OOC:

First to translate the title: Imperial Marine certificate tier 1, Imperial Marine certificate tier 2, Xeno-Martial Arts ancillary skill, Marine Squad Tactics ancillary skill. Second, I'd like to mention that most of this work was written waaaaaay back, when the Cert system itself looked a tad differently. As such it's possible that some elements may look out of place, like things found in the first tier to belong in the second and vice-versa. Since I'm submitting them together however I'm hoping that won't be a problem.

Day One

Aah, the Naval Platform Cappadocious - place hadn't changed a bit, or so Seth Qorbin thought as he found himself walking its halls once more. In the past he trained there and for a while even helped train others too. But since that was no longer the case an obvious question would perhaps be - what was the Onderonian doing there now? Well the answer to that question would perhaps become apparent considering what occurred roughly two weeks earlier...

---------------

Oh, what now? the Ensign thought as he lazily turned his aching head towards his desk where amidst all the scattered papers and empty soda cans a datapad now kept buzzing... and buzzing... and buzzing some more. For the love of gods, why? Why must I be so cursed with popularity and responsibility? the blond human asked himself as he just sat and waited for the blasted thing to grow silent once again. And so the pilot waited, and waited, and believe it or not waited some more after that but five full minutes later the tiny datapad was still uncaringly beeping.

"Give it a goddamn rest already", the man shouted but needless to say the small piece of machinery failed to comply. On the plus side there was nobody else in the room to hear the Javelin commander arguing with only a datapad. Which was good as the man could really do without a possible psych evaluation as a result of this. Then again if there was someone else in the room then the Onderonian would've likely been able to order him or her over to the desk, have him or her pick up the annoying gadget and then either bring it over or just turn it the hell off. That would've been sort of nice too, the blond human realized.

With a deep sigh, one filled with sorrow, frustration and defeat, Seth finally got up and slowly made his way to the beeping device. Seven steps and five seconds later the man was picking up the datapad, at the same time also opening the newest message he had apparently received. If it's another administrative memo or bogus notification I swear I'll ask Command to demote me. Or have someone else pretend he's me and deal with these blasted pains in the aft. Considering how DeepSix never really cared much for the paperwork and administrative duties he had to deal with first as a squadron commander and later as a wing commander, well such a sneaky yet appealing decision was definitely a valid possibility as far as the man was concerned.

Ensign, blah blah blah blah, selected to test new craft, blah blah blah blah blah, extra requirement? Oh... So that's how it is, the blond pilot's eyes narrowed as he reread the message to make sure he understood it properly. And yes, as it turned out he did indeed understand it just fine the first time around - apparently the NHC had taken notice of him and his performance in the field and was willing to have him test out a new craft they were in the process of developing. There was one catch to the deal of course - the new craft was a sort of fighter/shuttle hybrid, much like a gunboat or missileboat. It had more firepower, hull plating and shield capacity but it sacrificed maneuverability as a side effect.

That wasn't necessarily a bad thing provided the pros outweighed the cons of course, but it was sort of a problem for Seth in particular. The man had after all mostly flown fighters since he joined the Vast Empire. He was able to fly a pathetic TIE Fighter almost blindfolded. The cockpit of a TIE Interceptor felt like a second home to him. He was familiar with both the TIE Avenger's as well as the TIE Defender's capabilities and he quite enjoyed flying either craft if and when the occasion popped up. Why the fellow could even pilot those sluggish TIE Bombers if needed be. Anything bigger though, like shuttles and such, was something that the Wing Commander hadn't particularly trained properly in.

He knew of course how to take off and land a shuttle. The pilot could also fly it from point A to point B. Hyperspace traveling was a cinch as well. That being said, the Onderonian was indeed not feeling particularly confident in his abilities to fly such a slow vessel in an actual combat zone. As a fighter pilot first and foremost, Seth knew damn well that a shuttle would rarely survive against an experienced fly boy. Besides, it took a whole lot more skill to learn how to properly fly a fighter and how to use the small ship to wreak havoc even when outnumbered and outgunned. But then again maybe it was this very knowledge and way of thinking that made Seth a somewhat biased individual as far as this particular subject was concerned.

The moment one accepts his own limitations he ceases to evolve. A man must thus be wise enough to discover his own limits but also brave and strong enough to break through them. That is the Mandalorian way, Seth recalled his mentor once teaching him. Whilst the blond pilot still had some doubts regarding the sanity of such a way of thinking, the Onderonian couldn't at the same time ignore the fact that there was a sort of truth to that. Why should he accept defeat without so much as even trying to go for a win? A break wouldn't hurt either, the pragmatic side of him next realized as well. "Why the frak not?" the man rhetorically asked aloud as he began replying to that message.

---------------

So there it was - the reason that ended up returning Seth to the training platform Cappadocious. Of course the man wasn't actually there to fly that trendy new ship that the Vast Empire was developing. Oh no, he in fact had no idea just where those prototypes were being stored or where the testing location would be. That thus was not the training and testing Seth was expected to undergo back on the training platform. Oh no... The message he received two weeks earlier after all clearly stated that there was an extra requirement he needed to first deal with before being properly accepted into the program.

The requirement in question was for the pilot to earn himself a shuttle flying certificate. Trouble was... in order to get that certificate Seth needed to deal with some other training as well, most of which was made by and for Imperial Marines, the Navy's privately ran army of grunts that was similar but not quite the same as the regular Stormtrooper Corps. Seth really could think of only one way to best describe the situation he now found himself in - "pain in the frakin' aft"...

OOC:

WC: 1149

Day Four

"Alright maggots, listen up and listen good", Lieutenant Skyrpo hollered in what Seth by now assumed was the man's regular tone of voice. The Onderonian managed to mask a chuckle as he imagined just how the other man would greet and talk to his parents, sweetheart and close friends. Unless of course the man lacked all of those - which wouldn't have surprised Qorbin in the slightest.

"These are a few of the best known blaster rifles used across the galaxy. Some of them have been in use for hundreds of years whilst others have only just recently appeared. Some of them were developed by Imperial engineers, others by independent manufacturers and a few of them are even of Republic make and design. Get it through your thick heads that it doesn't matter where a gun came from. It doesn't matter who made it. It doesn't even matter who usually wields it. The one thing that matters is its purpose."

"You! The maggot who can't think for himself - what is the purpose of a gun?" the Lieutenant asked and the Senior Crewman he had picked on a few days prior instinctively straightened up right away. The latter next opened his mouth and replied in a tone that still betrayed traces of hesitation "The purpose of a gun is to shoot enemies, sir."

"You sure about that maggot? Because I sure as hell don't think so. Listen up you brain-dead banthas - a gun has no conscience of its own. It as such doesn't just shoot enemies. A gun will shoot whatever happens to be standing in its path, be that cover, an enemy or even a friendly. It is for this reason that you're supposed to first check your target before squeezing the trigger. Which reminds me... if any of you asswipes ever point a gun at me or any other member of my staff I will personally take that gun away and shove it so deep up your backsides that you'll walk with a limp for the remainder of your miserable and pitiful lives. Do you get me, maggots?"

