of the characters way before certainly having been pushed aside with brute force. She eyed the figure up and down when it, or she or what or whoever it was had passed. Her gaze were drawn to the long and heavy blade that the figure carried like it was a bare lightweight vibroknife.

After a moment of wondering who the person or thing was, figuring she were atleast of the CIS, she had to see what it was about to do and moved to the fence. Taking of the helmet and pinning it under her arm, she begun watching as the figure roared and ignited the blade for tackling whatever was coming at her.

[member="Lirka Ka"]

 

[Lirka Ka]

Truthfully, these little training exercises had become pointless. They had been even before her death, the challenge offered by holograms remained minimal. And with the warped body she now possessed, pushing her combat abilities even further off the edge had left the work of two squads child’s play.

Her blade slashed and hacked with imprudence, meticulously cruel: even if they were just holograms. It didn’t satisfy her bloodlust, that little programmed trick that made the Kaminoain’s shiny new toy so deadly. After the initial shout, she fought dead silent. Focused as her blade sent bolts harmlessly bouncing off it’s glistening form, long sweeps could take out a whole handful of “soldiers” with a mere swing.

The pile of bodies Lirka had amassed in her “service” to the Confederacy was immense.

And so, it came to little shock that her exercise was quick. Surrounded by the false carnage, she let out a grunt and little else. Seemingly not caring about those bolts that had actually made their mark, there was some amusement to be had with the audience she had amassed. Just like in the Pits. Never could forget the Pits. She made her confident stride back, the mortals could play with the holograms.

[member="Kathryn Foster"]

 

[Kathryn Foster]

The fight, if it even could be called one because of the dark figures superiority over the holograms, was truly a sight to behold. With long and relentless sweeps, the blade cut through the holograms whos reactions were were very close to what would happen to a live body, except the blood would not stick to the figures weapon or being sprayed all over the ground.

The spectators went dead quiet as the horn screamed that the course was over, and the big screen announced the time and hostiles eliminated. It was... astonishing results, even for a squad of highly trained commandos. Kathy let go of the fence and hastily walked over to the course terminal. She were joined by a few more soldiers, who were also very curious what configuration it was set to. Not to go too technical, it was set high. Very high.

Her contemplating yet amazed eyes flicked from the terminal and up to the armored figure who was now leaving the arena in confident silence. Down to the terminal again and back up to the figure, her gaze followed the figure walking past them towards the exit. Her curiousness told her to follow and atleast get to know which company the figure belonged to, so she did take her blaster and helmet and walked after. She just made sure to keep a distance to the figures personal space, the whole appearence of it told others that it was best to do.

''Hey! I... Uh... That's a new record on that course! And judging by the results, it'll stay that way for quite some time...''

[member="Lirka Ka"]

 

[Lirka Ka]

Lirka walked with a barely hid boredom, what a waste of time. She needed to get some real practice in one of these days...wonder if Petranaki accepted the "undead". She ignored the majority of the runts gawking at her, they were going to be awed by any little show of strength like that. They were pathetic like that, never would truly devote themselves to the art of it all and just gawk and mope over those who actually had. Like herself, but it was nothing new. She made a career off that sort of thing in her past life.

"An empty record. You lot should go get some real training."

She paused, flashing a toothy grin at the woman: each of Lirka's teeth like it's own small knife now.

"I've heard Petranaki always needs more meat."

[member="Kathryn Foster"]

 

[Kathryn Foster]

The woman clearly had her opinions cemented with the other sentient soldiers around. By the looks of her, and definately by her performance on the course, it could be understandable. She must have fought in a lot of battles, possibly not under the CIS flag the entire time during her lifetime. That odd feeling was present all through their conversation, a feeling that told you to choose your words wisely.

''Oh... Well, it's pretty much all that's offered around here, so...'' she said searching for words and cleared her throat slightly. ''We get to train hand-to-hand and with blind rounds against eachother, occasionaly...'' she continued and nodded with assertment, taking a glance around and flashed the figure a friendly but a little reserved smile.

