Training Exercise

[Xandari Eriss]

To the left, down, shoot, don't get shot while you're at it. It was far from dishonest to say that training exercises were the bane of Xandari's existence. With the last few weeks since joining the Angeli Mortis being a constant game of catch up, the difference between her skill set and that of an actual soldier's being laughable, the simulated field time was not one she could enjoy in the slightest. This time was just a bit different than others, the fatigue of the ordeal having her break that shy exterior for moments of sheer aggression, spurred on by a determination to do well for once.

A blank bolt a bit too close for comfort had the Falleen throwing herself back and against a tree, her shoulder blade prosthetic getting lodged within the bark just long enough for a stream of curses that'd make any remaining family members ashamed to leave Xan's vocal cords. Said curses were cut short, however, with the revelation that she was no longer entirely alone. Well, so much for doing well this round.

"You're got to be kidding."

[member="Marcus Itera"]

 

[Marcus Itera]

Marcus shouldered the rifle.

"Get up," he barked, leaving the dense holographic foliage and crossing the open space to stand before the young soldier.

He and the other trainers had been firing blanks, but the last thing they wanted on their hands was for a trainee to get injured on the job. An incapacitated Dreadguard was just as bad as one that had been poorly trained - and Marcus wanted neither charging into battle with himself and the rest of their brothers and sisters. Thankfully, this little sister here had enough brains in that bucket to step forward and ask for additional training and help.

She was a good girl, but she was too soft.

"Get up." The man ordered again, slowly dropping his rifle to the ground as he slowly paced a circle around her. "What will you do when it's you and the enemy? There's no brothers and sisters around, just you and me. Will you run, hide, or fight?"

[member="Xandari Eriss"]

 

[Xandari Eriss]

Arm now free, Xan could here some of the joints protest at the abuse. The arm was like Xan herself - not exactly built for combat, something she'd have to deal with once this whole exercise was over with. She glared up at the other soldier, she forced herself to her feet. She wasn't interested in a lecture about war itself. The illusion of her fellows being her siblings was lost on her, the whole idea behind it being silly, something only humans would come up with.

"Whatever works for the situation, I guess," she replied, eyes following his pace, unsettled by being circled. Wait, was she going to have to fight him? All she'd wanted was a break, maybe a nap, certainly not close combat. "I'm not exactly a soldier, in case you couldn't tell."

[member="Marcus Itera"]

 

[Marcus Itera]

Close quarters combat was definitely in order. Maybe he was a bit too frustrated, a bit too angry, but he needed to channel all of that somewhere.

"Stop. Settle down." Miranda chimed in mentally.

Marcus shook off her artificial clutches just for a moment and continued to pace around the girl. He flexed his training gloves, stretching his fingers and tendons.

"Then why are you here? This is where we make soldiers, killers, murderers, or any one of those negative names that people like to give us." Mechanical eyes bore straight into her, unfazed. "If you don't want to be here, then you can leave. Otherwise you're gonna have to suck it up just like the rest of us. Simple as that."

Marcus cocked his neck to the side, cracking the joints. "Run, hide, or fight."

[member="Xandari Eriss"]

 

[Xandari Eriss]

"Do you give that speech to everyone?" Frustration laced words acted as a front to mask her own fear. She would hardly stand a chance in close combat, certainly not in a fair bout, anyway. If it wasn't clear before, she was regretting asking for the extra help. Sure, there was no question she needed it, but perhaps one of the other trainers would've been a better option.

Run, hide, or fight? The way she was cornered now, like some sort of injured animal, no option was a good one. Unless...Noticing the rifle still on the ground, a plan started to formulate. He could fight hand to hand all he wanted, she understood her own limitations. Besides, having any weapon would almost put her at a little ease.

"Why limit myself to just one?" Xan asked, rolling her shoulder, faking confidence, pretending she'd yet to notice the rifle.

[member="Marcus Itera"]

 

[Marcus Itera]

"I do," the man admitted. "This is where we turn fear and weakness into courage and strength. Not at all for the faint of heart."

Killing, protecting, and serving were things of the highest caliber. It was not a job, not a career - it was a calling. The Dreadguard had not called the qualified to serve, they were going to qualify the willing. That's exactly what he was going to do with this young woman. As frustrated as these trainees made him, he wished them no harm or ill intent.

Of course there was the occasional boot up the sheb but that was to be expected.

"There's no limit, girl. Just decide."

The mercenary allowed her three more seconds of silence to decide before he charged. It was an instantaneous movement that sent boots digging into the dirt and his entire frame towards her.

[member="Xandari Eriss"]

 

[Xandari Eriss]

"You might want to consider updating it, then," the Falleen suggested. "It's a bit cliche. A lot, really."

Xan had little care for what the Dreadguard were supposed to be, what mentality they were supposed to keep. As far as she was concerned, it was a job, one that just happened to let her play with the toys she'd normally just care for. While this certainly didn't seem like the right fit for her, she wasn't about to just quit after all the effort already put into it.

Either way, this was going to suck.

"I'm not just a little girl."

The moment he charged, she sprung into action, avoiding being hit by maybe centimeters and making a bee line for the fallen rifle. The instant her hands got a hold of it, she had every intention of opening fire.