A monotonous choir of "yes sir" followed and that seemed to make the trainer happy. Then again maybe not - it was really hard to tell what the man was thinking with that harsh, badass expression he always seemed to have. On the other hand Seth thought the guy would be perfect for sabacc, assuming he was a gambling man of course. Then again the chances of that being the case seemed rather slim. Rather slim indeed...

"This here maggots", the Lieutenant paused as he turned around and picked up a blaster rifle from the counter behind him before turning again to face the trainees and continuing "is a BlasTech A280 blaster rifle. You may notice how it is longer and bulkier than the rifles that the Empire employs for everyday use. Although you may not be able to tell from that distance, this weapon is also heavier as well. This means that soldiers will have a harder time carrying and firing this piece of equipment, so why then would anyone even bother with it? The answer maggots is this..."

The Lieutenant turned around, raised the A280 blaster rifle and aimed it at a suit of armor located a few dozen meters further ahead. Without warning the man opened fire and emptied the entire magazine, ripping a whole bunch of holes into the standard Stormtrooper suit of armor. Dannnng, the Onderonian struggled not to accompany that thought with a whistle. The former smuggler always preferred a pair of blaster pistols - smaller, easier to conceal and with a high enough rate of fire also quite deadly in close quarters.

Looking carefully at what was left of that suit of armor made Seth think that maybe it wouldn't be all that bad to buy one of those things as well. Pistols were great and really suited his image as well, but a rifle capable of tearing through reinforced materials... well maybe having one around wouldn't be too bad either. One never knew just what he could find in the vastness of space after all.

"That right there is the reason why certain troopers prefer carrying around a more cumbersome weapon. In this case it's the A280's punch - capable of bypassing even armor. In other cases it's range. Rate of fire. Ammo capacity. Accuracy. Sturdiness. Handling safety. What you need to understand maggots is that no weapon is perfect. Some are overall better than others. Some are considered the best in a certain specialized field. Some are heavily modified and customized to fit an user's personal requirements. Whatever the case may be you are required to have an above average familiarization with most modern models."

The man placed the A280 back on the counter and picked up the rifle next to it. He turned to show it to everyone else and Seth instantly recognized what it was likely used for given its long barrel and scope. "This is the A280's cousin, the A295. It's slightly longer, a bit heavier, has fewer shots and also a reduced rate of fire. In exchange for all these drawbacks however the A295 has a longer range, an even stronger kick and also an excellent accuracy."

To demonstrate this, the Lieutenant turned around, placed a foot on the counter, steadied himself as he raised the heavy rifle, took aim and squeezed the trigger. The shot's echo was fairly loud but not loud enough to mask the clanking sound some tiny metal object made way back in the training hangar. Another shot was fired and another clanking sound could again be heard. Although Seth couldn't really see what exactly the man was shooting at, the Onderonian could at least tell the Lieutenant was however dead on target each time.

To Seth's surprise, Skyrpo only fired those two shots, backing away and placing the weapon back on the counter after he finished. So he wasn't actually trying to show off, huh? the Onderonian pondered. He would've been willing to bet the fellow would empty his entire magazine like before if only to show everyone else just what a great shot he was. Wonder if I'd misjudged him? Hmm...

"I'm sure you maggots recognize this baby right here - the Stormtroopers' weapon of choice during the Clone Wars, the DC-15. It's long, it's heavy, it's anything but comfortable to carry around but it's also extremely versatile. It can fire anywhere from 500 shots to 10 shots, depending on power setting and intended range."

Once more the man turned and fired the weapon at a large block of durasteel. Unlike before, Skyrpo fired the DC-15 rifle from hip level, pelting the defenseless target with a sea of laser bolts. He finally stopped - or rather paused - only to next fire a single more shot, higher than most others before that. The blond Onderonian quickly understood the reason for this as he checked out the state of the durasteel block - the low powered shots marked the surface all over the place but that last one left a way bigger burn mark. No real comparison could be made as the difference seemed closer to a laser bolt fired from a blaster pistol and on the contrary a laser bolt fired from a ship's canons. Getting hit with that would really screw someone's day...

"As you can see, it is a weapon capable of dealing with almost any enemy out there - including lightly armored vehicles" the man said as he placed back the rifle. When next Skyrpo turned to face the other trainees, he held a much smaller model in his hand. It was still much bigger than even the largest blaster pistol but its compact frame gave it a distinct look... Hmm, that one looks rather nice actually.

"This is one of my all time favorites, a variant of the earlier shown DC-15, the WESTAR-M5. At the time of its development it was considered so good that it ended up being used by the Advanced Recon Commandos during the Clone Wars. It has three firing modes, and power output can be tweaked for all of them."

"There's a semi-auto mode", the man spoke and turned to demonstrate using the same block of durasteel as before. The Lieutenant fired six or seven shots to display the weapon's rate of fire in this mode. "There's a burst mode", Skyrpo continued as he demonstrated that as well, firing 3 short bursts at the same target. "And there's of course a full auto mode too", the fellow switched modes yet again and this time around ended up emptying the whole remaining magazine.

"The weapon is also compatible with a series of attachments such as infrared scopes, laser sights, sound dampeners, single missile launchers and my personal favorite..." the man paused, reached down towards the counter, picked something up, squirmed around a bit and upon finishing pointed the gun back toward the durasteel block to shoot again - this time not a laser bolt but a grenade instead. The blast was very, very loud given the enclosed location but it also didn't appear to do too much damage to the durasteel block, other than maybe pushing it back a few inches.

"... the grenade launcher", Skyrpo continued his earlier statement as he turned to show everyone how the weapon looked with the added attachment. "That was a training round by the way. A single live one would be enough to take out a small group of targets or halt the progress of a vehicle."

The Lieutenant turned around, placed back the M5 rifle and picked up a new blaster, with which he then faced the other members of the Vast Empire. "This is another very good long range blaster, again made by BlasTech Industries. It's called the DLT-20 and it actually has a little bit in common with the earlier shown DC-15. It comes equipped with both a rangefinder as well as an electronic sight, making sniping easy even in the hands of useless grunts such as yourselves."

"It also has a magnatomic adhesion grip, so it can be safely used on worlds with hostile weather conditions, including but not limited to rain, snow and sand. The best thing about this rifle is that it has two firing modes. Semi-auto and full automatic, making it extremely useful at long range but still keeping it as a valid choice for close range engagements."

To demonstrate, the higher ranked man once more turned around, placed his right foot on the counter and used it to stabilize the rifle's aim. Again he fired just two shots and again the distant sound of metal being hit echoed back throughout the spacious hangar. The man then twisted around a bit and unleashed a stream of shots at the previously used Stormtrooper armor, further ripping it apart in the process.

"Another weapon you are most likely familiar with is the DLT-19 heavy blaster", the Lieutenant announced and turned around holding just such a model. "It has a good range and it has a powerful punch as well but it otherwise lacks in all other departments. It is not terribly accurate unless used in short controlled bursts", the man said and turned around to demonstrate using the durasteel block.

He first fired a few quick bursts and then showed how the splatter got bigger and bigger the more he squeezed the trigger. Turning back toward his audience Skyrpo continued talking, all the while also demonstrating what he was saying "Aside from the rifle's large frame and heavier build, reloading also takes a while longer when compared to most other rifle models out there. This means that someone using this rifle needs to count his shots and find proper cover whilst reloading. But I'm sure these actions are too much for maggots such as yourselves..."

