Arex kept his eyes shut. A slight breeze wafted through the ready platform on the shooting range. He could hear the soft pings from a speaker above him, counting down the seconds until the gate would open. His body was curled to make his frame smaller and keep his center of gravity low. He held an assault rifle stationary against his chest with both hands, angling it downwards in a ready position with the stock resting against his shoulder. His feet were spaced widely apart and spaced expertly in a firm shooting position.
He exhaled slightly and felt time slow for a few moments. His body was relaxed, yet tense. Ready to spring forward at his mind's command. Now all he needed to wait for was the-.
A soft tone sounded through the ready platform simultaneously as the door swung open. Arex's eyes flew open and the assault rifle in his hands floated on his fingertips parallel to the ground as he sprung from the platform onto the testing grounds.
Gunshots roared in three round bursts from the rifle as Arex raced across the long field of short grass in fluid, controlled steps. The silhouette at the end of the field ripped open as bullet after bullet pierced the ballistics material. Clouds of dust billowed from the dirt mound behind the target as the projectiles slammed into the thick earth, emphasizing each strike of the target with a dull thud.
He exhaled slightly and felt time slow for a few moments. His body was relaxed, yet tense. Ready to spring forward at his mind's command. Now all he needed to wait for was the-.
A soft tone sounded through the ready platform simultaneously as the door swung open. Arex's eyes flew open and the assault rifle in his hands floated on his fingertips parallel to the ground as he sprung from the platform onto the testing grounds.
Gunshots roared in three round bursts from the rifle as Arex raced across the long field of short grass in fluid, controlled steps. The silhouette at the end of the field ripped open as bullet after bullet pierced the ballistics material. Clouds of dust billowed from the dirt mound behind the target as the projectiles slammed into the thick earth, emphasizing each strike of the target with a dull thud.
Arex released the rifle after the tenth burst, letting the empty gun fall against its straps onto his chest as he reached to the pistol laying at a forty-five degree angle against the small of his back. He drew the pistol in a single motion as he continued to advance towards the target. Gunshots roared from the nine millimeter pistol and the sillouette continued to bend and twist with each pistol round impact. The sillouette was only a few meters from Arex as the pistol ran dry. He let his right hand out of the pistol grip and placed his it on the kukri holstered on his hip.
In the last few steps to the sillouette, Arex lengthed his stride and dropped his torso low to the ground in preperation for the machete strike. On the last step he snapped his shoulders backwards and used the momentum to pull the kukri out of its holster and into a single stroke across the sillouette. The kukri sliced through the torso of the sillouette almost halfway before finally embedding itself in the thick ballistics gel.
Arex let his grip on the kukri go and stepped backwards as he took the plugs out of his ears. He looked over the results of his shooting and smiled very lightly to himself. Two groups of gunshots were visible on the sillouette's torso and head with the kukri marking the imaginary barrier between the two.
Arex turned in place at the sound of an approaching person and holstered his pistol. Captain Tazami was approaching him, with his gaze fixated on the sillouette behind Arex.
"You've gotten better, Lieutenant."
Arex let a small smile break out on his face at Tazami's praise. Since their basic training had ended, Tazami's visible attitude had changed dramatically. He went out of his way to get to know the recruits that had passed through the training. Treated them as though they were equals, and not subordinates. It was almost jarring.
"Are you jealous?"
Tazami smiled wryly. "You're still the student, Lieutenant. Remember that."
Arex chuckled and motioned to the sillouette, "I still need to work with the rifle."
Tazami nodded and spoke without his usual sarcastic remark, "It took me some time to get used to the pistol." He motioned to the kukri still hanging limply in the ballistics gel. He turned his head to Arex and raised his eyebrow with piqued botheration, "Lieutenant, how many times do I have to tell you to not leave your weapons behind?"
Arex shrugged nonchalantly, "Didn't seem to be too much of a problem."
Tazami grimmaced slightly and turned his body slightly before snapping it back towards Arex and drawing his pistol at the same time.
"It will be when you-"
Tazami stopped in midsentence as he felt Arex's hand grab the pistol and twist it back toward's Tazami's body. Tazami grinned slightly as he prepared to counter the move he expected Arex to make, but stopped cold when he felt a stinging sensation against his neck. His eyes dropped down to get a better look and he realized that Arex was holding a sharp tactical knife against his neck.
"Never let them know you can still fight. Right?"
Tazami didn't move. It was a fairly simple counter from this point, but he was mentally stunned at Arex's boldness. A few tense seconds passed and Tazami yeilded to Arex's counter, letting the pistol go limp in his hand. Arex removed the knife from Tazami's throat and flipped Tazami's pistol in his hand. He smiled slightly and handed the pistol, grip first, back to Tazami. Tazami smiled in return and took the pistol from Arex as he looked over the silloutte. Arex began to walk back towards the ready line and called back to Tazami as he walked.
"0600 tomorrow, Aye?"
"Aye."
Arex stepped behind the platforms on the shooting range and disconnected the assault rifle from the strap holding it to his chest. He noticed the presence of another person and drew his eyes to spot him.
