Prosan Training Grounds
Cadian Shock Barracks
Planet Rhyza
Current Age: 14“This cadets, is the GR-110 gauss series battle rifle. It fires a 7.62x51mm round at 975 meters per second with an effective range of 1100 yards. Produced by Arcentul Industries, you will find out that it weapon is a piece of shit when not taken care of properly. Now I don’t give a damn about you being able to field strip your grandma’s old wimpy DC-17 blaster pistol. You’re here to learn how to properly maintain and fire one of the meanest rifles in the galaxy. Are we clear on that you white shields?
“Yes Drill Sergeant!”
“Good, now let’s get to business.”
---
John Varl, recently recruited, as per Cadian martial tradition, had 6 weeks of standard training before being selected for further training in the Cadian 8th. The fact that he was placed into
The Lord Castellan’s Own, was not lost to him as he took the magazine out of his rifle to clean it again. The GR-110 was a kinetic based weapon, like most of the weaponry used by the various military forces that went under the banner of the Kasrkin Home Guard, and therefore required to be cleaned considerably more frequently than that of a blaster.
The Imperials and Reps can take their plasma weaponry for all I care, let’s see em take one of these head on. He thought, taking off the casing to the gauss rifle.
Grabbing the cleaning kit from a compartment in the butt stock, the young cadet began to clean the barrel as well as the components that surrounded it. Unlike most slug throwers of the era the GR-110 was actually a hybrid, a mix between combustion based ammunition with the addition of magnetic fields to increase the velocity of the rounds when they were fired. The down side to the increased performance and substantial boost in firepower was the increased strain put on the barrel from firing the damn thing and that the munitions were rare to get outside of the sector itself.
Barrel, check. Magnetic coils, check. Fusion cell is running to 100 percent efficiency. He analyzed, quickly placing the various parts back within the housing. After ensuring that everything fit securely when he finally closed the housing, John pulled the slide back to make certain that the rifle fired properly and smoothly each time it was shot. Satisfied with his work, the cadet placed the rifle back onto the table and gave it a quick glance of pride.
“Done Drill Sergeant!”
“Two minutes and thirty seconds! Not bad white shield…Now I want you do it again and again until you can field strip it under a minute and blindfolded as well.”
---
Operation Appleseed
Joint VE/KHG Exercise
Olympus
One week later“Sarge, why are we here?” John asked as he went prone, setting his rifles bi-pod into the firing position all the while. Although he knew the reasoning behind the operation, increasing the effectiveness of the two vastly different military philosophies working together, he still couldn’t tell why he was here.
What’s the point of going against something that can’t even fire back? The white shield thought, noticing that his Imperial counterpart was ready on his end.
“Still don’t get it? Alright think of it this way cadet, you see those other troopers about 200 yards ahead of us? We’re here on this nice open field, with this perfect view, to ensure that those boys don’t get shot before they reach the finish line. That means whenever a droid pops up, you take it down before it can get a bead on any of them.”
“I get that Sarge, you know I do.” John affirmed, already lining up his first shot at a pair of droids that were standing a distance away from his position. “It’s just that I don’t get why we’re going up against something that won’t even fire back at us. Why have a live fire exercise if your opponent is just gonna roll over and die without a whimper?”
“Not my fault the Imps can’t stand a little challenge; I bet they even like to cuddle themselves to sleep at night. You on the other hand don’t get that luxury. You need to strike true every time you fire, and each one has to be a kill shot. You get me son?”
“First blood to Cadia.” John replied with the crack of his gauss rifle and the destruction of the droid within seconds, confirming and solidifying his statement. To his left, the Imperial using an A280 blaster rifle, the equivalent of his Cadian battle rifle, issued a similar response.
“Good kill cadet. Next target: range 120 up and 10 to the left. This time they’re moving at a steady pace. Take the one on the left.”
“120 up, 10 to the left, Target confirmed as a B1 series Battle droid with yellow marks.”
“Fire.”
The next set of targets went down in a similar fashion as the first. Both the Vast Empire and Kasrkin veterans spotting out targets while their respective marksman trainees barked with resounding replies in unison. This continued for the third, fourth, all the way down to the eighth set of targets, before one of them finally missed.
“Did you just miss your shot
bug food? Or is the fact that one of those droids is still standing just my imagination?” The Cadian Sergeant asked with an incredulous look on his face; the horror of having his protégée tarnish the outstanding reputation that the Cadian Shock has upheld for thousands of years by John miss such an easy shot evidently in the foreground on his mind.
“Wasn’t me Sarn’t, haven’t even fired yet.”
Fething Imp missing a shot like that with friggin laser beams. “Well then you’re gonna have to pay the price for his mistake and knock em both down before that squad reaches the checkpoint. Now get it done.”
“On it.” John said, placing both droids into his sights.
This isn’t going to be easy, but if I can get one of them to hit the other, he thought, noticing with some satisfaction that the two B1 droids were well within arms length of each other. Taking this into account, the young cadet set his sights onto one that had a slight lead on the other. With a quick wind check, John aimed just slightly above the droids left shoulder, hoping that with enough force it will have the intended effect.
“Nicely done… Two birds with one stone...Squad has reached the final checkpoint and finish line as well. Come on kid let’s get out of here. Before that I think we’re gonna have to give you a new name. Let’s go with Kilroy.”
“I like it Sarn’t…After all, Kilroy was here.” With that statement, the two packed up to meet with the others. In tow, the Vast Empire counterparts did as well, unknowing of the fact bunny ears and rubber sheep that awaited them in the barracks.
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10 years later
Camp Torrington
Vast Empire Marksmanship ProgramStaff Sergeant James Longfield, drill instructor to the VE marksman/sniper program, had this odd feeling coming over him as he watched one of the latest batches of trainees. Something about the one called Kilroy had set off bells ringing in his mind, as if the man was someone he should be familiar with. When the corporal first bragged about passing this course before James thought he was just being cocky; now at the end of the session he wasn’t so sure.
This guy has been hitting each and every target like it was nothing
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“John Kilroy Varl, Lance Corporal! A word with you please?”
“Yes sarge?”
“Have I seen you before?”
Ahhh he finally asks the question. John grinned, savoring the moment that his former counterpart from
Appleseed would pop the query. Pulling out a pair of bunny ears from a pocket, the Cadian held it in plain view so the other Imperial could see. It took a moment before realization finally dawned on the instructors face; mouth gaping from shock and confusion. Taking advantage of the sergeant’s surprise, Kilroy placed the bunny ears onto his own head and grinned.
“Told ya I passed this before…Now would you like the rubber sheep now or later?
- OOC:
- 1,385 words, and going to keep this in line with my characters background