Prick... Seth thought as he continued staring at the Lieutenant that now prepared to show a new blaster rifle. "This is one weapons which I would assume has no need for an introduction by now", Skyrpo announced as he showed everyone an E-11 rifle. "It is perhaps the most common design currently found across the galaxy. Another good design by BlasTech Industries, yet one produced by not just them but also by SoroSuub and Merr-Sonn. Not that there are any differences between the resulting models."

"This E-11 rifle is the weapon of choice for Imperial troopers. It is relatively small as you can see and despite its length it is also quite powerful as well. It can be fired in semi automatic or full automatic modes, it can be set to both stun and kill its targets, it can be reloaded with a variety of ammunition types, including regular power cells and plasma cartridges and the tiny scope attached to it is actually quite useful too - as verified by thousands of Stormtroopers galaxy wide. All in all it is quite a versatile design - hence the high demand."

"If you would recall what I said a while back however - there is no such thing as a perfect blaster. Despite its versatility the E-11 doesn't really excel in any particular field. Its range is limited. It's powerful but at the same time not the most powerful rifle on the market. Although the scope can somewhat mitigate this next issue, the truth is that the rifle's accuracy isn't nearly as good as some other models. All that being said however, the fact remains that it is a decent rifle, easily found across the galaxy and for the most part not very expensive either - thus making it very popular."

Once more the man turned around in order to display this new rifle's firing capabilities. The chosen target was the durasteel block and even from where he was standing Qorbin could tell where exactly it hit. The burn marks were indeed bigger than some of the others already present but at the same time there were still a few more that looked far more menacing.

"The E-11 rifle was also used as the base model for a few cloned variations, including this Stormtrooper One blaster rifle", the Lieutenant spoke and showed off yet another rifle - one very similar to the previous one. "Other than the slightly different design this weapon actually works very similar to the E-11 variant. Its accuracy is perhaps a little better, yielding best results when using burst mode."

Skyrpo demonstrated this as he shot a few single shots at the durasteel block. He then fired a few short bursts and like before ended by emptying the blaster's magazine in a fully automated mode. "Rather than improving upon this design, SoroSuub instead created yet another model - one that although looks almost identical, emphasizes power at the expense of accuracy."

The Vast Empire officer turned to show everyone what at a first glance appeared to be the same model, only this new one had a couple of extra grips, one under the barrel and one above it. "This is SoroSuub's Stormtrooper Two blaster rifle. Take away the shoulder stock, pistol grip and vertical foregrip and you'll realize you end up having just a regular Stormtrooper One. At least on the outside. Whilst the Stormtrooper One seeks a sort of balance and versatility similar to the E-11 model, the Stormtrooper Two variant ends up sacrificing some of the latter's accuracy, instead gaining a stronger punch. Stronger perhaps then even the A280's."

When Skyrpo next turned to fire this new model as well, Seth noticed the man was shooting very close to where he had previously fired the Stormtrooper One a little earlier. The Onderonian was mildly impressed by both the officer's aim but also by the difference in power that could indeed be seen all the way from where he was standing. So basically the Stormtrooper One's a crappy clone that's only average for the most part whilst the Stormtrooper Two's another crappy clone - one that's basically best used in close quarters and that can as a boost deal with even armored targets. Interesting...

"Next we have the RT-97C heavy blaster rifle. As the name implies, this is a type of rifle that in many ways surpasses all other ones discussed up till now. If the E-11 for instance could fire up to three hundred meters away, the RT-97C can shoot up to a kilometer and a half instead and still remain accurate for that matter. It also happens to possess a generous ammo capacity as well - five hundred shots from regular power cells and as many as fifteen hundred from gas cartridges."

"On top of all that it is also quite powerful as well, being able to rip through armored targets with ease. It also comes equipped with three different scopes that further increase its accuracy, thus also allowing this rifle to be used by professional snipers. And if sniping isn't their thing then the full auto mode it has can decimate entire enemy groups in a matter of seconds."

The higher ranking Vast Empire trainer turned around, raised the heavy looking rifle and fired three shots right through the helmet of that already battered and torn Stormtrooper suit of armor. The man then unleashed a few bursts targeting the durasteel block. I just have to buy myself one of these, Seth thought almost drooling at the prospect of shooting such a thing in a closed room. Hell, such a weapon could probably be fired from outside a room, turning everyone inside into Byss cheese. If only it wasn't so damn big...

"Since I mentioned decimating enemy groups earlier... there is almost no weapon better suited for that role than this T-21 light repeating blaster", Skyrpo said as he picked up another big weapon from the counter behind him. "It can shoot up to three hundred meters away, though remains accurate only for the first hundred or so. What this weapon combines better than any other rifle is rate of fire and power..." The man turned and fired a few bursts at the suit of armor that by this point really did look like one big roll of Byss cheese.

"The only real drawback of the T-21 is its small ammo capacity - only thirty rounds. Thankfully however this small inconvenient can be entirely mitigated if using a power generator." Skyrpo next pulled a cable from what looked like a backpack lying on top of the counter and connected that cable to the T-21 repeater. He then aimed the weapon at the durasteel block and literally let loose. Bolt after bolt after bolt after bolt kept flying and smashing against the burned up surface of the durasteel. The Vast Empire officer must've kept on firing for a full minute if not more before finally he stopped, disconnected the cable and placed the repeater back on the counter.

"As you maggots can see for yourselves - a single power generator can supply you with a nearly infinite amount of deadly firepower that you can use for either cover fire or enemy obliteration. Only heavily armored targets as well as fortified vehicles and structures can hope to survive this stream of liquefied fire and destruction."

Whoever invented that thing must not have heard of the concept of "overkill". I mean daaaaaaaang... Double daaaaaaaaaang eve...

"I have but one more model to show you, one which I've purposefully saved for last", the lieutenant's voice drew the Onderonian's attention. "This is the DC-17m ICWS - a weapons system used by clone commandos during the Clone Wars. It its current configuration it acts as a blaster rifle. You may notice its compact frame, making it easy to carry around and aim at a second's notice. It also has a high rate of fire, a decent magazine capacity - being able to fire up to sixty shots per power clip - and it is also powerful enough to deal with armored targets. Other attachments include a sniper scope, a grenade launcher and a Pulsed Energy Projectile laser, making this weapons system ideal for almost any sort of situation one could be expected to run into."

Skyrpo turned and holding the small rifle in one hand fired a few bursts first at the Stormtrooper suit of armor and next at the blackened durasteel block. It was really hard to tell where the shots hit the latter for that matter.

"Alright maggots, enough with these demonstrations. Step up to the counter and pick up a rifle. Before this program is over you will each be expected to show an above average skill in all their use."

That doesn't sound too bad, Seth thought as he slowly made his way forward, wondering what he should pick first. Or rather... wondering what he would likely manage to pick first, seeing how a few other members bolted over to the counter almost as soon as Skyrpo told them to come over. Pfft, gun nuts...

OOC:

WC: 3504

OOC:

This post represents the separate training done for the Xeno-Martial Arts ancillary skill. Although the action depicted is connected to the rest of the certificate, this can however be judged on its own.

