Hades smiled at the attractive technician as she zipped up his zero-g gear, clicking straps and buckles into place. The average TIE suit would last in a zero-gravity vacuum for a few minutes, but today he was performing the Zero-gravity combat course. He had an air supply of eight hours - it was, of course, a little excessive seeing as the entire course should take under an hour. The gear he was wearing was standard Special Warfare Gear for Naval operatives, designed for ship boarding procedures and operation in vacuum or zero gravity environments. It didn't provide much in the way of protection, but then again neither did Stormtrooper armour. The young technician buckled the last strap into place and patted him a little too fondly on his chest.

"Thanks for suiting me up," Petty Officer Hades said, shaking out his arms and legs to test flexibility and how comfortable the suit was. It wasn't too bad - better than the standard TIE pilot's suit. The technician graced him by smiling coyly.

"You know if you pass, it's probably thanks to me" she told him, looking up at his currently opaque visor with a suggestive expression on her feminine features. Hades patted his blaster rifle, a few clicks and a steady hum telling him that the  the blaster was primed and ready to go. He checked the power pack, noting that it was full before putting it back into the blaster. The light flashed green above them and Hades shifted his gaze to the girl - a Petty Officer, the same as him. He was reminded for a second of Ryn, before he winked at the girl.

"I'll take you out for lunch sometime." He flashed a roguish grin, before the door slid open and he strode into the adjoining chamber, sliding shut again behind him and leaving the flirty technician alone. It was ironic due to the fact that they were in space and as such, there was a limited choice in fine-dining. Hades grinned to himself, wondering what the Petty Officer would think of that. He didn't really mind; it amused him though. A voice over his helmet-comm broke through Hades' thoughts.

"--welcome to the Zero-gravity Combat course, Petty Officer Aita--" The voice - male, and crisp - echoed through his ears. "--the area you are currently in is what we call the beginner zone, or BZ. This zone is designed to familiarise members of the Navy in a zero-gravity environment and to teach them the basics of movement. You'll now notice the gravity has been turned off--"

Hades nodded - he had begun to drift as a result. He selected an option on his HUD and his boots magnetised, attaching him firmly to the floor but still allowing freedom of movement. Honestly, Hades had no idea how the magnetism worked, just that it did and it worked well.  The voice droned on for about five minutes, saying things like 'good, you've got used to the suit already' or 'try deactivating your magnetisation for a while'. Hades did as instructed, and when the voice was satisfied, a door opened into the next area. Directed to float through it, Hades pushed off the floor with a slight bending of the knees. He had aimed a little high when he sprang from the floor, and had to shift his body so that he redirected his inertia a little lower.

He got through the door and looked around - he was in a combat environment, with obstacles and everything. Obstacles were everywhere, actually. On the 'roof', 'floors', 'walls' and everywhere inbetween were various loops and tunnels. Hades had no idea whatsoever as to what this course was supposed to look like. He presumed it was merely meant to test the participant's agility in zero-g and aptitude in combat. Then a path lit up - not on the floor, but through the middle of the chamber, weaving through loops, diving through tunnels and swerving around obstacles. Now Hades understood. Ah.

"--you are now in the Course Zone, or CZ. your objective is to make your way through the obstacles while under fire. You can deviate from the course to take cover, however there are checkpoints along the way so to pass with full marks you must use the path indicated to make your way through the CZ and to the exit on the other side. Are these instructions clear-- The voice again cut through Hades' thoughts and examination, although his alert green eyes still scanned the course.

"Crystal." He responed tersely - he was not in the mood for small talk or inane questions. A red light flashed once.

