Two Worlds Collide part 2

Posted on Wed May 20th, 2020 @ 7:12am by Ensign River Lokaa & Lieutenant JG Miraj Derani

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Starfleet Academy, San Francisco
Timeline: 2392
1141 words - 2.3 OF Standard Post Measure

[ON]

Miraj had taken thirty shots so far, all at a static target thirty meters away.

So far she'd hit the back wall six times, the left wall six times, the right wall three times and the floor and the ceiling, twice each. Four more had gone into the targets on either side of her own two into stand for the target. Only two had hit the target, both in the outer ring.

She risked a glance at the delicate beauty watching her. "Well, its a hundred percent improvement on last time? Right?"

River couldn't believe that after an hour the Miraj had barely hit the target and not twice in a row. "At least you're not pointing the phaser at me anymore" She agreed, hiding her annoyance. "You're holding it way to rigidly allow the weapon to become an extension of your body. Wherever your eyes look your aim will be a lot better and don't be nervous the phaser is pointed away from you not at you. Go again, this time don't strike the trigger pull it slowly and remember to breathe in on the shots and exhales through the recoil."

Miraj squinted down the range again, and pointed the phaser straight out. She breathed out, felt the pressure on the trigger, and squeezed as she breathed in. She kept her elbow locked, and this time, the shot went wide, but not so wide she didn't score the edge of the target. At least her misses were getting closer.

Though she wasn't sure what the recoil was doing. Miraj had never shot a phaser before she came to the academy, and on the three occasions she'd been able to go to a holodeck growing up, she'd shot flintlock pistols, which were huge and heavy and made almost entirely of recoil. The subtle recoil of the phaser felt indetectable.

She breathed and shot, breathed and shot, another set of ten, and this time, no shots hit the side walls or the other targets. she even got three in the target. getting better. Woot! She looked over to River, wondering if that would be enough to please the dour security cadet.

River didn't smile she instead crossed her arms "At least you're not shooting friendlies anymore but it's still sloppy." She uncrossed her arms and raised the arm which held the weapon as she went through the motion of relaxing her arms and steadied her breathing. In her mind, she felt the weapon light in her hand and allowed it to become an extension of it before slowly pressing the trigger not snatching, out of the ten each hit the target. It wasn't her finest shooting, the grouping was sloppy but it got the message across.

"Now try again but this time gently press and release the trigger and just breath naturally, you look like you're gonna explode when your focusing on just your technique so let it happen naturally."

Breathe in , breathe out, breathe naturally. It all seemed so contradictory. Miraj looked carefully at River's relaxed natural stance and tried her best to copy it. The Elasian made it look graceful. Miraj just felt like a bad mime, or directing traffic at a landing pad. Just breathe...and squeeze.

The first shot was low, the second only two fingers widths higher, but they were both on target. "I did it!" Miraj squealed, surprised as well as pleased.

"You're improving for sure, now let's try and get you to shoot straight and consistently, sometimes the key to winning a firefight isn't being able to hit the enemy but being able to keep them pinned which in itself requires its own type of accuracy." River changed the target, this one was smaller than the previous. "Do what you've been doing, don't worry if you miss it'll only put you off but once you hit the target keep that aim and fire again and again until you've hit the target ten times."

"In a row?" The target presented was all of a the size of a dinner plate. Miraj stared at it. River was out of her mind. Ten times? The Elasian had a more faith in her abilities than she did. Breathe and squeeze.

She missed the first time. And the second. And the twenty second. "Arrgh." Miraj resisted the urge to throw the damn thing down the range. "This isn't working!"

"It is working fine, its you that is not working." She said in a huff, quickly River jumped the barrier and stood directly behind the small target. "Now, if you miss know you'll be shooting me instead." She was about 75 percent confident Miraj would hit the target, even still her gut tensed readying herself for the paralysing blow.

Breathe and squeeze. Miraj really tried to narrow her focus on the target. She tried to think she was just pointing, to make the phaser part of her. With a gentle breath, she fired.

And hit River right between the eyes.

The next time River felt anything was when she began to come to, the phaser had hit her square between the eyes and the last thing she recalled was a bright light an then nothing. "Ooooh" She groaned wiggling at first her fingers and toes to make sure she still had any motor function.

"Are you okay?" Miraj leaned over her, bunches dangling. "I am so sorry. I didn't mean it. I swear. I was aiming for the target."

Only having herself to blame she sat herself up brushing Miraj's dangles out of her face. "It is fine, it was a good shot if you were aiming for me, I think we should finish today and try again next time. You've improved but you still lack discipline." River explained in earnest.

"Well, thats something." Miraj beamed. "When do you want to come flying?"


"We can start tomorrow, I have a free period between 1200 and 1400 hours" Explained River as she began to help herself off from the floor. "I need to go get cleaned up and ready for some Physical Training. You're welcome to stay here and continue practicing if not I'll see you tomorrow?" River tried to sound as little as irritated as possible by one having to teach Miraj how to shoot and two after being shot.

"Okay." Miraj said brightly. "I'll see you at shuttle bay twelve, I'll book out something small, like a type 9. Baby steps."

River didn't want to make any remarks about how much she hated flying so she just remained quiet as the moved to the exit. "See you then Miraj" She flashed the woman a smile and waved as she left. Miraj thought today went bad, River couldn't wait to show her just how terrible she was at flying.

[OFF]

Ensign Miraj Derani
Asst. CFCO
USS Elysium

Ensign River Lokaa
Security Officer
USS Elysium