Day Ten

This... This is so unbelievably stupid, the blond Onderonian thought as he continued lying down on the hard and not at all comfortable bed. Seth actually wondered whether this area was in fact used as a holding cell when not used in annoying training exercises. It certainly looked the part - reinforced bars, energy fields, surveillance systems... they all seemed so real that the pilot couldn't help but wonder just how thorough the Vast Empire was when it came down to training exercises.

Qorbin was seriously considering taking a nap to pass the time, seeing how there was literally nothing else to do in the cramped up cell. Not to mention that everything he had on him was taken away in order to make sure he would have no unfair advantages - or so his trainers claimed when they stripped him of everything short of his uniform... and pride. The man still had that. For the time being at any rate.

Sons of bitches! the Onderonian swore when a loud buzzer echoed throughout the small area. At first Seth thought that whoever was watching him wanted to make sure he was still awake... and still bored out of his mind. The blond Human was still cursing the individuals on the other end of the surveillance equipment when the energy field also flickered for a few moments before turning off.

Or did it truly turn off after all? In order to check Seth picked up the small squarish pillow and threw it at the entrance. To the man's surprise the object flew right through. So this is supposed to be the fortunate malfunction or result of my hard worked for act of sabotage... nifty! Seth thought as he hopped out of the cell, hardly sorry to put it behind him.

Right, so I made it out of the cell. Now I'm supposed to run around and either avoid the so called guards or take them out if I can, the pilot went over the exercise's purpose one more time. No matter how many times he tried thinking about it, this sort of training just seemed so unbelievably pointless really. For one it didn't really apply to him. How many times would a pilot be taken in alive by an enemy?

Chances were astronomically higher that said pilot would either be blown out of the sky, become a smoldering crater on some large asteroid or just end up jettisoning into space and waiting there to die. Besides, Seth had already been captured once before during a Rhegent's Reign mission gone wrong. Back then he managed to get out thanks to a little help from about half of his squadron. What then were the chances of such a thing happening again anytime soon? Then again with my luck... the Navy Ensign's thoughts trailed off.

Ah, screw it. Might as well get a move on, the former smuggler decided and started walking towards the exit. He paused, turned around, crouched over and picked up the pillow from earlier first though. Just in case I get recaptured and thrown into a different cell... A second pillow should make my stay more comfortable at least.

So armed with the deadly pillow of doom, Seth Qorbin stepped out into the long corridor on the other side of the door. An empty corridor as he came to realize... and also be thankful for it at the same time. Although the man could've at least faked anxiety, nervousness and stealthiness, Seth knew better than bothering with such bogus tricks. He may have been on cameras - surveillance cameras - but he had no intention whatsoever to actually act for the bastards watching over his progress. If those fellows wanted to see action then they were more than welcome to go and buy themselves some fast paced action holovids.

There was also another reason that Qorbin considered beforehand - if this was truly an enemy holding cell then his escape would've no doubt already been noted by now, meaning that a whole bunch of mean armored guards would come to zap him over and over again for misbehaving. With no weapons of his own Seth knew he would stand no chance against such odds. In fact he doubted anyone would be able to beat those odds. Anyone Human - and also Near Human - at least.

Plus this being a training exercise and all, meant that the guards were also in on the whole thing. Even if they didn't know when exactly the trainers would release the test subject, they still knew he or she would eventually come and find them. How then could the test subject in question, Seth in this case, possibly have any chance of taking them by surprise - the biggest advantage one would actually have during an actual jailbreak...

Oh, found one, the pilot noted as soon as he stepped into the new corridor. Though the other man still had his back turned to him it was pretty clear he was one of the guards supposedly guarding this fake enemy installation. Seth had two choices thus. One - believe he actually managed to catch anyone by surprise. Two - realize that the thing was just a bloody trap. Although the man couldn't tell for sure whether it was indeed a trap or not, Seth still decided to go with the second option.

"Hwaaaaaaa!" the Onderonian tried mimicking that which he believed to be a battle cry he at some point heard in a fighting holovid with many half naked men punching and kicking one another till only one eventually survived and got the damsel in distress. There were always damsels in distress in those soppy vids...

The other man turned immediately upon hearing the strange yawning sound only to discover Seth standing on one foot, the other one raised about halfway, one arm stretched forward and motioning for the man to approach, the other hand apparently holding something overhead. I must look really stupid right about now, Seth thought whilst looking at the other guy's expression for signs of confirmation.

"I am Seth Qorbin and on my homeworld I am a master of a fighting style which in Basic would translate roughly into The Red Stork Which Grumbles And Plucks Out Eyeballs. Come at me if you dare!" To his own surprise Seth managed to shout all that in his normal serious voice. Inside however the man was barely containing his laughter, unsure just where the devil he got that weird name from. I have got to stop watching those second rate action flicks...

Whether the first guard believed the oddball standing before him or not, the man still approached Seth all the same. When he got close enough he slowed down and dropped into a defensive posture. "You really should turn away whilst you still can. Whilst you still can see that is!" Qorbin tried intimidating the other guy even as he was starting to balance unevenly.

It may have been the childish taunting or it may simply have been the other man's wish to put an end to the lunatic's ramblings but whichever the case may have been, the other guy took a couple more steps towards the Onderonian. "You've been warned fool!" Seth once more shouted in order to draw the other's attention to him. The former smuggler then threw the pillow he had been holding behind his back, making sure to allow his whole body to follow through.

The guard saw the flying thing coming at him and instinctively raised his fists, trying to either guard his face or punch it away. That though wasn't the true attack. Oh no, whilst the man tried defending his face, Seth used the momentum to step forward and immediately after raise his other foot high enough to connect with the other man's anatomical part which happened to be vital for the purpose of procreation. In other words Seth kicked the other fellow in the family jewels. Hard. So hard in fact that the guard appeared to even levitate a couple of inches for the briefest moment.

The unfortunate guard was already beginning to buckle in pain when Seth delivered a second kick - this one less powerful than the first, though still powerful enough to bring tears in the other man's eyes. The fellow tried in vain to retreat, one small step at a time but the cruel pilot wouldn't have any of that. No, one of the last things that first guard would remember seeing would be the Onderonian slightly twisting his body and raising a foot sideways. After that a close-up image of the blond human's boot would follow and after that the ceiling and then just darkness. Blissful, pain free darkness...

Okay, so maybe Seth was sorry to see the other guy in that state but dammit it wasn't his fault he knew of no better way to fight. Almost every single species in the galaxy had at least one weakness that others could exploit to their advantage. That was precisely what Seth was doing - exploiting known weaknesses. He wasn't strong enough to knock out others with just one or two punches. He wasn't resilient enough to last for more than a few minutes at a time in any serious brawl. His constitution also allowed for only so much punishment. Why then not use his head and the environment around him if so doing helped him out? It was a mean galaxy out there after all...

A few hours in a bacta tank and he'll be like new... I think, Seth thought as he stared at his downed opponent. Just then another crazy idea hit him. Reaching down the Onderonian started undoing the other guard's shoelaces, enough to slip off his boots. Pfew! Bastard deserved to get his ass whooped for not washing his feet more often. The spoils of war now his to do as he pleased with, Seth saw no further reason to waste any more time. The man instead advanced deeper in the fake enemy installation.