"--roger that, Petty Officer. Commencing the Zero-g obstacle course--" The voice came back. A countdown flashed gently on the heads-up-display Hades had in his helmet, that went in tandem with the red light. 3... The red light flashed once... 2... The red light now turned orange, flashing once.. 1... the light flashed green and indicated the course had begun. Hades had been briefed beforehand on the simulated enemies that would pop up in the course. He again pushed off from an obstacle, speeding through a hoop 2 meters off the ground and aiming his rifle right as he rocketed along the course. It flashed once as he took aim and fired at a simulated enemy that had emerged from a tunnel to his right. The shot went high and wide - Hades still had not acclimatised to the weightlessness of his rifle. He was used to holding it up and as such, he aimed high instinctively in Zero-g. He missed and fired again, hitting  him with the second shot and the enemy dissolved. Hades grasped an obstacle as he whizzed by to stop his momentum, pulling himself behind the obstacle just as a burst of energy lanced through the air above him. A hit would not mean a fail, but it would take away points from his score.

Hades pulled, getting back on course and blasting the enemy that had almost hit him, half hidden behind a tunnel ahead of him. The course veered right, and through another tunnel. Hades only barely managed to catch the edge of the tunnel, almost shooting past it. He pulled himself through it, another simulated blaster bolt impacting the tunnel entrance just as his feet disappeared through it. Hades took bearings on the shot, and figured it had come from a 75 degree angle below him - an enemy underneath that would now undoubtedly be waiting for Hades to emerge from the other end. Hades pulled himself cautiously through the short tunnel, poking his head over the edge - he couldn't see the enemy. Be unexpected. The thought rocked through Hades' mind, something Jarv had once told him. The enemy would expect him to come out of the tunnel and try and get a shot off. So Hades would not do that. Hades instead pulled himself back inside the tunnel, stretching his arms out fully so he had a grip on the end of the tunnel. He then pulled with all his might  - although it didn't take much to propel him at speeds from the temporary refuge. The enemy was a simulation, but simulations still got confused. Hades spun midflight and shot off several bolts in the enemy's direction, hearing a satisfying dissolving sound as his shot - or shots - struck home.

The path went a definitive incline - downwards from where Hades was before veering to the left and through a loop. Hades mock-swam downward, the motion shifting his forward inertia downward and then left as Hades kicked off a nearby box and through the loop. He spun as he went forward, firing off a few shots at an enemy above him who consequently dissolved. Hades saw the path took a steep, 90 degree upward turn and he was reminded of the Duors he had once seen on the holonet. Sentient delphinoid creatures from the planet Arrakan, the Duors were a mysterious species but they liked to show off their aquatic prowess, just as Hades was now doing... albeit in Zero-g instead of water. A blast skimmed Hades' helmet as he kicked upward, but no points were deducted - after all it had to be a direct hit to count. He saw the line - which he was supposed to follow, go from red to orange, meaning he was closer to the exit.

He then hit his head on an obstacle that was probably designed to knock trainees off the course. He tried firing his maneuvering jets but nothing happened, only a sputter indicating that - Hades looked down and realised the fuel had not been connected.. and he was in no place to do it now. So the Petty Officer wasn't all sweet.. Hades thought to himself, stashing himself on top of a platform, holding on so he was hidden to any enemies below him. He was already tired of this course. He pushed off again, from the platform, heading toward the next checkpoint when a blast came too close and warning blared in his helmet, telling him he was pushing the suit's capabilities. He reached the next checkpoint and aimed back at the source of the blast, firing off a few shots designed to suppress the offending program.

Silence. Hades continued along the course, weightlessly floating through checkpoints and propelling himself off obstacles to increase his momentum. The line he was following turned to green. Not far now. Three enemies popped up, their simulations life-like. Blasts missed Hades narrowly as he passed through a final tunnel, coming out shooting and raking their position with fire. One was hit while the other two ducked, and Hades spun midair as he passed their cover, shooting the other simulations in their back. His back hit a wall, and he spun to find himself above the exit. He pulled himself downward and through the final checkpoint, his HUD flashing green with a 'course completed'.

Hades narrowed his eyes. Now he had to find that Petty Officer.

OOC:

Wordcount: 1,696. I feel the whole story is not exactly realistic, but in terms of resources and experience, I don't really have much to work with regarding Zero-gravity Combat.

AAR: Hades suits up, with a short briefing and training session, before taking the course. Feel free to post feedback