An older officer stood under a pavilion near the shooting ranges. His uniform was in absolutely pristine condition. Golden oak leaves signified his rank as a Major, but Arex could see no unit patch on the man's uniform. He had a cold face, and steel blue eyes that seemed to stare right through Arex. Judging him somehow. Without an word to the man, Arex picked his assualt rifle from the table and decided to clean his weapons in the barracks. Something about the man's gaze was truly unnerving.
The uniformed man watched Arex leave quickly, without a single motion on his face. Minutes passed by and he spotted Captain Tazami returning from downrange. The man strood calmly and powerfully to the Captain who upon spotting the uniformed man stapped to attention and saluted in a manner unlike the Captain's typical manner.
The uniformed man stepped in front of the Captain and did not return the salute. Instead he focused his attention downrange at the Lieutenant's work on the sillouette. After a few tense seconds he returned the Captain's salute with a terse hand motion and the Captain brought his hand back to the position of attention.
"Major Uzimaki, I was unaware that you would be visiting."
Uzimaki responded tersely, "That is because I did not inform you, Captain." The major drew silent once more as he mulled over various thoughts in his head. He spoke again, his voice cold with contempt, "So this the Lieutenant whose progress reports have been so glowing, I take it?"
"Yes sir."
Uzimaki paused again and began to pace away from the captain. He spoke again as Tazami remained at attention in his place.
"I will be watching his progression, Captain. Do not disappoint me."
"Understood, sir."
Uzimaki smiled cruely with his back still turned to the Captain. He enjoyed his position of power, and he enjoyed flaunting it over his subordinates most of all.
"You are dismissed, Captain."
Captain Tazami saluted smartly and quickly strode away from the major. Uzimaki watched the captain leave and narrowed his eyes slightly, his smile disappearing as the PDA in his pocket began to ring softly in reminder of the meeting he was to attend in a quarter of an hour. He did not move for a few seconds as he thought over the lieutenant's continuing presence in the Xi Detachment.
Finally he strode away from the shooting range, his stride calm and collected as he drew a small communicator from his pocket and began dailing a short series of numbers. The call connected and Uzimaki did not wait for a confirmation from the secretary at the other end of the line to affirm as much.
"I am changing the meeting with the Parliament representatives to my office. Ensure they are there at the same time."
He ended the call even as the secretary began voicing protest and continued his walk back to his office.
He had much work to do in the mean time.
Tazami didn't move. It was a fairly simple counter from this point, but he was mentally stunned at Arex's boldness. A few tense seconds passed and Tazami yeilded to Arex's counter, letting the pistol go limp in his hand. Arex removed the knife from Tazami's throat and flipped Tazami's pistol in his hand. He smiled slightly and handed the pistol, grip first, back to Tazami. Tazami smiled in return and took the pistol from Arex as he looked over the silloutte. Arex began to walk back towards the ready line and called back to Tazami as he walked.
"0600 tomorrow, Aye?"
"Aye."
Arex stepped behind the platforms on the shooting range and disconnected the assault rifle from the strap holding it to his chest. He noticed the presence of another person and drew his eyes to spot him.
An older officer stood under a pavilion near the shooting ranges. His uniform was in absolutely pristine condition. Golden oak leaves signified his rank as a Major, but Arex could see no unit patch on the man's uniform. He had a cold face, and steel blue eyes that seemed to stare right through Arex. Judging him somehow. Without an word to the man, Arex picked his assualt rifle from the table and decided to clean his weapons in the barracks. Something about the man's gaze was truly unnerving.
The uniformed man watched Arex leave quickly, without a single motion on his face. Minutes passed by and he spotted Captain Tazami returning from downrange. The man strood calmly and powerfully to the Captain who upon spotting the uniformed man stapped to attention and saluted in a manner unlike the Captain's typical manner.
The uniformed man stepped in front of the Captain and did not return the salute. Instead he focused his attention downrange at the Lieutenant's work on the sillouette. After a few tense seconds he returned the Captain's salute with a terse hand motion and the Captain brought his hand back to the position of attention.
"Major Uzimaki, I was unaware that you would be visiting."
Uzimaki responded tersely, "That is because I did not inform you, Captain." The major drew silent once more as he mulled over various thoughts in his head. He spoke again, his voice cold with contempt, "So this the Lieutenant whose progress reports have been so glowing, I take it?"
"Yes sir."
Uzimaki paused again and began to pace away from the captain. He spoke again as Tazami remained at attention in his place.
"I will be watching his progression, Captain. Do not disappoint me."
"Understood, sir."
Uzimaki smiled cruely with his back still turned to the Captain. He enjoyed his position of power, and he enjoyed flaunting it over his subordinates most of all.
"You are dismissed, Captain."
Captain Tazami saluted smartly and quickly strode away from the major. Uzimaki watched the captain leave and narrowed his eyes slightly, his smile disappearing as the PDA in his pocket began to ring softly in reminder of the meeting he was to attend in a quarter of an hour. He did not move for a few seconds as he thought over the lieutenant's continuing presence in the Xi Detachment.
Finally he strode away from the shooting range, his stride calm and collected as he drew a small communicator from his pocket and began dailing a short series of numbers. The call connected and Uzimaki did not wait for a confirmation from the secretary at the other end of the line to affirm as much.
"I am changing the meeting with the Parliament representatives to my office. Ensure they are there at the same time."
He ended the call even as the secretary began voicing protest and continued his walk back to his office.
He had much work to do in the mean time.