I bet he's thinking "what the fuck?" or something to that extent, Seth smiled as he noticed his newly encountered guard's expression. The other guy was no doubt confused seeing a pair of boots dangling from Qorbin's hands. It was hardly the sort of thing one would expect to see anywhere and at any given time for that matter. "That's right, I took the first guy's boots off his cold dead feet. From you... I'm thinking your shorts should do just fine", Seth grinned strangely as he hoped the other guard would be foolish enough to be affected by such outrageous statement.

If he was or wasn't though, Seth never knew as the second guard behaved in a professional manner and just dropped into a battle pose as soon as the Onderonian first opened his mouth. Tsk! The Empire's training these boys too damn well. No sense of shame... or humor for that matter, the pilot realized as he released a bored and disappointed sounding sigh.

"Well you've been warned!" Qorbin shrugged and approached the other fellow, raising his own arms in order to prepare for a new fight. Good thing about using the previous guard's boots was that his punches now would be both stronger and also affecting a somewhat larger area as well. The latter didn't matter as much as the former, though still it was somewhat useful nevertheless.

Seth mimicked a few boxing moves, enjoying the swishing sound they made cutting the air. On one hand the blond human hoped he would manage to intimidate the other guy through actions if not through words. On the other hand the man also wanted to give away the false impression that he would rely more on his fists than anything else. A fight, in Qorbin's opinion, was much like a display of magic. The trick to both was fooling the audience to look left whilst the magician did something unexpected on the right.

"Bring it!" the Ensign taunted one last time when he was close enough to his second opponent. The other man made the first move - a punch Seth easily enough blocked whilst he tried to at the same time counterattack with a kick to the man's groin, hoping he would be able to reproduce the last encounter's events. Alas the pilot failed as instead of kicking its intended target the Onderonian only managed to bruise his opponent's inner knee and lower thigh. Tsk!

The other man next tried kicking back, though only having roughly similar results - something that both pleased yet displeased Seth at the same time. Lacking any sort of great master plan meant to finish his opponent in a series of swift moves like before, the former smuggler instead attempted a flurry of punches, pushing forward as he did so. If brain power didn't cut it, then there was a good chance brute strength would work instead. Or so at least Qorbin thought as he continued his onslaught.

For the most part the other guard was doing a pretty good job managing to block off many of the nasty punches. Then again Seth knew better than to rely on luck. He may have been a lucky sonofabitch and the fellow knew it all too well, but that didn't mean he was willing to actually take risks basing his choices on nothing but luck alone. No, that wasn't Seth's style at all. Take the endless flurry of blows the blond Human was throwing out now - sure there was a chance one or two of them would hit the other guy where it really hurt but more importantly than that each strike, blocked or not, would end up wounding the other man more as a result. It was especially effective seeing how the damage Seth himself would incur doing this was minimal or downright nonexistent.

Twenty or thirty seconds later Seth had pushed back the other man considerably. Out of the blue the pilot next tried another cheap shot, successfully kneeing the second guard in the nuts. Whilst the impact wasn't nearly as strong as the Onderonian wanted, it was still enough to lead to more openings in the other's defense. Openings that Seth fully exploited when he cleanly punched the other man in the shoulder, face and chest.

Taking advantage of the staggering man's temporary lapse in judgment Seth next crouched and with one good sweep, tripped the other guy to the floor. Next came a most simple task involving the legendary method of "kicking a man when he was down". Hardly a challenge of course, but quite effective. Quite effective indeed as the other guard ended up giving up the fight, instead taking the fetal position to protect whichever ribs weren't yet bruised or cracked.

Seeing the other guy in that pitiful state made Seth almost feel sorry for him. He knelt down next to the man's head - his knee as if by accident actually a few inches away from the other's throat. "A little more pressure now and your neck would make a sick cracking sound..." The pilot slammed the boot he was holding in one hand next to the man's head, causing the latter to shudder. "Something like that basically." Next the Onderonian carefully got up and started walking away. "By the way you're dead so don't come after me or sound any alarms or anything of the sorts", Seth calmly spoke as he waved his hand, not turning to see if the second guard was actually following or not.

Two down, two to go... The Onderonian pilot was making fairly good progress after all. Why the man may even make it out relatively unscathed. Or maybe not, Seth thought as he stepped into the final room, noticing not one opponent but both of the remaining two. This... This is gonna get messy, the blond fellow sighed as he checked out his competition.

It wasn't the first time the man had to fight when outnumbered. It wasn't even the first time he had to do so without blasters. It would however be the first time when he would be unable to use chairs, bottles, pipes and other junk conveniently lying around. This really sucks after all...

Qorbin watched as the two remaining guards approached, each trying to flank him as they got closer and closer. There were few things that Seth knew about melee fighting but one of those things was that it was never, ever, a good idea to remain in the middle and allow opponents to surround you. Ideally all the enemies would be found on a single side, ideally able to only advance one at a time. Then again that hardly ever happened after all...

"So guys, can't we just talk about this? We're all reasonable and civilized folks here", Seth began speaking as he kept stepping back - always making sure he knew exactly what the other men were doing. "We should all..." he stopped and dashed toward the bigger of the two guards found on his right. The Ensign raised his fist menacingly and pretended to go for his opponent's face but instead twisted his body around, getting behind the guard and kicking the latter forward towards his companion. The pilot simply knew better than to show his back to another hostile.

"We should all just get along, you know?" the Wing Commander continued his earlier sentence as he watched the two guards both approaching him once more. Seth tried a couple of high kicks to scare them off but that of course only delayed them whilst they raised their hands and lowered their heads. Just like magic, the pilot thought as he took a step forward, immediately afterward using his other foot to deliver a low kick aimed at the same guard's from earlier knee. Seth next jumped back, just in time to feel the other guard's kick lightly graze his forearm.

Strip them of their mobility and their numbers will no longer be as devastating a factor, the former smuggler recalled something else his Mandalorian mentor once taught him. Still, jumping around like this doesn't seem too encouraging either, Seth realized almost immediately afterward. Opening his hand, the pilot next shook it a bit, thus forcing the boot he still used as a sort of boxing glove to start falling off. The blond Human caught it by the shoelaces before it hit the ground however.

When the smaller of the two guards got close enough once more Seth tried another high kick which his opponent easily blocked however. Just as Seth was bringing down his foot, he was at the same time also swinging that other boot around, bypassing the guard's fists and striking the man squarely on the side of his head. That must've hurt, Qorbin thought as he again jumped back, not wishing to risk any more counter attacks. "What, weren't you ever taught to wait for the other shoe to drop?" Seth taunted the man.

The larger guard tried his luck next and to deal with him Seth merely kicked the man in the same knee he targeted earlier. Not once but twice, though like always the second kick happened to be weaker than the first. Still, it was more than enough to halt the guard's ominous advance. Seeing an opportunity of sorts Seth threw the boot he dangled in his right arm, himself next dashing towards the man, jumping and delivering a beautiful double side kick, knocking the wind out of his target and for that matter also knocking back the very target.

The second guard used this chance to deliver a nasty kick somewhere around Seth's spleen. A couple more kicks were delivered whilst the pilot rolled over and got back to his feet though that initial one was the one that really hurt the most. On the plus side the two on one fight had, at least for the moment, turned into a one on one. Squirming his left hand for a bit, the Onderonian managed to get a hold of that second boot he had been carrying around.