The smile that she got back would definately have scared any kid miles away. It was a... nice? set of teeth.

''Ah, yeah... That... gladiator arena? Are they still using that?'' she asked and made a curious face. Curious to find out more about the beast of a warrior.

[member="Lirka Ka"]

 

[Lirka Ka]

Lirka smirked at the notion that this was all, they just weren't creative enough to find it. The younger races in the Galaxy did offer her some amusement, she had become rather careless with age: though to be frank she had been careless in her youth too. But those were hazy memories now, the Kaminoians only kept what was important to killing and fighting in her skull.

"Then go somewhere else, the Galaxy is a big place. Kill pirates. Do Mercenary work on the side. Fight."

It was nonchalant, Lirka never did really fit in with the soldiering sort. Or the Confederacy really, for that matter. She was a phantom at the end of the day, just finding somewhere to call home until times lead her elsewhere. A bemusing process that had left her dead on the streets of a full Confederate invasion. And this lone wolf mindset was painfully obvious, but it seemed not to bother her much. The other "mortals" around here seemed too afraid to even want to talk to her, save for this one. She respected that. For now, at least.

"Damn right they are. The oldest profession. Geonosians love watching the blood and guts."

Of course, she made no mention of her lucrative two decade long career as a gladiator in the Choah Belt. Stories for another time, if there was another time.

[member="Kathryn Foster"]

 

[Kathryn Foster]

''Oh, I know. I've been around places for almost all my life. Although, not primarily as a soldier...'' she stated with assertion and added a slight nod to it, throwing a glance up and down the figure. It was an interesting piece of an armor that she wore, much in the likeness of old yuuzhan vong designs.

''Well, this is just training!'' she said, adjusting the carbine on her chest and nodded back at the battle area where things were starting to roll again. ''Most of us do have battle experience. For me, it's mostly as a pilot... But I can handle myself on the field too, if needed.'' she continued before wrinkling her forehead a bit, preparing to ask a question.

''What about you? Never seen you around the base. What company you're in?''

[member="Lirka Ka"]

 

[Lirka Ka]

She could understand that sort of life. Lirka was never one to stick around places too long, and she always did end up an "outsider" to some regard: she couldn't stand the people she actually fit in with half the time, they were just good for a fight the other half of it. It was as unfulfilling as it sounded. Lirka wasn't ever really a "solider", she was a fighter at the end of the day. A solider meant disciple, a rigidity, submission to the upper echelons of command. Lirka truthfully had none of these things, she was a warrior and little else.

"This is worthless training. No risk. Good training is life or death."

Had she her old body, and it's more mortal failings, she would've had the scars to show from her old training. But alas, her current form healed them away: disappointingly. She just had stories now, and nothing to show for them. But she presumed they'd be believable enough, she had the body to make them believable.

"Company Ka. Current strength 1. I don't belong to your rigid little lists."

Well, even in her new life: she hadn't lost that sass.

[member="Kathryn Foster"]

 

[Kathryn Foster]

The tall warrior realy sounded dead serious in her statements. Considering her earlier performance, her tall stature and all in all a very intimidating appearance, it felt like the CIS were very lucky to have such an asset on their side. Better that than on the enemy side. Kathryn felt a chill go up her spine, by a rather frightening thought of meeting her in battle.

''Yeah, well... So...'' she begun, with a gentle cough in between. She could not realy agree with the woman, but somehow it felt like she were not to argue with her about the matter. ''How do you train? I mean, there could be some time between the battles...'' she asked and glanced wondering upon her.

It were hardly surprising, and also hardly unbelieveable. What little Kathryn had seen of her on the course could not be disregarded. It would probably take an airstrike or a very skilled sniper with a very powerful gun to take her down. That initial impression of 'Ka' being a lone ranger were confirmed with her latter statement. Her disdainful tone to the rest of the army had little effect on Kathy, as she could see it from her point of view.

''What are you gonna do now, then? 'Ka', is that you name?'' she continued curiously and hang the carbine over her shoulder.

[member="Lirka Ka"]