[member="Marcus Itera"]

 

[Marcus Itera]

Lots of things were cliche. Might've been overused, but the words rang truer than any other he'd ever spoken. The real galaxy was dark and gritty and surely wasn't something to play around with. Idealism might've been on his side had fate not decided his wife and child were not fit or strong enough to live in this galaxy.

It hurt him to the core. In turn, he'd be damned to the Nether for eternity if he let the same fate happen to these men and women.

That's why he pushed them so. Pushed them under to the brink before pulling them up for air. That's why he was charging this girl like a bull for a matador.

But she moved. Just as quickly as a cybernetically augmented human being. It caught him off guard. Marcus hadn't expected the girl to narrowly avoided his shoulder charge like that at all. The heels of his boots dug into the ground as the mercenary spun to face the girl, a weapon aimed right at him.

"Shoot me," the man snarled as he broke for her once again.

[member="Xandari Eriss"]

 

[Xandari Eriss]

Xandari had witnessed enough tragedy to understand what he was trying to get at with his lecture. She didn't know what spurred him on, nor did she care to really investigate. Her own experiences of loss without retribution, of petitions for miracles being observed and promptly ignored by any higher power had her attention turned inward. All anger toward the powers that be, to anyone of a higher station that had refused aid had been left to fester until it'd become a mess of unorganized rage. Scattered, without purpose.

It'd turned her against her world and what her people stood for. Patience and careful planning had been replaced by improvisation and less than savory results, as she was experiencing now.

She hesitated, caught off guard by the encouragement, if that what his words were. The loss of precious moments had her shot flying forward without aim, a sloppy mistake that had her retreating as she prepared another. Her prior burst of speed had been a one time thing, apparently, and Xan found herself in that awkward between-plan transition stage, the next plan having been yet to be formulated.

[member="Marcus Itera"]

 

[Marcus Itera]

Marcus was the best at what he did: doing the dirty work for people with lots of cash to blow.

That meant killing unsavory beings, cracking heads of those who failed to pay their dues, and otherwise garnering a reputation for fighting dirty and headstrong. Miranda was the brains behind the whole scene whereas her frequently irascible host fielded the brawn. She pointed, he fired. She ordered, he followed. The man didn't see much problem with that, things were much more simple this way.

"Be easy with her."

Jaw clenching, teeth grinding, the mercenary gave a frustrated huff as he sprinted for the woman. The blaster's firing made him flinch, though no paralyzing sensation coursed through him. Adrenaline replaced the expected stun bolt's grace.

His heavy footfalls drew closer and closer until he'd made it to her - finally. His arms stretched in a wide arc, something akin to a bear hug, before they snapped around her waist. Lifting her up, he made the motion to slam her into the ground but released his grasp and let gravity take its course. However, he was on her the second she'd hit the dirt. Marcus straddled her, pressing his weight into the pit of her abdominal plating. His hands found her wrists. Clamping down hard, he pressed his weight onto those limbs as well.

"If you aren't exactly a soldier, then why are you here? Why make me waste my time and effort?"

Miranda appeared in augmented reality. "Easy, I said."

Ignoring the AI's chiding he pressed on. "You didn't run or hide, so why fight?"

The man heaved a sigh of frustration.

[member="Xandari Eriss"]

 

[Xandari Eriss]

There wasn't much Xandari could do in terms of defense. Hardly the most focused of individuals, she looked down at the rifle for one moment and the next the monster of a man was upon her. The moment her boots disconnected from the ground went resolve to fight, leaving her in stunned compliance until she was back on the ground, already pinned down. Try as she might, and she did try to shake him off, he had sheer size on his side, not even taking training into account.

Her reply wasn't without a hiss in frustration and a redoubled yet vain effort to free herself. "I dunno, maybe I'm tired of being unable to fight."

Accepting that she wouldn't be able to shake the man off on her own, she calmed herself. Getting caught up in emotion was going to be useless, making her no better than the humans she was supposed to learn from. Not even lasting a minute was a bit of an insult, but at least it meant this training session was over, right? Right?

"The outcome would've been the same regardless of what I did, why not try doing what damage I can rather than just draw it out?"

[member="Marcus Itera"]

 

[Marcus Itera]

Tired of being unable to fight, huh?

That was quite noble of someone who seemed so apathetic and uncaring towards the whole thing. The lazy and foolish didn't particularly enjoy taking up arms to learn to fight and defend themselves and the things they loved. For just a fraction of a second, he felt himself giving the girl greater leeway with his words.

"Good girl," he exhaled and relaxed his tense muscles. "You're learning."

Slowly as to not hurt her anymore than he already had, the man eased himself up off of her before extending a hand to the fallen trainee.

"Do as much damage as you can before you meet the end." The mercenary snorted, eyes glazing over behind the visor. "That's all we can do."

[member="Xandari Eriss"]

 

[Xandari Eriss]

"Learning how to fight or just how to respond?" She assumed the latter. Her own reply had caught her by surprise. Going into the Dreadguard, she hadn't intended on sharing anything beyond the bare minimum. Better to keep herself distant. With the whole legion being known as angels of death, getting attached to any of her fellows sounded like a bad idea.

Still glaring up at him, she was reluctant to accept his hand. Maybe this was another trick, some lesson on being too quick to trust the enemy or whatever. She had half a mind to attack his legs, bring him down to her level. But she was tired and didn't feel like getting beaten more than she already had.

"Or run off and live to fight another day." She shrugged. "Whatever works."

[member="Marcus Itera"]