The pilot tightly grabbed the shoelaces and twirled the footwear around like a sort of primitive weapon even as he got closer and closer to his opponent. The tables were now turned so rather than pulling away and waiting to counterattack Seth was now pushing forward instead, fully intending to seize the moment and put a quick end to the damn exercise.

For this purpose the Ensign relied mostly on kicks rather than punches. High kicks, kicks aimed at the other's midsection, kicks aimed at his knees... In the end though it was a single kick aimed at the man's shin that caused the latter to lose his balance and accidentally lean forward. As soon as that happened Seth stepped forward and elbowed the guard in the back of his neck, making the fellow fall over like a sack of Onderon imported potatoes.

The Wing Commander next walked over to the bigger of the two guards and lightly kicked him in the side to check whether he had any plans on getting up anytime soon. The man wasn't unconscious but he didn't seem like he planned on continuing the fight either. "Now this..." Seth paused to draw his breath "This could've gone a whole lot smoother...", again Seth paused for the same reason as above, "If we could've just talked it over like civilized people."

The blond Human next clutched his left side and stepped out of the room, passed through one last corridor and upon stepping through the door on the other side effectively passed this cursed training exercise. Now the fellow just had to pass whatever other tortures - that is training exercises - Skyrpo and the brass would still have in mind. Oh joy of joys...

OOC:

WC: 3653

Day Sixteen

When Seth Qorbin last left the Cappadocious training station behind, the man never really thought he would ever have to bother his pretty little blond head with any more simulators. Yet despite that belief here the man stood once more in a simulator pod, just waiting for the hatch to close, the lights to go off and the fake CGs to start pouring out.

Unlike the many times before however, the Ensign would not get to experience the simulated cockpit of an all but too familiar TIE Interceptor. Nor a TIE Bomber, a TIE Avenger or even a TIE Defender for that matter. Oh no, this time around the Onderonian pilot would get to experience simulated flight at the helm of a Multi Altitude Assault Transport, or MAAT for short.

Although Seth was familiar with general piloting and although he also learned a few things about the MAAT beforehand, the fact remained that the man had never actually flown such a craft before. Not in a simulation and most certainly not in reality. Then again that was part of the reason he was there in the first place - to learn new things. Granted the fellow wasn't sure just how useful the flying of an atmospheric transport would be to him after he'd finish this training course but then again the knowledge couldn't really hurt either. Knowledge in general never hurt anyone. Unless it was dangerous of course - but that was a whole different matter entirely.

Huh, guess it's showtime already, Qorbin noted as the pod's hatch slowly closed, trapping the man inside with nothing other than his skills and the programmed responses the computer's AI possessed. Next, the lights slowly dimmed until just pitch darkness remained. The darkness was short lived however, the image of a transport's cockpit clearly replacing it in a matter of seconds. Just like the manual showed, Seth realized as he gazed at the controls before him.

Of course, the technical manual only showed where the controls were placed and explained what they did... To actually see them and feel them - even in this simulated form - was a whole different experience. Well let's see if I remember all of them properly, the Onderonian pilot decided as he reached his hand over and pressed the power button, bringing a lot of new lights and indicators to life. Awesome, I at least know how to turn it on and off...

The Ensign next reached for the control yoke, at the same time also powering up the repulsorlift thrusters underneath the wings. Perhaps a bit shy at first, the ship slowly rose through the air. How about a little nudge to test its speed and maneuverability without main engines on yet? the man thought and immediately pushed the yoke forward, then slowly left, then right and finally back again.

It's not as quick as a fighter but I have to admit it does run pretty smoothly nevertheless, the former smuggler concluded from this small test alone. How about a landing next? he thought and whilst stabilizing the craft, slowly cut off repulsorlift power as well. So if it's kept steady enough the thing's a breeze, DeepSIx was happy to note. It meant that at the very least he should be able to take off and land such a craft, even in reality. But then again those also happened to be the easiest operations. The true problem was always whatever happened between a ship taking off and it landing again...

Luckily that was precisely what the 2nd Fleet pilot was planning on testing out next. Again the man powered up the repulsorlift thrusters and after getting high enough in the air the Onderonian also powered up the main engines as well. First to get accustomed to its feel and limitations, Seth thought as he pulled the yoke back, sending the craft upwards. The blond pilot heard that although the MAAT wasn't really designed for space travel it could still function in such an environment all the same.

Of course Seth Qorbin just had to know exactly how well it could function there, given the fact that he had the most experience flying surrounded by stars rather than by clouds... or toxic waste as was the case for certain planets.

Exiting atmosphere... now, the man noted and the bluish hue outside indeed turned to a vast blackness with endless white dots stabbing its surface. Hmm... it's pretty slow alright. A bit shaky as well, Seth observed as he kept pushing the craft forward, wishing to properly test its limits in order to know just what to expect if ever he would have to fly such a vessel for real.

A rookie pilot in a modern starfighter could probably take it out easily enough - that is provided enough firepower would be available to him. And provided he wouldn't get shot down first. The transport was after all supposed to be both decently armored and heavily armed as well, able to deal with both ground targets and aerial ones alike. The missiles and laser turrets sort of ensure that being the case. I'll need to test those out later as well...

The Vast Empire pilot played around a little more in space, turning, diving and even trying a couple of loops and barrel rolls. The latter ones didn't quite work out for Seth. It may have been that he was too used to smaller fighters and he was as such misjudging distances and similar... but it was just as likely, more so in fact, that the vessel simply wasn't able to pull off those maneuvers. The MAAT was after all designed as a transport so aerial acrobatics and dogfighting may simply have been too much to ask from it. Seth knew this of course, but still his inquisitive nature demanded that he see it for himself rather than believe the manuals or the words of possibly incompetent pilots.

So space flight is indeed possible. Risky and not particularly smooth either... but possible all the same, Seth concluded as he turned the ship around, once more facing the unknown planet below. There was no further point to remain in space now that the pilot had seen what he wanted to see. Rather than waste time like that, the Onderonian could instead check out the vessel's capabilities in atmospheric conditions - the environment that the designers had in mind for it all along, as the name itself betrayed.

And re-entering atmosphere in three... two... and one! the man counted and just like before the outside view changed once more, the darkness disappearing and the bluish hue returning yet again. The pilot did not change his course however, instead allowing the ship to keep on heading straight for the ground below. He was rather curious just how fast it could dive through the air and he was even more curious just how much room it needed to stop... before it was too late that is.

Nothing could possibly be sadder for a pilot than crushing his own ship - not because of battle damage, or because of technical issues, or because of some unforeseen calamity... but because of his very own stupidity. Seth Qorbin wasn't that sort of individual however. Never had been, never planned on becoming one either.

This should be enough, the Wing Commander estimated and pulled back on the control yoke, forcing the MAAT to stabilize roughly fifty meters from the ground. Seth knew that should he keep trying that same maneuver again and again and again after that, he would eventually be able to gradually lower that distance even further. Skimming the surface with only ten meters to spare seemed like a decent enough goal, one that above all was also realistic - at least as far as Qorbin was concerned.

Still, he could always improve his diving skills at a later date. For now what the man really wanted to test out was the ship's speed and maneuverability. It may have been the pilot inside him talking, but for Seth those two attributes always mattered the most. No matter how well armored and shielded, there would always be a better weapon able to tear through all those defenses. If not one big weapon then a bunch of lesser ones that would still be able to achieve the same result regardless. Also, no matter how much firepower a ship possessed, there would always be something either too fast to hit or too sturdy to break through.

Then again both offense and defense were supposed to be used in combat. What if however there was a third possibility out there? What if a pilot could choose to run away instead of standing and fighting till ether his own or his target's death? Would that then not be the safest alternative out there? At least that was part of Seth Qorbin's thinking, and the main reason he preferred speed and maneuverability above shields and outrageous guns. Not that he disapproved of the latter of course. Far from it...

Wonder if I can flip this thing around? the Onderonian questioned the dropship's capabilities and pulled on the yoke sharply. He kept pulling on it but no matter how much he tried the pilot just couldn't turn the ship around that way. What if I try the repulsorlift thrusters? he realized the possible solution and as soon as he did the man also attempted to test it out as well. There was a lot more shaking going around but still no success as far as Seth's objective was concerned. He did better sure, just still not good enough to make it all the way to the other side. Oh well, t'was just an idea anyway, he admitted defeat and cut power to the thrusters.

If I can't make it turn around maybe I can at least make her roll over instead... Obviously the Vast Empire pilot tried just that and for a change that actually worked as well. There were only two problems with such a maneuver however. The first - any passengers would really hate his guts at best and would possibly receive light injuries at worst. That was rather troublesome. The second problem however - and the one Seth happened to care about even more for that matter - was the fact that once the ship flew belly up it was a lot harder to turn her back to normal. On the other hand pulling on the yoke then would allow the ship to change directions quite rapidly. Again that was a great discovery if not for the same initial problem. Thing just had to be a transport of all things...

"Computer, activate combat sequence. Enemies: hmm... T-65 X-wing starfighter. Quantity: One", the pilot asked out loud and a couple of seconds later the simulation evolved to accommodate for the requested changes. A few red lights that weren't there before appeared on the cockpit and a few simulated laser bolts also passed the ship, disappearing in the distance. Let's see how well it can shake just one common bogey...

To Qorbin's surprise the enemy wasn't all that dangerous as it turned out. It was impossible to lose it sure, but at the same time merely zigzagging around seemed to keep it comfortably at bay. Not bad... I just have to keep this up and win through attrition. Hardly glamorous but who really gives a damn anyway? Besides...

"Computer, enable Gunner_01 AI. Skill level: expert. Behavior pattern: aggressive." Like before it took a couple of seconds for the changes to take effect but the simulated MAAT now also had a simulated gunner as well. The only thing better than one gunner however? Yup, probably an obvious answer really but still: two gunners or more. Alas the ship could only have one other so Seth just had to make due with that... "Computer, enable Gunner_02 AI. Skill level: above average. Behavior pattern: aggressive."

And just like that, the simulated transport had a full gunnery crew - one really good and one merely mediocre for the most part. The way Seth figured, that would likely be the most frequent case anyway. He could've just as well requested two crappy AIs but he knew that would only affect time for the most part. Skill level basically represented a percentage of just how accurate a gunner was in this particular case. The higher the percentage the less time it would take for the AI to shoot down the attacker. The lower - well the more time it would take instead.

In this particular case, the enemy X-wing only lasted for forty six seconds. During that time Seth also managed to take just minimal damage himself. That was thus a pretty good result really. "Computer, disable Gunner_02 AI", Seth requested next as he suddenly got a brand new idea. "Computer, enable Gunner_02 AI. Skill level: expert. Behavior pattern: aggressive." The simulation's AI wasn't terribly developed and as such only understood clear and specific queries - hence the reason to first order it to do one thing only to then have it do something entirely else instead.

"Computer, enable the following enemies. Enemies: T-65 X-wing starfighter and BTL-S3 Y-wing starfighter. Quantity: Three and One." Like before it only took a few moments for the new bogies to appear and as soon as they did a grin also formed on the Onderonian's face. The gunners were great and everything but he wanted to shoot a little as well. What would've been the purpose of this simulation if he didn't also try and shoot stuff out of the sky? Flying was all great and all but shooting things up? Seth knew of no man that could pass up on such an opportunity.

A sharp turn... a quick dive... another turn and... bingo! the man thought as he finally managed to maneuver enough to get one of the X-wings in his sights. As soon as he manged that he squeezed the trigger and a large missile was seen flying from somewhere above. Wait a minute... Seth frowned as he realized that wasn't quite the place where the air-to-air missiles were found.

Just as he feared, the missile that the Onderonian pilot had fired earlier continued on its path and even tried following after the X-wing for a bit before it appeared to have just lost interest and simply kept on going. Wonder what would happen if such misfires occurred in reality? Would the thing keep flying till running out of juice and then just drop out of the sky? I will have to research on this subject later...

In the meantime, the large missile wasn't the only one that tried following its intended target. That dumb projectile may have missed but Seth was once more getting a good lock on the fighter. And action! Ehm... take two, the blond human smiled as he squeezed the other trigger, found a little below the first one. This time around a smaller missile shot out from the left and snaked its way right into the enemy X-wing, blowing it up on impact and taking the simulated threat with it. Not bad...

Thirteen seconds later another X-wing was being dropped by the ship's simulated gunners. A little while after that Seth was managing to target the strongest enemy of the group - the BTL-S3 Y-wing. The first missile blew one of its big engines but somehow failed to take out the entire ship. Although Seth could've just left the crippled ship fall out of the sky harmlessly, the man instead chose to dive right after it, fully intending to take it out himself. Two more missiles were fired over a course of six seconds - the first missing due to the enemy's erratic movement but the second one manged to hit it cleanly, thus incinerating it on impact. Damn I'm good, the Wing Commander grinned as he pulled up after that.

The last X-wing didn't last much longer either, one of the MAAT's gunners taking it out soon after that. Although the blond human felt a little bad that a computer had stolen his glory the fellow couldn't really complain all that much. He was the one that requested gunners in the first place. Furthermore, the whole point of the simulation was to actually test the ship rather than test himself flying the ship. That was merely a personal goal after all...

Hmm, think that should do it for the time being. Still, can't wait to try on the real deal, the man thought as he withdrew his hand from the control yoke. "Computer, end simulation", Seth next ordered and watched as the lights all went out, leaving the Navy officer in darkness for a few seconds before the pod's hatch hissed open - revealing the outside world once more. Now to check out my performance...

OOC:

WC: 2815

OOC:

This post represents the separate training done for the Marine Squad Tactics ancillary skill. Although the action depicted is connected to the rest of the certificate, this can however be judged on its own.

Day Nineteen, 1800 hours

The things I do for the Empire, Seth thought as he made his way towards the boarding shuttle's ramp, the passengers that the man had previously helped deliver having already disembarked as soon as the vessel touched down. Most of them were eager to impress and even those that weren't quite as eager still wanted to get the whole mission over with as quickly as possible.

Qorbin wasn't much different either - as much as the man enjoyed the extra amount of adrenaline pumping through his veins, he still wanted to be done with this mission and this entire training program as soon as humanly possible. He was beginning to have second thoughts about the whole "new experience could be a good thing" presentation. It wasn't necessarily a lie of course, but it also no longer had any appeal to it either... assuming it ever had any to begin with.

Seems we're off to a good start, the Wing Commander quickly concluded after noticing the four downed "enemy" guards that had previously been tasked with the security of the small docking bay. They were not the only casualties though - an unconscious friendly was also sprawled on the deck's cold surface, no doubt having been gunned down as soon as he exited the safety of the transport. The man would wake up soon enough with one heck of a headache, hopefully after the exercise would be over, else he'd be forced to remain dead until then.

"Fall in", a tall Human male shouted and everyone quickly gathered around him. Just how Seth scored highest at piloting so too the other man achieved the best scores at tactics and leadership. He was the one that Skyrpo placed in charge of the small unit - a decision that the blond Ensign had no qualms with whatsoever. Heck, as far as Seth was concerned it didn't matter who led them to victory so long as that would indeed be their final destination...

"Jhory, take six more and go secure the engines. I'll take the rest and proceed to the bridge. We've already lost Cricket so do your best and stay sharp. Now move out!" the man ordered and everyone rushed towards the exit, knowing full well the chances of there being a small ambush on the other side were fairly high. Seth however couldn't help but admire his current leader - the man quickly analyzed their situation, figured out that which needed to be done and came up with the best plan to make it happen... and he did all of that whilst managing to remain calm and composed.

"There's three or four of them on the left. A few on the right too", one of the other members announced after quickly retreating back in the small docking bay after having peeked out unto the corridor. Everyone knew the individual was telling the truth as almost immediately after delivering his report, blaster fire began hitting the door frame. Two other members crouched down and proceeded to deliver cover fire, shooting only one or two short bursts at a time before retreating back inside the room.

Two more members leaned out into the corridor, alternating fire with their colleagues that were still crouched and shooting from a different vantage point. They made sure not to achieve any predictable rhythm, instead waiting random intervals before popping out and delivering a few more shots. Sometimes the same member would shoot twice in a row, other times he would alternate with his ally. There were also occasions when the two would shoot together or on the contrary wait longer so as to keep the enemies ever guessing.

"One down", one of the friendlies announced after a few seconds. "Another one down", one of the other members shouted soon afterward. "Prepare to push forward", the team leader calmly instructed and the other members all nodded and readied themselves. "Now!" he cried out and a couple more members rolled out into the hallway, immediately opening fire at anything that moved. Four more friendlies rushed out on either side, all guns blazing and delivering a rain of fire upon all who were unlucky enough to meet them head on.

One of them was shot as soon as he stepped out, two more joining him in a matter of seconds before a heavy silence finally let everyone know that they had probably managed to drive off their welcoming committee. Without waiting for orders the members outside slowly made their way towards both ends of the corridor, intending to form a temporary perimeter first and foremost. Just as slowly and carefully the remaining team members inside poured out of the docking bay, some turning left, others right. Some of them would try and take the bridge whilst others would go and secure the engines as well as the remaining half of the ship.

"Alright Jhory, get to it now!" the team leader spoke and shook the other man's hand before heading in the opposite direction, some of the remaining men following him, others forming a line behind the individual known as Jhory. Seth Qorbin was amongst those that ended up following their team leader. It was the more dangerous choice, but should they succeed then the training exercise would come to an end and they'd all be able to celebrate and return to the Cappadocious station. Then again, given his current company Seth very much doubted there'd be a whole lot of celebration involved...

"Steady advance, double file formation!" the team leader ordered and the remaining members in his group split up, now hugging both walls. It was a good call using this formation - it allowed the members to shoot anyone ahead from two separate angles, it also allowed them to efficiently cover the entrances on either side of the main corridor, all the while also minimizing the chances of getting hit themselves.

The first set of doors led to the infirmary and mess hall. After taking positions on either side of the entrances, two members of the team rolled inside and started covering the rooms. There were a couple of crewmen in the infirmary but neither was armed, nor wearing a security uniform either. If this was a real boarding action then the Marines would've had to either restrain the noncombatant crewmen and keep them under guard - if enough members could be spared for such a task - or just stun them and maybe drag them all to a single room... or airlock... or hangar if the ship in question was large enough to have one.

For the purpose of this exercise however none of that was necessary. Only security personnel was deemed a threat that had to be dealt with, regular crewmen could for the most part have even been considered not part of the exercise, but merely there as either decorations or in order to actually ensure that the ship was running properly and no malfunctions would occur because of the simulated boarding action - a scenario that wasn't entirely impossible.

Seeing no signs of movement or anything else out of place, Seth Qorbin got up and took a few steps around the mess hall before shouting a single "Clear!" to the rest of the unit. The man then got back outside and rejoined his team, which had already started to move forward once more. No one stood idle, no one was uncertain as to what exactly they were supposed to do. They might not yet be prepared to deal with any and all situations, but they were however ready for this particular one...

Maintaining the same formation and using the same tactics to clear the other rooms, mostly crew quarters but also a rec room and the armory, the team managed to reach the neck of the corvette. Whilst clearing the armory they also lost one more member in the process. Jhory too reported in, stating that he lost two more members but that at least the second half of the ship now stood secured. The man was bringing his remaining team members to rendezvous with everyone else.

Rather than push forward with his current numbers, the team leader decided to wait for the reinforcements first. The bridge would after all be the hardest section of the ship to take over and the more men he'd have at his disposal, the higher the chances of pulling that off. Seth could both see and agree with the logic of such a decision, though he personally would've charged forward with the forces he already possessed, engaged the enemy and after reinforcements would've finally reached him then and only then would he had made one final push in a win all or lose all attempt. He liked to think that he would've won rather than lost though...

"Coming in!" a familiar voice announced and within seconds Jhory and what was left of his men joined the main force. The team leader merely nodded approvingly and uttered a calm "Time to end this... Stack up!" Immediately the remaining thirteen members split into two groups and formed on either side of the entrance to the CR90's bridge. "Dominate!" the team leader ordered and the closest members rushed in, each heading in opposite directions, quickly followed by the remaining members that poured in one after the other trying as best they could to ignore the returning enemy fire.

Two members of the team never made it past the entrance, getting stunned as soon as they came into view of the enemy forces. Two more were gunned down before they could find some proper cover to hide themselves behind. Everyone else however managed to both get in and also find some degree of cover from which to return fire. What followed was a long three to four minute time period in which both sides tried shooting each other down. Two more team members, including Seth's copilot and Jhory, got hit in the process and now stood motionless on the cold floor of the command bridge. Those would however be the last casualties on their side as there were no more security forces left standing either. Seth was certain he managed to stun two bogeys himself - a feat that whilst hardly impressive on its own was still worthy of some notice nevertheless.

"Room clear!" the team leader announced and everyone stood up and left their cover, making their way towards the pilot's seat and officer stations. They had clear orders not to touch or damage anything so nobody even attempted as much, though the thought of jumping in the pilot's seat and giving the corvette's engines a little jolt did of course cross a certain blond Human's bored and devious little mind...

"Congratulations gentlebeings, we've accomplished our mission objectives - this exercise's now over", the team leader announced and Seth could swear he saw the individual almost smiling. Either that or the fellow's upper lip momentarily twitched just when the Onderonian was looking. That too was technically possible...

OOC:

WC: 1839